In article , GB
wrote:
On 17/06/2016 10:07, charles wrote:
In article , GB
wrote:
On 17/06/2016 09:09, Nightjar wrote:
On 16-Jun-16 9:58 AM, Andy Burns wrote:
Nightjar wrote:

In the 1970s, the Soviet Union built a series of remote lighthouses
along their northern coast, which ran off individual subcritical
reactors.

Yes, but with enough juice for a light bulb ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator#Terrestrial



Isn't a light bulb basically all that a lighthouse needs?


Not a very powerful light bulb, though, according to the figures on
WP. Even allowing for it flashing on and off, so it's not powered all
the time, you are looking at a couple of hundred watts, maximum.

in most light houses, 'flashing' is created by a revolving lens
assembly. That revolving would need a motor - more power.

True, indeed. So, I don't see how one of these generators could produce
anything like enough power? They seem to be in the range 10-100 watts.

Solar power makes more sense nowadays,

Not in winter north of the arctic circle

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England