NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Assessment of the Free-piston Stirling Convertor as a Long Life Power Convertor for SpaceThere is currently a renewed interest in the use of free-piston Stirling power convertors for space power applications. More specifically, the Stirling convertor is being developed to be part of the Stirling Radioisotope Power System to supply electric power to spacecraft for NASA deep space science missions. The current development effort involves the Department of Energy, Germantown, MD, the NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, and the Stirling Technology Company, Kennewick, WA. The Stirling convertor will absorb heat supplied from the decay of plutonium dioxide contained in the General Purpose Heat Source modules and convert it into electricity to power the spacecraft. For many years the "potentials" of the free-piston Stirling convertor have been publicized by it's developers. Among these "potentials" were long life and high reliability. This paper will present an overview of the critical areas that enable long life of the free-piston Stirling power convertor, and present some of the techniques that have been used when long life has been achieved.
Document ID
20010047227
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Schreiber, Jeffrey G.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
NASA/TM-2001-210604
NAS 1.15:210604
E-12564
AIAA Paper 2000-3021
Meeting Information
Meeting: 35th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference Energy and Power in Transition
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Country: United States
Start Date: July 24, 2000
End Date: July 28, 2000
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 839-20-00
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
No Preview Available