Sept. 22, 1970 J. 0, BURKE 3,530,316 ELECTRIC POWER METHODS AND APPARATUS Filed March 1, 1968 a Domes rweron CY = stun oie QO " WM Williams ‘ATTORNESUnited States Patent Office 3,530,316 Patented Sept. 22, 1970 1 sss0.16 ELECTRIC POWER METHODS AND APPARATUS “Tames O, burke, 4708 Rolfe Rea, ‘chmod, Va. 25226 Contauationinpatt of application Ser. No, 381,754, “tio ee Tas sppiaton Mr. 150 Ser No, 709,742 1 It 1. HO3t 21/00, Us. cL 10-3 6 Chins AMSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method and apparatus for producing and/or ampli- tying cleric current bling radioactive material: Cor- ent fom a suitable source is passed through a conductor Im contact with or under the iuence of radioactive mae teaal produce 8 current of hier magnitage than the input current. The cutrent may be conducted bya con Ative can containing radioactive moternh, metalic rods furrounding or dispersed within radioactive material of by coll disposed around the radioactive materi. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ‘This isa continuaioninpast of application Ser. No. 381,734, led July 10,1968, now Pat. No. 3,409,820. ‘ThE invention relates pian to methods of prodbeing sind ampllying electric curren and. apparsti= therefor, fmploying radionstive materials, Move specifically. this Invention relates to 2 method of using radiosctive emie- sions to prouct an electric current by means ofan elect magnet Del Tis prefeced form, the invention contemplates pass ing lectric current through conductor ‘exposed 10 radioactive emissions. The theory is thatthe current will Increased a it passes through the exposed conductor {that f will be comprised of the original current. the radioactive emissions collected by the condactor as elec- {ety and further by the induced electric current created by the various radiactive eminions cutins through the flux fines of the magnet fsid produced by the eizinl trent in the condton ‘nits her embodiments, the invention contemplates the use ofa primary eect current t0 produce & Ta ‘etc eld about a conductor, and the conductor being exposed to radioucive emisons, whereby cirreat ia: Gdced in the conductor is comprised esentally (accord radioactive Taioactive emissions cutting through he fox lines of the magnetic fel, Such a system has high practical vale in atomic powered ersft such as submarines, airplanes, Space ships, automobiles and ie like. In automobiles fad sobmaroes, for example, technological advances Batleres have produced smaller, more powerful Battie ‘ecupying less valuable space: however, Were stl a ‘efnte need to redace the size and weight power sures ‘sch ap this 10 4 minimum. Tho present tovention fuls fick & need by flving radtosedve material fa the mala poser plant to amplify eurent from one. or more ba fers and thos redace the orginal batiry weight and Volume requirements ‘bother basis of the present invention relates to the principle of movement of radioactive emisions in cec- ometretic fields. By the use of electricity an clectro magne field i= produced within & mass of Tadiouctive ‘material, the emisions from which are affected by the Imecoetis eld in such a manner ss fo produce an elects “Thus, by employing the base principle, this inventon thas application in an Held which eleceicty may Be 0 2 sed, employing a motor, embodying radioactive me terial or in existing electrical ystoms with radioactive ‘material aded to amplify the eletie carent available, SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 1 is therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a method of amplifying or enlarging existing clevtical eperay or curtea, and to farther provide & hovel electrical power system, uUlizingradicactive emi sions or radiations, “Anather abject ofthis fvention i to provide @ method ‘and sjsem of enlarging ot amplifying esti current by employing a metal conductor and a soures of radioactive femtsion i association with each olber, ‘Another object is to provide and improve electrical power supply systems which may be relative lightweight Sand small in size and, therefore, adaptable for advan fageous use, for example, in high altide spparatis and cre ‘Other objests and advantages of the preset invention will become apparent to those sled inthis art from the following deszripton of the best mode of carving ott this invention and examples thereot, made in connection ‘with the accompanying drawing where: FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a citcoit embodying the baste principe of this invention; 'FIG. 2b perspective of another embodiment of the lavention: TFIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate stil further embodiments, se will be described. Referring to schematic FIGS, 1, wherein the best mode ‘of earvina ot the prevent invention i ilostrated, a ei. ‘ult is show comprised of copper cannister 1 fled ‘vith radioaetve srontim 90. Conductive somacts 2 of the sime material ss the canine extend from oppose nds thereof and ate conductvely consected with @ site ble electric conductor such as copper wie 3. A source Of electrical encrey 4 which, ia this embodiment is pret rably a batty, sopplies current to canniser 1, where itis conducted through the cannister and subjected 10 the radiation of strontium contafed in the canaister, re Suliag in ampliieauon of the battery supplied current Current thus passing Uroush the cannister and being famplifed fs then trnemitod through conductor 3.t0°3 Toad 5. “The radioactive materi in canister 1 i preferably strontium 90, but may be any radioactive emit, emitng ‘lpia, beta, gamma or otherwise designsted particles ot Wave, inelading neutrons, protons, etc, sn/or any com bination thereat, "The radioative material contained