European Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) for Space Science and Exploration

Ambrosi, Richard M.; Williams, Hannah; Watkinson, E. Jane; Barco, Alessandra; Mesalam, Ramy; Crawford, Tony; Bicknell, Christopher; Samara-Ratna, Piyal; Vernon, David T. A.; Bannister, Nigel; Ross, D.; Sykes, J.; Perkinson, M. C.; Burgess, Chris; Stroud, C. W.; Gibson, Stephen; Godfrey, Alexander; Slater, Robert G.; Reece, Michael J.; Chen, Kan; Simpson, Kevin; Tuley, Richard; Sarsfield, Mark J.; Tinsley, Tim; Stephenson, Keith; Freis, Daniel; Vigier, Jean-François; Konings, R.J.M.; Fongarland, Christophe; Libessart, Martin; Merrifield, J. A.; Kramer, Daniel P.; Byrne, Jamie; Foxcroft, Benjamin

doi:10.1007/s11214-019-0623-9

Cited by 63 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…[4][5][6] Most high-performance TE materials are inorganic semiconductors, which show high figure of merit values [7,8] and have irreplaceable applications as power supply systems in space exploration, such as radioisotope TE generators. [9,10] Nevertheless, traditional inorganic TE materials are mechanically rigid and fragile, thus are not compatible with heat sources with complex surfaces, obstructing their applications in distributed power supply systems, especially wearable electronics.Two main strategies have been developed to address these issues. One strategy used intrinsically flexible TE materials, including conducting polymers, [11][12][13] carbon-based materials, [14,15] and highly plastic semiconductors.…”

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confidence: 99%

Recyclable, Healable, and Stretchable High‐Power Thermoelectric Generator

Zhu

Shi

Wang

et al. 2021

Advanced Energy Materials

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ronment without mechanical parts, longlasting, maintenance-free, portable, etc. Therefore, TEGs are especially suitable for applications in self-powered electronic systems. [4][5][6] Most high-performance TE materials are inorganic semiconductors, which show high figure of merit values [7,8] and have irreplaceable applications as power supply systems in space exploration, such as radioisotope TE generators. [9,10] Nevertheless, traditional inorganic TE materials are mechanically rigid and fragile, thus are not compatible with heat sources with complex surfaces, obstructing their applications in distributed power supply systems, especially wearable electronics.Two main strategies have been developed to address these issues. One strategy used intrinsically flexible TE materials, including conducting polymers, [11][12][13] carbon-based materials, [14,15] and highly plastic semiconductors. [16,17] Despite these attractive developments, the intrinsically flexible TE materials still suffered inferior TE properties, and the TEGs based on these films were usually constructed using in-plane configurations that made them difficult to build matched thermal impedance when harvesting heat from human body. Quite recently, ionic TE materials as another candidate for thermal energy conversion, showed a magnitude larger temperature gradient driven voltage based on Soret effect than typical electronic TE materials based on electrons/holes diffusion. [18,19] However, most of the ionic TEGs only functioned Direct energy conversion based on thermoelectric (TE) materials is a longterm and maintenance-free energy harvesting technique, and therefore is very promising for self-powered wearable electronics. Yet, it is challenging to achieve high-performance stretchable, healable, and even recyclable thermoelectric generators (TEGs) without compromising TE conversion performance due to the intrinsic mechanical rigidity and brittleness of the inorganic TE materials. Herein, recyclable, healable, and stretchable TEGs (RHS-TEGs) are reported that are assembled from commercial Bi 2 Te 3 and Sb 2 Te 3 TE legs generating superior power density via the use of liquid metal as interconnects and dynamic covalent thermoset polyimine as encapsulation. The TEGs fabricated using this strategy are endowed with excellent TE performance, mechanical compliance, and healing and recycling capabilities. The normalized output power density and mechanical stretchability can reach up to 1.08 µW cm −2 •K 2 and 50%, respectively. After healing and recycling, the TEGs show output performance comparable to the original devices. The TEGs also exhibit high reliability and stability under cyclic deformation. This study paves the way for sustainable application of TEGs as energy harvesters to power wearable electronics using body heat.

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confidence: 99%

Recyclable, Healable, and Stretchable High‐Power Thermoelectric Generator

Zhu

Shi

Wang

et al. 2021

Advanced Energy Materials

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“…A comprehensive and diverse instrument suite will enable the tremendous interdisciplinary science opportunities described in the previous section. As described in the White Paper by Fletcher et al [1], several challenges must be overcome: the co-alignment of agency budgets and science planning to allow for international partnership missions; the strategy for dealing with long-duration missions (both technology and people) spanning multiple decades; the generation of electrical power via radioisotope decay [40]; the capabilities to return telemetry over vast distances via upgraded ground stations; and the challenge in delivering as much payload to orbit in as short a time as possible.…”

Section: Summary: Future Missionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ice giant system exploration within ESA’s Voyage 2050

et al. 2021

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Of all the myriad environments in our Solar System, the least explored are the distant Ice Giants Uranus and Neptune, and their diverse satellite and ring systems. These ‘intermediate-sized’ worlds are the last remaining class of Solar System planet to be characterised by a dedicated robotic mission, and may shape the paradigm for the most common outcome of planetary formation throughout our galaxy. In response to the 2019 European Space Agency call for scientific themes in the 2030s and 2040s (known as Voyage 2050), we advocated that an international partnership mission to explore an Ice Giant should be a cornerstone of ESA’s science planning in the coming decade, targeting launch opportunities in the early 2030s. This article summarises the inter-disciplinary science opportunities presented in that White Paper [1], and briefly describes developments since 2019.

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“…A requalification program will also require coordination with a 2030 mission to protect the mission launch window. ESA is developing an RTG with the novel adoption of 241 Am as the heat source [6]. Although 241 Am has a significantly smaller power density than 238 Pu, its ready availability as a waste product of Pu fission reactors is a distinct advantage.…”

Section: (I) Electric Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling technologies for ice giant exploration

Spilker

2020

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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Future missions to an ice giant planet, especially orbital missions, are technologically challenging. But with one exception, radioisotope power sources (RPSs), the technologies that would enable such missions are currently available. RPSs are not a new technology, but devices used in the past that are appropriate to an ice giant mission are no longer available without engineering development work (currently unfunded), and it is uncertain whether the new NASA unit under development will be available for flight in time to take advantage of the best transfer trajectories of the next 15 years. This paper describes technologies already in hand that enable an ice giant mission, but for them to be useful they must be maintained. If an enabling technology is lost a replacement must be developed, potentially impacting the cost and schedule of a mission. In addition to the enabling technologies, there are a number of technologies that, while not enabling, could greatly enhance the science return and science value of a mission, making the programmatic aspects of approval an easier task and the funding of those development tasks a high priority. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Future exploration of ice giant systems'.

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European Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) for Space Science and Exploration

Abstract: Radioisotope power systems utilising americium-241 as a source of heat have been under development in Europe as part of a European Space Agency funded programme since 2009. The aim is to develop all of the building blocks that would enable Europe to

Cited by 63 publications

References 37 publications

Recyclable, Healable, and Stretchable High‐Power Thermoelectric Generator

Recyclable, Healable, and Stretchable High‐Power Thermoelectric Generator

Ice giant system exploration within ESA’s Voyage 2050

Enabling technologies for ice giant exploration

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