European Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) for Space Science and Exploration

Richard M. Ambrosi; Hugo Williams; Emily Jane Watkinson; Alessandra Barco; Ramy Mesalam; Tony Crawford; Christopher Bicknell; Piyal Samara-Ratna; David Vernon; Nigel Bannister; Duncan Ross; Jonathan Sykes; Marie Claire Perkinson; Christopher Burgess; Colin Stroud; Stephen Gibson; Alexander Godfrey; Robert G. Slater; Michael J. Reece; Kan Chen; Kevin Simpson; Richard Tuley; Mark Sarsfield; Tim P. Tinsley; Keith Stephenson; Daniel Freis; Jean François Vigier; Rudy J.M. Konings; Christophe Fongarland; Martin Libessart; James Merrifield; Daniel P. Kramer; Jamie Byrne; Benjamin Foxcroft

doi:10.1007/s11214-019-0623-9

European Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) for Space Science and Exploration

Richard M. Ambrosi^*, Hugo Williams, Emily Jane Watkinson, Alessandra Barco, Ramy Mesalam, Tony Crawford, Christopher Bicknell, Piyal Samara-Ratna, David Vernon, Nigel Bannister, Duncan Ross, Jonathan Sykes, Marie Claire Perkinson, Christopher Burgess, Colin Stroud, Stephen Gibson, Alexander Godfrey, Robert G. Slater, Michael J. Reece, Kan ChenKevin Simpson, Richard Tuley, Mark Sarsfield, Tim P. Tinsley, Keith Stephenson, Daniel Freis, Jean François Vigier, Rudy J.M. Konings, Christophe Fongarland, Martin Libessart, James Merrifield, Daniel P. Kramer, Jamie Byrne, Benjamin Foxcroft

^*Corresponding author for this work

Metallurgy and Materials

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Radioisotope power systems utilising americium-241 as a source of heat have been under development in Europe as part of a European Space Agency funded programme since 2009. The aim is to develop all of the building blocks that would enable Europe to launch and operate deep space and planetary missions in environments where use of solar power or alternative power generation technologies is challenging. Although some technical and policy work activity predate the ESA programme, the maturity of the technology has now reached a level that it can be incorporated in mission studies and roadmaps targeting the period from the mid 2020s onwards. This paper describes the state of the art in European radioisotope thermoelectric generators and radioisotope heater units. This paper includes: the evolution of the technical programme in detail; descriptions of the design; evolution of RTG and RHU devices from laboratory prototypes to more advanced fully functional systems; and experimental data obtained to date. This paper also outlines the technical challenges and multidisciplinary skills required to develop what is a world leading, original, significant and transformative technology solution for planetary science and exploration missions from the mid 2020s onwards.

Original language	English
Article number	55
Journal	Space Science Reviews
Volume	215
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-019-0623-9
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2019

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work is funded by the European Space Agency. The authors would like to thank the UK Space Agency and in particular Sue Horne, Nick Cox, Elizabeth Seaman, Tony Mears, Helen Roberts, Libby Jackson. The results outlined in this programme would not have been possible without the support of Matthew Stuttard. The authors would also like to thank the team at the University of Dayton: Chadwick Barklay, Steven Goodrich, Christopher Whiting and Ronald Hoffman for their continued help and support. The authors like to thank Jan König and Martin Jägle from Fraunhofer IPM in Freiburg for their early work and collaboration on lead telluride thermoelectric generators. Robert C O’Brien whose PhD work sponsored by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council contributed to the very early research at Leicester in this field. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Funding Information:
This work is funded by the European Space Agency. The authors would like to thank the UK Space Agency and in particular Sue Horne, Nick Cox, Elizabeth Seaman, Tony Mears, Helen Roberts, Libby Jackson. The results outlined in this programme would not have been possible without the support of Matthew Stuttard. The authors would also like to thank the team at the University of Dayton: Chadwick Barklay, Steven Goodrich, Christopher Whiting and Ronald Hoffman for their continued help and support. The authors like to thank Jan K?nig and Martin J?gle from Fraunhofer IPM in Freiburg for their early work and collaboration on lead telluride thermoelectric generators. Robert C O?Brien whose PhD work sponsored by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council contributed to the very early research at Leicester in this field.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, The Author(s).

