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Overview of Stirling Technology Research at NASA Glenn Research CenterStirling Radioisotope Power Systems (RPSs) are under development to provide power on future space science missions where robotic spacecraft will orbit, fly by, land, or rove using less than a quarter of the plutonium the currently available RPS uses to produce about the same power. NASA Glenn Research Center's newly formulated Stirling Cycle Technology Development Project (SCTDP) continues development of Stirling-based systems and subsystems, which include a flight-like generator and related housing assembly, controller, and convertors. The project also develops less mature technologies under Stirling Technology Research, with a focus on demonstration in representative environments to increase the technology readiness level (TRL). Matured technologies are evaluated for selection in future generator designs. Stirling Technology Research tasks focus on a wide variety of objectives, including increasing temperature capability to enable new environments, reducing generator mass and/or size, improving reliability and system fault tolerance, and developing alternative designs. The task objectives and status are summarized.
Document ID
20160004350
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Wilson, Scott D.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Schifer, Nicholas A.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Williams, Zachary D.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Metscher, Jonathan F.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Date Acquired
April 5, 2016
Publication Date
March 1, 2016
Subject Category
Mechanical Engineering
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
E-19165
NASA/TM-2016-218909
AIAA Paper 2015-3509
GRC-E-DAA-TN25970
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC)
Location: Orlando, FL
Country: United States
Start Date: July 27, 2015
End Date: July 31, 2015
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 138494.04.18.01.01.01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
robotics
systems engineering
Stirling cycle
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