Beta-M
{{Short description|Radioisotope thermoelectric generator}}
[[File:Beta-M Soviet RTG Diagram.svg|right|thumb|Diagram of the soviet radioisotopic thermoelectric generator "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.|360x360px]]
The Beta-M is a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) that was used in Soviet-era lighthouses and beacons.
Design
The Beta-M contains a core made up of strontium-90, which has a half-life of 28.79 years.{{Cite web |last=Kudrik |first=Igor |date=17 November 2003 |title=Two strontium powered lighthouses vandalised on the Kola Peninsula |url=http://bellona.org/news/nuclear-issues/radioactive-waste-and-spent-nuclear-fuel/2003-11-two-strontium-powered-lighthouses-vandalised-on-the-kola-peninsula |website=Bellona.org}} The service life of these generators is initially 10 years, and can be extended for another 5 to 10 years.{{cite web |last1=Porter |first1=S. |date=9 July 2015 |title=Antarctica Radiological Source Removals - Complex US-Russian Cooperative Effort |url=https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1241969 |access-date=20 December 2023}} 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.{{Cite book |author=Mahaffey |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wxokDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT260 |title=Atomic Adventures: Secret Islands, Forgotten N-Rays, and Isotopic Murder: A Journey into the Wild World of Nuclear Science |date=6 June 2017 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-1-68177-480-0 |page=260}} The generator contains the strontium-90 radioisotope, with a heating power of 250W and 1,480 TBq of radioactivity – equivalent to some {{convert|280|g}} of Sr-90.[https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1660web-81061875.pdf The radiological accident in Lia, Georgia] iaea.org Mass-scale production of RTGs in the Soviet Union was the responsibility of a plant called Baltiyets, in Narva, Estonia.{{cite web |last1=Aturin |first1=M.K. |last2=Yarosh |first2=V.I. |last3=Medvedev |first3=V.I. |title=Operation of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) at sea transport objects of the Russian Federationa and their decommissioning |url=https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/51/017/51017877.pdf |access-date=11 April 2023 |website=International Nuclear Information System |publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency}}
Safety incidents
File:Soviet RTG.jpg (90Sr)]]
{{Further|Lia radiological accident}}
Some Beta-M generators have been subject to incidents of vandalism when scavengers disassembled the units while searching for non-ferrous metals.{{Cite book |author1=Eugene Levner |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ojDLSRNmwdkC&pg=PA21 |title=Strategic Management of Marine Ecosystems: Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Strategic Management of Marine Ecosystems, Nice, France, 1-11 October, 2003 |author2=Igor Linkov |author3=Jean-Marie Proth |date=6 May 2006 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-1-4020-3198-4 |page=21}} 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. 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. 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.{{Cite web |date=25 February 2003 |title=NOVA | Transcript | Dirty Bomb |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/3007_dirtybom.html |access-date=17 November 2022 |website=PBS}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20101220003227/http://bellona.no/bellona.org/english_import_area/international/russia/navy/northern_fleet/incidents/31772 Norwegian environmental concerns over Beta-M generators still in use]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20121005142422/https://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/CEG/documents/plenary21_19E.pdf RTG Master Plan Development Results and Priority Action Plan Elaboration for its Implementation]
Category:Electrical generators