Multi-kilowatt solar cell power - Its critical technology and hardware development
Program review on critical areas of technology associated with solar cell battery power systems for manned spacecraft
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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Development of electric power supplies for electric propulsion.
Solar and nuclear electric power technology for electric propulsion
Johnson, C. E.↗
Lithium thionyl chloride high rate discharge
Improvements in high rate lithium thionyl chloride power technology achieved by varying the electrolyte composition, operating temperature, cathode design, and cathode composition are discussed. Discharge capacities are plotted as a function of current density, cell voltage, and temperature.
Klinedinst, K. A.↗
Photovoltaic power - An important new energy option
A review of photovoltaic (PV) power technology is presented with an emphasis of PV as an economical and technically feasible alternative source of energy. The successful completion of the development and transfer of emerging low-cost technologies into a fully commercialized status are identified as the means to the realization of this option's full potential. The DOE National Photovoltaics Program, a significant sponsor of PV R&D, expects both flat-plate and concentrator collectors to meet established cost targets. Citing the DOE large flat-plate grid-connected system project of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, current technology modules priced at near $5/Wp (1983 dollars) are steadily reducing costs. A recent DOE study suggests that PV-generated electricity produced at a 30-year levelized cost of 15 cents per kWh would represent a viable energy supply alternative for the nation.
Ferber, R. R.↗
Missions/Planning Panel
A panel discussion was held to develop a viewpoint of space power technology needs and state of readiness for future mission scenarios. Among the points made in the discussion, it was agreed that missions, particularly the far term ones, do serve to drive technology; however, as the missions become nearer term, issues of schedule and cost severely limit the willingness to accept risk. There are, in fact, no rewards to a mission manager for introducing new technology. Mission downscaling is the usual response to technology limitations. All panelists agreed that there exists a serious gap between when technologists feel their job is done and what mission managers need for decision. Typically a two to three year engineering development gap exists. It is essential to take technologies to the engineering model level and conduct a flight demonstration to close this gap. All agreed that increased effort should be made to achieve stronger interactions between planners and technologists and that workshops like the present one are a step in the right direction. Technologists need mission credibility and vice versa.
Fordyce, J. S.↗
A review of electric propulsion systems and mission applications
The satisfaction of growing demands for access to space resources will require new developments related to advanced propulsion and power technologies. A key technology in this context is concerned with the utilization of electric propulsion. A brief review of the current state of development of electric propulsion systems on an international basis is provided, taking into account advances in the USSR, the U.S., Japan, West Germany, China and Brazil. The present investigation, however, is mainly concerned with the U.S. program. The three basic types of electric thrusters are considered along with the intrinsic differences between chemical and electric propulsion, the resistojet, the augmented hydrazine thruster, the arcjet, the ion auxiliary propulsion system flight test, the pulsed plasma thruster, magnetoplasmadynamic propulsion, a pulsed inductive thruster, and rail accelerators. Attention is also given to the applications of electric propulsion.
Vondra, R.↗
Space Station power system
A Space Station Task Force was established by the NASA Administrator in May 1982 to provide focus and direction for Space Station planning activities. The Task Force also provides Congress and the Administration with sufficient information to allow them to make an informed decision on whether the United States should proceed with a Space Station as the next major national initiative in space. This paper will present the status of planning activities to date, with major emphasis on the power system. Technology options, power requirements, and schedule will be discussed.
Forestieri, A. F.↗
Electrical Power Working Group report
The status of and need for power technologies for Spacecraft 2000 were assessed and development programs required to establish an achievable and competitive technology base for spacecraft of the 21st century were identified. The results are summarized, including the recommendations and the underlying rationale.
Vanommering, Gerrit↗
Scaling the electromagnetically driven explosive shock simulator
A heavy payload electromagnetically driven explosive shock simulator, referred to as EDESS-3, has been assembled and characterized at the Navel research Weapons Center. EDESS-3 is the logical outgrowth of the earlier EDESS 1 and 2 simulator work which explored the use of electrical pulse power technology for the generation of explosive like shocks. The features of the EDESS-3 are presented, and designs for the next generation of EDESS machines are introduced.
Persh, Robert I.↗
Planetary mission opportunities with nuclear electric propulsion
An assessment is made of the applicability, benefits, and requirements of nuclear-electric propulsion (NEP) for solar system-exploration missions, within the framework of SP-100 reactor-based power technologies and 30-cm ring-cusp thruster technology. An initial launch date of 2005 is projected from a program-inception date of 2000. The missions in question encompass orbitings and flybys of Pluto, accomplishing in 10-13 years which would ballistically require a transfer time of 40 years; a Neptune orbiting; a Jupiter grand tour which will orbit each of the moons in turn; a Uranus orbiting; and a multiple mainbelt asteroid rendezvous orbiting six selected asteroids.
Kelley, James H.↗
Space Station Freedom as an engineering experiment station: An overview
In this presentation, the premise that Space Station Freedom has great utility as an engineering experiment station will be explored. There are several modes in which it can be used for this purpose. The most obvious are space qualification, process development, in space satellite repair, and materials engineering. The range of engineering experiments which can be done at Space Station Freedom run the gamut from small process oriented experiments to full exploratory development models. A sampling of typical engineering experiments are discussed in this session. First and foremost, Space Station Freedom is an elaborate experiment itself, which, if properly instrumented, will provide engineering guidelines for even larger structures which must surely be built if humankind is truly 'outward bound.' Secondly, there is the test, evaluation and space qualification of advanced electric thruster concepts, advanced power technology and protective coatings which must of necessity be tested in the vacuum of space. The current approach to testing these technologies is to do exhaustive laboratory simulation followed by shuttle or unmanned flights. Third, the advanced development models of life support systems intended for future space stations, manned mars missions, and lunar colonies can be tested for operation in a low gravity environment. Fourth, it will be necessary to develop new protective coatings, establish construction techniques, evaluate new materials to be used in the upgrading and repair of Space Station Freedom. Finally, the industrial sector, if it is ever to build facilities for the production of commercial products, must have all the engineering aspects of the process evaluated in space prior to a commitment to such a facility.
