The document discusses nuclear batteries, which use energy from radioactive decay to generate electricity. It provides a brief history of nuclear batteries beginning in 1913. Various conversion techniques are described, including thermal and non-thermal methods. Common types are described such as betavoltaic cells. Applications that could benefit from nuclear batteries' long lifespans and reliability include space missions, medical devices, underwater sensors, and military equipment. While high initial costs and public acceptance issues remain, nuclear batteries show promise for powering remote and long-term applications.

1. NUCLEAR BATTERY
PAWAN KUMAR
EC-604
1505231030
GUIDE:
ER. POOJA GUPTA

2. CONTENT
▶ Introduction
▶ Historical Development
▶ Conversion techniques
▶ Types of nuclear batteries
▶ Radioisotope used
▶ Fuel Consideration
▶ Advantages
▶ Disadvantages
▶ Applications
▶ Conclusion

3. Introduction
▶ There is a great need of small, compact, light weighted and reliable
power supplies.
▶ Nuclear Battery: uses energy from the decay of radio isotopes.
▶ Unlike nuclear reactor there is no radioactive waste produced.
▶ It is used as power sources for equipment that must operate
unattended for long period of time.

4. Historical Development
▶ Nuclear battery technology began in 1913, when Henry
Moseley first demonstrated the beta cell.
▶ A radio isotope electric power system was developed by inventor
Paul Brown.
▶ The field received considerable in-depth research attention for
applications requiring long-life power sources for space needs during
the 1950s and 1960s.
▶ In 1954 RCA researched a small atomic battery for small radio
receivers.

5. Conversion techniques
▶ Thermal conversion:
The thermal converters (whose output power is a function of a
temperature differential) include thermoelectric and thermionic
generators.
▶ Non-thermal conversion:
The non-thermal converters (whose output power is not a function of
a temperature difference) extract a fraction of the incident energy as
it is being degraded into heat rather than using thermal energy to run
electrons in a cycle.

6. TYPES OF NUCLEAR BATTERIES
1. Direct Charging Generator
Reciprocating electromechanical atomic battery
Beta voltaic
● Radioisotope thermoelectric generator
1. Thermionic Convertor

7. BETAVOLTAIC
▶ Use a non-thermal conversion process
▶. These are generators of electric current, using energy
from a radioactive source emitting beta particles electrons
▶ Converts the electron-hole pairs produced by the ionization trail of
beta particles traversing a p-n junction semiconductor

9. RADIOISOTOPES USED
Atomic batteries uses radio isotopes producing low energy beta
particles and sometimes alpha of varying energies
▶ Tritium
▶ Nickel-63
▶ Promethium- 147
▶ Technetium-99
▶ Plutonium-238
▶ Curium-242
▶ Curium-244
▶ Strontium-90
tested
used

10. Advantages…
▶ Reliable
▶ Lighter with high energy density
▶ Life span : minimum of decades
▶ Efficient use of end-product obtained post nuclear fission
and nuclear fusion process as fuel in nuclear batteries
▶ Energy obtained is high
▶ Reduces green house effect and related effects.

11. Disadvantages…
▶ High initial cost of production
▶ Energy conversion methodologies not much advanced
▶ To gain social acceptance
▶ Regional and country specific laws regarding the use and
disposal of radioactive materials

12. Applications..
▶ Space
▶ Automobiles
▶ Medical
▶ Underwater sea probes or sea sensors
▶ Military

13. Space Applications
▶ Unaffected by long period of darkness
and radiation belt like Van-belt
▶ High power for long time independent
of the atmospheric conditions
▶ Used in long duration missions where
fuel cells, batteries and solar arrays
would be too large and heavy

14. Automobiles
▶ It is on initial stages of
development
▶ Nuclear batteries could
replace conventional
fuels then there will be
no case of running out of
fuel

15. Medical Application
▶ Due to increased longevity and better reliability it is used in
pacemakers ,implanted deep fibrillators and other implanted
devices

16. Underwater sea probes and
sea sensors
▶ Provides power in inaccessible
places like deep sea that should
keep working for long time or
under extreme condition like
earthquake and tsunami

17. Military application
▶ Radioisotope power sources to
provide very high density battery
power to radio frequency equipment
tags, sensors and ultra wide-band
communication

18. Conclusion
▶ The current research of nuclear batteries shows
promise in future applications
▶ Implementation of this new technology, feasibility of
the device will be available for wide range of
application
▶ Nuclear cells are going to be the next best thing
ever invented in human history

19. THANK
YOU