Engineers prepare to install the SNAP-7D generator.
The first commercial use of one of these “atomic batteries” began in 1965 when the SNAP-7B 60-watt generator went into operation on an unmanned Phillips Petroleum Company offshore oil platform, 40 miles southeast of Cameron, Louisiana. The generator operates flashing navigational lights and, in bad weather, an electronic foghorn (see [page 49]). This unit will be tested for 2 years to determine the economic feasibility of routinely using isotopic power devices on a commercial basis.
Buoyancy tank Sound amplifier Nuclear-powered sound source Ocean bottom
The SNAP-7E isotopic generator powers an undersea acoustic beacon, which produces an acoustic pulse once every 60 seconds. In addition to being a navigation aid, the beacon is used to study the effects of a deep-ocean environment on the transmission of sound over long distances.
Total height: 10 ft 2 in Armored cable Pressure vessel Capacitor bank Fuel capsules Biological shield Equipment package Voltage converter Depleted uranium Thermoelectric generator System support structure
