Some Reliability/Efficiency Aspects of Low Input Voltage Inversion/Conversion from Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generator Power Sources

The transistor component failure possibilities due to voltage and power stress conditions existent in low input voltage inverters when energized by a radioisotopic thermoelectric generator source (RTG) have been investigated in depth. Circuitwise, it is shown that a properly designed current feedback driven inverter is inherently failsafe with respect to output overload when supplied from a power limited source. An RTG no-load overvoltage protection technique recently developed and described herein offers low dissipation external to the RTG source output power terminals. This is important for satellite or spacecraft applications, because it enables a reduction of radiator requirements needed for heat rejection.