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General-purpose heat source

US DOE model of radioisotope thermoelectric generator

Exploded view of a stack of general-purpose heat source modules.

The general-purpose heat source is a U.S. DOE-designed radioactive heat source for radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) or Stirling radioisotope generators (SRG). It is meant for space applications and is packaged as a stackable module.

Characteristics

GPHSs are fueled with plutonium-238 dioxide. Each module has a temperature of over 600 degrees Celsius and delivers 250 watts at the time of manufacture. They measure 9.8 cm wide x 9.4 cm deep x 5.4 cm high and weigh no more than 1.44 kg each.

Safety

GPHSs are designed with safety in mind and employ iridium-clad plutonium-238 dioxide pellets. The generated alpha particles are blocked by the cladding, thus no further radiation shielding is necessary. The pellets are encased within nested layers of carbon-based material and placed within an aeroshell housing to comprise the complete module.

The modules can withstand extreme conditions including a launch-pad explosion or a high-speed reentry. Overheating and impact tests were performed on several sample modules.

Uses

GPHSs of this, or very similar, design were used in the GPHS-RTGs of Cassini-Huygens, New Horizons, Galileo and Ulysses. They are used in the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator, as used by Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity rover). They are also used in the advanced Stirling radioisotope generator.

Stages of assembly

File:Radioisotope thermoelectric generator plutonium pellet.jpg|Plutonium pellet. File:Iridium clad GPHS pellet.jpg|Plutonium pellet within iridium cladding. File:Fueling of the MSL MMRTG 002.jpg|Assembled graphite impact shell. File:Fueling of the MSL MMRTG 001.jpg|Assembled module.

References

https://web.archive.org/web/20080916094304/http://www.ne.doe.gov/space/neSpace2g.html Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy GPHS article
https://web.archive.org/web/19970106025458/http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/messenger/oldmess/RTGs.html "Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs)" NASA Galileo Information

References

Los Alamos report "[http://www.osti.gov/scitech/biblio/5664400-general-purpose-heat-source-safety-verification-test-series-svt-through-svt General-purpose heat source safety verification test series: SVT-11 through SVT-13]". 1986-05-01, [[OSTI]] 5664400. doi:10.2172/5664400

Info: Wikipedia Source

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