This research involves the analysis of flash-heating data pursuant to find the thermal diffusivity of a semiporous 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 was 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.
Flash Diffusivity Measurement of Semiporous Insulation Material Intended for Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators
Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer ; 38 , 4 ; 604-610
2024-10-01
Conference paper , Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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