Keywords

Exploration
Nuclear power
Radioisotope
Space mission
Space science

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1007/s11214-019-0623-9

Cite this

Ambrosi, R. M., Williams, H., Watkinson, E. J., Barco, A., Mesalam, R., Crawford, T., Bicknell, C., Samara-Ratna, P., Vernon, D., Bannister, N., Ross, D., Sykes, J., Perkinson, M. C., Burgess, C., Stroud, C., Gibson, S., Godfrey, A., Slater, R. G., Reece, M. J., ... Foxcroft, B. (2019). European Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) for Space Science and Exploration. Space Science Reviews, 215(8), Article 55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-019-0623-9

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title = "European Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) for Space Science and Exploration",

abstract = "Radioisotope power systems utilising americium-241 as a source of heat have been under development in Europe as part of a European Space Agency funded programme since 2009. The aim is to develop all of the building blocks that would enable Europe to launch and operate deep space and planetary missions in environments where use of solar power or alternative power generation technologies is challenging. Although some technical and policy work activity predate the ESA programme, the maturity of the technology has now reached a level that it can be incorporated in mission studies and roadmaps targeting the period from the mid 2020s onwards. This paper describes the state of the art in European radioisotope thermoelectric generators and radioisotope heater units. This paper includes: the evolution of the technical programme in detail; descriptions of the design; evolution of RTG and RHU devices from laboratory prototypes to more advanced fully functional systems; and experimental data obtained to date. This paper also outlines the technical challenges and multidisciplinary skills required to develop what is a world leading, original, significant and transformative technology solution for planetary science and exploration missions from the mid 2020s onwards.",

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author = "Ambrosi, {Richard M.} and Hugo Williams and Watkinson, {Emily Jane} and Alessandra Barco and Ramy Mesalam and Tony Crawford and Christopher Bicknell and Piyal Samara-Ratna and David Vernon and Nigel Bannister and Duncan Ross and Jonathan Sykes and Perkinson, {Marie Claire} and Christopher Burgess and Colin Stroud and Stephen Gibson and Alexander Godfrey and Slater, {Robert G.} and Reece, {Michael J.} and Kan Chen and Kevin Simpson and Richard Tuley and Mark Sarsfield and Tinsley, {Tim P.} and Keith Stephenson and Daniel Freis and Vigier, {Jean Fran{\c c}ois} and Konings, {Rudy J.M.} and Christophe Fongarland and Martin Libessart and James Merrifield and Kramer, {Daniel P.} and Jamie Byrne and Benjamin Foxcroft",

note = "Funding Information: This work is funded by the European Space Agency. The authors would like to thank the UK Space Agency and in particular Sue Horne, Nick Cox, Elizabeth Seaman, Tony Mears, Helen Roberts, Libby Jackson. The results outlined in this programme would not have been possible without the support of Matthew Stuttard. The authors would also like to thank the team at the University of Dayton: Chadwick Barklay, Steven Goodrich, Christopher Whiting and Ronald Hoffman for their continued help and support. The authors like to thank Jan K{\"o}nig and Martin J{\"a}gle from Fraunhofer IPM in Freiburg for their early work and collaboration on lead telluride thermoelectric generators. Robert C O{\textquoteright}Brien whose PhD work sponsored by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council contributed to the very early research at Leicester in this field. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Funding Information: This work is funded by the European Space Agency. The authors would like to thank the UK Space Agency and in particular Sue Horne, Nick Cox, Elizabeth Seaman, Tony Mears, Helen Roberts, Libby Jackson. The results outlined in this programme would not have been possible without the support of Matthew Stuttard. The authors would also like to thank the team at the University of Dayton: Chadwick Barklay, Steven Goodrich, Christopher Whiting and Ronald Hoffman for their continued help and support. The authors like to thank Jan K?nig and Martin J?gle from Fraunhofer IPM in Freiburg for their early work and collaboration on lead telluride thermoelectric generators. Robert C O?Brien whose PhD work sponsored by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council contributed to the very early research at Leicester in this field. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019, The Author(s).",

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Ambrosi, RM, Williams, H, Watkinson, EJ, Barco, A, Mesalam, R, Crawford, T, Bicknell, C, Samara-Ratna, P, Vernon, D, Bannister, N, Ross, D, Sykes, J, Perkinson, MC, Burgess, C, Stroud, C, Gibson, S, Godfrey, A, Slater, RG, Reece, MJ, Chen, K, Simpson, K, Tuley, R, Sarsfield, M, Tinsley, TP, Stephenson, K, Freis, D, Vigier, JF, Konings, RJM, Fongarland, C, Libessart, M, Merrifield, J, Kramer, DP, Byrne, J & Foxcroft, B 2019, 'European Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) for Space Science and Exploration', Space Science Reviews, vol. 215, no. 8, 55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-019-0623-9

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AU - Barco, Alessandra

AU - Mesalam, Ramy

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AU - Sykes, Jonathan

AU - Perkinson, Marie Claire

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AU - Gibson, Stephen

AU - Godfrey, Alexander

AU - Slater, Robert G.

AU - Reece, Michael J.

AU - Chen, Kan

AU - Simpson, Kevin

AU - Tuley, Richard

AU - Sarsfield, Mark

AU - Tinsley, Tim P.

AU - Stephenson, Keith

AU - Freis, Daniel

AU - Vigier, Jean François

AU - Konings, Rudy J.M.

AU - Fongarland, Christophe

AU - Libessart, Martin

AU - Merrifield, James

AU - Kramer, Daniel P.

AU - Byrne, Jamie

AU - Foxcroft, Benjamin

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European Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) for Space Science and Exploration

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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