Thermoelectric power converter support structure
AssigneeAerojet Rocketdyne of DE, Inc.
InventorsCheng-Yi Lu, William Determan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus is provided and includes a reactor core, a boom and a shield assembly supportively interposed between the reactor core and the boom, a heat pipe disposed in thermal communication with the reactor core, a thermoelectric power converter operably coupled to the heat pipe, struts supportively coupled to the heat pipe at opposite ends of the power converter and hinge joints to rotatably couple the struts to the boom, at least one of the hinge joints being spring-loaded.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a reactor core, a boom and a shield assembly supportively interposed between the reactor core and the boom;
- a heat pipe disposed in thermal communication with the reactor core;
- a thermoelectric power converter operably coupled to the heat pipe;
- struts supportively coupled to the heat pipe at opposite ends of the power converter;
- and
- hinge joints to rotatably couple the struts to the boom, at least one of the hinge joints being spring-loaded.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a reactor core, a boom and a shield assembly supportively interposed between the reactor core and the boom;
- a heat pipe disposed in thermal communication with the reactor core;
- two or more thermoelectric power converters operably coupled to the heat pipe;
- three or more struts supportively coupled to the heat pipe at opposite ends of each of the power converters;
- and
- hinge joints to rotatably couple the struts to the boom, at least one of the hinge joints being spring loaded.
A thermoelectric power converter support structure for an apparatus including a reactor core, a boom, a shield assembly supportively interposed between the reactor core and the boom and a heat pipe disposed in thermal communication with the reactor core on which two or more thermoelectric power converters are operably coupled, the support structure comprising:
- three or more struts supportively coupled to the heat pipe at opposite ends of each of the power converters;
- and
- hinge joints to rotatably couple the struts to the boom;
- at least one of the struts being spring loaded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.