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Title: Galileo light-weight radioisotope heater units design and safety analysis

Abstract

The Light-Weight Radioisotope Heater Unit (LWRHU) provides thermal energy to temperature sensitive components aboard the orbiter/probe of the Galileo Spacecraft during its multiyear interplanetary mission. Heat is derived from the radioisotopic decay of 238-plutonium. A power of 0.56 watts/gram of radioisotope, a half-life of 88 years, and no moving parts permitted a robust, long-lived, compact heat source design. A single l-w design provided small thermal increments, with options in the number and placement, to satisfy the needed thermal environment for the spacecraft components. Radioisotope use in these devices necessitated the assessment of postulated radiological risks in accidents or malfunctions of the space shuttle or the Galileo spacecraft during near earth mission phases. Included in this document are data for the design, postulated accidents with their consequences, test data, and the derived source terms and personnel exposures for the various events. 5 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. EG and G Mound Applied Technologies, Miamisburg, OH (USA)
  2. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
DOE/NE
OSTI Identifier:
6649215
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-90-2164; CONF-901101-16
ON: DE90013151
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36; AC04-88DP43495
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: American Nuclear Society winter meeting, Washington, DC (USA), 11-15 Nov 1990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
07 ISOTOPES AND RADIATION SOURCES; RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCES; DESIGN; SAFETY; SPACE VEHICLES; ACCIDENTS; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE; RADIATION DOSES; SOURCE TERMS; ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; CHALCOGENIDES; DOSES; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; HEAT SOURCES; HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; HEAVY NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; NUCLEI; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; PLUTONIUM OXIDES; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIOISOTOPES; SILICON 32 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS; VEHICLES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems; 070300* - Isotopic Power Supplies; 070500 - Isotope & Radiation Source Technology- Health & Safety- (1990-)

Citation Formats

Johnson, E W, and Zocher, R W. Galileo light-weight radioisotope heater units design and safety analysis. United States: N. p., 1990. Web.
Johnson, E W, & Zocher, R W. Galileo light-weight radioisotope heater units design and safety analysis. United States.
Johnson, E W, and Zocher, R W. 1990. "Galileo light-weight radioisotope heater units design and safety analysis". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6649215.
@article{osti_6649215,
title = {Galileo light-weight radioisotope heater units design and safety analysis},
author = {Johnson, E W and Zocher, R W},
abstractNote = {The Light-Weight Radioisotope Heater Unit (LWRHU) provides thermal energy to temperature sensitive components aboard the orbiter/probe of the Galileo Spacecraft during its multiyear interplanetary mission. Heat is derived from the radioisotopic decay of 238-plutonium. A power of 0.56 watts/gram of radioisotope, a half-life of 88 years, and no moving parts permitted a robust, long-lived, compact heat source design. A single l-w design provided small thermal increments, with options in the number and placement, to satisfy the needed thermal environment for the spacecraft components. Radioisotope use in these devices necessitated the assessment of postulated radiological risks in accidents or malfunctions of the space shuttle or the Galileo spacecraft during near earth mission phases. Included in this document are data for the design, postulated accidents with their consequences, test data, and the derived source terms and personnel exposures for the various events. 5 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6649215}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990}
}

Conference:
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