Ways of Increasing Specific Energy Intensity of Tritium-based beta-Voltaic Nuclear Batteries

Abstract

Creating a beta-voltaic semiconductor battery based on long-lived radionuclide is an urgent task. However, today the technology of creating such energy sources and their output characteristics are far from perfect. This article analyzes ways to maximize energy intensity on the surface of the semiconductor carrier. Various methods of creating the maximum possible volume concentration of radioactive beta-emitter atoms based on the use of tritium are considered. A variety of variants using "associated" tritium are considered for application on the surface of the semiconductor carrier: metal tritids, intermetalides. One option may be the use of tritium-labeled organic molecules and polymers, as well as tritium, which is part of carbon nanomaterials — fullerenes, nanotubes, nanodiamonds, graphene and graphene oxide. The properties of intermet-allides hydrides (LaNi5, LaNi5T6) are considered. The dependence of the unit energy intensity of the battery's working body on the thickness of the emitter's film has been analyzed. As a result of the studies, the analysis of ways to achieve maximum energy intensity on the surface of the semiconductor carrier was analyzed. Various methods of creating the maximum possible volume concentration of radioactive beta-emitter atoms based on the use of tritium are considered. The dependence of the unit energy intensity of the battery's working body on the thickness of the emitter's film has been analyzed.