If they can put it in a pacemaker, you’d think it would work in a car.
intercst
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Medtronic and Alcatel developed a nuclear powered battery in the sixties. The radiation was produced by Pu-238 which as a half-life of 85 years. The concern was tracking the devises and disposal, obviously the pacemakers would outlive the patients.
Lithium batteries now in use with Medtronic can last 10 years and offer a safer devise product.
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Depends on how it responds to loads. It says “ultra-low power”. Maybe it’s only good for those sorts of applications.
That’s true.
The device mentioned has an output of up to 500 nanowatts. A device sized to replace an 80 kWh EV battery would be as large as a dump truck.
Long life but low energy density.
intercst
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Even if they can increase the power output, I wouldn’t expect these sort of devices ever to be available over-the-counter, or to be delivered by Amazon. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission usually requires a license to own and use devices with radioactive substances in them.
There are some exceptions. Your home smoke detector probably has a radioactive americium-241 source in it. The exit signs you often see above the doors of public places often have a tritium source inside that makes them glow in the dark. Camping lantern mantles, as well as some types of Fiesta dinnerware and other glasswares and ceramics have, or formerly had, uranium or thorium in them.
I personally have an old ceramic casserole dish that belonged to my grandmother, that causes a Geiger counter to go crazy. I doubt Grandma ever knew that her lovely casserole dish was radioactive. Both of my grandparents lived well into their 90s, so it didn’t seem to affect them. (My thumbnail picture for my username shows a radiation detector indicator needle being deflected when the instrument was in close proximity to this dish.)
From the NRC:
From the link:
Consumer products containing byproduct material and source material that are used by the general public are exempted from licensing requirements only if the Commission determines that the products or types of uses do not constitute an unreasonable risk to the common defense or security or to public health and safety and the environment. Radiation safety features are built into the sealed source or device or the amount of radioactive material that can initially be distributed in such a device is restricted.
And:
NRC applies regulatory control to the transfer of these products, placing specific requirements on distributions, as specified in Subpart A, 10 CFR Part 32. The regulations in 10 CFR 40.13(c) exempt members of the public from the requirements for an NRC license when they receive, possess, use, or transfer source material in products such as incandescent gas mantles, vacuum tubes, welding rods, and electric lamps. NRC applies regulatory control to the transfer of these products, placing specific requirements on distributions, as specified in 10 CFR 40.52, and 40.53.
_ Pete
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