Stirling-Cycle Thermomechanical Power Sources for Remote or Inaccessible Communications Sites

The paper deals with primary power sources for remote or inaccessible installations, requiring continuous power of tens or hundreds of watts electrical. It is shown that the relatively high conversion efficiency from heat to electricity which is provided by the Stirling-cycle TMG can reduce the weight of fuel required at the site to about a quarter of the weight of equivalent primary batteries, with resultant operating economies. Two installations are in service in the field, and operating experience is being accumulated. The TMG can also be used with radioisotope heat sources, to provide power unattended for many years, as may, for example, be required by undersea repeaters. Again the relatively high efficiency of the TMG offers advantages of economy over the radioisotope thermoelectric generators used hitherto in undersea applications.