Nuclear battery: a source of environmentally friendly energy

Abstract

Purpose

The nuclear battery technology depends on the spontaneous decay of the atomic nuclei of radioactive isotopes to generate electricity. One of the merits of a nuclear battery is its high-energy density, which can be around ten times higher than that of hydrogen fuel cells and a thousand times more than that of an electrochemical battery. A nuclear battery has an extremely long life and low maintenance and running costs coupled with applications in remote and hostile environmental environments. The rise of silicon technology has intensified research activities in the area of nuclear batteries. The paper aims to present a general overview of a nuclear battery.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a general overview of a nuclear battery and will significantly reduce reliance on non-renewable energy source. The requirement for long-lived power supplies have necessitated the pragmatic shift toward the realization of cleaner, safer and renewable energy sources.

Findings

Nuclear battery is a safe enabling technology for many applications including military and commercial applications. They have very long operating life under harsh environmental conditions. These cells demonstrate high potential for use in low power applications under a broad range of temperatures.

Originality/value

The nuclear battery technology has been receiving considerable in-depth research for applications that require long-life power sources.

Citation

Ayodele, O.L., Sanusi, K.O. and Kahn, M.T. (2019), "Nuclear battery: a source of environmentally friendly energy", Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 172-182. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEDT-02-2017-0011