Archive for the ‘Publication’ tag
Space propulsion publication
Article published in the Astrophysics and Space Sciences Transactions journal:
We describe a solution for generating spacecraft on-board electricity in the 5kW – 500 kW power range. The introduced thermo-photovoltaic electricity generation works without magnets or external cooling; it combines operational simplicity with a good power per mass ratio.
Once in orbit, the system shall be capable of powering numerous missions within the inner solar system or a single long range mission.
Space exploration today is limited by the length of time and amount of fuel required for reaching desired destinations. An ideal propulsion design simultaneously features high Isp, high thrust power, and limited engine weight. Recent advances in nano-scale fabrication open up new possibilities for thermo-photovoltaic electricity generator design, and allow a the use of high-trust electric propulsion technologies. High-powered on-board electricity generation is key to reducing travel times to nearby planets and to the the expansion of space exploration horizons. The following sections describe each component of the proposed on-board electricity generator. …
Download: AndrasKovacs and Dr Pekka Janhunen: Thermo-photovoltaic spacecraft electricity
