Simulating the effect of step 2 general purpose heat source power attenuation on radioisotope thermophotovoltaic system

• Published in: Applied thermal engineering 2024-05, Vol.244, p.122722, Article 122722
• Main Authors: Huang, Bohui, Zhang, Shouhao, Wang, Zhiyang, Bian, Yubo, He, Baizhen, Wang, Hucheng, Shao, Jianxiong, Yang, Aixiang, Chen, Ximeng, Tang, Liangliang, Qiu, Xiyu, Zhu, Dingjun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Deep space exploration; Energy efficiency; Radioisotope thermophotovoltaic; Step 2 general purpose heat source; System lifetime; Thermal power attenuation
• ISSN: 1359-4311
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.122722

•Build a radioisotope thermophotovoltaic system with the most advanced step 2 general purpose heat source.•Thermophotovoltaic conversion modeling of the 3D radioisotope thermophotovoltaic system.•The annual efficiency decay rate of the radioisotope thermal power attenuation system is 0.18%.•The efficiency of the radioisotope thermophotovoltaic system is expected to be 28.78%. The radioisotope thermophotovoltaic is an effective solution to the problem of long-period energy support for future deep space exploration. Radioisotopes are the source of energy for the system, but prolonged use can lead to a loss of thermal power. In this paper, finite element models of 250 W and 500 W radioisotope thermophotovoltaic systems based on current state-of-the-art step 2 general purpose heat source were first developed using COMSOL, to analyze the temperature and radiant heat flux of system components. A thermal-optical-electrical conversion method is provided, and the output electrical power and system efficiency are calculated. The step 2 general purpose heat source is suitable for radioisotope thermophotovoltaic systems with efficiencies predicted up to 28.78 %. Results showed that after 20 years, the thermal power of the two systems decreased by 14.6 % and the system efficiency decreased by 1.36 % and 1.04 %, respectively. Considering only the thermal power attenuation factor, the system has a low annual attenuation rate of 0.18 %, which is conducive to realizing engineering applications in the future. It lays an important foundation for the subsequent improvement of the system attenuation model to evaluate the lifetime and realize engineering applications.