Development of high efficiency segmented thermoelectric couples for space applications

Fivos Drymiotis; Jean Pierre Fleurial; Sabah Bux; Samad Firdosy; Kurt Start; Ike Chi; Vilupanur Ravi; Billy Chun Yip Li; Sevan Chanakian; Dean Cheikh; Kathy Lee; Kevin Yu; Obed Villalpando; Kevin Smith; David Uhl; Chen Kuo Huang; Jong Ah Paik; Zi Kui Liu; Jorge Paz Soldan Palma; Yi Wang; Xiao Yu Chong; Frances Hurwitz; Dongming Zhu; Haiquan Guo; Gustavo Costa

Development of high efficiency segmented thermoelectric couples for space applications

Fivos Drymiotis, Jean Pierre Fleurial, Sabah Bux, Samad Firdosy, Kurt Start, Ike Chi, Vilupanur Ravi, Billy Chun Yip Li, Sevan Chanakian, Dean Cheikh, Kathy Lee, Kevin Yu, Obed Villalpando, Kevin Smith, David Uhl, Chen Kuo Huang, Jong Ah Paik, Zi Kui Liu, Jorge Paz Soldan Palma, Yi WangXiao Yu Chong, Frances Hurwitz, Dongming Zhu, Haiquan Guo, Gustavo Costa

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) have been used by NASA to reliably power spacecraft for deep space exploration for over 40 years. Current state of the practice systems are limited to device-level efficiencies of 7.5% or less and system level specific powers of 2.8 to 5.1 W/Kg. NASA’s Radioisotope Power Systems Thermoelectric Technology Development Program (TTDP) is pursuing development of more efficient thermoelectric technologies that can increase performance by a factor of 2 to 4x over these state of the practice systems¹. NASA’s TTDP is developing high-efficiency segmented couples/modules with the following design goals: A) system conversion efficiency ≥ 11% (≥ 60% improvement over MMRTG at BOL) and b) ≥ 6-8.5 We/kg specific power (2-3 x improvement over MMRTG), for a temperature gradient T = 800 K (TH=1273 K and TC = 473 K). We will be discussing the state of development of the aforementioned couples and the tools that are used to guide this development. First-principle calculations and Finite Element Thermomechanical analysis are used to guide materials selection and device architecture, while extended device testing is utilized to establish couple reliability and stability.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018
Publisher	American Nuclear Society
Pages	174-177
Number of pages	4
ISBN (Print)	9781510859609
State	Published - 2016
Event	Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018 - Las Vegas, United States Duration: Feb 26 2018 → Mar 1 2018

Publication series

Name	Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018

Other

Other	Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018
Country/Territory	United States
City	Las Vegas
Period	2/26/18 → 3/1/18

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Aerospace Engineering
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Nuclear Energy and Engineering

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Cite this

Drymiotis, F., Fleurial, J. P., Bux, S., Firdosy, S., Start, K., Chi, I., Ravi, V., Li, B. C. Y., Chanakian, S., Cheikh, D., Lee, K., Yu, K., Villalpando, O., Smith, K., Uhl, D., Huang, C. K., Paik, J. A., Liu, Z. K., Soldan Palma, J. P., ... Costa, G. (2016). Development of high efficiency segmented thermoelectric couples for space applications. In Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018 (pp. 174-177). (Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018). American Nuclear Society.

@inproceedings{3180aced3bc6458fac9a0c74e5c53cd9,

title = "Development of high efficiency segmented thermoelectric couples for space applications",

abstract = "Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) have been used by NASA to reliably power spacecraft for deep space exploration for over 40 years. Current state of the practice systems are limited to device-level efficiencies of 7.5% or less and system level specific powers of 2.8 to 5.1 W/Kg. NASA{\textquoteright}s Radioisotope Power Systems Thermoelectric Technology Development Program (TTDP) is pursuing development of more efficient thermoelectric technologies that can increase performance by a factor of 2 to 4x over these state of the practice systems1. NASA{\textquoteright}s TTDP is developing high-efficiency segmented couples/modules with the following design goals: A) system conversion efficiency ≥ 11% (≥ 60% improvement over MMRTG at BOL) and b) ≥ 6-8.5 We/kg specific power (2-3 x improvement over MMRTG), for a temperature gradient T = 800 K (TH=1273 K and TC = 473 K). We will be discussing the state of development of the aforementioned couples and the tools that are used to guide this development. First-principle calculations and Finite Element Thermomechanical analysis are used to guide materials selection and device architecture, while extended device testing is utilized to establish couple reliability and stability.",

author = "Fivos Drymiotis and Fleurial, {Jean Pierre} and Sabah Bux and Samad Firdosy and Kurt Start and Ike Chi and Vilupanur Ravi and Li, {Billy Chun Yip} and Sevan Chanakian and Dean Cheikh and Kathy Lee and Kevin Yu and Obed Villalpando and Kevin Smith and David Uhl and Huang, {Chen Kuo} and Paik, {Jong Ah} and Liu, {Zi Kui} and {Soldan Palma}, {Jorge Paz} and Yi Wang and Chong, {Xiao Yu} and Frances Hurwitz and Dongming Zhu and Haiquan Guo and Gustavo Costa",

