Current nuclear batteries generate electricity using Seebeck effect. This is a low efficiency way of converting heat into electricity with no moving parts. I propose a turbine electric generator to be used on the last stage of a deep space mission.
This last stage will be a liquid propulsion rocket. The propellant will be liquified methane and liquid oxygen. The heat source for the nuclear battery will be Plutonium 238, which is also used on other batteries. Pu 238 has a half-life of 87.7 years and generate 0.57 watts per gram. My design will utilize the expansion of methane gas to turn the electric generator. Methane is more efficient for this task than the water vapor and the turbine can operate at much lower temperatures. The outer shell of the rocket will be used as the cooler. The aluminum alloy outer shell will have fins to increase its infrared emission of heat to cool the methane gas to complete the cycle. This design would increase the energy generation efficiency of the nuclear battery above 50 percent compared to 5 percent for the current designs.
During rocket engine burning, the heat of the radioactive material can be used to preheat the liquid propellent as well. Continuous high-capacity electric generation would allow energy intense operations on the Moon, Mars and beyond. Solar panels cannot generate such energy far away from the sun. They also generate nothing on the shadows and at night.
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