[vox_mundi]

Finally, a use for all that Sr-90 that Fukushima NPP has been spewing out.

Water-based nuclear battery can be used to generate electrical energy
http://munews.missouri.edu/news-release ... al-energy/

The battery uses a radioactive isotope called strontium-90 that boosts electrochemcial energy in a water-based solution. A nanostructured titanium dioxide electrode (the common element found in sunscreens and UV blockers) with a platinum coating collects and effectively converts energy into electrons.

Nature Full Text: http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/140611/ ... 05249.html

[Tanada]

Back in the 1960's there was a company that made nuclear batteries for things like portable radio's. The concept was very simple, they took two PV solar cells, coated them with white phosphorus, and then painted on a layer of Tritium. By stacking the PV cells face to face you could make a stack of any needed output. As the Tritium decayed the beta particles would strike the phosphorus causing it to emit light which the PV cell converted into direct electric current. Because of the 12.3 year half life the battery produced power at above rated charge in the beginning and half rated charge after 12.3 years, at which time your radio was probably obsolete.

If it had not been for radiation paranoia that technology could easily have lead to advanced batteries by now able to run a Chevy Volt of Tesla Roadster.

[Subjectivist]

Betavoltaic devices, also known as betavoltaic cells, are generators of electric current, in effect a form of battery, which use energy from a radioactive source emitting beta particles (electrons). A common source used is the hydrogen isotope, tritium. Unlike most nuclear power sources, which use nuclear radiation to generate heat, which then is used to generate electricity (thermoelectric and thermionic sources), betavoltaics use a non-thermal conversion process; converting the electron-hole pairs produced by the ionization trail of beta particles traversing a semiconductor.

Betavoltaic power sources (and the related technology of alphavoltaic power sources) are particularly well-suited to low-power electrical applications where long life of the energy source is needed, such as implantable medical devices or military and space applications.

Betavoltaics were invented over 60 years ago. Early pacemakers used betavoltaics based on promethium, but were phased out as cheaper lithium-ion batteries were developed.

Early semiconducting materials weren't efficient at converting electrons from beta decay into usable current, so higher energy, more expensive—and potentially hazardous—isotopes were used. The more efficient semiconducting materials used today can be paired with relatively benign isotopes such as tritium, which produce less radiation.

The Betacel was considered the first successfully commercialized betavoltaic battery.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betavoltaic_device

[Plantagenet]

Betavoltaic devices, also known as betavoltaic cells, are generators of electric current, in effect a form of battery, which use energy from a radioactive source emitting beta particles (electrons). A common source used is the hydrogen isotope, tritium. Unlike most nuclear power sources, which use nuclear radiation to generate heat, which then is used to generate electricity (thermoelectric and thermionic sources), betavoltaics use a non-thermal conversion process; converting the electron-hole pairs produced by the ionization trail of beta particles traversing a semiconductor.

Betavoltaic power sources (and the related technology of alphavoltaic power sources) are particularly well-suited to low-power electrical applications where long life of the energy source is needed, such as implantable medical devices or military and space applications.

Betavoltaics were invented over 60 years ago. Early pacemakers used betavoltaics based on promethium, but were phased out as cheaper lithium-ion batteries were developed.

Early semiconducting materials weren't efficient at converting electrons from beta decay into usable current, so higher energy, more expensive—and potentially hazardous—isotopes were used. The more efficient semiconducting materials used today can be paired with relatively benign isotopes such as tritium, which produce less radiation.

The Betacel was considered the first successfully commercialized betavoltaic battery.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betavoltaic_device

I always thought this made a huge amount of sense. We've made huge strides in developing photovoltaic solid state cells which can generate electricity directly from solar radiation.

Surely it is possible to develop some kind of panel or solid state cell which can generate electricity directly from nuclear radiation, which is much more intense then solar radiation.

It makes so much more sense as a way to make electricity from nuclear radiation then using 1950s technology based on creating nuclear heat to turn water to steam to turn turbines to make electricity.


the idea has been around in sci-fi for 70 years, but as the power source for BOLO atomic AI tanks rather than as a way to power cars

[GHung]

The problem is scaling these things up to high current applications. Increasing the rate of discharge requires increasing the amount of radiation, thermal-electric capacity, and, likely, shielding. Small units work fine for satellites and other things that only consume a few watts, constantly for a long time span. Electric vehicles are a different set of dogs. Maybe mated with super-capacitors? $$$$

Another issue is turning them on and off since radioactive materials are always on ("off" requires cooling),, and controlling the rates of discharge. In small applications, they can use dump loads like batteries and resistive heaters (Mars rovers and satellites use them to heat their batteries and electronics). Mini fuel rods perhaps?

Looks simple on paper, especially in a SciFi magazine.

[ROCKMAN]

"Small units work fine for satellites and other things that only consume a few watts, constantly for a long time span. " And back to your point: has anyone scaled up the application to the point it could power a small 1,500# EV? And if so at what cost?

Same old problem: going from the test bench to commercial application is perpetually pending.