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U.S. Department of Energy
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Light Weight Radioisotopic Heater Unit (LWRHU) production for the Galileo Mission

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5267207· OSTI ID:5267207
The Light Weight Radioisotopic Heater Unit (LWRHU) is a /sup 238/PuO/sub 2)minus/ fueled heat source designed to provide a thermal watt of power for space missions. The LWRHU will be used to maintain the temperature of various components on the spcaecraft at the required level. The heat source consists of a /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ fuel pellet, a Pt-30Rh capsule, a pyrolytic graphite insulator, and a woven graphite aeroshell assembly. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has fabricated 134 heater units which will be used on the Galileo Mission. This report summarizes the specifications, fabrication processes, and production data for the heat sources fabricated at LANL. 4 figs., 15 tabs
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
5267207
Report Number(s):
LA-11166-MS; ON: DE88007756
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English