ThermoAcoustic Naval Generator (TANG)

In order to meet the objectives of N241-060, GhostWorks Engineering proposes designing a ThermoAcoustic Naval Generator (TANG), which is a modular electrical power generator that is highly efficient, fuel agnostic, silent, and capable of 10 years of continuous operation without maintenance. The team at GhostWorks Engineering consists of former NASA and Navy power systems experts that have prior experience designing, building, testing and operating systems that can operate nearly anywhere in the solar system. Of particular note, the team members were a part of NASA’s Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) program, led the KiloPower project, led the Advanced Stirling Duplex (ASD) design, and invented the novel Alpha-STREAM convertor thermoacoustic architecture. The TANG system is a novel thermoacoustic Stirling architecture that increases reliability of Stirling engines by removing the hot moving parts and increases the efficiency of thermoacoustic systems by eliminating the potential for thermal streaming. The system is smaller, lighter, and more efficient than a diesel genset of comparable power output, while also eliminating most of the required maintenance. Similar systems developed by the GhostWorks Engineering team have been designed for >14 years of continuous operation in space and planetary missions. The system design decouples the combustion process from the power generation, allowing the same system to operate with a variety of fuels. This concept will allow the same systems to operate seamlessly even if the fuel standard is modified, or if alternatives are designed for other reasons.