GROUND POWER THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR INVESTIGATION.
Abstract
This report describes the development work on high power density thermoelectric elements and encompasses thermoelectric element design and analysis, element development and fabrication, and element operation. The element design and analysis portion of the program considered detail component design, element assembly sequence, and instrumentation requirements. Analysis techniques were developed for evaluating property scale factors and heat shunt calibration data. The theoretical performance of jacketed and unjacketed elements was determined. A jacket constraint analysis determined applied loading due to jacketing. Element development and fabrication resulted in the manufacture of 54 elements. Specific problem areas were shoe assembly development, diffusion barrier development, hot press bonding of shoes to thermoelectric wafer, and electron beam welding of jackets. A total of 25 elements were tested, with power output ranging up to 9.5 watts(e). Operating conditions were approximately 900 F on the hot side and 200 F on the cold side. Two elements which composed a couple were subjected to a 1000-hour endurance operational test. The performance of the N-element was fair, degrading slightly throughout the test. The P-element degraded catastrophically during the endurance testing. Post-operational metallography showed large bonding breakdown and transverse cracks in the P-element. To a lesser extent the N-element also showed some bonding breakdown. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0804226
Entities
People
- H. M. Kreitz
- L. J. Gagola
- M. N. Ross
- R. Magladry
- T. H. Cox
Organizations
- Glenn L. Martin Company