Patent Application
20060244410
This application uses items or articles disclosed in my published U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/822,876 entitled “Method And Apparatus For Storing Electric Energy” filed Apr. 13, 2004 and for which a patent has not yet been issued.
Not applicable
Not applicable
This invention relates generally to the generation of electrical energy and more particularly to radioisotope direct-charging batteries for deriving and utilizing the electrical energy of radioactive decay and nuclear reactions.
Large quantities of energy are provided by certain nuclear reactions of radioactive substances and some radioactive radiations (energy) are largely electrical in nature. It is therefore desirable that such electrical energy be converted directly to electrical energy of a more usable form. Positively or negatively charged particle rays are emitted from such radioactive substances which have energies ranging from zero to tens of millions of electron volts. Direct utilization of the high electric potentials which may be derived from such highly charged emitted particles provides a more effective and efficient use of nuclear energy than other thermal or mechanical conversion systems.
Direct-charging radioisotope cells or batteries are usually comprised of a self-charging plate of radioactive matter that becomes positively or negatively charged by emitting beta-particles or alpha-particles, respectively. An electrically conductive surface, or solid collector-plate, set off at a distance from the radioactive source accumulates the emitted particles from the source and an electrical potential difference, or voltage, is established between the radioactive source and the solid collector-plate. The level of voltage attained between the radioactive source and the solid collector-plate depends on how well the source is electrically insulated from the collector-plate because insufficient insulation results in arcing and electrical breakdown of the insulating matter. Since the direct-charging radioisotope cell is basically a parallel-plate capacitor with a self-charging plate, increasing the insulation between the radioactive source-plate and the collector-plate causes the capacitance between the two plate-surfaces to decrease rapidly. The low value of capacitance between the radioactive source and the solid collector-plate limits the amount of electric charge that can be accumulated even for the very high voltage that results between the radioactive source and the solid collector-plate. Because of the extremely high output voltages and low electric current output, these radioisotope batteries are limited to very high-voltage, low-current applications. Another problem with solid collector-plate radioisotope batteries is energetic particles are repelled from the solid collector-plate once the collector-plate reaches a high opposite electric potential as compared to the radioactive source-plate. When that happens, alpha or beta particles emitted from the radioactive source are repelled by the solid collector-plate and are returned to the radioactive source, or source-plate, thus heating the radioactive source-plate and limiting the amount of electric charge accumulated by the solid collector-plate. Direct-charging batteries operate most efficiently at high source-to-collector voltages. If energy is drawn from the battery too quickly, then most of the time is spent energizing the self-charging plate and little time is spent supplying energy to a load device. In other words, at low source-to-collector voltages, highly energetic particles merely have to overcome a small electric field to reach the collector. Therefore, most of the energy of the highly energetic particles is wasted in heating the collector plate, and little is left to drive an electrical load device. As the collector electric potential rises, however, more charges are packed together onto the surface of the collector-plate so that an increase in electric potential energy occurs, and less energy is wasted as heat. Scattering is also a problem when charged high-energy particles strike the solid collector-plate and secondary emission of other particles occurs, which decreases the efficiency and power output of the battery.
Numerous methods have been devised to improve the efficiency and power output of radioisotope direct-charging cells or batteries. Some attempts at improving the batteries involve placing energized electrodes in different locations to enhance wanted effects and deter unwanted effects of charged-particle bombardment. It has become apparent, however, that the use of a solid collector-plate in a direct-charging nuclear battery will never be effective because the amount of usable surface area of the collector-plate is severely limited. As in any parallel-plate capacitor, if the effective plate surface area can be increased, then a corresponding increase in the value of capacitance will result. In the special case of a radioisotope direct-charging battery, if the plate surface area of the collector-plate can be increased significantly, then the amount of electric charge accumulated can also be increased significantly without compromising the need for sufficient insulation between the radioactive source-plate and the collector-plate with a large effective surface area. For instance, if the area of the collector-plate is increased significantly while maintaining good electrical insulation between the radioactive particle emitting-plate, or source-plate, and the collector-plate, then a large quantity of electric charge can be accumulated by the collector-plate at a very high voltage. The average energy of emitted particles or rays, such as beta rays, in direct-charging radioisotope batteries, can be of an order of one or two million electron volts. If more particle rays reach the collector-plate at much higher energy levels without being repelled back to the source-plate, then the amount of total electric charge accumulated by the collector-plate increases significantly. Moreover, increasing the charge-density of high-energy electric charges implies packing more electric charge into a smaller area and at much higher voltages. Power output of a direct-charging radioisotope battery depends on the amount of electric current made available to the electrical load multiplied by the voltage at which the electric current is presented. More electric charge accumulated by the collector-plate at such amazingly high voltages, or energy levels, means a tremendous amount of electric power will be supplied to the load where useful work can be performed. Increasing the amount of output power available to the electric load, as compared to the amount of input power, results in an overall increase in conversion efficiency.
