(Huntsville, Ala. | September 14, 2021) – CFD Research was recently awarded a contract to characterize the performance of silicon carbide (SiC)-based electronics for power conversion and other electronic applications in NASA fission power systems (FPS). In coordination with teammates Vanderbilt University and Wolfspeed, the team will develop radiation-tolerant designs to support candidate fission power systems for long duration NASA surface missions to the Moon and Mars. Fission power systems offer significant advantages over competing options, including longer life, operational robustness, and mission flexibility.
“Silicon carbide is a promising solution with superior electronic properties for power applications,” said Ashok Raman, CFD Research director and project manager. “However, vulnerability to heavy-ion induced failure and uncertainty in response to nuclear radiation are challenges facing FPS applications of this technology.”
Silicon carbide (SiC) technology enables increased system performance, efficiency, and overall cost benefits in power electronic applications. Radiation susceptibility is a significant challenge to the use of SiC in space power systems. CFD Research is developing radiation-tolerant designs to support NASA (and other space-based) missions.
The team will utilize a modeling and experiment-based approach based on commercial SiC technology to address these challenges. In prior work they applied radiation transport modeling to determine neutron-induced secondary radiation, and developed a physics-based model of the selected SiC MOSFET using CFDRC’s NanoTCAD software, to perform simulations and investigate radiation response sensitivity to design parameters. This new effort will transition to a higher-voltage SiC MOSFET technology for greater relevance to FPS applications, and further characterize electrical and radiation performance via experiments to understand key underlying mechanisms. This, in turn, will allow the team to identify guidelines for higher radiation tolerance. The most promising solutions will be prototyped, tested, and delivered to NASA.
Space qualified, high voltage/high temperature SiC power electronics is an enabling technology for Moon and Mars missions, and will find application in power systems in all space-based platforms, including DoD space systems and commercial satellites. For all these applications, physics-based predictive and accurate modeling and design tools reduce the amount of required radiation/temperature testing, thus decreasing their cost, and time to market or field application.
About CFD Research: Since its inception in 1987, CFD Research has worked with government agencies, businesses and academia to provide innovative solutions within the Aerospace & Defense, Biomedical & Life Sciences, and Energy & Materials industries. Over the years CFD Research has earned multiple national awards for successful application and commercialization of innovative technology prototypes, multi-physics simulation software, multi-disciplinary analyses, and expert support services. CFD Research’s impressive three-year growth rate was high enough to recognize the company in the Inc. Magazine’s 5000 for the second year in a row. CFD Research is an ISO9001 and AS9100 registered company and is appraised at CMMI Level II for services. Learn more at www.cfd-research.com.