in canister Lay ‘oe ened from am external source or from the beat of lear radintion of the radioactive material self, Inereace the amplilying effect on the current in the cit ‘vit described i FIG, 1, but such heating not necesary (€ esol to the current amplication system desribed Jn connection with FIO. 1. Curtent pasing rough the conductive canister i enhanced by the emissions trom the radioactive mater! In elther case resulting in acu rent in excess of that produoed By the balery and the ‘radioactive material indirect "From the description of FIG. 1, ican be seen that this Inveaton flats to the ampliation of electric cure Feat by the emision of radioastve material tough oF bout ‘which cutrent caused to flow, asd alo tao of hancement of electric disharge by easing sect Cirrent to flow through the radioactive materal. Thre fre many possible physical arrangements whereby an eee: tiie current can be made fo pass trough 2 radioactive eral, and broadly speaking, the present invention is fend to encompass any sch inverdon In Which elec-3,530,316 trig caren supe by radioactive material combed With elecri current from the separate soure® as descr Ibo i Tae ceprse wuts may provide ewe direst or alternating current ‘In the embodiment of FIG. 2, 2 mass of radioactive malerial ig surotinded by or contained within an elec- trical condvetive container 10 similar to cannister 1 of FIG. 1, and this body of radiogctive material is enclosed by, cil 30 which produces masz eld win the radioactive material whea an eleciie current Is toed the toll by means of Source 28, The they of ‘operation is that the magnetic fed eauses the charged ra- ‘ioactive emiisons (o'move in response to the polarity ‘of the inagnetie feld, thus creating a How of charged parlleles of electric current; atthe same time the radio- fective emissions cut through the lines of the magnetic ‘Mux producing additional electric charge or current. The clettc current is collected by connectors 30 at opposite {nds of the electricity conducting container 1 ‘in FIG. 3, radioactive material in a mass such as a rod 40 has one. oF more electrically conducting metal rods 0 located adjacent thereto, preferably » sufiient umber {o stetound rod 40 as shown in the drawing ‘Elerrcity passed through metal rods 80 either as direct ‘or ailernating current produces an electromagnetic etd Within the radioactive material which alects is emissions to produce an electric current. This induced electric cur- Tent from the radionsive emissions is then collected by oneetors om each end of the radioactive. rod-shaped material ‘in FIG, 4, another example of similar production of electric current from radiostve emissions is lus. ‘tated. A number of radioactive rods 60, ia this example numbering is, ate surrounded by metal rods 79 through Ivhich eeletric curtent is caused to How in either a direct for allemating manner. ‘The resulting electromagnetic elds stfect the radioactive emissions in such a mannet fs to set up an induced electric current which is greater than that produced Without Tadloactvity, this. electic {Curent is ulized by connecting wies fo the ends of the radioactive 1ods. “The lavention may be embodied in other specific forms ‘without departing from the spilt oF essential charactr~ Inics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, © be considered in all respects as Mustrative and. not re- sirctive the scope of the invention being indiated BY the ‘appended claims rather than by the foregoing. desrip- fiom. and all changes whieh come within the meaning wo 0 30 4 ‘and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to Do embraced therein. ‘What is claimed i 1. A method of amplifying electric current in a com ductor in a ciceuit, said conductor containing 1adio- ‘active material comprising the slop of producing a mag- netic field by passing an elect current through suid con ‘actor. 72. The method of transforming an eleceie curent of low magnitude to a higher magnitude compsing the step fof transmiting elec current from a source thereat through # metallic electrical conductor, sad conductor bing exposed to radioactive emissions. ‘3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein sad con: ‘docior tndsmiting the electric current is comprised of radioactive materia ‘4 Apparatus for amplifying electric current compris: ing'a conductive coatatner, radioactive material in said Container, nians dor connecting sald container to a sp> ply of electric cutrent by which said electric current is fransmnted through said Fedioactive material, and means {or collecting and transmitng said current from sad con ductive contsiner after sad curreat has passed through fand has been amplied by said radioactive materia ‘Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein a coll i adapled to couple said container (0 a supply of electri furtent and is disposed about said body of radioactive ‘material and adapted fo produce an electromagnetic field therein, sud coil and supply of elecric current being @ feparate circuit, and said container being connected by fable connectors toa work fond. ‘6. Apparatus comprising plurality of contiguous rod-shaped members at Teast one of which fas electric onduetie properties and is comprised of radioactive ma- feria, and at least one other of which hus electic con- ‘dostive properties and i connected 0 a souree of elec trie cortent, Whereby an electromagnetic eld is pro- Aged therein, and means connected 10 said radioactive siember for collecting and teansmilting sald secondary Srtent therefrom. References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 217,776 12/1957 Coben -. 3103 RODNEY D, BENNETT, Jn, Primary Examiner BL. RIBANDO, Assistant Examiner