Nuclear Batteries

[czimborbryan]

How much energy can be extracted from collecting electrons from enriched uranium?  In other words, using the uranium as a power source without detonating it.

[onthecuttingedge2005]

How much energy can be extracted from collecting electrons from enriched uranium?  In other words, using the uranium as a power source without detonating it.

depends on what Uranium Isotope you are referring to. Uranium are mainly Alpha emitters but there are beta emitters like 237 U. the half life is what you are looking for.

Which?

218    U
219    U
220    U
221    U
222    U
223    U
224    U
225    U
226    U
227    U
228    U
229    U
230    U
231    U
232    U
233    U
234    U
235    U
236    U
237    U
238    U
239    U
240    U
241    U
242    U

with most Uranium Isotopes you might want to look into Thermal piles that convert heat into electricity, it is still dependent on the amount of Neutron flux in the near critical mass of Uranium, even near critical Uranium will melt and start spalling all over the place. one pound of pure Uranium would only feel warm in your hand all the time.

Uranium-235 has a half-life of 700 million years and was discovered in 1935 by Arthur Jeffrey Dempster. Its nuclear cross section for slow thermal neutrons is about 1000 barns. For fast neutrons it is on the order of 1 barn. Most but not all neutron absorptions result in fission; a minority result in neutron capture forming uranium-236. The fission of one atom of U-235 generates 202.5 MeV = 3.244 × 10âˆ'11 J, i.e. 19.54 TJ/mol= 83.14 TJ/kg

Critical Mass happens at; For pure U-235, that is 52 kg; for Pu-239, it is 10 kg.

Plutonium makes a very efficient thermal pile because it requires a great deal less in mass to do the same job as Uranium. Governments would never allow civilians Pu for even the slightest moment to research free energy. one little pinch of it would put anyone in jail for life. or darn near it.

[czimborbryan]

All that I know is that batteries like this already exist, but I do not know the details.  I'm curious about electrical output.

[leo48]

The Pu is an extremely poisonous over toxic than radiation.

All that I know is that batteries like this already exist, but I do not know the details.  I'm curious about electrical output.

The Cassini spacecraft is powered by 2 nuclear batteries which give about 500 W each.

[czimborbryan]

The Pu is an extremely poisonous over toxic than radiation.The Cassini spacecraft is powered by 2 nuclear batteries which give about 500 W each.

Any idea on the dimensions and weight of the two batteries.  500 W is a powerful output!  Also, any idea on the expected lifespan?