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Flash Diffusivity Measurement of Semi-Porous Insulation Material Intended for Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators

by Robert Mcmasters, Logan Baarlaer, Hsin Wang
Publication Type
Conference Paper
Book Title
AIAA AVIATION 2023 Forum Proceedings
Publication Date
Page Number
4036
Publisher Location
Virginia, United States of America
Conference Name
AIAA AVIATION Forum 2023
Conference Location
San Diego, California, United States of America
Conference Sponsor
AIAA
Conference Date
-

This research involves the analysis of flash-heating data pursuant to find the thermal diffusivity of a semi-porous insulation material (Min-K) that is being considered for use in a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG). An RTG uses radioactive nuclear fuel to produce electricity through a temperature difference imposed on a bimetallic thermocouple. Insulation is required to protect sensitive equipment from high temperatures and to conserve heat in the fuel. Using flash diffusivity temperature data, various simulations were fitted in order to find the most appropriate heat transfer model for the experiments. Four models were allowed to compete and the standard deviation of the residuals were compared for each model in evaluating model performance. The residuals are simply the difference in temperatures between the measurements and the mathematical models at each measurement point.