Design and Stress Analysis of Extraterrestrial ... - The Black Vault

In the figure we see internal commutation 5 of the stubs of
semiconductors and layer 6 which ensures the connection between
the different materials. The plates 5 are made of molybdenum;
the unit of p-n elements has the properties of ceramic materials.
The space between the stubs is filled with insulation 7.
The shell material is stainless steel or niobium depending
upon the woiing medium. The insulator is made from beryllium
oxide, the internal commutation from molybdenum, the external from
beryllium bronze, and the insulation from glass wool.
The advantage of this design is
the optimal temperatures of
the cold and hot junction, the possibility of finishing the converter
in a "pure" form without other parts of the installation, the
I possibility of giving a transformer unit any applicable shape -
flat, axisymmetric, etc.
Fig. 3.98. A thermoelectric
2 ,$ converter combined with a heat
exchanger.
We know of a design [4ll of thermoelectric generator which is
mounted on a reactor without a liquid heat-transfer agent. The
reactor has a cylindrical core consisting of fuel elements in the
form of pr'ates of uranium dicarbide UC 2 with 90% U 235 enrichment
and graphite. The charge of U 235 is 49 kg. The core with maximum
temperature in the center of 177000 is circled by a radial reflector
of beryllium with four control rods located in the reflector.
42 5