Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG)

grabcad

This is a model of a General Electric/ Lockheed Martin made Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator commonly referred to as a (RTG). Well, if you want to get technical they are actually a GPHS-RTG (General Purpose Heat Source Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator. Its like a nuclear battery.The GPHS-RTG is the essential building block for the radioisotope generators used by NASA. These modules contain and protect the plutonium-238 (or Pu-238) fuel that gives off heat for producing electricity. The fuel is fabricated into ceramic pellets of plutonium-238 dioxide (238PuO2) and encapsulated in a protective casing of iridium, forming a fueled clad. Fueled clads are encased within nested layers of carbon-based material and placed within an aeroshell housing to comprise the complete GPHS module. Each RTG makes about 3000 Watts of power.These are used on such space craft as New Horizons, Cassini, Ulysses, Galileo and Curiosity. This is a sketch using what information I had. JPL and NASA just wont let people like you and I walk in with a measuring tape and start getting dimensions on one of there nuclear power systems. Created in Autodesk Inventor 2018 LT.