Study on the Development of a Small ETG for the Korean Launch Vehicle’s Low Orbit Test

Demand for energy has increasing rapidly in the last decade. In 2021 an increase in 5% was observed. Half of this demand was covered by fossil fuels, increasing CO2 emissions to record levels. With the need for new reliable steady supply sources to be used in places where maintenance is difficult, Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) have been given renewed attention in the past 10 years. RTGs uses radioactive decay to generate electricity. This work presents in a simple manner, the basics of RTG operation, the requirements for construction, and is followed by an example developed at KAERI. Basic Radiation Physics Concepts, RTG configuration requirements, Thermoelectric effect and materials, and calculations for electric power were presented.

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“…A prototype is already being tested. Figure 5 shows the device geometry and the heat simulation results [23].…”

Section: Example Of Rtgmentioning

confidence: 99%

How does radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) work

Souza¹,

Kim

et al. 2022

Braz. J. Rad. Sci.

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High‐Performance Micro‐Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator with Large‐Scale Integration of Multilayer Annular Arrays through Screen Printing and Stacking Coupling

et al. 2021

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Small distributed scientific monitoring equipment is an advanced concept in deep space exploration that requires a special power system. A micro‐radioisotope thermoelectric (TE) generator has the advantages of being of small volume, lightweight, and having a long life, which is regarded as the first choice. An annular radial TE conversion structure integrating 30 TE legs in 8.8 cm3 is designed, and a satisfactory temperature difference of 188.4 K is demonstrated. The p‐type Sb2Te3 and n‐type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 TE thick films are prepared by screen printing, and Seebeck coefficients are 142.4 and −179.8 μV K−2, respectively. By serial–parallel stacking, modular single‐layer devices are effectively integrated on a large scale. The 900 TE legs are integrated into 15.86 cm3, which can provide a high voltage output of up to 13.2 V. When an electric heating source that simulates 3PuO2 is loaded, an open circuit voltage of 3.84 V and a maximum power of 1.26 mW can be obtained. As a demonstration, a prototype to drive a wireless sensor network is used. In the future, this kind of independent power source is expected to become a help for small autonomous and distributed scientific instruments.

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Study on the Development of a Small ETG for the Korean Launch Vehicle’s Low Orbit Test

Cited by 2 publications

References 2 publications

How does radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) work

How does radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) work

High‐Performance Micro‐Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator with Large‐Scale Integration of Multilayer Annular Arrays through Screen Printing and Stacking Coupling

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