Microsphere Plutonium-238 Oxide Fuel to Revolutionize New Radioisotope Power Systems and Heat Sources for Planetary Exploration

Jeffrey A Katalenich ,Joseph A Sholtis

doi:10.3847/25c2cfeb.bd33466c

Jeffrey A Katalenich , Joseph A Sholtis

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.bd33466c

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Abstract

Microsphere Plutonium-238 Oxide Fuel to Revolutionize New Radioisotope Power Systems and Heat Sources for Planetary Exploration

Highlights

Microspheres of plutonium-238 (Pu-238) oxide, shown in FIGURE 1, were recently produced at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) using the sol-gel process (Katalenich, 2017)
FIGURE 1: 238PuO2 sol-gel microspheres produced by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 2017
In the longer-term, coated Pu-238 oxide microspheres would enable the production of revolutionary radioisotope heat sources for radioisotope power systems (RPS) with improved design integration, performance, flexibility, and safety (Sholtis et al, 1999)

Summary

Introduction

Microspheres of plutonium-238 (Pu-238) oxide, shown in FIGURE 1, were recently produced at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) using the sol-gel process (Katalenich, 2017). In the longer-term, coated Pu-238 oxide microspheres would enable the production of revolutionary radioisotope heat sources for RPSs with improved design integration, performance, flexibility, and safety (Sholtis et al, 1999).

Results

Conclusion