Possible Requirements for Radioisotopes as Power Sources PDF Download

Author: William H. McVey
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Radioisotopes
Languages : en
Pages : 20

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Author: Robert L. Mead
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Radioisotopes
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Author: George H. Ogburn
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nuclear energy
Languages : en
Pages : 20

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Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309141761
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 69

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Book Description
Spacecraft require electrical energy. This energy must be available in the outer reaches of the solar system where sunlight is very faint. It must be available through lunar nights that last for 14 days, through long periods of dark and cold at the higher latitudes on Mars, and in high-radiation fields such as those around Jupiter. Radioisotope power systems (RPSs) are the only available power source that can operate unconstrained in these environments for the long periods of time needed to accomplish many missions, and plutonium-238 (238Pu) is the only practical isotope for fueling them. Plutonium-238 does not occur in nature. The committee does not believe that there is any additional 238Pu (or any operational 238Pu production facilities) available anywhere in the world.The total amount of 238Pu available for NASA is fixed, and essentially all of it is already dedicated to support several pending missions-the Mars Science Laboratory, Discovery 12, the Outer Planets Flagship 1 (OPF 1), and (perhaps) a small number of additional missions with a very small demand for 238Pu. If the status quo persists, the United States will not be able to provide RPSs for any subsequent missions.

Author: David Buden
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780974144320
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
For operating in severe environments, long life and reliability, radioisotope power systems have proven to be the most successful of all space power sources. Two Voyager missions launched in 1977 to study Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and their satellites, rings and magnetic fields and continuing to the heliosphere region are still functioning over thirty years later. Radioisotope power systems have been used on the Moon, exploring the planets, and exiting our solar system. There success is a tribute to the outstanding engineering, quality control and attention to details that went into the design and production of radioisotope power generation units. Space nuclear radioisotope systems take the form of using the thermal energy from the decay of radioisotopes and converting this energy to electric power. Reliability and safety are of prime importance. Mission success depends on the ability of being able to safely launch the systems and on having sufficient electrical power over the life of the mission. Graceful power degradation over the life of a mission is acceptable as long as it is within predictable limits. Electrical power conversion systems with inherent redundancy, such as thermoelectric conversion systems, have been favored to date. Also, radioactive decay heat has been used to maintain temperatures in spacecraft at acceptable conditions for other components. This book describes how radioisotope systems work, the requirements and safety design considerations, the various systems that have been developed, and their operational history.

Author: John Ross Bradford
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781258707200
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Contributing Authors Include P. C. Aebersold, J. R. Bradford, G. D. Calkins, And Many Others.

Author: E. C. Gritton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Radioisotopes
Languages : en
Pages : 29

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Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789264625099
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 122

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This report explores the main reasons behind the unreliable supply of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) in health-care systems and policy options to address the issue. Tc-99m is used in 85% of nuclear medicine diagnostic scans performed worldwide – around 30 million patient examinations every year. These scans allow diagnoses of diseases in many parts of the human body, including the skeleton, heart and circulatory system, and the brain. Medical isotopes are subject to radioactive decay and have to be delivered just-in-time through a complex supply chain. However, ageing production facilities and a lack of investment have made the supply of Tc-99m unreliable. This report analyses the use and substitutability of Tc-99m in health care, health-care provider payment mechanisms for scans, and the structure of the supply chain. It concludes that the main reasons for unreliable supply are that production is not economically viable and that the structure of the supply chain prevents producers from charging prices that reflect the full costs of production and supply.

Author: James R. Bates
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Author: United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Atomic Energy. Subcommittee on Research, Development, and Radiation
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nuclear propulsion
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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Book Description
Focuses on cooperative AEC-NASA-DOD RPD programs to apply nuclear power to rocket propulsion and spacecraft power systems.