It would then be highly advantageous to provide a collector-plate in a direct-charging nuclear cell, or battery, with a very large effective surface area so that a large quantity of electric charge can be accumulated at very high voltages and very high energy levels. Therefore, the present invention contemplates the use of collector-plates set a distance apart from a radioactive source, or source-plate, in a radioisotope direct-charging cell or battery, where such collector-plates have a very large effective surface area capable of capturing and storing highly energetic alpha or beta particles originally emitted from the radioactive source, or source-plate. The present invention also contemplates the use of collector-plates where each collector-plate is comprised of a great multitude of tiny individual particles dispersed in a dispersing medium. This essentially raises the effective surface area of the collector-plate substantially, when the total surface areas of all the individual dispersed particles are added together. In words, there is a much larger surface area where electric charges can accumulate than if a solid collector-plate were used, since electric charges can only reside on the external surface of a solid conductor. It should be understood, however, that even though the collector-plate in the present invention is to be known as a “powdered-plate”, a powdered-plate as specifically defined and used in the present invention is comprised of a great multitude of very small particles that may be of any size or shape, and where the particles are comprised of matter of any nature in any physical or electrical state or phase of matter, which are suspended or dispersed in a dispersing medium which is comprised of matter of any nature or composition in any physical or electrical state or phase of matter, and where the dispersing medium keeps the particles separated and suspended indefinitely. Particles in a powdered-plate must, however, stay suspended indefinitely in the dispersing medium and they must be capable of capturing and storing electric charges (preferably on their surfaces). For example, the dispersed particles may be comprised of aluminum, copper, or carbon of various shapes and sizes, but which are as tiny as possible to increase the total effective surface area. The dispersing medium can be of a gaseous, liquid, or solid nature, as long as the dispersed particles are kept separated so they can absorb high-energy particles emitted from the radioactive source.
Linder mentions in U.S. Pat. No. 2,517,120 dated Aug. 1, 1950, and entitled “Method Of And Means For Collecting Electrical Energy Of Nuclear Reactions” that, “For generators providing relatively large power values, cooling of the charged particle source may be necessary or desirable since the source is bombarded and heated by the returning charged particles which are reflected by the charged collector electrode. Also the collector electrode is heated by the charged particles is [it] collects.” Use of a powdered-plate in the present invention, rather than a solid collector electrode as described by Linder, reduces heating of the source by repelled and returning particles since the number of repelled particles is reduced substantially. Furthermore, heating of the collector electrode is also greatly reduced when a powdered-plate is used as is done in the present invention, because the effective surface area for distributing heat is increased by several orders of magnitude and the level of particle scattering is reduced considerably. Linder also states in the same patent specification that, “The charge upon the collector electrode . . . increases until the potential of the collector electrode is sufficiently high to repel additional electrons arriving from the source.” By using a powdered-plate in the present invention, any charge accumulated is distributed evenly on the external surfaces of all the suspended conductive particles. That means the suspended conductive particles act as individual isolated capacitor spheres. Even though the value of capacitance between the source-plate and the powdered-plate is very low, the capacitance of the powdered-plate is extremely high when the capacitances of all the suspended conductive particles, or isolated capacitor spheres, are considered together. Increased capacitance of the powdered-plate means a larger quantity of electric charge is stored at a much lower voltage. As a result, the particles traveling from the source-plate to the powdered-plate experience a much lower voltage to overcome when reaching the powdered-plate. Again, a great quantity of electric charge is collected and stored by the powdered-plate before a high voltage is established between the source-plate and powdered-plate, and before emitted particles are repelled back to the source-plate. More emitted particles will reach the powdered-plate for each volt of electric potential established between the source-plate and the collector-plate.
