Nuclear Batteries

[STEPHEN.BARTOS@hq.doe.gov]

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From: STEPHEN BARTOS at NE-03
Date: 8/25/94 10:56AM
To: VARRICCH@INET.champlain.edu at INTERNET
Subject: Nuclear Batteries
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          I recently saw some EMail traffic regarding the above
          subject.

          I am providing the following for your information.

          The U.S. has launched many SNAP devices all were of
          Thermoelectric type not Thermionic to my knowledge.  Any
          reference in the literature to SNAP devices with even
          numbers following their names are reactors.  Any with odd
          numbers are radioisotope design.

          SNAP-10A was the only reactor type device ever launched by
          the U.S.  It was a thermoelectric reactor.  The power
          converter was SiGe.  The heat transfer was done through
          cantilevered NaK tubes.  The power output was 500 watts
          electric and the run time in space was approximately 3
          weeks.

          Other SNAP devices used various radioisotope's for power
          strontium, polonium, curium-242, Cesium, and of course
          Plutonium 238.

          A good book on the early history of these devices is "The
          Isotopic Power Systems" by Doug Harvey.