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Technical Paper

Space Solar Bimodal Brayton Power System

1999-08-02
1999-01-2451
Solar thermal power / propulsion systems (PPS) are an alternative to the nuclear thermal PPS as the upper stage launch vehicle (LV) to reduce the cost of launching to geosynchronous orbit (GEO). However in this case due to limitations on the amount of heat provided to the solar PPS, the time of the interorbital flight is sharply increased (from a week to a month). Therefore if the nuclear PPS allows overcooling of the cryogenic components (usually hydrogen and oxygen) on the start position, the solar PPS demands the active thermocontrolling. It is shown the optimal decision in this case is the closed Brayton energy conversion system (CBECS). The advantage of this system is high efficiency in GEO and also the possibility to increase significantly its efficiency during the interorbital flight due to CBECS working gas cooling by cryogenic fuel components of the PPS propulsion system.
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