Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A thermoelectric generator with on-demand activation for use on a space vehicle, comprising:a fuel sample;a neutron source having electrical leads and constructed and arranged to emit neutrons into the fuel sample to initiate radioactive decay reactions in the fuel sample in response to the neutron source receiving an activation input at the electrical leads; anda thermoelectric converter coupled to the fuel sample to convert thermal energy from the radioactive decay reactions to electrical energy,the thermoelectric generator thus constructed and arranged to generate power for the space vehicle on demand in response to the neutron source receiving the activation input,wherein the fuel sample includes stable Bi209, and wherein the radioactive decay reactions include (i) a radioactive decay of Bi210 to Po210 (ii) a radioactive decay of Po210 to stable Pb206, andwherein the fuel sample further includes a catalyst to amplify neutron generation initiated by the neutron source. 2. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 1, wherein the catalyst includes beryllium formed in a thin film coating over the Bi209. 3. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 1, further comprising control circuitry coupled to the neutron source to provide the activation input to the neutron source and thereby to initiate the radioactive decay reactions in the fuel sample and conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy on demand. 4. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 3, further comprising a communication receiver coupled to the control circuitry to receive a remotely generated activation signal while the thermoelectric generator is deployed in outer space, wherein the control circuitry is further constructed and arranged to provide the activation input to the neutron source in response to the communication receiver receiving the remotely generated activation signal. 5. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 3, wherein the neutron source is constructed and arranged to emit neutrons into the fuel sample at a level that varies in relation to a pulsewidth of the activation input, and wherein the control circuitry is further constructed and arranged to output the activation input with different pulsewidths to initiate different levels of radioactive decay reactions in the fuel sample and thereby to cause the thermoelectric generator to generate different amounts of electrical energy. 6. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 5, further comprising a meter coupled to the thermoelectric converter to measure an electrical output level of the thermoelectric converter, wherein the meter is further coupled to the control circuitry to provide feedback to the control circuitry that varies in relation to the electrical output level of the thermoelectric converter, wherein the control circuitry is further constructed and arranged to detect, based on the feedback, when the electrical output level from the thermoelectric converter drops below a predetermined level and then to again provide the activation input again to the neutron source to reactivate the fuel sample to increase the electrical output level. 7. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 3, wherein the neutron source and the fuel sample are moveable relative to each other within the thermoelectric generator to expose different portions of the fuel sample to neutron emission, wherein the control circuitry is further constructed and arranged to provide the activation input to the neutron source multiple times to activate the different portions of the fuel sample in sequence. 8. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 3, further comprising a set of additional neutron sources disposed in relation to the fuel sample to expose different portions of the fuel sample to neutron emission, wherein each of the set of additional neutron sources is coupled to the control circuitry to receive a respective activation input from the control circuitry. 9. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is further constructed and arranged to apply activation inputs to the neutron source and the set of additional neutron sources in a timing sequence to expose the different portions of the fuel sample to neutron emission at different times, such that, as radioactive decay reactions in one portion of the fuel sample diminish over time, radioactive decay reactions in another portion of the fuel sample are increased to extend a service life of the fuel sample. 10. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 3, further comprising a set of additional fuel samples of a same initial composition as the fuel sample and a set of additional neutron sources each disposed in relation to a respective additional fuel sample to expose the set of additional fuel samples to neutron emission, wherein each of the set of additional neutron sources is coupled to the control circuitry to receive a respective activation input from the control circuitry to initiate radioactive decay reactions in the respective fuel sample and conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy on demand. 11. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further constructed and arranged to apply activation inputs to the neutron sources in a timing sequence to expose the different fuel samples to neutron emission at different times, such that, as radioactive decay reactions in one fuel sample diminish over time, radioactive decay reactions in another fuel sample are increased to extend a service life of the thermoelectric generator. 12. A thermoelectric generator with on-demand activation for use in a space vehicle, comprising:multiple fuel samples each including Bi209;multiple neutron sources, each neutron source having electrical leads and disposed in relation to one of the fuel samples to emit neutrons into the respective fuel sample to initiate radioactive decay reactions in the fuel sample in response to the neutron source receiving an activation input at the electrical leads;multiple thermoelectric converters, each thermoelectric converter coupled to a respective one of the fuel samples to convert thermal energy from the radioactive decay reactions in the fuel sample to electrical energy; andcontrol circuitry coupled to each of the neutron sources to provide the respective activation input to each of the neutron sources, wherein the control circuitry is constructed and arranged to apply activation inputs to the neutron sources in a timing sequence to expose the respective fuel samples to neutron emission at different times, such that, as radioactive decay reactions in one fuel sample diminish over time, radioactive decay reactions in another fuel sample are increased to extend a service life of the thermoelectric generator,the thermoelectric generators thus constructed and arranged to generate power for the space vehicle on demand in response a respective neutron source receiving an activation input,wherein the radioactive decay reactions include (i) a radioactive decay of Bi210 to Po210 and (ii) a radioactive decay of Po210 to stable Pb206, andwherein the fuel sample further includes a catalyst to amplify neutron generation initiated by the neutron source. 13. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 1, wherein the fuel sample, the neutron source, and the thermoelectric converter are embodied together in a thermoelectric generator assembly, wherein the neutron source is disposed along a central axis of the thermoelectric generator assembly, and wherein the thermoelectric converter includes multiple thermoelectric converter elements disposed concentrically around the neutron source. 14. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 13, wherein the fuel sample is disposed concentrically around the neutron source between the neutron source and the thermoelectric converter elements. 15. A thermoelectric generator as in claim 14, wherein the thermoelectric generator assembly further includes an insulating layer disposed concentrically around the neutron source between the neutron source and the fuel sample.