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.
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.<ref name="bellona">Kudrik, Igor (17 November 2003). "Two strontium powered lighthouses vandalised on the Kola Peninsula". Bellona.org.</ref> The service life of these generators is initially 10 years, and can be extended for another 5 to 10 years.<ref name=":0">Porter, S. (9 July 2015). "Antarctica Radiological Source Removals - Complex US-Russian Cooperative Effort". Retrieved 20 December 2023.</ref> 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.<ref name="Mahaffey2017">Mahaffey, James (6 June 2017). Atomic Adventures: Secret Islands, Forgotten N-Rays, and Isotopic Murder: A Journey into the Wild World of Nuclear Science. Simon & Schuster. p. 260. ISBN 978-1-68177-480-0.</ref> The generator contains the strontium-90 radioisotope, with a heating power of 250W and 1,480 TBq of radioactivity – equivalent to some 280 grams (9.9 oz) of Sr-90.<ref name="IEA">The radiological accident in Lia, Georgia iaea.org</ref> Mass-scale production of RTGs in the Soviet Union was the responsibility of a plant called Baltiyets, in Narva, Estonia.<ref>Aturin, M.K.; Yarosh, V.I.; Medvedev, V.I. "Operation of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) at sea transport objects of the Russian Federationa and their decommissioning" (PDF). International Nuclear Information System. International Atomic Energy Agency. Retrieved 11 April 2023.</ref>
Safety incidents
Some Beta-M generators have been subject to incidents of vandalism when scavengers disassembled the units while searching for non-ferrous metals.<ref name="bellona" /><ref name="IEA" /><ref name="LevnerLinkov2006">Eugene Levner; Igor Linkov; Jean-Marie Proth (6 May 2006). Strategic Management of Marine Ecosystems: Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Strategic Management of Marine Ecosystems, Nice, France, 1-11 October, 2003. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-4020-3198-4.</ref> 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.<ref name="IEA" /> 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.<ref name="IEA" /> 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..<ref>"NOVA | Transcript | Dirty Bomb". PBS. 25 February 2003. Retrieved 17 November 2022.</ref>
