In the late 1970's, the Department of Energy (DOE) assigned Monsanto Research Corporation, Mound Facility, now operated by EG&G Mound Applied Technologies, the responsibility for assembling and testing General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). Assembled and tested were five RTGs, which included four flight units and one non-flight qualification unit. Figure 1 shows the RTG, which was designed by General Electric AstroSpace Division (GE/ASD) to produce 285 W of electrical power. A detailed description of the processes for RTG assembly and testing is presented by Amos and Goebel (1989). The RTG performance data are described by Bennett, et al. (1986). The flight units will provide electrical power for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Galileo mission to Jupiter (two RTGs) and the joint NASA/European Space Agency (ESA) Ulysses mission to study the polar regions of the sun (one RTG). The remaining flight unit will serve as the spare for both missions, and a non-flight qualification unit was assembled and tested to ensure that performance criteria were adequately met. 4 refs., 3 figs.
Thermal vacuum life test facility for radioisotope thermoelectric generators
1990
9 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Nuclear Auxiliary Power Systems , Space Technology , Miscellaneous Energy Conversion & Storage , Engineered Safety Systems , Radioisotope Heat Sources , Test Facilities , Thermoelectric Generators , Alarm Systems , Automation , Design , Energy Efficiency , Measuring Methods , NASA , Performance Testing , Power Supplies , Power Systems , Reliability , Site Characterization , Space Vehicles , Thermal Degradation , US DOE , Vacuum Systems , EDB/300302 , EDB/320201 , EDB/210600 , Galileo project , Ulysses mission
A Facility to Remotely Assemble Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators
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