Mission duration

Claim 1

A RADIOISOTIPE POWDERED THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR FOR USE IN A VACUUM, COMPRISING A RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCE, A PRIMARY HEAT REJECTION PATH HAVING THERMOCOUPLES FORMING HOT AND COLD JUNCTIONS FOR PRODUCING ELECTRIC CURRENT FROM THE HEAT SUPPLIES BY SAID HEAT SOURCE, EXTERNAL SECONDARY RADIATOR MEANS FOR EJECTING EXCESS HEAT TO SAID VACUUM, AND EXTERNAL MEANS EVAPORABLE INTO SAID VACUUM CONNECTING SAID HEAT SOURCE AND SAID EXTERNAL SECONDARY RADIATOR MEANS TO CAUSE SAID EVAPORATION AND TO EJECT SAID HEAT FOR THROTTLING SAID HEAT EJECTMENT FROM SAID SECONDARY RADIATOR MEANS BY DECREASING THE CONDUCTANCE OF HEAT TO SAID EXTERNAL SECONDARY RADIATOR MEANS AS SAID EVAPORABLE MEANS EVAPORATES INTO SAID VACUUM, SAID EXTERNAL EVAPORABLE MEANS BEING SHAPED WITH LARGE EXPOSED INITIAL AREA AND A DECREASING EXPOSED EVAPORATION AREA FOR COMPENSATING FOR THE CHANGE IN THE SOURCE TEMPERATURE MINUS THE EXTERNAL SECONDARY RADIATOR MEANS TEMPERATURE AND BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE AND RADIATOR THROUGH LOW EMISSIVITY SHIELDS FOR HIGH END-OF-LIFE EFFICIENCY,SAID EVAPORATION BEING SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT ELECTRIC CURRENT UNTIL THE END OF SAID GENERATOR OPERATING LIFE-TIME AT WHICH TIME SAID EVAPORATION IS COMPLETE.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF THROTTLING THE REMOVAL OF HEAT FROM A RADIOACTIVE HEAT SOURCE, COMPRISING REMOVING HEAT FROM SAID SOURCE IN A VACUUM WITH MEANS THAT SAID HEAT REMOVAL CAUSES SLOWLY TO SUBLIMATE INTO SAID VACUUM IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE REDUCTION IN THE HEAT FROM SAID SOURCE DUE TO RADIOACTIVE DECAY, SAID MEANS HAVING AN EXPOSED AREA THAT DECREASES IN SIZE DUE TO SAID SUBLIMATION IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE RADIOACTIVE DECAY OF SAID SOURCE.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF THROTTLING THE REMOVAL OF HEAT FROM A RADIOACTIVE HEAT SOURCE, COMPRISING REMOVING HEAT FROM SAID SOURCE IN A VACUUM WITH MEANS THAT SAID HEAT REMOVAL CAUSES SLOWLY TO SUBLIMATE INTO SAID VACUUM IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE REDUCTION IN THE HEAT FROM SAID SOURCE DUE TO RADIOACTIVE DECAY, SAID MEANS HAVING AN EXPOSED AREA THAT DECREASES IN SIZE DUE TO SAID SUBLIMATION IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE RADIOACTIVE DECAY OF SAID SOURCE.