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Radiation resistant PIDECα cell using photon intermediate direct energy conversion and a 210Po source.
Charles L Weaver1, Robert J Schott1, Mark A Prelas1
1Nuclear Science and Engineering Institute, University of Missouri, Lafferre Hall, Columbia, MO 65211, United States.
Summary
This study demonstrates a new nuclear battery design using alpha particles that resists radiation damage. The Photon Intermediate Direct Energy Conversion (PIDEC) alpha (PIDECα) cell shows no performance degradation after a year of testing.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear energy
- Materials science
- Radiation physics
Background:
- Betavoltaic and alphavoltaic cells suffer performance degradation due to radiation damage from high-energy particles.
- Indirect excitation methods, like the Photon Intermediate Direct Energy Conversion (PIDEC) framework, offer a way to protect transducers from radiation.
- Previous work demonstrated a radiation-resistant PIDEC cell using beta particles (PIDECβ cell).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of using alpha particles within the PIDEC framework for nuclear batteries.
- To assess the radiation resistance of an alpha-particle-driven PIDEC cell (PIDECα cell).
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of alpha particles into the PIDEC framework using the alpha emitter 210Po to create a PIDECα cell.
- Exposure of the PIDECα cell transducer to alpha particles for over one year.
Main Results:
- The PIDECα cell was successfully constructed and operated using alpha particles.
- The PIDECα cell transducer exhibited no adverse effects from radiation damage after more than a year of exposure to alpha particles.
Conclusions:
- The PIDEC framework is effective in mitigating radiation damage for alpha-particle-driven nuclear batteries.
- PIDECα cells offer a promising solution for developing radiation-hardened nuclear batteries with potentially higher power density than beta-based systems.
