4 ms·
Yeah, that’s a radioisotope thermoelectric generator: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rad
by discordance 3y ago
Yeah, that’s a radioisotope thermoelectric generator:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_...
There’s a story about some loggers finding an abandoned RTG in Siberia and sleeping next to it for warmth. They woke up with severe radiation burns.
- rich_sasha 3y agoThat's different, isn't it? An RTG only produces heat via radioactive decay. A nuclear reactor is a controlled chain reaction.
- mcpackieh 3y agoYes, those aren't nuclear reactors. However nuclear reactors with thermoelectric converters for power generation have been built before. There were the Soviet TOPAZ reactors and the US SNAP-10A reactor.
- shepherdjerred 3y agoYou'll find a similar story (minus the burns) in The Martian! https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025 https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025