Thermal and electrical analysis of Mars Rover RTGs

The radionuclide thermoelectric generator (RTG) designs described in these proceedings (A. Schock et al., p.2681-2691) were analyzed for their thermal and electrical performance. Coupled thermal, thermoelectric, and electrical analyses were carried out using specialized computer codes. These were supplemented by preliminary structural and mass analyses. For each design, various cases representing different operating conditions (water-cooled/radiation-cooled, BOM/EOM, summer/winter, day/night) and different thermoelectric performance assumptions (from conservative to optimistic) were analyzed, and for every case the heat flow rates, temperatures, and electrical performance of each layer of thermoelectric elements and of the overall RTG were determined. The analyses were very detailed, to provide accurate answers permitting meaningful comparisons between different designs. The results are presented, showing the RTG performance achievable with current technology, and the performance improvements that would be achievable with various technology developments.<>