NASA on Nostr: Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell Power Generator ========== The Radioisotope ...
Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell Power Generator
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The Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell (TRC) is a revolutionary power source being developed by NASA. It operates like a solar cell in reverse, converting heat from a radioisotope source into infrared light, which generates electricity. In a Phase I study, 8 W of electrical power was generated from a 62.5 W Pu-238 pellet using a 0.28 eV bandgap TRC operating at 600 K. The necessary TRC array includes 1,125 cm² of emitters, with a mass specific power of 12.7 W/kg. By using low-bandgap III-V materials such as InAsSb in nanostructured arrays, a 25x improvement in mass specific power and a four order of magnitude decrease in volume from a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) is possible. TRC technology will enable small versatile spacecraft with power requirements not met by photovoltaic arrays or MMRTG systems, allowing for missions to the outer planets and operations in permanent shadow areas. The project will investigate the thermodynamics and feasibility of the TRC power source, grow materials and TRC devices, test their performance, and develop an engineering design study for a cubesat mission operating at Uranus.
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/radioisotope-thermoradiative-cell-power-generator-2/
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The Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell (TRC) is a revolutionary power source being developed by NASA. It operates like a solar cell in reverse, converting heat from a radioisotope source into infrared light, which generates electricity. In a Phase I study, 8 W of electrical power was generated from a 62.5 W Pu-238 pellet using a 0.28 eV bandgap TRC operating at 600 K. The necessary TRC array includes 1,125 cm² of emitters, with a mass specific power of 12.7 W/kg. By using low-bandgap III-V materials such as InAsSb in nanostructured arrays, a 25x improvement in mass specific power and a four order of magnitude decrease in volume from a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) is possible. TRC technology will enable small versatile spacecraft with power requirements not met by photovoltaic arrays or MMRTG systems, allowing for missions to the outer planets and operations in permanent shadow areas. The project will investigate the thermodynamics and feasibility of the TRC power source, grow materials and TRC devices, test their performance, and develop an engineering design study for a cubesat mission operating at Uranus.
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/radioisotope-thermoradiative-cell-power-generator-2/