Project Title:
Space Welding Power Control Unit
04.14-9500
911880
Space Welding Power Control Unit
Space Power, Inc.
621 River Oaks Pkwy
San Jose
CA
95134
See-Pok
Wong
408-434-9500
MSFC
NAS8-39341
061
04.14-9500
911880
Abstract:
Space Welding Power Control Unit
Space welding capability will be needed for maintaining, repairing, or constructing
spacecraft in space. The former Soviet Union has already performed welding in space
successfully. Furthermore, future spacecraft will have enough power on board for
welding. A cost-effective approach to obtain a space-use welding power control unit
by adapting a power conditioning unit (PCU) from an arcjet electric propulsion system
for spacecraft will be pursued. Arcjet and welding are both gaseous discharge with
very similar load characteristics and power source requirements. The firm, a developer
for high-power arcjet PCUs, is currently working on an Air Force program to develop
a flight-qualified arcjet system. Welding has been performed successfully with an
arcjet PCU breadboard without any modification. The efficiency of this breadboard
is well above 96 percent; the specific mass is less than 1.5 kg/kw. In Phase II,
a flight-prototype space welding control unit will be built and will be ready for
full space qualification. This will enable NASA to perform welding in space.
Welding in space can be used to repair or construct military spacecraft as well as
commercial satellites. The compact, lightweight, and high-efficiency space welding
system could also be modified to an attractive portable welding system for hard to
reach areas in nuclear reactors or, other field applications.
space welding, use arc PCU technology, cost-effective