Thermoelectric power sourc

Po-210 is a strong emitter of alpha particles. One gram of Po-210 will produce about 140 watts of energy, making it ideal as a lightweight thermoelectric power source for space vehicles. It has a half-life of 138.39 days. 

A series of the US thermoelectric power sources of the SNAP type was developed and used in space satellites and lunar explorations. In this, radioisotopes were heat sources in plants with uneven ordinal numbers and nuclear reactors were heat sources in plants with even ordinal numbers [III-l, III-2]. 

Curium may be used as a thermoelectric power source (a never-ending battery) for space flights. Curium was also the alpha particle source for the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer on Mars. 

Because almost all alpha radiation is stopped within the solid source and its container, giving up its energy, polonium has attracted attention for uses as a lightweight heat source for thermoelectric power in space satellites. 

There are no major commercial uses for curium because of the extremely small amount produced. In the future, the most important use of curium may be to provide the power for small, compact thermoelectric sources of electricity, by generating heat through the nuclear decay of radioisotope curium-241. These small, efficient power sources can be used in individual homes or remote regions to provide electricity to areas that cannot secure it from other sources. It could also be used as a source of electricity in spacecraft. However, today curium s main use is for basic scientific laboratory research. 

Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) are sometimes used as power sources for space systems. In April 1964, a United States RTG navigational satellite, SNAP 9A, reentered the atmosphere and burned up at high altitude over the Mozambique Channel, releasing 629 trillion becquerels (TBq), equivalent to 17,000 Ci, of Pu and 0.48 TBq of Pu (Whicker and Schultz 1982a Richmond 1989). In January 1978, a Soviet RTG satellite, Kosmos 954, reentered the atmosphere over Canada and spread radiouranium across parts of that country (Richmond 1989). The amount of radioactive materials in space applications is expected to increase (Richmond 1989). 

There is growing interest in a variety small micro power sources that deliver a few Watts. Such systems, which can provide direct mechanical power or serve as battery alternatives for electronic devices, often rely on the flow and reaction of fuels in small channels. In addition to fuel cells, other technologies include thermoelectrics and small-scale internal-combustion engines. These applications require attention to low-speed chemically reacting flow, often with significant surface interactions. 

The radioactive isotope 89Sr (also known by the pharmaceutical brand name Metastron ) is used as a cancer therapeutic to alleviate bone pain. 85Sr has been used in medical applications, such as radiologic imagining of bones, in minor commercial applications, such as thermoelectric power generation, as a beta-particle standard source, and in instruments that measure thickness and density of materials (Murray 1994). 

The isotope Cm is the largest contributor to the alpha activity of irradiated uranium fuel from power reactors. It is an important source of the 2n + 2 decay chain in the high4evel wastes from fuel reprocessing. The alpha activity of Cm results in an internal heat-generation rate of 120 W/g of pure Cm. Separated Cm, prepared by the neutron irradiation of Am, provides a useful alternative for a thermoelectric source and for radionuclide batteries when relatively high outputs are desired over short periods of the order of its half-Ufe of 163 days. For example, a space power generator denoted as SNAP-11 contained 7.5 g of Cm and produced 20 W of thermoelectric power. Cm is also the decay source of Pu, which is used as a longer-lived radioisotope heat source. 

Polonium is a strong emitter of a-particles approximately 1 gram of °Po emits 140 watts of heat energy. For this reason, it is used as a source of thermoelectric power in satellites. It is also utilized as a source of neutrons (when mixed with beryllium), as an antistatic device in industrial equipment, and in brushes that remove dust from photographic film, see also Curie, Marie Sklodowska Halogens Radioactivity Radium Uranium. 

The most common source of electricity for impressed current systems is a local power utility. Power normally involves the DC rectifier arrangement. Remote locations can use solar cells, thermoelectric current sources, special fuel-driven electric generators, or even windmills. Impressed current systems are preferred when current requirements and electrolyte resistivity are high. These systems require an inexpensive source of electrical power, are well suited to long-time operation and large... 

Natural gas is a source of energy that has undergone significant development in recent years. Currently the outlook for natural gas is extremely optimistic, as the demand for less polluting fuels, like natural gas, is growing in industry, in commerce as well as in its use for thermoelectric power generation. 

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