Unconventional Space Power Using Gas Turbine Systems

The proposed effort - Unconventional Space Power using Gas Turbine Systems - is designed to generate 100 kWatts of electrical power from solar radiation for space-based applications. The system is a lightweight inflatable pressure vessel that captures solar radiation, heats a working fluid, and drives a turbo generator. The system was shown in the Phase I program to be a viable concept for space based power generation that has the potential for significant weight and complexity reduction compared to photovoltaic generation systems. The Phase II Program will develop a detailed system design for the Space Power system. The program plan includes materials development and structural design for the system elements, the design of a collapsible light weight heat radiation system using thin film technology, the design of a counter-rotating dual rotor turbine, the development and characterization of space-durable solar selective coatings, and the development of a detailed comprehensive system software model that will predict the performance of the gas turbine system under various orbital conditions.