Английская Википедия:Beta-M

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Шаблон:Short description

Файл:Beta-M Soviet RTG Diagram.svg
Diagram of the soviet radio-thermonuclear generator "Beta-M".[1]

Black: Framework
Blue: Outer radiation protection
Yellow: Heat isolation
Orange: Inner radiation protection (Tungsten)
Red: Radionuclide heat source (Strontium-90)
Pink: Thermoelectric unit
Mounted above the assembly are fins for cooling, outlined in black.

The Beta-M is a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) that was used in Soviet-era lighthouses and beacons.

Design

The Beta-M[2] contains a core made up of strontium-90, which has a half-life of 28.79 years. The service life of these generators is initially 10 years, and can be extended for another 5 to 10 years.[1] The core is also known as radioisotope heat source 90 (RHS-90). In its initial state after manufacture, the generator is capable of generating 10 watts of electricity.[3] The generator contains the strontium-90 radioisotope, with a heating power of 250W and 1,480 TBq of radioactivity – equivalent to some Шаблон:Convert of Sr-90.[4] Mass-scale production of RTGs in the Soviet Union was the responsibility of a plant called Baltiyets, in Narva, Estonia.[5]

Safety incidents

Файл:Soviet RTG.jpg
Soviet RTGs in dismantled and vandalized condition, powered by strontium-90 (90Sr)

Шаблон:Further Some Beta-M generators have been subject to incidents of vandalism when scavengers disassembled the units while searching for non-ferrous metals.[2][4][6] In December 2001 a radiological accident occurred when three residents of Lia, Georgia found parts of an abandoned Beta-M in the forest while collecting firewood.[4] The three suffered burns and symptoms of acute radiation syndrome as a result of their exposure to the strontium-90 contained in the Beta-M.[4] The disposal team that removed the radiation sources consisted of 25 men who were restricted to 40 seconds' worth of exposure each while transferring the canisters to lead-lined drums..[7]

References

Шаблон:Reflist

External links