Sunpower's Dynamic Conversion to Flight with the Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC-F)

Collins, J.O.; Wong, Wayne A.; Dunlap, Mary Anne; Smith, Edward C.; Wilson, K. B.

doi:10.2514/6.2012-4252

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Additionally, this new strategy provided NASA with flight-like E3 convertors that could be used for extended operation and characterization tests to establish reliability of the flight design 4 . Further, In 2011 Sunpower relocated to a new facility that included a new clean room, designed specifically for ASC flight hardware production 5 . The ASC-E3 Pair 2 was the first hardware to be processed using the clean room, pathfinding new production procedures that addressed the flight cleanliness requirements.…”

Section: Asrg Integrated Flight Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) Development for NASA RPS

Wong¹,

Wilson²,

Collins³

2014

12th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference

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Sunpower's Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) initiated development under contract to the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and after a series of successful demonstrations, the ASC began transitioning from a technology development project to flight development project. The ASC has very high power conversion efficiency making it attractive for future Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) in order to make best use of the low plutonium-238 fuel inventory in the U.S. In recent years, the ASC became part of the NASA-Department of Energy Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) Integrated Project. Sunpower held two parallel contracts to produce ASC convertors, one with the Department of Energy/Lockheed Martin to produce the ASC-F flight convertors, and one with NASA GRC for the production of ASC-E3 engineering units, the initial units of which served as production pathfinders. The integrated ASC technical team successfully overcame various technical challenges that led to the completion and delivery of the first two pairs of flight-like ASC-E3 by 2013. However, in late Fall 2013, the DOE initiated termination of the Lockheed Martin ASRG flight development contract driven primarily by budget constraints. NASA continues to recognize the importance of high efficiency ASC power conversion for RPS and continues investment in the technology including the continuation of ASC-E3 production at Sunpower and the assembly of the ASRG Engineering Unit #2. This paper provides a summary of ASC technical accomplishments, overview of tests at GRC, plans for continued ASC production at Sunpower, and status of Stirling technology development.

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Section: Asrg Integrated Flight Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) Development for NASA RPS

Wong¹,

Wilson²,

Collins³

2014

12th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Pathfinding the Flight Advanced Stirling Convertor Design with the ASC-E3

Wong

Wilson

Smith

et al. 2012

10th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference

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pathfinders. Sunpower will deliver four pairs of ASC-E3 convertors to GRC which will be used for extended operation reliability assessment, independent validation and verification testing, system interaction tests, and to support LMSSC controller verification. The ASC-E3 and -F convertors are being built to the same design and processing documentation and the same product specification. The initial two pairs of ASC-E3 are built before the flight units and will validate design and processing changes prior to implementation on the ASC-F flight convertors. This paper provides a summary on development of the ASC technology and the status of the ASC-E3 build and how they serve the vital pathfinder role ahead of the flight build for ASRG. The ASRG is part of two of the three candidate missions being considered for selection for the Discovery 12 mission.https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search

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