SEMINAR ON

NUCLEAR BATTERIES

Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering

PRESENTED BY: UNDER THE GUIDENCE:

M.SUMANTH Mr.M.NARESH BABU
III B-TECH M.TECH(Ph.D)
ECE ASSISTANT PROFESSER

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 contents
 OBJECTIVES
 NEED OF NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
 ENERGY PRODUCTION MECHANISM –
BETAVOLTAICS
 BASIC BETAVOLTAIC CONVERSION
 THE ENERGY CONVERSION MECHANISM
 FUEL SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS
 DESIGN AND THEORY

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 contents

 ADVANTAGES
 APPLICATIONS
 DRAWBACKS
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCE

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 WORKING OF CHEMICAL BATTERY:

F
E

CONDUCTOR

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 OBJECTIVES
Chemical batteries require frequent replacements and are
bulky.
Need for compact reliable light weight and self-
contained power supplies.
Nuclear reactors offer less technical problems.
Fuel cells are expensive.
Solar cells are expensive and requires sunlight

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 NEED FOR NUCLEAR
MICROBATTERIES
Nuclear batteries have lifespan up to decades and
nearly 200 times more efficient.
Not based on nuclear reaction , so no radioactive
wastes.
Uses emissions from radioactive isotope to generate
electricity.
It can be used in inaccessible and extreme conditions.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Idea of nuclear batteries was introduced in 1950 and
patented to Tracer Lab.
Radioisotope electric power system is developed by
Paul Brown.
o He organized an approach to harness energy from the
magnetic field of alpha and beta particles using
Radium-226.
o It had low efficiency due to loss of electrons.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 ENERGY PRODUCTION
MECHANISM-
BETAVOLTAICS
Uses energy from beta particles
Provides extended battery life and power density.
Beta particles from radioactive gas captured in Si
wafer coated with semiconductor material.
Absorbed radiation creates electron-hole pair.
Results in the generation of electric current.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 BASIC
BETAVOLTAIC
CONVERSION

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 THE ENERGY CONVERSION
MECHANISM
Before the radioactive source is introduced , current
flow is absent as the electrical forces are in equilibrium.
As a beta emitter is introduced, electrons are knocked
out by its energy.
Generates electron-hole pairs in the junction.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 THE ENERGY CONVERSION
MECHANISM
When beta particle imparts more than ionization
potential the electron rises to a higher level.
Fermi voltage established between the electrodes.
Potential difference drives electrons from electrode
A through the load where they give up the energy.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 THE ENERGY CONVERSION
MECHANISM
Electron is then driven into electrode B
to
recombine with a junction ion.
Betavoltaics efficiency
is lesser compared to
solar- cell.
Electrons shoot out in all directions decreases
the efficiency due to energy loss.
Efficiency can be improved by using Porous Si
diodes with pits to provide a 3-D surface.
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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 FUEL SELECTION
CONSIDERATIONS
Avoid gamma rays in decay chain.

Half life of the radio active material.

Particle range.

Cost.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 DESIGN AND THEORY

FIG:A three-dimension schematic view of the

SWNTs thin film-Si heterojunction beta voltaic micro
battery.
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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 DESIGN AND THEORY
Beta voltaic micro battery consists of energy
conversion part and a source part.
The former mainly has p-type SWNTs thin
film prepared on n-type silicon wafer forming
p-n heterojunction.
The front and back electrodes are used to transport
carriers to external circuit.
The SiO2 layer is used to insulate the front
electrode
from the underlying silicon substrate.
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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 DESIGN AND THEORY
 The latter has 63Ni thin film prepared on a Nickel
foil for the energy supply.
63Ni as a pure β emitter radiation source was chosen
Because it has a half-life of about 100 years.
Maximum beta decay energy of 65.9keV.
An average kinetic energy of 16.7keV.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 ADVANTAGES
Life span- minimum of 10 years.
Consistant in providing electricity.
Lighter in weight
 high energy density.
Efficient; less waste generation.
Reduces green house and associated effects.
Fuel used is the nuclear waste from nuclear fission.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 APPLICATIONS
Space applications:
Unaffected by long period of darkness
Compact and lighter in weight.
Can avoid heating equipment required for
storage
batteries.
 Independent of atmospheric conditions.
NASA is trying to harness this technology in
space applications.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 APPLICATIONS
Medical applications:
 In Cardiac pacemakers.
 Batteries should have reliability and longevity to
avoid frequent replacements.
Mobile devices:
• Nuclear powered laptop battery Xcell-N has
7000- 8000 times more life.
• No need for charging, battery replacing.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 APPLICATIONS
Automobiles:
 In initial stages.
 No running short of fuel.
 Possibility of replacing ionic with its
fuels
advantages.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 APPLICATIONS
Under-water sea probes and sea sensors:
 In making sensors working for long time.
 At inaccessible and extreme conditions.
 Use in coal mines and polar sensor applications
too.
 For powering MEMS devices : in optical switches
and smart dust sensors.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 DRAWBACKS
High initial cost of production as its in the
experimental stage.
Energy conversion methodologies are not much
advanced.
Regional and country-specific laws regarding use
and disposal of radioactive fuels.
Social acceptance of Nuclear equipment's

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 CONCLUSION
Batteries of the near future.
Small compact devices of future require small
batteries.
Nuclear batteries increase functionality, reliability and
longevity.
Until final disposal all Radiation Protection Standards
must be met.
It will make its way to commonly used products like
laptops and smart phones. Surely its the batteries
of near future.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 REFERENCE
National Key Lab of Micro/Nanometer
fabrication technology, Institute of
Microelectronics, peking university Beiging
100871, China.
 Brown, Paul: "Resonant Nuclear Battery Supply",
Raum & Zeit, 1(3) (August-September, 1989)
 “Nuclear and radiochemistry” , Gerhardt Friedlander,
Joseph.W.Kennedy and Julian Malcolm Miller,
 “Particles and Nuclei, an Introduction to the Physical
Concepts”. B.Povh, K.Rith, C. Scolz and F.Zetche.

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES
 THANK YOU

Any Questions

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NUCLEAR MICROBATTERIES