Improved Thermoelectric Converter Units and Power Generators

Improved thermoelectric converter units (TCUs) and radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) that contain them have been undergoing development for use as small, lightweight sources of electricity at potentials up to 5 V and power at levels up to 40 mW. These RTGs are intended primarily for supplying power to operate electronic equipment in outer space or at remote or uninhabitable locations on Earth; terrestrial applications could include monitoring of nuclear-waste-storage facilities, meteorological monitoring at polar locations, deep sea exploration, and monitoring of geological activity inside volcanic craters and at underground locations.