Beta-M
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
[edit | edit source]The Beta-M contains a core made up of strontium-90, which has a half-life of 28.79 years.[2] 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 280 grams (9.9 oz) 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
[edit | edit source]
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
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- ^ a b c d The radiological accident in Lia, Georgia iaea.org
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