Design And Development Of The Esa Am-Fueled Radioisotope Power Systems
2019 IEEE AEROSPACE CONFERENCE(2019)
摘要
Radioisotope heater units (RHU) and radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) are currently being developed for the ESA radioisotope power system program. The state-of-the-art for the USA and Russian systems is to use plutonium238 as the radioisotope fuel; however, for the ESA applications americium-241 has been selected due to its availability and relatively cost-effective production in the European context. The proposed designs implement a multi-layer containment approach for safety reasons, with a platinum-rhodium alloy for the inner containment of the fuel and carbon-based materials for the outer layers. The Am-fueled RHU provides 3 W of thermal power, and makes this design competitive with existing models in relation to specific power. The heat source for the RTG has a 6-side polygonal shape, with a distributed 3-fuel pellet architecture: this configuration allows to maximize the specific power of the RTG, since Am-based fuels have a lower power density than Pu-based fuels. The heat supplied by the fuel is 200 W, with an expected electrical power output of 10 W provided by six Bi-Te thermoelectric modules. Finite element structural and thermal analyses have been performed to assess the theoretical feasibility of the components as initially conceived. Mechanical and electrically-heated prototypes for the systems have already been tested in a representative lab environment at the University of Leicester; these tests have provided initial estimates for the efficiency of the systems. Both the RHU and RTG architectures are currently undergoing a new design iteration process. This paper reports on the overall architecture and design of the Am-fueled RTG and RHU, the modelling results and the experimental data obtained so far.
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关键词
radioisotope power systems,power density,design iteration process,RTG architectures,electrically-heated prototypes,thermal analyses,thermal power,carbon-based materials,platinum-rhodium alloy,multilayer containment approach,cost-effective production,ESA applications,radioisotope fuel,ESA radioisotope power system program,radioisotope thermoelectric generators,RHU,radioisotope heater units,power 3.0 W,power 200.0 W,power 10.0 W,Am,Bi-Te,Pu
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