Stirling Convertor for a Radioisotope Power System

Infinia Corporation (formerly Stirling Technology Company - STC)

Kennewick, WA

• Developed method to synchronize two thermodynamically independent free-piston Stirling power convertors
• Resolved key issue by reducing vibrations 40-50 fold by synchronizing convertors
• Adaptive Vibration Reduction System can further reduce vibrations and adds potential to balance in unlikely event of a failed convertor
• Initiated design of current Stirling convertor for RPS

• Infinia has developed product lines for Stirling power generators, based directly on multiple SBIR's
• Generated over $12M in commercial revenue to date
• Received Phase III funding of $11M to date plus $20M backlog from DOE and NASA for the radioisotope space power application
• ENATEC, a European consortium, has licensed Infinia 1-kW generator for European residential cogeneration to market >100,000 units per year beginning in 2007
• Rinnai in Japan has licensed the same generator for similar markets in Asia and will mass produce the engines for themselves, for ENATEC, and for all Infinia applications

• Led to major DOE/NASA project to develop Stirling RPS. DOE/NASA are further developing convertor
• System integrator, Lockheed Martin, is developing the Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG) engineering and qualification units for DOE and NASA. Infinia is providing the Stirling convertors for the SRG as a subcontractor
• Near term high-efficiency RPS for NASA deep space missions is 4x higher than RTG baseline - Potentially can save tens of millions of dollars per mission
• Enabling technology under consideration for Mars and lunar rovers for long duration missions

Return to NASA SBIR Success Listings

Curator: SBIR Support                1/23/06