Evaluation of Aqueous and Powder Processing Techniques for Production of Pu-238-Fueled General Purpose Heat Sources

关键词: CERAMICS;    CHEMISTRY;    CONTROL SYSTEMS;    EVALUATION;    FABRICATION;    HEAT SOURCES;    MANUFACTURING;    PROCESSING;    PRODUCTION;    RADIOISOTOPES;    THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems;   

DOI  :  10.2172/938452
RP-ID  :  INL/EXT-08-14017
PID  :  OSTI ID: 938452
Others  :  TRN: US200821%%54

学科分类：能源（综合）

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

This report evaluates alternative processes that could be used to produce Pu-238 fueled General Purpose Heat Sources (GPHS) for radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG). Fabricating GPHSs with the current process has remained essentially unchanged since its development in the 1970s. Meanwhile, 30 years of technological advancements have been made in the fields of chemistry, manufacturing, ceramics, and control systems. At the Department of Energy’s request, alternate manufacturing methods were compared to current methods to determine if alternative fabrication processes could reduce the hazards, especially the production of respirable fines, while producing an equivalent GPHS product. An expert committee performed the evaluation with input from four national laboratories experienced in Pu-238 handling.