A radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG, RITEG), sometimes referred to as a radioisotope power system (RPS), is a type of nuclear battery that uses an array of thermocouples to convert the heat released by the decay of a suitable radioactive material into …

2024年11月3日 · Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) provide electrical power to spacecraft using heat from the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238, in the form of plutonium oxide.

放射性同位素热能发电机 （英語： Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator），简称 RTG 或 RITEG，是一种 核电池，它使用一组 热电偶 通过 塞贝克效应 将合适 放射性 材料 衰变 所释放的热能转换成 电能，这种 发电机 没有活动部件。 放射性同位素热能发电机已被用作 人造卫星 、 太空探测器 以及无人值守的远程设施如 苏联 在 北极圈 内建造的一系列 灯塔 的电源。 在 燃料电池 、 蓄电池 或 发电机 无法长时间经济地提供数百 瓦 （或更低）电力的情况下，以及在 太阳能 …

2025年2月13日 · NASA uses radioisotope thermoelectric generators, or RTGs, to provide electrical power for certain spacecraft by converting the heat generated by the decay of plutonium-238 (Pu-238) fuel into electricity.

Space exploration missions require safe, reliable, long-lived power systems to provide electricity and heat to spacecraft and their science instruments. A uniquely capable source of power is the radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) – essentially a nuclear battery that reliably converts heat into electricity. [2]

RTGs are devices that convert the waste heat given off by radioactive decay processes into useable electrical energy and are often installed in space-bound objects that require energy and other remote structures/machines that cannot obtain energy efficiently by any other means. These include satellites, probes, and remote lighthouses.

Abstract: Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) have been used to power NASA missions of various types throughout the past five decades. The most recent RTG iteration, used for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, is the Multi-Mission RTG (MMRTG), which is currently the only spaceflight-qualified system available.

The project, in partnership with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) / Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA), will build and deliver an unfueled, flight qualified Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) system based on RPS Program needs.

2024年11月13日 · A radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) is one such example, as it is tasked to convert the decay energy of radioisotopes into heat energy, which is later converted into electrical power using the Seebeck effect. Radioisotopes have high energy densities and certain isotopes can generate considerable heat energy for prolonged timescales.

Nuclear energy has been used to power U.S. spacecraft since 1961, when the U.S. Navy first used a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to power the Transit 4A navigation satellite. At present, RTGs can be found in the furthest man-made objects from Earth, Voyagers 1 and 2.