1. QTYUIOP 99-19-1 THERMIONIC SPACE POWER THE EMERGING SOURCE OF SPACE POWER IN THE NEXT DECADE AUBURN UNIVERSITY AUGUST 17, 1999

2. QTYUIOP 99-19-2 TRENDS IN SPACE l COMMICATION SATELLITES (COMSATS) WANT HIGHER POWER –@10-15 kW NOW, WANT 30+ kW IN FUTURE l MILITARY MOVING ASSETS TO SPACE –SPACE-BASED RADAR/LASER - 80 kW REQUIRED l SPACE EVOLVING INTO MILITARY “AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY” –SIGNIFICANT MILITARY/COMM’L ASSETS IN SPACE –LIKE LAND, SEA, AIR: SPACE MUST BE DEFENDED –SPACE SUPERIORITY VEHICLE (SSV) NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS

3. QTYUIOP 99-19-3 VOLUME OF GEO-SATELLITE LAUNCHES IS INCREASING

4. QTYUIOP 99-19-4 DILEMMA OF GEO SATELLITES l EXPLOSIVE DEMAND FOR GEO COM SATS –DIRECT BROADCAST (e.g. TV) –DATA TRANSMISSION l ONLY 360 GEO SLOTS EXIST –SUPPLY OF GEO SLOTS LIMITED, DEMAND GROWING l HOW TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE? –INSTALL MORE TRANSPONDERS PER SATELLITE l WEIGHT OF SATELLITE REACHES LIMIT OF LAUNCH VEHICLE

5. QTYUIOP 99-19-5 SOLAR TI IS AN ENABLING TECHNOLOGY l AT HIGH POWER, SOLAR-TI IS LIGHTER, CHEAPER THAN SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS l GEOCOM SATELLITES –THERE IS A LIMITED # OF SAT POSITIONS –DEMAND IS INCREASING FOR GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS –FOR REVENUE TO GROW, SATS MUST PUT ON MORE TRANSPONDERS  MORE POWER –  50 GEO SATS/YR WILL NEED REPLACEMENT

6. QTYUIOP 99-19-6 BASIC THERMIONICS (TI) PRINCIPLES e-e- e-e- EMITTER @ ~1800 K e-e- COLLECTOR @ ~1000 K EXTERNAL LOAD e-e- e-e- HEAT IN HEAT OUT PLASMA “CLOUD”

7. QTYUIOP 99-19-7 THERMIONIC CHARACTERISTICS l EMITTER IS HEATED 1600K - 2000 K l ELECTRONS BOIL OFF EMITTER, CONDENSE ON COLLECTOR @ 800 K - 1100 K l ELECTRONS (e.g. ELECTRICAL POWER) DIRECTED THROUGH EXTERNAL LOAD l DESIREABLE FEATURES: –SIMPLE, NO MOVING PARTS –HIGH HEAT REJECTION TEMPERATURE

8. QTYUIOP 99-19-8 THERMIONICS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED FOR SPACE NUCLEAR POWER l SDI NEEDED 40-100+ kW FOR SPACE WEAPONS l THERMIONICS WAS ATTRACTIVE –SIMPLE, NO MOVING PARTS –HIGH HEAT REJECTION TEMPERATURE LEADS TO SMALL RADIATOR l RUSSIANS ORBITED TWO 5 kW TI REACTORS

9. QTYUIOP 99-19-9 THERMIONICS (TI) USED ON BOEING SOLAR ORBITAL TRANSFER VEHICLE l THERMIONICS IS THE POWER TECHNOLOGY OF CHOICE ON BOEING SOTV PROGRAM –PRODUCES POWER AT LOW MASS l SOTV GENERATES POWER & PROPULSION –SOLAR FLUX REFLECTED AND CONCENTRATED BY MIRRORS –USED TO HEAT THERMIONIC CONVERTERS FOR ELECTRICAL POWER –ALSO USED TO HEAT HYDROGEN FOR THRUST

10. QTYUIOP 99-19-10 SOLAR THERMIONICS CONCEPT LARGE INFLATABLE REFLECTOR THERMIONIC CONVERTERS @ 20- 25% EFFICIENCY TELECON BROADCAST Target on Earth HIGHLY REFLECTIVE SURFACE

