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Characterization of the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator Engineering Unit 2Significant progress was made developing the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) 140-W radioisotope power system. While the ASRG flight development project has ended, the hardware that was designed and built under the project is continuing to be tested to support future Stirling-based power system development. NASA Glenn Research Center recently completed the assembly of the ASRG Engineering Unit 2 (EU2). The ASRG EU2 consists of the first pair of Sunpower's Advanced Stirling Convertor E3 (ASC-E3) Stirling convertors mounted in an aluminum housing, and Lockheed Martin's Engineering Development Unit (EDU) 4 controller (a fourth-generation controller). The ASC-E3 convertors and Generator Housing Assembly (GHA) closely match the intended ASRG Qualification Unit flight design. A series of tests were conducted to characterize the EU2, its controller, and the convertors in the flight-like GHA. The GHA contained an argon cover gas for these tests. The tests included measurement of convertor, controller, and generator performance and efficiency; quantification of control authority of the controller; disturbance force measurement with varying piston phase and piston amplitude; and measurement of the effect of spacecraft direct current (DC) bus voltage on EU2 performance. The results of these tests are discussed and summarized, providing a basic understanding of EU2 characteristics and the performance and capability of the EDU 4 controller.
Document ID
20160005946
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Lewandowski, Edward J. (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Oriti, Salvatore M. (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Schifer, Niholas A. (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Date Acquired
May 9, 2016
Publication Date
April 1, 2016
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Engineering (General)
Report/Patent Number
AIAA Paper 2015-3808
NASA/TM-2016-218910
E-19166
GRC-E-DAA-TN25971
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC)
Location: Orlando, FL
Country: United States
Start Date: July 27, 2015
End Date: July 31, 2015
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 138494.04.18.01.01.01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
piston
controllers
aluminum

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