A U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/822,876 entitled, “Method and Apparatus for Storing Electric Energy” was submitted on Apr. 13, 2004, by Hacsi, the inventor of the present invention. At the time of the filing of this present patent application, no patent had been issued for the aforementioned invention. The present invention, however, is anticipated to be much more effective and efficient because electric energy enters the powdered-plate directly through the dielectric, or other means for separating the radioactive source and the powdered-plate, as opposed to entering the powdered-plate through an electrode located inside the powdered-plate. Furthermore, the present invention involves the direct-conversion of nuclear energy to electrical energy, whereas the previous invention merely stores electric energy for future use.
Among the objects of the present invention are to provide better methods and means for generating electrical energy in response to radioactive decay and nuclear reactions. Another object of the present invention is to provide more effective and efficient methods and means for utilizing the electrical energy in radioactive decay and nuclear reactions. An additional object is to provide a nuclear battery and method of energy storage where large quantities of electrical energy can be generated and stored until it can be supplied very rapidly to an electrical load device when needed. A still further object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient direct-charging nuclear battery that directly converts nuclear energy to electric energy.
In accordance with the present invention, a nuclear battery is provided to accomplish the method known as the present invention where the nuclear battery is comprised of a radioactive source that emits highly energetic particles or rays set off a distance and electrically separated by a dielectric matter from at least one powdered-plate. A powdered-plate, by definition, is comprised of a great multitude of particles that can be of any size or shape and made of a matter capable of capturing and storing electric charges resulting from emissions of a radioactive source, and where the particles are suspended or dispersed in a dispersing medium comprised of matter that keeps the dispersed particles from settling, and with the multitude of suspended or dispersed particles and the dispersing medium all contained together in either a conductive or non-conductive container. The nuclear battery provided to accomplish the method known as the present invention is comprised of at least one powdered-plate disposed in a region adjacent to the radioactive source for collecting and accumulating high energy particle or ray emissions from the radioactive source in order to establish an electric potential difference with respect to either the radioactive source or a second powdered-plate. The electric potential difference established between the radioactive source and the powdered-plate can provide an electric current through an electrical load device so useful work can be done.
In
A preferred embodiment of the nuclear battery known as the present invention is illustrated in
In the nuclear battery shown in
Accordingly, the reader will see the nuclear battery and method of the present invention which incorporates a powdered-plate as defined and described herein, can effectively and efficiently convert the energy of nuclear reactions to more useable forms. Furthermore, the nuclear battery and method of the present invention, by incorporating a powdered-plate, provides the additional advantages of:
Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention. For example, a reader skilled in the art will know a radioisotope source with a shorter half-life usually has a higher power output than a radioisotope with a longer half-life. Therefore, the type of radioactive source used in any specific embodiment of the present invention will be determined by the energy and power requirements of the electrical load device in that particular application or situation. It should also be evident to a reader skilled in the art that the radioactive source can be in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state and that aspect will also depend on the application. It is also conceivable that the radioactive source can be a mixture or combination of more than one type radioactive element where each radioisotope element can be of a solid, liquid, or gaseous nature or that a radioactive source combined with non-radioactive matter can be used. In short, any source capable of emitting any type of high energy particle, ray, or other type of emissions can be used as the radioactive source in the present invention. However, it is best to select a radioisotope or other radioactive source that emits only pure alpha-particles or beta-particles, or an appropriate combination, without a great amount of simultaneous emission of more biologically harmful gamma or x-rays. For that matter, the powdered-plate can also be comprised of radioisotope matter that emits charged particles from radioactive decay which are of opposite electrical sign than the particles emitted by the radioactive source. For example, the radioactive source may emit beta-particles that penetrate the dielectric matter and enter the powdered-plate giving the radioactive source a positive electrical charge and the powdered-plate a negative electrical charge. If the particles in the powdered-plate, however, were capable of emitting alpha-particles (with opposite electrical sign), then the radioactive decay of atoms in the particles of the powdered-plate will add to the negative charge of the powdered-plate. Moreover, alpha-particles emitted from the powdered-plate will penetrate the dielectric and enter the gas-chamber (if a radioactive gas is used), thus adding a greater amount of positive charges to the radioactive source. A battery of this type that includes a powdered-plate with radioactive atoms in the suspended particles, will greatly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the battery.