11. QTYUIOP 99-19-11 SOLAR THERMIONICS: MAJOR COMPONENTS INFLATABLE CONCENTRATOR HEAT RECEIVER THERMIONIC CONVERTERS SOLAR INPUT

12. QTYUIOP 99-19-12 MASS OF GEO SATELLITE l THREE MAIN COMPONENTS OF SATELLITE MASS –(1) ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM –(2) PROPELLANT NEEDED TO GET FROM LEO TO GEO –(3) PAYLOAD (PRODUCES REVENUE) l GOAL IS TO MINIMIZE (1) + (2), MAXIMIZE (3)

13. QTYUIOP 99-19-13 SOLAR TI MINIMIZES POWER SYSTEM + PROPELLANT MASSES l SOLAR TI POWER SYSTEM LIGHTER THAN SOLAR PANELS –AT 50 kW: l PV = 2820-lb. l TI = 1294-lb. –SAVINGS = 1526-lb. l HIGH ELECTRIC POWER PERMITS USE OF EFFICIENT ELECTRIC PROPULSION –ELECTRIC PROPULSION USES ONLY 20% OF PROPELLANT AS EXISTING CHEMICAL SYSTEMS

14. QTYUIOP 99-19-14 SOLAR TI ALLOWS LARGER PAYLOADS ON GEO SATELLITES TITAN-IV LAUNCH OF 10,000-lb INTO GEO EXISTING SOLAR-PVFUTURE SOLAR-TI

15. QTYUIOP 99-19-15 PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS: INFLATABLE CONCENTRATOR 50 ft DIA INFLATABLE ANTENNA, ON 100 ft BOOM, SUCCESSFULLY DEPLOYED FROM SHUTTLE

16. QTYUIOP 99-19-16 PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS: THERMIONICS l THERMIONIC PERFORMANCE HAS IMPROVED –OXYGENATED ELECTRODES HAVE DEMONSTRATED 20% ELECTRODE EFFICIENCY

17. QTYUIOP 99-19-17 CONCLUSIONS l USE OF SPACE SATELLITES IS INCREASING –POWER LEVELS NEEDED IN SATELLITES IS RISING l THERMIONICS IS EMERGING AS A CONTENDER TO PRODUCE POWER FOR THESE NEWER, MORE POWERFUL SATELLITES –CHEAPER AND LIGHTER THAN SOLAR PANELS

18. QTYUIOP 99-19-18 QUESTIONS FOR BUSINESS TEAM TO ADDRESS l WHO ARE COMMERCIAL USERS OF SPACE POWER? –SATELLITE MANUFACTURERS l SPACE SYSTEMS LORAL l HUGHES l LOCKHEED l BOEING l WHAT POWER LEVELS DO USERS WANT AND WHEN –15 kW AVAILABLE TODAY –WHAT IS NEEDED IN 2005, 2010, & BEYOND

19. QTYUIOP 99-19-19 QUESTIONS FOR BUSINESS TEAM TO ADDRESS (CONT) l BARRIERS TO MARKET ENTRY FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY –SATELLITE MFGS ALSO PRODUCE SOLAR PANELS –RELIABILITY/COST NOT DEFINED l HOW MANY AND WHAT TYPES OF SATS ARE LAUNCHED/YR: TODAY & FUTURE –LEO, MEO, GEO –POWER LEVELS

20. QTYUIOP 99-19-20 QUESTIONS FOR BUSINESS TEAM TO ADDRESS (CONT) l IS OFFERING A COMBINATION OF POWER AND PROPULSION ATTRACTIVE? –AT PRESENT, POWER AND PROPULSION ARE TWO SEPARATE SETS OF HARDWARE l SOLAR PANELS FOR POWER l CHEMICAL PROPULSION = QUICK TRIP TIME –POWER & THERMAL PROPULSION l THERMAL PROPULSION = MEDIUM EFFICIENCY, MEDIUM TRIP TIME –POWER & ELECTRIC PROPULSION l ELECTRIC PROPULSION = HIGH EFFICIENCY, LONGER TRIP TIME