Infrastructure for thulium-170 isotope power systems for autonomous underwater vehicle fleets

Conference · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5491258

Walter, C E

The radioisotope thulium-170 is a safe and environmentally benign heat source for providing the high endurance and energy densities needed by advanced power systems for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV). Thulium Isotope Power (TIP) systems have an endurance of {approximately}3000 h, and gravimetric and volumetric energy densities of 3 {times} 10{sup 4} Wh/kg and 3 {times} 10{sup 8} Wh/m{sup 3}, respectively. These energy densities are more than 200 times higher than those currently provided by Ag-Zn battery technology. In order to capitalize on these performance levels with about one hundred AUVs in continuous use, it will be necessary to establish an infrastructure for isotope production and heat-source refurbishment. The infrastructure cost is not trivial, and studies are needed to determine its optimum configuration. The major component of the projected infrastructure is the nuclear reactor used to produce Tm- 170 by neutron absorption in Tm-169. The reactor design should ideally be optimized for TM-170 production. Using the byproduct waste'' heat beneficially would help defray the cost of isotope production. However, generating electric power with the reactor would compromise both the cost of electricity and the isotope production capacity. A coastal location for the reactor would be most convenient from end-use considerations, and the waste'' heat could be used to desalinate seawater in water-thirsty states. 13 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5491258
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-107583; CONF-9109242-1; ON: DE91017464
• Resource Relation: Conference: 7. international symposium on unmanned untethered submersible technology, Durham, NH (United States), 23-25 Sep 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPES AND RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCES
DESIGN
THULIUM 170
PRODUCTION
PLANNING
POWER RANGE 01-10 KW
POWER RANGE 10-100 KW
POWER SUPPLIES
SAFETY ANALYSIS
SUBMARINES
THULIUM 169
THULIUM OXIDES
WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
HEAT SOURCES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
KILOWATT POWER RANGE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER RANGE
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
RARE EARTH ISOTOPES
RARE EARTH NUCLEI
SHIPS
STABLE ISOTOPES
THULIUM COMPOUNDS
THULIUM ISOTOPES
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
070300* - Isotopic Power Supplies