Rose, M. Frank↗
A study of subterahertz HEMT monolithic oscillators
A detailed study of monolithic InP-based HEMT oscillators for subterahertz operation is presented. InAlAs/InGaAs HEMT's have been optimized for high frequency operation and showed very high maximum oscillation frequencies (f(sub max)) of 310 GHz using offset self-aligned gamma-gate technology. Power characteristics of HEMT oscillators are reported. An oscillation power of more than 10 mW was evaluated by large-signal analysis at 320 GHz using HEMT's with f(sub max) = 450 GHz, V(sub br) = 10 V and a gate width (W(sub g)) of 8 x 22.5 microns. Oscillator topology studies showed that complex feedback schemes such as dual and active feedback enhance the negative resistance. Push-push oscillator designs based on harmonic signal generation can finally be used to overcome the frequency barrier imposed by f(sub max).
Kwon, Youngwoo↗
PEM fuel cell stack heat and mass management
PEM stacks are under evaluation as candidates for future space power technology. Results of long-term operation on a set of contemporary stacks fitted with different proton exchange membrane materials are given. Data on water balances show effects of membrane materials on stack performance.
Vanderborgh, Nicholas E.↗
The BMDO Thruster-on-a-Pallet Program
The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization sponsors an aggressive program to develop and demonstrate electric propulsion and space power technologies for future missions. This program supports a focused effort to design, fabricate, and space qualify a Russian Hall thruster system-on-a-pallet ready to take advantage of a near-term flight opportunity. The Russian Hall Effect Thruster Technology (RHETT) program will demonstrate an integrated pallet design in late FY95. The program also includes a parallel effort to develop advanced Solar Concentrator Arrays with Refractive Linear Element Technology (SCARLET). This synergistic technology will be demonstrated in a flight experiment this summer on the Comet satellite. This paper provides an overview of the RHETT and SCARLET programs with an emphasis on electric propulsion, recent progress, and near-term program plans.
Caveny, Leonard H.↗
Automotive Gas Turbine Power System-Performance Analysis Code
An open cycle gas turbine numerical modelling code suitable for thermodynamic performance analysis (i.e. thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumption, cycle state points, working fluid flowrates etc.) of automotive and aircraft powerplant applications has been generated at the NASA Lewis Research Center's Power Technology Division. The use this code can be made available to automotive gas turbine preliminary design efforts, either in its present version, or, assuming that resources can be obtained to incorporate empirical models for component weight and packaging volume, in later version that includes the weight-volume estimator feature. The paper contains a brief discussion of the capabilities of the presently operational version of the code, including a listing of input and output parameters and actual sample output listings.
Juhasz, Albert J.↗
Operational Aspects of Space Radiation
In this session, Session FA4, the discussion focuses on the following topics: Solar Particle Events and the International Space Station; Radiation Environment on Mir and ISS Orbits During the Solar Cycle; New approach to Radiation Risk Assessment; An Industrial Method to Predict Major Solar Flares for a Better Protection of Human Beings in Space; Description of the Space Radiation Control System for the Russian Segment of ISS; Orbit Selection and Its Impact on Radiation Warning Architecture for a Human Mission to Mars; and Space Nuclear Power - Technology, Policy and Risk Considerations in Human Missions to Mars.
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Solar Electric Propulsion Vehicle Design Study for Cargo Transfer to Earth-moon L1
A design study for a cargo transfer vehicle using solar electric propulsion was performed for NASA's Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts program. Targeted for 2016, the solar electric propulsion (SEP) transfer vehicle is required to deliver a propellant supply module with a mass of approximately 36 metric tons from Low Earth Orbit to the first Earth-Moon libration point (LL1) within 270 days. Following an examination of propulsion and power technology options, a SEP transfer vehicle design was selected that incorporated large-area (approx. 2700 sq m) thin film solar arrays and a clustered engine configuration of eight 50 kW gridded ion thrusters mounted on an articulated boom. Refinement of the SEP vehicle design was performed iteratively to properly estimate the required xenon propellant load for the out-bound orbit transfer. The SEP vehicle performance, including the xenon propellant estimation, was verified via the SNAP trajectory code. Further efforts are underway to extend this system model to other orbit transfer missions.
Sarver-Verhey, Timothy R.↗
Solar Electric Propulsion for Mars Exploration
Highly propellant-efficient electric propulsion is being combined with advanced solar power technology to provide a non-nuclear transportation option for the human exploration of Mars. By virtue of its high specific impulse, electric propulsion offers a greater change in spacecraft velocity for each pound of propellant than do conventional chemical rockets. As a result, a mission to Mars based on solar electric propulsion (SEP) would require fewer heavy-lift launches than a traditional all-chemical space propulsion scenario would. Performance, as measured by mass to orbit and trip time, would be comparable to the NASA design reference mission for human Mars exploration, which utilizes nuclear thermal propulsion; but it would avoid the issues surrounding the use of nuclear reactors in space.
Hack, Kurt J.↗