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Fusion reactor applications to space propulsion and power generation, considering conversion of thermal energy of reacting plasma to electrical power and exhaust jet
Viewgraphs on Space Station Freedom solar dynamic power generation are presented. Topics covered include: prime contract activity; key solar dynamic power module requirements; solar dynamic heat receiver technology; and solar concentrator advanced development.
Liquid metals as working fluids for power- generation systems
An electrodynamic tether consists of a long insulated wire in space whose orbital motion cuts across lines of magnetic flux to produce an induce voltage that in typical low orbits averages about 200 v/km. Such a system should be capable of generating substantial electrical power, at the expense of IXB drag acting on its orbital energy. If a reverse current is driven against the induced voltage, the system should act as a motor producing IXB thrust. A reference system was designed, capable of generating 20 KW of power into an electrical load located anywhere along the wire at the expense of 2.6N (20,000 J/sec) drag on the wire. In an ideal system, the conversion between mechanical and electrical energy would reach 100% efficiency. In the actual system part of the 20 KW is lost to internal resistance of the wire, plasma and ionosphere, while the drag force is increased by residual air drag. The 20 KW PMG system as designed is estimated to provide 18.7 KW net power to the load at total drag loss of 20.4 KJ/sec, or an overall efficiency of 92%. Similar systems using heavier wire appear capable of producing power levels in excess of 1 Megawatt at voltages of 2-4 KV, with conversion efficiency between mechanical and electrical power better than 95%. The hollow cathode based system should be readily reversible from generator to motor operation by driving a reverse current using onboard power.
Parametric analysis and conceptual design of radioactive isotope thermionic space power generation system
The coupling of early-time high-altitude electromagnetic pulse signals into a power generation facility was investigated. This study encompasses both electromagnetic simulation and on-site experimental efforts that are relevant to shielding effectiveness estimation with a passive technique. As an initial step in understanding the attenuation models involved, simulations were carried out as a function of frequency, building properties, and signal incidence angle. Testing was then performed at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory campus to identify the equipment needed for signal collection and to fine-tune the experimental procedure. Finally, as an application of the models and methods presented, measurements were conducted at a power generation plant to derive the field transfer functions and coupled high-altitude electromagnetic pulse waveforms for various locations within the facility.
Operation of large inert gas magnetohydrodynamic power generator
This report summarizes the work performed by University of California San Diego (UCSD) – Honeywell Aerospace (Honeywell) team for the U.S. Department of Energy/Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (DOE/ARPA-E) under Phase 1 (April 2021 – October 2023) project, Cooperative Agreement DE-AR0001347 entitled “High-Efficiency and Low-Carbon Energy Storage and Power Generation System for Electric Aviation”. The main objective of this project is to develop and demonstrate an energy storage and power generation (ESPG) system operating on bio liquid natural gas (LNG) for electric aviation applications. The ESPG system concept in this project is a fuel cell, battery, and gas turbine hybrid system that incorporates an innovative solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology. This SOFC technology has two main novel elements: (i) a lightweight and compact stack architecture that consists of cells and cell modules in electrical parallel and series connections (the module design) and (ii) exceptionally high performance, direct methane thin-film cells on porous substrate made by sputtering deposition process. This fuel cell has the specific power and volumetric power density suitable for electric aviation applications. Based on the current status of the SOFC technology, the Phase 1 work focused on the following activities: (i) ESPG System Modeling – to design and optimize an aircraft SOFC-based ESPG system concept that met the performance, weight and cost targets; (ii) Cell Material Development and Scaleup – to demonstrate scalability of the sputtering process for manufacture of thin-film SOFC cells of practical sizes, confirm the exceptional performance of sputtered cells, improve cell stability and durability for operation with hydrogen and methane fuel, and develop a suitable electrically conducting porous substrate to replace the current non-conducting ceramic substrate; (iii) Stack Development – to design and manufacture stack components for the stack architecture, evaluate and select a suitable sealant, and build and operate multi-cell stacks to demonstrate stack operation, and (iv) Technology to Market – to develop business models and commercialization plans, conduct various market and technology analysis and estimate SOFC and ESPG system costs.
