Development of a MW-Scale High-Voltage Multiphase Dual-Rotor Generator and Rectifier for a PMAD in an NEP System
- Developing a power management and distribution (PMAD) system for a Mars mission that can be coupled with a megawatt-scale nuclear power generation system.
- The PMAD system will include a dual rotor generator and power rectifier, optimized and validated through a smaller-scale experiment in the laboratory.
- The overall design aims to provide a reliable and efficient power management solution for nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) systems.
- A 10kW-scale experiment will be built and tested in the laboratory to validate the system’s performance before scaling up to megawatt-scale.
- The project is part of a larger effort to support space technology research grants, including the Early Career Faculty program at Colorado School of Mines.
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Omid Beik
Colorado School of Mines
This project will design a power management and distribution (PMAD) system that can be coupled with a megawatt-scale nuclear power generation system for nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) that is suitable for a Mars mission. The system will include all needed components including a dual rotor generator and power rectifier. The overall design will be optimized and validated with a smaller-scale (10kW) experiment that will be built and tested in the laboratory.
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Last Updated
Apr 18, 2025
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Loura Hall
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Q. What is the main objective of this project?
A. The main objective of this project is to design a power management and distribution (PMAD) system that can be coupled with a megawatt-scale nuclear power generation system for nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) suitable for a Mars mission.
Q. What components will be included in the PMAD system?
A. The PMAD system will include all needed components, including a dual rotor generator and power rectifier.
Q. Why is this project important for a Mars mission?
A. This project is important because it aims to provide a reliable and efficient power management system for nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) in space missions, such as a Mars mission.
Q. What will be the scale of the experiment built and tested in the laboratory?
A. The smaller-scale experiment will be 10kW in size.
Q. Who is the author of this project?
A. Omid Beik from Colorado School of Mines.
Q. What is the purpose of the dual rotor generator in the PMAD system?
A. The dual rotor generator is part of the power management and distribution (PMAD) system, which will be optimized and validated with a smaller-scale experiment.
Q. What type of propulsion system is being developed for this project?
A. Nuclear electric propulsion (NEP).
Q. Why is the NEP system suitable for space missions like Mars?
A. The NEP system is suitable because it provides a reliable and efficient source of power, which is essential for long-duration space missions.
Q. What will be the outcome of the smaller-scale experiment built and tested in the laboratory?
A. The outcome will be to optimize and validate the overall design of the PMAD system before scaling up to megawatt-scale.
Q. What is the goal of this project in terms of its impact on space technology research grants?
A. This project aims to contribute to early career faculty (ECF) research grants, which support innovative research in space technology.