The new NASA Vision for Exploration, announced by President Bush in January 2004, proposes an ambitious program that plans to return astronauts to the moon by the 2018 time frame. A recent NASA study entitled “Affordable Fission Surface Power Study” recommended a 40 kWe, 900 K, NaK‐cooled, Stirling conversion for 2020 launch. Use of two of the nominal 5 kW converters allows the system to be dynamically balanced. A group of four dual‐converter combinations that would yield 40 kWe can be tested to validate the viability of Stirling technology for space fission surface power systems. The work described in this paper deals specifically with the control system for the 5 kW convertor described in the preceding paragraph. This control system is responsible for maintaining piston stroke to a setpoint in the presence of various disturbances including electrical load variations. Pulse starting of the FSPE convertor is also an inherent part of such a control system. Finally, the ability to throttle the engine to match the required output power is discussed in terms of setpoint control. Several novel ideas have been incorporated into the piston stroke control strategy that will engender a stable response to disturbances in the presence of midpoint drift while providing useful data regarding the position of both the power piston and displacer.


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    Title :

    The Development of a Control System for a 5 Kilowatt Free Piston Stirling Space Convertor


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    SPACE TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL FORUM‐STAIF 2008: 12th Conference on Thermophysics Applications in Microgravity; 1st Symposium on Space Resource Utilization; 25th Symposium on Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion; 6th Conference on Human/Robotic Technology and the Vision for Space Exploration; 6th Symposium on Space Colonization; 5th Symposium on New Frontiers and Future Concept ; 2008 ; Albuquerque (New Mexico)


    Published in:

    AIP Conference Proceedings ; 969 , 1 ; 362-371


    Publication date :

    2008-01-21


    Size :

    10 pages





    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Progress in Developing a New 5 Kilowatt Free‐Piston Stirling Space Convertor

    Brandhorst, Henry W. / Kirby, Raymond L. / Chapman, Peter A. | American Institute of Physics | 2008



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    Brandhorst, Henry W. | Online Contents | 2008


    New 5kW free-piston Stirling space convertor developments

    Brandhorst, Henry W. | Online Contents | 2008


    New 5 Kilowatt Free‐Piston Stirling Space Converter Developments

    Brandhorst, Henry W. | American Institute of Physics | 2007