深空探测核电推进航天器的热电转换技术方案评估

Evaluation of Technical Scheme for thermoelectric conversion technology for nuclear electric propulsion spacecraft in deep space exploration

面向未来超远距离的深空探测任务,核电推进方式凭借高比冲、长寿命等特点成为了目前较优的可选方案。核电推进航天器利用热电转换技术将核反应堆的热能转换为电推进系统所需的电能。为了进一步扩大深空探测距离并缩短任务周期,需要借助大功率核反应堆及其配套的热电转换技术提高电推进系统的功率等级。该技术方案受制于核反应堆等级、系统功率密度、技术成熟度等多方面因素。通过不同方案对比,初步拟定了核电推进航天器上采用的热电转换技术方案并进行了相应评估,同时确定了方案中的主要限制因素与最大风险挑战。

Facing the future ultra-long-distance deep space exploration mission,the nuclear electric propulsion mode has become a better space propulsion scheme with its characteristics,such as high specific impulse and long life.The nuclear electric propulsion spacecraft uses thermoelectric conversion technology to convert thermal energy from a nuclear reactor into electricity for an electric propulsion system.In order to further expand the deep space detection distance and shorten the mission cycle,it is necessary to use the megawatt power nuclear reactor and the corresponding thermoelectric conversion technology to bring the power level of the electric propulsion system to the megawatt level improve the power level of electric propulsion system by means of high-power nuclear reactor and its corresponding thermoelectric conversion technology.The technical scheme is subject to many factors,such as nuclear reactor grade,system power density and technical maturity.Through the comparison of different schemes,a technical scheme for thermoelectric conversion on the nuclear electric propulsion spacecraft is preliminarily formulated and evaluated.Meanwhile,the primary constraints and riskiest challenges in the scheme are determined.