TY - GEN
T1 - An evaluation of alternate production methods for PU-238 general purpose heat source pellets
AU - Borland, Mark
AU - Frank, Steve
AU - Patton, Brad
AU - Cowell, Brian
AU - Chidester, Ken
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - For the past half century, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has used Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) to power deep space satellites. Fabricating heat sources for RPSs, specifically General Purpose Heat Sources (GPHSs), has remained essentially unchanged since their development in the 1970s. Meanwhile, 30 years of technological advancements have been made in the applicable fields of chemistry, manufacturing and control systems. This paper evaluates alternative processes that could be used to produce Pu-238 fueled heat sources. Specifically, this paper discusses the production of the plutonium-oxide granules, which are the input stream to the ceramic pressing and sintering processes. Alternate chemical processes are compared to current methods to determine if alternate fabrication processes could reduce the hazards, especially the production of respirable fines, while producing an equivalent GPHS product.
AB - For the past half century, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has used Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) to power deep space satellites. Fabricating heat sources for RPSs, specifically General Purpose Heat Sources (GPHSs), has remained essentially unchanged since their development in the 1970s. Meanwhile, 30 years of technological advancements have been made in the applicable fields of chemistry, manufacturing and control systems. This paper evaluates alternative processes that could be used to produce Pu-238 fueled heat sources. Specifically, this paper discusses the production of the plutonium-oxide granules, which are the input stream to the ceramic pressing and sintering processes. Alternate chemical processes are compared to current methods to determine if alternate fabrication processes could reduce the hazards, especially the production of respirable fines, while producing an equivalent GPHS product.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=72949084584&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:72949084584
SN - 9781615673506
T3 - American Nuclear Society - 3rd Topical Meeting on Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space 2009, NETS 2009
SP - 59
EP - 75
BT - American Nuclear Society - 3rd Topical Meeting on Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space 2009, NETS 2009
T2 - 3rd Topical Meeting on Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space 2009, NETS 2009
Y2 - 14 June 2009 through 19 June 2009
ER -