Power Point Presentation on Nuclear Battery

group discussion and

seminar.

Ritvik sharma
B.Tech chemical engineering
3CH2
Nuclear battery
 What we will discuss.
• Types of batteries.
• Disadvantages of normal batteries.
• comparison
• Why nuclear battery? (answer, in India…)
• Historical development.
• Understanding the terms used.
• Penetration power of different radiations.
• Energy production mechanism.
• Representation of basic beta voltaic conversion.
(generation of electron hole pair mechanism)
• Fuel considerations. (main fuels)
• Applications . (space, medical, automobile)
• Advantages.
• Disadvantages.
• conclusion
 Types of batteries.
• Primary batteries- for single usage, cannot be
reused.
• Secondary batteries- also called rechargeable
batteries, can be used and recharge
simultaneously. Types of secondary batteries:-
1. Sealed maintenance free batteries (smf batteries)
2. Lithium ion battery.
3. Nickel cadmium (NiCd) battery.
4. Lead acid battery.
Disadvantages of normal batteries
• The most commonly used types of batteries we have
are lithium ion batteries.
• They need high level of protection against wear tear.
• These types of batteries are not made to last long,
their working time is just about 1-2 years, so they need
to be replaced frequently.
• More than 100 toxic gases are released by the lithium
ion batteries found in products like smart phones and
other electronic devices.
• They are very dangerous if wrongly handled.
 comparison
Source Energy content (mw/hr)

Chemical battery(li-ion) 0.3

Fuel cell(methanol, 50%) 3

210 -Po (5%- 4 years) 3000

3-H (Tritium)(5%- 4 years ) 500

 Answer is….
• With advancement in technology, there exist a great need of small,
compact, reliable and light weight power supply.
• Chemical battery requires frequent replacement and are very bulky.
• Fuel and solar cells are very expensive and require sunlight to
function.
• Nuclear batteries uses emissions from radioisotope to generate
electricity, so there is no fear of hazardous radiations.
• Nuclear batteries have lifespan of minimum up to decades.
• Can be used In inaccessible and extreme condition very easily
without and replacement for a very long time.
 In India…..
• As of 2016, India has 22 nuclear reactors in
operation at seven sites, having an installed
capacity of 6780 MW and producing a total of year generation TWh
30,292.91 GWh of electricity. 11 more reactors
2016
are under construction to generate an
additional 8,100 MW. 2015
• As years pass by our capacity will increase and 2014
our nuclear wastes will also increase. 2013
• Types of nuclear wastes are:-
2012 year
• low level waste geneartion
• 2011 TWh
Intermediate level waste
• High level waste 2010
• High and hazardous level waste 2009
• These are all the composition of spent nuclear 2008
fuel.
2007
2006
0 10 20 30 40 50
 Contd…
Years Power SNF generated/likely Total SNF
generated/installed to be generated
capacity
Up to 2008 213 twh 3830 3830
2008-2015 195 twh 3510 7340
2020 10.8 gwh 8000 17730

• In this table we see the spent nuclear fuels over the years
and also how it increasing drastically.
• So what should be done of all this wastes. These cant be
dumped in the waters or be buried in the ground, neither it
can be stored in a container for long time. So why not
utilize it further by exploiting its radioactive properties for
nuclear batteries.
 Historical
development
Henry Moseley demonstrated the
working of first beta cell (nuclear
battery) in 1913.

The nuclear battery was patented

on 3 march 1959 by tracer
laboratory.

The radioisotope electric power

system was developed by Paul
Brown.

Browns first prototype power cell

produced 100,000 times as much
energy per gram of strontium-90
(the energy source) than the most
powerful thermal battery yet in
existence.
Penetration power of different
radiations.
Energy production mechanism.
• Beta Voltaics (a simple type of nuclear battery)
• Uses energy from beta particles.
• Provides extended battery life and power density.
• Beta particles from radioactive gas captured in Si wafer
coated with diode material.
• Absorbed radiations create electron hole pair.
• Results in the generation of electric current.
• Before the radioactive source is introduced no electric
current is produced.
• As beta emitter is introduced electrons are knocked from
it energy levels.
Generation of electron hole pair and
electricity generation.
 Fuel considerations
• The major criterions considered in the selection of fuels are :
• Avoidance of gamma in the decay chain
• Half life
• Particle range
• Watch out for (alpha, n)reactions

• Any radioisotope in the form of a solid that gives off alpha or beta particles can be utilized in the nuclear battery.
The first cell constructed employed the most powerful source known, radium-226, as the energy source. However, radium-
226 gives rise through decay to the daughter product bismuth-214, which gives off strong gamma radiation that requires
shielding for safety. This adds a weight penalty in mobile applications.

• Radium-226 is a naturally occurring isotope which is formed very slowly by the decay of uranium-238. Uranium mill
wastes are readily available source of radium-226 in very abundant quantities. Uranium mill wastes contain far more
energy in the radium-226 than is represented by the fission energy derived form the produced uranium.

• Strontium-90 gives off no gamma radiation so it does not necessitate the use of thick lead shielding for
safety.strrrontium-90 does not exist in nature, but it is one of the several radioactive waste products resulting from
nuclear fission. The utilizable energy from strontium-90 substantially exceeds the energy derived from the nuclear fission
which gave rise to this isotope.

