Reactor-thermoelectric generator

Claim 1

A REACTOR-THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR COMPRISING A SELF SUSTAINING NUCLEAR REACTOR HAVING A PRESSURE VESSEL AND A FISSIONABLE FLUID FUEL DISPOSED IN A REACTIVE REGION THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED THERMOELECTRIC UNIT HERMETICALLY SECURED TO AND SUITABLY SUPPORTED RELATIVE TO SAID PRESSURE VESSEL AND HAVING AN OUTER END THEREOF LOCATED OUTWARDLY OF SAID PRESSURE VESSEL AND THE INNER END THEREOF LOCATED INWARDLY OF SAID PRESSURE VESSEL AND IMMERSED IN SAID FLUID FUEL, SAID THERMOELECTRIC UNIT HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED THERMOELECTRIC ELEMENTS FORMING A PLURALITY OF P-N JUNCTIONS THEREBETWEEN, AN OUTER CLADDING SURROUNDING SAID THERMOELECTRIC UNIT, MEANS HERMETICALLY SECURING SAID VESSEL TO SAID CLADDING INSULATION MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID THERMOELECTRIC ELEMENTS AND SAID CLADDING, A PLURALITY OF FINS EXTENSING OUTWARDLY OF SAID CLADDING ADJACENT SAID OUTER AND SAID INNER ENDS RESPECTIVELY OF SAID THERMOELECTRIC UNIT SO AS TO PROMOTE HEAT TRANSFER RESPECTIVELY FROM AND TO SAID UNIT, AND MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING AND SAID THERMOELECTRIC ELEMENTS TO FORM SAID P-N JUNCTIONS ADJACENT THEIR ENDS SO AS TO FORM A SERIES ELECTRIC PATH THROUGH SAID ELEMENTS AND SO AS TO PROVIDE ALTERNATE THERMOELECTRIC HOT JUNCTIONS IN THE HEATED REGION OF SAID INNER END OF SAID THERMOELECTRIC UNIT AND THERMOELECTRIC COLD JUNCTIONS IN THE COOLED REGION OF SAID OUTER END OF SAID THERMOELECTRIC UNIT.