Here, in this study, we performed an experimental and computational investigation into the feasibility of utilizing photoionization to enhance the electrical conductivity of seeded oxy-fuel combustion products and improve the performance of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generators. We applied a variety of optical and microwave diagnostics to study the ionization and recombination processes of potassium excited by an excimer laser in a high-velocity oxy-fuel free jet. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations were performed to model the thermophysical properties and species densities of the free jet. The CFD results were validated with position-dependent potassium concentration measurements. Electron recombination exponential lifetimes were measured through time-resolved microwave transmission. The experimental electron lifetimes were compared with lifetimes calculated from CFD-predicted species densities and literature recombination rates. It was determined that K + or O 2 are the most likely recombination partners for photoionized electrons. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements provided evidence of an ionization pathway involving a two-photon ionization of KOH . Finally, a zero-dimensional chemical kinetic model was developed to assess the fundamental viability of inducing a non-equilibrium electron population to provide a net energy return in combustion-driven MHD power generators. We determined that a high energy return is feasible for targeting electrode boundary layers with ultraviolet photoionization. We also found that photoionization could potentially lower the required temperature of the bulk gas flow.
The power gain and thrust for plasma engines available by unreeling 10 km of insulated Al wire from a spacecraft are investigated. The wire, unreeling in the vertical, would cut the earth's magnetic field lines, thereby generating 20 kW of power in the wire. A drag loss of 20.4 kJ/sec would reduce the power gain to 18.7 kW, an efficiency of 92 percent. Thicker wires could push the power gain to 1 MW at 95 percent efficiency. Conductive 'balloons' at the ends of the tether would function as ionospheric 'brushes' to complete the circuit. Reversing the IXB force by employing on-board stored power would drive the tether current against the induced voltage, providing a 1 N thrust for 8 kW of energy consumed, which could be supplied by solar panels during the day portion of orbit. The equivalent thrust by conventional stationkeeping means would consume 8000 kg of propellant/yr. Techniques for stabilizing the tether in the presence of variable magnetic fields are discussed.
Most existing coal-fired power plants were designed for sustained operation at full load to maximize efficiency, reliability, and revenues. Depending on plant type and design, these plants can adjust output within a fixed range in response to plant or market conditions. The need for flexibility driven by increased penetration of variable and non-dispatchable power generation such as wind and solar is shifting traditional mission profile of thermoelectric power plants in three ways: more frequent shutdowns when market or grid conditions warrant, more aggressive load ramp rates (rate of output change), and lower minimum sustainable load, which provides a wider operating range and helps avoid costly plant shutdowns. The recent studies have shown that flexibility of a coal-fired power plant can be improved by the energy storage. The objective of this project was to analyze a set of energy storage options (technologies) and determine their impact on flexibility and economics of a representative coal-fired power plant. The effect of five Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) integrated with a coal power plant on plant flexibility and economics was investigated in this study. The results obtained in this project and presented in this report showed that ESS integrated with a thermal power plant improves plant flexibility and participation in the Energy and Ancillary Services markets and also improves plant financial performance.
The authors propose a new approach to THz power generation: the nanoklystron. Utilizing silicon micromachining techniques, the design and fabrication concept of a monolithic THz vacuum-tube reflex-klystron source is described. The nanoklystron employs a separately fabricated cathode structure composed of densely packed carbon nanotube field emitters and an add-in repeller. The nanotube cathode is expected to increase the current density, extend the cathode life and decrease the required oscillation voltage to values below 100 V. The excitation cavity is based on ridged-waveguide and differs from the conventional cylindrical re-entrant structures found in lower frequency klystrons. A quasi-static field analysis of the cavity and output coupling structure show excellent control of the quality factor and desired field distribution. Output power is expected to occur through an iris coupled matched rectangular waveguide and integrated pyramidal feed horn. The entire circuit is designed so as to be formed monolithically from two thermocompression bonded silicon wafers processed using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) techniques. To expedite prototyping, a 600 GHz mechanically machined structure has been designed and is in fabrication. A complete numeric analysis of the nanoklystron circuit, including the electron beam dynamics has just gotten underway. Separate evaluation of the nanotube cathodes is also ongoing. The authors will describe the progress to date as well as plans for the immediate implementation and testing of nanoklystron prototypes at 640 and 1250 GHz.
Application of fusion reactors to space propulsion and power generation
The authors propose a new approach to THz power generation, the nanoklystron.