It should also be evident to a reader skilled in the art that the dielectric matter used to electrically isolate the radioactive source from the powdered-plate can conceivably be of a liquid, solid, or gaseous nature. For that matter, it should be evident a dielectric matter of any nature or composition can be utilized in the present invention that is electrically sufficient to prevent electric breakdown and arcing from occurring until high voltages are attained between the radioactive source and the powdered-plate. It should also be evident to a reader skilled in the art that the powdered-plate can be comprised of suspended or dispersed particles of matter of any size, shape, or matter with any physical or electrical characteristic and in any state or phase of matter capable of accumulating a large amount of electric charge in order to accomplish the method identified as a primary aspect of the present invention. In words, colloids and suspensions comprised of conducting, non-conducting, or semi-conducting particles of various sizes and shapes comprised of gaseous, solid, or liquid matters suspended or dispersed in any kind of dispersing medium or phase, whether it be a gas, liquid, solid, or other phase of matter, can possibly comprise the powdered-plate and thus accomplish the method described as the present invention. Additionally, it is very conceivable to employ ions of any nature and composition in solution (electrolytes) or adsorbed to other particles of any nature and size in the powdered-plate to accomplish electric charge accumulation and storage which are key to accomplishing the described method of this invention. It should also be evident to a reader skilled in the art that a minimum of one powdered-plate comprised of suspended or dispersed particles as described herein is required to accomplish the method identified as the present invention, but the use of additional such powdered-plates can be more effective and more efficient. It is also conceivable to have several nuclear batteries containing one or more powdered-plates connected in electrical series or parallel configurations, or combinations thereof, in order to increase the output power, voltage, energy, efficiency, or effectiveness. A cascaded-series of powdered-plates is also conceivable for capturing emissions that are secondary from the primary radioactive source and where the emissions may have originated from another powdered-plate that was bombarded with high-energy particles from the primary radioactive source or possibly another powdered-plate. It is also conceivable that the outer-container that contains the powdered-plate can be made of matter of any nature or composition that is electrically conductive or non-conductive and that has sufficient strength and ruggedness to contain the powdered-plate even at high pressures.
Another conceivable method would be to supply energy, or electric charges, to be stored in the powdered-plate by means of an external electron beam or other electrically-charged, particle-beam that is electrically separated and set off a distance relative to the powdered-plate. Such means of artificially creating and supplying electric charges to the powdered-plate through a dielectric matter or insulator will be effective, but the process will most likely be less efficient since the energy released from radioactive decay is not directly converted to electrical energy. Other means for supplying energy to the powdered-plate may also conceivably be used that do not involve electrically-charged particles or rays. Neutrons or other atomic fragments, gamma rays, x-rays, cosmic rays, or any other uncharged particle-beam or ray can be made to penetrate into a powdered-plate. Secondary emissions from the bombarded powdered-plate will leave the affected powdered-plate and give the affected powdered-plate an overall positive or negative charge with respect to earth ground, another powdered-plate, or some other external point. Of course, the point of opposite polarity will be where the secondary emissions from the emitting powdered-plate end up. It is also possible to use a powdered-plate that does not completely surround the radioactive source, but which is simply set a distance apart from the radioactive source. There may be applications such as for saving space and resources, or for miniaturization purposes, where the container holding the particles and dispersing medium which comprise the powdered-plate, does not completely surround the radioactive source. Such designs will most likely prove to be relatively less-efficient than what is presented herein as the preferred embodiment of the present invention. A stirring mechanism or means may be required inside the powdered-plate in order to keep the electric charges evenly distributed and also to keep the suspended particles from settling. Any reader skilled in the art would also know if the radioactive source is an electrical conductor, then the matter would be applied directly to the inside surface of the glass dielectric, and no electrode would be required to complete an electrical connection to the powdered-plate electrode and through the electrical load device. Finally, nanofluids with solid, conductive particles have been found to have high heat-conduction abilities. That means a properly designed powdered-plate can rapidly rid the nuclear battery of destructive heat at high power levels.
Thus, the scope of this invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10822876 | Apr 2004 | US |
| Child | 11472163 | Jun 2006 | US |
