NASA LogoNTRSNTRS - NASA Technical Reports ServerSearchmore_vertCollectionsAboutNewsHelpLogin Back to ResultsCharacterization 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 ID20160005946Acquisition SourceGlenn Research CenterDocument TypeTechnical Memorandum (TM)AuthorsLewandowski, 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 AcquiredMay 9, 2016Publication DateApril 1, 2016Subject CategorySpacecraft Propulsion And PowerEngineering (General)Report/Patent NumberAIAA Paper 2015-3808NASA/TM-2016-218910E-19166GRC-E-DAA-TN25971Meeting InformationMeeting: International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC)Location: Orlando, FLCountry: United StatesStart Date: July 27, 2015End Date: July 31, 2015Sponsors:American Inst. of Aeronautics and AstronauticsFunding Number(s)WBS: WBS 138494.04.18.01.01.01Distribution LimitsPublicCopyrightWork of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.KeywordspistoncontrollersaluminumAvailable DownloadsNameType20160005946.pdfSTIcloud_downloadcontent_copyvisibilityRelated RecordsThere are no records associated with this record.visibility_offNo Preview Available
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