Solar thermoelectric generators based on advanced thermoelectric materials

During past years, considerable efforts have been spent to identify new classes of thermoelectric materials with better characteristics as compared to established thermoelectric materials. Among the most promising materials discovered, compounds with the skutterudite structure have received particular attention. In this communication, we report on the use of these advanced thermoelectric materials in a solar thermoelectric generator (STG) to be mounted on a spacecraft flying to/around Mercury. The characteristics and performance of three STG concepts, obtained from theoretical simulations, are presented in detail. The design is optimized for an operation at 0.45 AU from the Sun and to produce 400 W of electrical power. The sensitivity of the design to Sun distances between 0.30 and 1 AU is also presented. It is shown that the skutterudite-based STGs could be used advantageously as primary or auxiliary power source onboard spacecraft in near Sun missions.