Power-generation and heating units using radioactive decay as their primary energy source have been successfully used in space and on Earth for over 60 years. RHU principles and technology are similar in many ways to those of the RTG, but with important differences in objective and implementation. Q: We’ve looked at the use of radioactive […]
FAQ
Need a really long-life battery or heat? Try a radioisotope thermal source – problem solved! – Part 4
Power-generation and heating units using radioactive decay as their primary energy source have been successfully used in space and on Earth for over 60 years. Q: How much power does a single Pu-238 RTG core generate? A: The newest thermoelectric converters using PbTe/TAGS-based thermocouples can produce between 100 and 125 Watts of electrical energy from […]
Need a really long-life battery or heat? Try a radioisotope thermal source – problem solved! – Part 3
Power-generation and heating units using radioactive decay as their primary energy source have been successfully used in space and on Earth for over 60 years. This part looks at RTG operation in detail. Q: What’s this about radioactive decay and heat? A: Heat is generated when the natural or man-made unstable isotopes of elements undergo […]
Need a really long-life battery or heat? Try a radioisotope thermal source – problem solved! – Part 2
Power-generation and heating units using radioactive decay as their primary energy source have been successfully used in space and on Earth for over 60 years. This part looks at the principles and implementation of radioisotope-based heat and power. Q: What has been the solution to this challenge? A: It’s the elegant merging of two basic […]
Need a really long-life battery or heat? Try a radioisotope thermal source – problem solved! – Part 1
Power-generation and heating units using radioactive decay as their primary energy source have been successfully used in space and on Earth for over 60 years. Selecting a non-rechargeable (primary) battery to match the application is one of the many issues designers must contend with for the many situations in which recharging is neither feasible nor […]
What are the six kinds of magnetism?
Diamagnetism, paramagnetism, ferromagnetism, ferrimagnetism, antiferromagnetism, and superparamagnetism are the six kinds of magnetism. This FAQ begins with a brief review of the basic sources of magnetism, considers the magnetic susceptibility of various materials, and then briefly presents the characteristics of the six types of magnetism. The root cause of magnetism is the behavior of electrons, […]
Rare earths and EVs – it’s not about batteries
Rare earths play an important part in the sustainability of electric vehicles (EVs). While there are sustainability challenges related to EV batteries, rare earths are not used in lithium-ion batteries. They are necessary for the magnets that form the main propulsion motors. The batteries mostly rely on lithium and cobalt (not rare earths), while the […]
What are the types of magnets and how can they contribute to sustainability?
There are multiple types of magnets, including temporary magnets, permanent magnets, and electromagnets. Each type of magnet has a variety of uses and can contribute to a more sustainable society. This FAQ reviews the basics of each type of magnet, looks at what it can be used for, presents some efforts to develop sustainable permanent […]
How do magnetic poles, fields, flux, and domains work?
Magnetics is a key technology for sustainable power conversion, electric vehicle motors, motion sensing and control in various medical, industrial, and consumer applications, and advanced data storage technologies. Advances in magnetics often provide the foundation for advances in electronic technologies and devices. This FAQ presents the basics of magnetic field lines and field strength, looks […]
What’s the difference between hard and soft magnetic materials?
These distinctions refer specifically to ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials, not just hard and soft materials. There are super-soft, very-soft, soft, semi-hard, and hard magnetic material classifications based on the magnetic coercivity (HC) measured in ampere/meter (A/m) units or Oersteds (Oe). This FAQ is focused primarily on soft, semi-hard, and hard magnetic materials. It begins with […]