Study On Technology Of The Hundred Milli-Watt Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator

With the development and maturation of space exploration technology, human deep space exploring range will extends to the solar system by sending the explorer to the Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune,and Pluto to exploring the profound mystery of farther universe.With the distance increasingly,it will be a more important subject under discussion to find a type of energy for space explorer to support the motive power,To this day,There are many type of energy used in space aerobat, such as Chemical Battery,Solar Battery, Storage Battery, Fuel Battery, Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator. But, the most compatible and maturely energy for deep space exploring and lunar exploring mission is only the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator. The method of design manufacture and test by analysis and experimental study based on the hundred milliwatt radioisotope thermoelectric generator were carried out in this article.At first, the application status of radioisotope thermoelectric generator in the space exploring technology field have been studied via articles in and abroad, Based on this, this article elaborated the working principle of the radioisotope thermoelectric generator, analysis the performance parameter for the structure of the hundred milliwatt radioisotope thermoelectric generator, and calculate the technical target compliance of the hundred milliwatt radioisotope thermoelectric generator. Then, the pivotal factor of thermoelectric material and thermoelectric module are researched and tested. Finally, the hundred milliwatt radioisotope thermoelectric generator was assembled electric performance tested and life span was calculated and predicted.Many innovation points of the hundred milliwatt radioisotope thermoelectric generator are as follows:(1) It’s the first time to research the design technic of the hundred milliwatt radioisotope thermoelectric generator, which is based on the Pu-238 radioisotope heat source.(2) The thermoelectric material Bi2Te3 used at high temperature is researched which is used in cooling field, get the aim of applied in electric power generation field at low temperature with material Bi2Te3.(3)The experiment and testing were researched to optimize the rate of Bi2Te3 thermoelectric element’s length to area, the efficiency is raised evidently.(4)The factors which effect the life span of battery were analyzed, tested and verified the influence of different charge way and radiation to the life span of the battery.On the foundation of the theory research and experiment tests, the milliwatt radioisotope thermoelectric generator was designed and tested finally. The method of designing assembling and performance estimating to the radioisotope thermoelectric generator described in this paper, will provide based methods and technic support for the future radioisotope thermoelectric generator study on deep space application.