• Once the present stores of nuclear wastes have been mined, the future supplies of strontium-90 will depend on the
amount of nuclear electricity generated hence strontium-90 decay may ultimately become a premium fuel for such special
uses as for perpetually powered wheel chairs and portable computers. Plutonium-238 dioxide is used for space
application. Half life of tantalum-180m is about 1015 years. In its ground state, tantalum-180 (180Ta) is very unstable and
decays but its isomeric state, 180m Ta, is found in natural samples. Tantalum 180m hence can be used for switchable
nuclear batteries.
 Applications
• Nuclear batteries find many fold applications
due to its long life time and improved
reliability. In the ensuing era, the replacing of
conventional chemical batteries will be of
enormous advantages. This innovative
technology will surely bring break-through in
the current technology which was muddled up
in the power limitations.
 Space Application
• In space applications, nuclear power units offer advantages over solar cells,
fuel cells and ordinary batteries because of the following circumstances:
• When the satellite orbits pass through radiation belts such as the van-Allen
belts around the Earth that could destroy the solar cells
• Operations on the Moon or Mars where long periods of darkness require
heavy batteries to supply power when solar cells would not have access to
sunlight
• Space missions in the opaque atmospheres such as Jupiter, where solar cells
would be useless because of lack of light. At a distance far from the sun for
long duration missions where fuel cells, batteries and solar arrays would be too
large and heavy.
• So in the future it is ensured that these nuclear batteries will replace all
the existing power supplies due to its incredible advantages over the other.
The applications which require a high power, a high life time, a compact
design over the density, an atmospheric conditions-independent it is quite a
sure shot that future will be of ‘Nuclear Batteries’. NASA is on the hot pursuit
of harnessing this technology in space applications.
 Medical Applications
•The medical field finds a lot of applications with the nuclear battery due to their increased
longevity and better reliability. It would be suited for medical devices like pacemakers,
implanted deep fibrillators or other implanted devices that would otherwise require surgery
to replace or repair the best out of the box is use in ‘cardiac pacemakers’. The batteries must
have longevity to avoid frequent replacement. It is reported that about 600,000 pacemakers
are implanted each year worldwide and the total number of people with various types of
implanted pacemaker has already crossed 3,000,000. A cardiac pacemaker uses half of its
battery power for cardiac stimulation and the other half for housekeeping tasks such as
monitoring and data logging. The first implanted cardiac pacemaker used nickel-cadmium
rechargeable battery, later on zinc-mercury battery was developed and used which lasted for
over two years. Lithium iodide battery, developed in 1972 made the real impact to
implantable cardiac pacemakers and is on the way. But it draws the serious threat lasts for
about ten years and this is a serious problem. The life time solution is nuclear battery.
• Nuclear batteries are the best reliable and it lasts lifetime. The definitions for some of
the important parts of the battery and its performances are parameters like voltage, duty
cycle, temperature, shelf life, service life, safety and reliability, internal resistance, specific
energy (watt-hour/ kg), specific power (watts/kg), and in all that means nuclear batteries
stands out. The technical advantages of nuclear batteries are in terms of its longevity,
adaptable shapes and sizes, corrosion resistance, minimum weight, excellent current drain
that suits to cardiac pacemakers.
 Automobile Applications

• Although it is on the initial stages of development, it is

highly promised that the nuclear batteries will find a
sure niche in the automobiles replacing the weary
conventional iconic fuels there will be no case such as
running out of fuel and running short of time. ‘Fox
valley auto association, USA’ already conducted many
seminars on the scopes and they are on the way of
implementing this. Although the risks associated the
usage of nuclear battery, even concerned with legal
restrictions are of many, but its advantages over the
usual gasoline fuels are overcoming all the obstacles.
 Advantages
• Fuel sources:- radioactive isotopes which are produced as
radioactive wastes (spent nuclear fuels) are used as the source
here. Can withstand more than 400 years. No meltdowns, no
danger of explosions, no catastrophic incidents.
• Oil dependency:- a large percent of foreign dependence could
be eliminated if device used such as NAG(nuclear accelerated
generator) more widely, which in turn will decrease the price
of oil and gas.
• Compact and lighter in weight.
• Very less repair and maintenance.
• Used as cardiac pacemakers.
• Automobiles and space explorations.
 Disadvantages
• First and foremost, as is the case with most breathtaking technologies, the high initial cost
of production involved is a drawback but as the product goes operational and gets into bulk
production, the price is sure to drop. The size of nuclear batteries for certain specific
applications may cause problems, but can be done away with as time goes by.
• Though radioactive materials sport high efficiency, the conversion methodologies
used presently are not much of any wonder and at the best matches conventional energy
sources. However, laboratory results have yielded much higher efficiencies, but are yet to be
released into the alpha stage.
• A minor blow may come in the way of existing regional and country specific laws
regarding the use and disposal of radioactive materials. As these are not unique worldwide
and are subject to political horrors and ideology prevalent in the country. The introduction
legally requires these to be scrapped or amended. It can be however be hoped that, given
the revolutionary importance of this substance, things would come in favor gradually.
• Above all, to gain social acceptance, a new technology must be beneficial and
demonstrate enough trouble free operation that people begin to see it as a “normal”
phenomenon. Nuclear energy began to loose this status following a series of major accidents
in its formative years. Acceptance accorded to nuclear power should be trust-based rather
than technology based. In other words acceptance might be related to public trust of the
organizations and individuals utilizing the technology as opposed to based on understanding
of the available evidence regarding the technology.