NukeWorker Forum

Career Path => General => Topic started by: Max_Rodriguez on Nov 02, 2009, 04:54

Title: nuclear batteries announced
Post by: Max_Rodriguez on Nov 02, 2009, 04:54
Pretty cool stuff

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8297934.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8297934.stm)

Quote
Nuclear batteries are an attractive proposition for many applications because the isotopes that power them can provide a useful amount of current for phenomenally long times - up to hundreds of years or more.
Title: Re: nuclear batteries announced
Post by: Adam Grundleger on Nov 02, 2009, 05:16
New packaging for an old idea.  Not sure about the liquid semiconductor bit, though.  What would separate the polarity (pn junction)?  It's not like a battery with ions in solution, so how would that part work? 

I think public paranoia would kill these products fairly quickly, but I for one would not hesitate to put a Seebeck unit in my laptop or Blackberry, if they could produce one that was small enough and still output enough power.  If I remember correctly, conventional Seebeck generators are only about 8% efficient.