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Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil 1a 1a Los Alamos Academy of Sciences, LAAS, Los Alamos, NM 87544 Phone: +1 (505) 661-8767, email: [email protected]

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Page 1: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery

Liviu Popa-Simil1a

1aLos Alamos Academy of Sciences, LAAS, Los Alamos, NM 87544 Phone: +1 (505) 661-8767, email: [email protected]

Page 2: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Direct Nuclear Energy Conversion into Electricity is a process that uses the kinetic energy of the nuclear particles, into a super-capacitor like hetero-nano structure, harvesting the energy of knock-on electrons produced in the interaction between the nuclear particle and the lattice, and discharges directly delivering electricity similar to a battery. The structure may be morphed on the energy source that can be a nuclear fuel, delivering energetic fission products, or a radioactive isotope delivering alpha, beta or gamma radiation from its natural decay. For the most practical uses in near vicinity of the biological systems, there are preferred those radioisotopes that emit mainly charged particles with minimum associated gamma rays. The most preferred radioisotopes are 238Pu, 241Am, and 90Sr, 210Po, but there are many others that might be used if their production costs might be lower.

Abstract

Page 3: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

The use of these gamma ray “free” alpha or beta emitters makes the nuclear battery very small, looking like a 50 microns thick foil, with the minimum dimensions down to 0.1 mm, and power versus halving time given by the type of radioisotope used.

The power for such a small battery element is of about few nW for 90 years for 238Po, by 4-5 times less for 241Am with 431 years half-life, and few microWatt for ½ year for 210Po.

The battery may be morphed on the case surface, on the printed circuit or on the electronic parts, may be distributed along the electronic modules, making self-powered electronic modules or even parts, being customized to the needed parameters (V,I, P, T½ etc.).

The use of such power sources, may drive to super-miniaturization of the circuits, increase in reliability, being fit for space applications due to their energy mass ratio, one battery being equivalent to more than 100,000 chemical batteries.

Page 4: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Brief history of direct nuclear energy conversion in electricity

– my experience

Page 5: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Ursu cell

Vacuum chamber

Collector

Anomal secondary emission Semiconductor oxide coating

Grids

Emitter Fissile coating

Support rings Insulating support

RL Uc +

Power supplies

∅1”

30 years ago

Fission products Multipactor

electrons

n

235U

Transversal section in a fission cell Ursu-Purica fission cell

Prof. Ionel Purica

VVR-4 Research Reactor

Control Room

Page 6: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Neutron flux

Gas filled Neutron flux Coated, vacuum

Neutron flux

Gas filled

Published Results

Lesson learned: gas insulation reduces the power density Need to make solid or liquid insulation Liquid Immersed structures gave better results but short-circuited frequently The multi-layer stack of thermocouple gave significant results in an ion beam power deposition experiment, but the research failed to reach its target – measure the internal temperature distributions by thermocouples.

Page 7: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Ion beam power deposition Experiment

+ + + - -

Grid optional

Beam

RBS optional

Foil 1 Foil 2 Foil 3

Foil 4 Faraday cup

RBS chamber

V

I

Insulator Ibeam

Thermocouple

Expected

Obtained

Reproduced at CIM-AAMURI/2010

Page 8: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Henry Gwyn

Jeffreys Moseley (23 November

1887 –

10 August 1915)

1912- β -cell

Page 9: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Invention and consideration

No correlation No reference

50 y delay

The new part Magnetic insulation

1950 2000

Page 10: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Schematic diagram of the direct conversion

Radiation Energy Loads a

Nuclear super-capacitor made of

nano-hetero structures

Discharged

By DC/AC (MEMS/SQUID) cascade that forms

The electric power

Delivered to grid or to load LOAD

Particles – fission /fusion Photons - X, Gamma Charges – electrons, muons

CIci

MEMS SQUID

Cascade

Page 11: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Fuel

Direct energy conversion in nano-

hetero structures meta-materials

Page 12: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

The novel batteries

Page 13: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

The moving particle stopping in the lattice

e-

e-

e-

e-

e-

e-

e-

e-

( ) ( )

+−−−

−−

−=

ββδ

βββ

βπ

22211

2

22

2

2

212

220

2

ln1

2ln4

LZLZZC

ImcZZcmr

S

Bethe-Bloch equation

Lattice's atoms Knock-on electron loops

Moving particle

Nuclear chain reactions

Particle’s stopping path Electric breakdown

Page 14: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Alpha Beta

Knock-on Electron showers

Material selection and structural dimensioning

C I c i C I i

C I

c i C

Page 15: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Vop Iop

Vij

Vbk

RL

Vij(h) h

h

Iparticles

Current

Cell Voltage

Si Sj

dij Cij

Vop

Particle flux

Id Ibs Ir

rS

-V

+V

Iij

Iji

f,α,p,β

How it works

I electrons

Page 16: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Power density of 1 mm3 direct conversion voxel

35mmkVA

50 Kwsuperconductive

50 Asuperconductive

Page 17: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

The new idea

Page 18: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Structural diversity From foil capacitor to nano-bead serial meta-material

Loaded nano-tube

Spherical shell immersed in drain liquid

Page 19: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

The serial nano-structure

Page 20: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Pu Superconductive structures isotopes on n absorption cross-section

238Pu

239Pu

240Pu

242Pu

Pu

558

1017.3

289.6

18.5

Co

37.18

37.18

37.18

37.18

Ga x 5

13.75

13.75

13.75

13.75

Amount

663.93

1123.23

395.53

124.43

visibility decrease

84%

91%

73%

15%

When cooled at cryogenic temperatures <18 K becomes superconductor

Page 21: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Power density limits

0.5A

0.5A

10 kV

1 mm

1 mm

1 mm

Fuel

Insulator

Conductor

Electrons

Bi-material

Maximum Allowable Power Density= 5 [kW/mm3]

For superconductors this power density is 10-100 times higher but the neutron flux is 10-4 of an nuclear explosion

Page 22: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Solid-state radiation batteries

Page 23: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Micro-nano-hetero structure

A super-capacitor structure for electronic cooling with fission/spallation product extraction

Page 24: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Radio-Isotope decay powered batteries Smallest size 0.1x0.1x0.05 mm

+

Intermediary voltage plots

P(238Pu)=0.1µW; T ½ =90y

P(210Po)=10µW; T ½ =0.5y

Equivalent of: 50-5,000 LiIon batteries in Power Density 50,000 same power, chemical batteries in Energy Density

Many applications

Page 25: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil

Battery morphed on object’s surface

Self powered electronics

Page 26: Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Batteryanstd.ans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/5039_Popa-Simil.pdf · Direct Energy Conversion Radioisotopes Based Battery Liviu Popa-Simil