Radioisotope

Thermoelectric Generator
By Thomas Chinmai Chowdary Maddineni
20311a0428
Date: 27/06/2021
Faculty: Dr. kumara swamy
CONTENTS

• What is a Thermoelectric Generator?

• Concept of using radioactive materials.
• Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs)
• Design & Working
• Fuels
• Applications
• Pros and cons
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
Seebeck effect

• The Seebeck effect is a phenomenon in which a temperature difference between two dissimilar electrical
conductors or semiconductors produces a voltage difference between the two substances.
 What is Thermoelectric Generator?
• A thermoelectric generator (TEG), also called a Seebeck generator, is a solid state device
that converts heat flux directly into electrical energy through a phenomenon called
the Seebeck effect. Thermoelectric generators function like heat engines, but are less
bulky and have no moving parts.
Concept of using radioactive materials
• The decay products of radioactive isotopes can be used to provide a
high-temperature heat source for thermoelectric generators.
Because thermoelectric device materials are relatively immune to
nuclear radiation and because the source can be made to last for a
long period of time, such generators provide a useful source of
power for many unattended and remote applications.
 Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs)

• Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) are lightweight, compact spacecraft

power systems that are extraordinarily reliable.
• RTGs provide electrical power using heat from the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-
238, in the form of plutonium dioxide.
Design
Working:
Fuels
Fuels

The selection of fuels for RTGs is certainly not a trivial matter; there are several criteria
that isotopes must pass in order to stand as candidates.
These characteristics include:
• Ability to produce high energy radiation
• Tendency to produce radiation decay heat
• Possession of long half-life for continuous energy production
• Large heat power-to-mass (or density) ratio
Applications

• The RTGs used to power NASA spacecraft.

• The RTGs implemented to provide power for the remote stations such as
weather systems, relay networks, and others.
• RTG have been proposed for use on realistic interstellar precursor missions.
• RTGs have been used in unmanned facilities such as hundreds of old,
abandoned Russian lighthouses and various U.S.- commissioned arctic
monitoring sites.
Advantages

• Direct energy conversion

• Wide range of fuel sources
• No green house gases
• Quiet
• Reliability
• Compact size
• Scalability
Disadvantages

• Efficiency
• Expensive
• These devices need more output resistance
• Lack of Plutonium
• Safety
• Theft
Conclusion

The use of RTGs is a perfect example of the application of nuclear processes on smaller
size scales. They are widely implemented in space-bound projects that require energy
where resources for power are meager along with terrestrial projects in areas with very
little human presence. RTG use will only increase in the future as they are effective sources
of energy for specific situations, although different fuel sources must be discovered and
effectively integrated with the gradual depletion of Pu-238.
Bibliography

1. F. Ritz and C. E. Peterson, "

Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) Program Overview," Proc. 2004
IEEE Aerospace Conf (IEEE, 2004).
2. Daniel Champier
, Thermoelectric generators: A review of applications, In Energy Conversion and Management, Volum
e 140, 2017, Pages 167-181, ISSN 0196-890 
3. Antarctica Radiological Source, Removals – Complex, US-Russian Cooperative Effort, S. Porter July
14, 2015
4. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/radioisotope-thermoelectric-generator/
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator
6. www.google.co.in
7. Plutonium-238 pellet under its own light, Department of Energy, 1997.
THANK YOU
Does anyone have any questions?

20311a0428@sreenidhi.edu.in