The synergistic integration of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Combustor (SOFC-C) with a turbogenerator (TG) will provide a very high fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiency while maintaining high power-to-weight ratio during high-altitude flight. The proposed SOFC-C-TG power generation technology exceeds the REEACH technical performance targets (TPT). This unique concept addresses many of the challenges faced in all electric propulsion-based aviation. The system has high part-load efficiency (more than 65% lower heating value (LHV)) during long cruise times, load following capability, high-power capacity at high altitudes adapting to low temperatures and pressures, rapid startup time of less than 30 minutes (proven with current SOFC technology), high power density (more than 3.2 kW/kg), efficient thermal management, and a foundation for a compact, efficient electrical storage and power generation system (ESPG). The SOFC-C concept achieves the technology targets by reducing the complexity of traditional fuel cell-gas turbine hybrid systems (FC-GT). The SOFC-C does not require heat exchangers and dramatically reduces the balance of plant increasing power density and performance in efficiency. The reduction in mass through elimination of heat exchangers, external reformer, and other components dramatically decreases the overall thermal dampening of the system which enables rapid startup and load following capability. Direct control of the cathode inlet temperature of the SOFC-C enables rapid warm-up of the SOFC tubes with the ability to reach operating temperature and full power in less than 30 minutes.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 states that by fiscal year 2013, at least 7.5% of the energy consumed by the government must be renewable energy. In an effort to help meet this goal, Johnson Space Center (JSC) is considering installing a solar power generation facility. The purpose of this project is to conduct a feasibility investigation for such a facility. Because Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has a solar power generation facility, the first step in this investigation is to learn about KSC's facility and obtain information on how it was constructed. After collecting this information, the following must be determined: the amount of power desired, the size of the facility, potential locations for it, and estimated construction and maintenance costs. Contacts with JSC's energy provider must also be established to determine if a partnership would be agreeable to both parties. Lastly, all of this data must be analyzed to decide whether or not JSC should construct the facility. The results from analyzing the data collected indicate that a 200 kW facility would provide enough energy to meet 1% of JSC's energy demand. This facility would require less than 1 acre of land. In the map below, potential locations are shown in green. The solar power facility is projected to cost $2 M. So far, the information collected indicates that such a facility could be constructed. The next steps in this investigation include contacting JSC's energy provider, CenterPoint Energy, to discuss entering a partnership; developing a life cycle cost analysis to determine payback time; developing more detailed plans; and securing funding.
The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. The IOA approach features a top-down analysis of the hardware to determine failure modes, criticality, and potential critical items. To preserve independence, this analysis was accomplished without reliance upon the results contained within the NASA FMEA/CIL documentation. This report documents the independent analysis results corresponding to the Orbiter Electrical Power Distribution and Control (EPD and C)/Electrical Power Generation (EPG) hardware. The EPD and C/EPG hardware is required for performing critical functions of cryogenic reactant storage, electrical power generation and product water distribution in the Orbiter. Specifically, the EPD and C/EPG hardware consists of the following components: Power Section Assembly (PSA); Reactant Control Subsystem (RCS); Thermal Control Subsystem (TCS); Water Removal Subsystem (WRS); and Power Reactant Storage and Distribution System (PRSDS). The IOA analysis process utilized available EPD and C/EPG hardware drawings and schematics for defining hardware assemblies, components, and hardware items. Each level of hardware was evaluated and analyzed for possible failure modes and effects. Criticality was assigned based upon the severity of the effect for each failure mode.
An international round-robin study on thermoelectric power generation modules was conducted with nine participating laboratories. Two types of commercially available bismuth telluride modules, 30 mm × 30 mm and 40 mm × 40 mm, were used. A test protocol was followed with five temperature set points from 50°C to 150°C. Graphite sheets were used as thermal interface materials with test pressure at 100 psi (0.69 MPa). The results showed large lab-to-lab variations and the key source of uncertainty for module efficiency was identified as the heat flux measurement. In the meantime, significant uncertainty was also found in maximum electrical power (P max ) measurements. As a result of the round-robin, a “standard module” with 4 × 4 legs on a 20 mm × 20 mm platform was suggested. A skutterudite module and a half-Heusler module were produced with identical geometry and 4 mm × 4 mm × 8 mm legs. All transport properties to calculate the figure-of-merit, zT, were measured from ambient temperature to 500°C. Module performance was measured by two laboratories. Two finite-element-analysis (FEA)-based models were developed independently to simulate and predict the module performance. In conclusion, the standard modules eliminated significant test uncertainties and are aimed at assisting device design and achieving more accurate performance predictions.