Progress report No. 29 for a program of thermoelectric generator testing and RTG degradation mechanisms evaluation

Thermal conductivity measurements of the P-type and N-type selenide alloys after 17000 hours and 4100 hours, respectively, are in good agreement with the 3M Co data. Ingradient testing of N-legs after 6600 hours show comparable performance to the reported 3M data. Ingradient testing of P-legs at accelerated test conditions, have completed 3600 hours and performance shows reasonable correlation with accelerated temperature and current gradients. N-type samples from both the Thermal Conductivity Tests and Ingradient Performance Tests were removed from test for examination. All samples were found to be severely cracked upon removal from the test fixtures. Metallurgical and x-ray diffraction analysis showed (1) extensive cracking had occurred in the lower half (cold end) of the legs and (2) a crystallographic phase change occurred in the upper half (hot end) of the legs from monoclinic to orthorhombic. It is postulated that the phase change that occurs on heating aggravates the micro-cracks that exist in the as fabricated leg. An initial evaluation of the performance of the Voyager 1 and 2 RTG's after 12,000 hours of operation versus the DEGRA performance prediction code, shows excellent agreement. (WHK)