HIGH ENERGY DENSITY POWER SOURCES: A COMBINATION OF NEW SEMICONDUCTORS AND RADIONUCLIDES

THE PLANNED PROGRAM IS DEVELOPING HIGH ENERGY DENSITY, LONG-LIFE, RELIABLE POWER SOURCES FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS SUCH AS AUXILIARY ELECTRIC POWER FOR SATELLITES. THE CORE OF THE DEVICE IS A RADIOISOTOPE-POWERED INDIUM PHOSPHIDE VOLTAIC CELL THAT CAN ACHIEVE ENERGY DENSITIES MORE THAN 10,000 TIMES GREATER THAN THAT OF THE BEST CHEMICAL BATTERIES. IN PAST ATTEMPTS TO DEVELOP RADIOISOTOPE-POWERED VOLTAIC CELLS (BETA-VOLTAIC CELLS), THE POWER ATTAINED WAS SEVERELY LIMITED BECAUSE OF RADIATION DAMAGE TO THE SILICON SEMICONDUCTOR USED IN THEM. THE RECENTLY DISCOVERED RADIATION DAMAGE RESISTANCE AND ANNEALING PROPERTIES OF INDIUM PHOSPHIDE AND OTHER EMERGING SEMICONDUCTORS REMOVE THIS FUNDAMENTAL LIMITATION AND PERMIT CONSIDERATION OF HIGH ENERGY ALPHA AND BETA EMITTERS. THE PLANNED TECHNOLOGY IS IDEAL FOR APPLICATIONS THAT REQUIRE SMALL, LOW POWER, DISTRIBUTED PRIMARY BATTERIES. PHASE I FOCUSES ON TESTING AND CONDUCTING PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS OF NEW BATTERY DESIGNS, AS A FUNCTION OF THE AVAILABLE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS AND ACCELERATOR OR RADIONUCLIDE COMBINATIONS. THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD BE APPLIED TO ALL CASES THAT REQUIRE LONG LIFE (MORE THAN 10 YEARS) WITHOUT REPLACEMENT OR RECHARGING.