LOW COST SPACE POWER GENERATION

TWO TECHNOLOGIES WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE EXPLORATION ANDCOMMERCIALIZATION OF SPACE ARE POWER GENERATION AND PROPULSION. THE LOWEST MASS AND LOWEST COST METHOD FOR GENERATING ELECTRICAL POWER IN SPACE WILL LIKELY BE PYROELECTRIC CONVERSION. THIS MODE OF ELECTRICAL GENERATION WILL DOMINATE FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST, THE LOW MASS WILL MAKE IT THE LEAST EXPENSIVE TO PLACE IN ORBIT. SECONDLY, THE MATERIALS AND SYSTEM COSTS OF PYROELECTRONIC CONVERTERS ARE EXPECTED TO BEFAR LOWER THAN PHOTOVOLTAICS, NUCLEAR, AND CHEMICAL APPROACHES. ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT PYROELECTRIC CONVERTERS MAY ALSO MAKE HIGHER ORBITS ECONOMICALLY ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE ELECTRIC PROPULSION MAY BECOME FEASIBLE. PYROELECTRIC'S LOW MASS, RADIATION RESISTANT GENERATOR WILL NOT "WEIGH DOWN" THE ION THRUSTER, AND THE GENERATOR PRODUCES POWER AT HIGH VOLTAGE (WELL MATCHED TO THE LOAD). THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PHASE I EFFORT IS TO DETERMINE THE LONG TERM STABILITY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A PYROELECTRICPOLYMER WHICH HAS RECENTLY BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL ENERGY CONVERSION CAPABILITY. THE PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIAL WILL BE FOLLOWED FOR EXTENDED TIME PERIODS AS IT ISSUBJECTED TO THE THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL CYCLING CONDITIONS WHICH WILL EXIST IN PYROELECTRIC ENERGY CONVERTERS.