PORT researchers’ publication on nuclear batteries in Applied Physics Reviews
Dr. Dominik Kowal of the Photonic Materials & Structures Group at Łukasiewicz – PORT, first author of the paper Current trends in material research for nuclear batteries: Harnessing metal perovskite halides and other chalcogenides for greater compactness and efficiency, talks about the current state of nuclear battery research and its possible applications. The paper appeared in March in the journal Applied Physics Reviews, published by the American Institute of Physics.
– This publication reviews current approaches to nuclear batteries, concepts regarding their architecture and the use of specific materials. One of our main areas of research is perovskite materials, and our partners in Indonesia, led by Dr. Arramel, specialize in chalcogenides. Together we have written a paper that focuses on the application of these innovative materials in radio-voltaic, radio-photovoltaic and thermoelectric battery technology. We also presented original concepts that had not been presented before, such as enhancing the performance of nuclear batteries through the use of nanophotonics – explains Dr. Kowal.
How nuclear batteries work
The mechanism of operation of a nuclear battery, unlike the lithium-ion batteries used on a large scale, is not based on chemical reactions, but on physical processes, i.e. the energy supplied by a radioactive source becomes a source of electricity. The key in this type of battery is the use of intermediate materials that effectively capture radiation from the radioisotope and perform energy conversion. Compounds such as chalcogenides and perovskites described in the article can be used for this purpose, among others. – We focus primarily on radioisotope batteries, whose scheme of operation is similar to photovoltaics. There, solar energy is converted into electricity, while here we obtain energy from the radiation of an isotope. Such radioisotopes can come, for example, from the waste of nuclear power plants – the scientist adds.
The advantage of nuclear batteries is their small size and long operating time – they provide relatively small power, but constant, they can operate for decades. –The energy is highly concentrated in radioactive sources, but due to the slow rate of release, it is spread out over time and results in limited power, explains Dr. Kowal.
Nuclear battery-powered pacemaker
With the right choice of radioisotope, the emitted radiation can be easily shielded and does not endanger humans. Perhaps the most convincing example of their safety is their potential application in pacemakers.
Other examples of the use of nuclear batteries include mining shafts or space, where it is extremely difficult to carry out regular replacements, and the defense industry – they can provide a power source for soldiers in the field. In this context, the work on nuclear batteries fits into one of the strategic directions of development of the Łukasiewicz Research Network and PORT, namely defense and national security.
The nuclear batteries currently under development are expected to last for up to 50 years, but parallel work is underway to increase their performance. This will allow us to expand their area of application.
– For example, we would like to use nuclear batteries in so-called MEMS (microelectromechanical systems), i.e. tiny electromechanical systems that generate motion, such as in levers. These are electrically driven mechanisms, just like an electric motor, only on a micro scale – says Dr. Dominik Kowal.
Work on increasing the potential of nuclear batteries is ongoing. – The simplest way to get more power from a battery is to increase its size, because this power will scale with the surface area – Dr. Kowal presents. – The larger surface area of the radioisotope used will emit more radiation, which will be converted into electricity. However, larger batteries won’t be as useful, so ultimately the issue is the power density of the battery, so that a relatively small battery can deliver a relatively large amount of power while operating for as long as possible. This is the Holy Grail we are looking for.