This is what the nuclear battery looks like.
Posted on 10/14/2009 1:06:04 AM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
When I wrote this expose on nuclear-powered laptops in 2005, it was nothing but a juvenile April Fool's joke. It was a prank that most people "got" right off the bat, but it also naturally suckered in a few of the gullible into thinking the dawn of portable nuclear power had arrived.
Gag or no, I've remained obsessed with the idea of personal nuclear power ever since. The realist in me understands that it's probably the worst idea ever, what with the radioactivity, hazardous waste, and Iran to think about. But I remain deeply intrigued with the idea.
Now comes word that nuclear batteries may actually become an honest-to-God reality, no foolin'.
Researchers at the University of Missouri say they've achieved the unthinkable, and that a pint-sized power cell based on radioactive decay can last a ridiculously long time: a million times as long as a conventional battery, enough to keep putting out a charge for hundreds of years.
Nuclear batteries already exist, but historically they have been quite large (and used only on things like spacecraft). The new design involves the use of a liquid semiconductor, which is less susceptible to damage from nuclear radiation than solid semiconductors and thus don't break down like the old models do. This also allows for the batteries to shrink in size. One prototype (seen above) is about the size of a coin.
There's absolutely no word on how close to commercial viability these batteries are, and given the citizenry's panic over anything atomic, it's hard to imagine we'll have mini-nukes in our iPhones even in the distant future. My best guess is we'll see military applications, where electricity is in short supply or conditions
(Excerpt) Read more at tech.yahoo.com ...
Finally, Hillery! has enough power for her vibrator?
Liquid semiconductor? Is the heat of the nuclear decay keeping it molten?
Also what kind of power does it put out compared to a conventional chemical battery.
Yep, them twin Caterpillar diesels running at 3000 RPM do leave a big carbon footprint ;^)
In theory, the power output can last for hundereds of years.
At how many watts, though. Chemical galvanic cells can endure for many decades if they are only called upon to furnish a maintenance charge. I remember a Leclanche standard cell owned by a university electrical engineering department that was still putting out full voltage after 79 years.
The battery uses a process called betavoltaics, which is a non-thermal converter.The device gathers energy from the beta-particles that pass through a silicon diode, in a manner analogous to photovoltaic cells.The author wrote a another piece which I will include. It does not mention it the watt power outage
http://www.chrisnull.com/0405_Null.pdf
From an earlier thread...
This is what the nuclear battery looks like.
When are they gonna make 'em in AA or AAA?
I have a boatload of those that I'd like to replace.
That’s just vulgar.
Hmmm... I’d’ve thought there’d be a penny, not a dime... ;^)
Also what kind of power does it put out compared to a conventional chemical battery.
Anywhere from the Energizer Bunny output to just below Hiroshima, give or take a Kiloton.
Issac Asimov wrote about this idea in the first Foundation book. He envisioned mini (walnut-sized) nuclear generators, not batteries.
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