radioisotope thermoelectric generator


radioisotope thermoelectric generator

(ther-moh-i-lek -trik) (RTG) See thermoelectric generator.

radioisotope thermoelectric generator

[¦rād·ē·ō′ī·sə‚tōp ¦thər·mō·i′lek·trik ′jen·ə‚rād·ər] (nucleonics) A device for converting nuclear energy to electrical energy in which the heat produced by radioactivity of a radioisotope is used to produce a voltage in a thermocouple circuit; chief use has been in space vehicles and in instruments left on the lunar surface. Abbreviated RTG.