note = "Funding Information: This work was performed at the California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This work was supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate under the Radioisotope Power Systems Program{\textquoteright}s Thermoelectric Technology Development Project Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 American Nuclear Society. All Rights Reserved.; Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018 ; Conference date: 26-02-2018 Through 01-03-2018",

year = "2016",

language = "English (US)",

isbn = "9781510859609",

series = "Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018",

publisher = "American Nuclear Society",

pages = "174--177",

booktitle = "Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018",

address = "United States",

}

Drymiotis, F, Fleurial, JP, Bux, S, Firdosy, S, Start, K, Chi, I, Ravi, V, Li, BCY, Chanakian, S, Cheikh, D, Lee, K, Yu, K, Villalpando, O, Smith, K, Uhl, D, Huang, CK, Paik, JA, Liu, ZK, Soldan Palma, JP, Wang, Y, Chong, XY, Hurwitz, F, Zhu, D, Guo, H & Costa, G 2016, Development of high efficiency segmented thermoelectric couples for space applications. in Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018. Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018, American Nuclear Society, pp. 174-177, Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018, Las Vegas, United States, 2/26/18.

Development of high efficiency segmented thermoelectric couples for space applications. / Drymiotis, Fivos; Fleurial, Jean Pierre; Bux, Sabah et al.
Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018. American Nuclear Society, 2016. p. 174-177 (Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - Development of high efficiency segmented thermoelectric couples for space applications

AU - Drymiotis, Fivos

AU - Fleurial, Jean Pierre

AU - Bux, Sabah

AU - Firdosy, Samad

AU - Start, Kurt

AU - Chi, Ike

AU - Ravi, Vilupanur

AU - Li, Billy Chun Yip

AU - Chanakian, Sevan

AU - Cheikh, Dean

AU - Lee, Kathy

AU - Yu, Kevin

AU - Villalpando, Obed

AU - Smith, Kevin

AU - Uhl, David

AU - Huang, Chen Kuo

AU - Paik, Jong Ah

AU - Liu, Zi Kui

AU - Soldan Palma, Jorge Paz

AU - Wang, Yi

AU - Chong, Xiao Yu

AU - Hurwitz, Frances

AU - Zhu, Dongming

AU - Guo, Haiquan

AU - Costa, Gustavo

N1 - Funding Information: This work was performed at the California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This work was supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate under the Radioisotope Power Systems Program’s Thermoelectric Technology Development Project Publisher Copyright: © 2016 American Nuclear Society. All Rights Reserved.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) have been used by NASA to reliably power spacecraft for deep space exploration for over 40 years. Current state of the practice systems are limited to device-level efficiencies of 7.5% or less and system level specific powers of 2.8 to 5.1 W/Kg. NASA’s Radioisotope Power Systems Thermoelectric Technology Development Program (TTDP) is pursuing development of more efficient thermoelectric technologies that can increase performance by a factor of 2 to 4x over these state of the practice systems1. NASA’s TTDP is developing high-efficiency segmented couples/modules with the following design goals: A) system conversion efficiency ≥ 11% (≥ 60% improvement over MMRTG at BOL) and b) ≥ 6-8.5 We/kg specific power (2-3 x improvement over MMRTG), for a temperature gradient T = 800 K (TH=1273 K and TC = 473 K). We will be discussing the state of development of the aforementioned couples and the tools that are used to guide this development. First-principle calculations and Finite Element Thermomechanical analysis are used to guide materials selection and device architecture, while extended device testing is utilized to establish couple reliability and stability.

AB - Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) have been used by NASA to reliably power spacecraft for deep space exploration for over 40 years. Current state of the practice systems are limited to device-level efficiencies of 7.5% or less and system level specific powers of 2.8 to 5.1 W/Kg. NASA’s Radioisotope Power Systems Thermoelectric Technology Development Program (TTDP) is pursuing development of more efficient thermoelectric technologies that can increase performance by a factor of 2 to 4x over these state of the practice systems1. NASA’s TTDP is developing high-efficiency segmented couples/modules with the following design goals: A) system conversion efficiency ≥ 11% (≥ 60% improvement over MMRTG at BOL) and b) ≥ 6-8.5 We/kg specific power (2-3 x improvement over MMRTG), for a temperature gradient T = 800 K (TH=1273 K and TC = 473 K). We will be discussing the state of development of the aforementioned couples and the tools that are used to guide this development. First-principle calculations and Finite Element Thermomechanical analysis are used to guide materials selection and device architecture, while extended device testing is utilized to establish couple reliability and stability.

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M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85051958538

SN - 9781510859609

T3 - Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018

SP - 174

EP - 177

BT - Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018

PB - American Nuclear Society

T2 - Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2018

Y2 - 26 February 2018 through 1 March 2018

ER -

Development of high efficiency segmented thermoelectric couples for space applications

Abstract

Publication series

Other

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

UN SDGs

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