The development of a terrestrial Stirling radionuclide power set

Some results from the development and testing of a 0.5 kW terrestrial Stirling radionuclide power set (RPS) for use with a radionuclide thermomechanical generator (RTMG) are given. The whole RPS structure and the components are described. The cooling system, which is in the form of a boiling and condensing loop, is shown, and some results from its testing are given. The distribution of temperatures and heat flow in the RTMG is substantially determined by the intensity of heat pickup by the Stirling engine (SE). In the limiting case, under conditions of the engine shutdown, an emergency occurs from the point of view of the source overheating. A procedure for preventing the source and the structural components from overheating is discussed for an ideal SE