What are the applications of nuclear batteries?

The black cylinder at the rear of the picture below is the nuclear battery

During the Soviet period, in the 60s-80s, dozens of nuclear battery satellites were also launched for marine detection and reconnaissance. These satellites are low-orbit satellites, forming the Soviet Union's famous "myth" sea-sky detection system. The main task is to track and locate the US carrier battle group in real time around the world. Need to continuously send coordinates and image information to the ground, the combination of nuclear battery and solar energy can well meet the high-power long-term work.

During the 1982 Anglo-Arama War, the Soviet Union controlled the movement of the British fleet through "mythology", contacted the Argentine government to provide information, and was rejected by Argentina. Well, Argentina does not believe in tears.

China's space isotope nuclear battery was successfully developed by the Chinese Academy of Atomic Energy in 2006. The "Chang'e" probe went to the moon and used a nuclear battery.

The moon alternates day and night every 14 days, with a lunar day temperature of 127 degrees Celsius. The night temperature suddenly dropped to minus 190 degrees Celsius, a temperature difference of 300 degrees, such a cold temperature, all instruments on the "Yutu" lunar rover will be frozen. At such low temperatures, neither lithium batteries nor hydrogen batteries or aluminum batteries can work properly. The lunar rover and Chang'e detector in the dark rely on the energy of the nuclear battery to maintain the temperature and the ground communication. Waiting for the day to come.

The advantages of nuclear batteries are many, but they also have disadvantages. As the first-generation nuclear batteries currently used, only 10% -20% of the thermal energy is utilized due to the performance of the thermal energy conversion material. The rest of the energy is wasted and cannot be converted. Limited by the thermal energy conversion rate, the current is limited, if you want to provide enough power, the large volume will immediately generate high radiation. The toxicity of the plutonium and other elements used is also very strong. This is a double-edged sword, only waiting for the future.

With the improvement of technology and material performance, after further improving the thermal energy conversion rate and replacing the radioisotope, the future application fields will be more extensive, including the polar natural environment on the earth, islands, mountains, deserts, deep seas, etc. Wherever it is, it will show its talents.

However, in the civilian field, the promotion and popularization of nuclear batteries is extremely difficult. The first is price. The plutonium and polonium used in battery materials are difficult to obtain, and some even need to be extracted from spent nuclear fission materials. The price is destined to be very expensive.

The biggest obstacle is not the price. Pan-civilian use will also cause nuclear safety issues. Collecting and storing battery cells will easily make a dirty bomb, and everyone will have the ability to destroy society. Being used by special organizations will be a man-made disaster one after another.

The second is security. Both the US and the Soviet Union have experienced battery rupture and burnout. Although the current nuclear battery has been made extremely safe, once the rupture occurs, the internal radioactive elements will be directly exposed to the air. This will cause great concern to the people.

When the NASA launched the "Cassini" Saturn probe in 1997, there were public protests. Worrying about the failure of the battery to cause environmental pollution.

Although a nuclear decay battery will not explode, it will only slowly release energy without reacting, and there is no need to worry about becoming a miniature atomic bomb, but radiation also makes most ordinary people talk about nuclear color change.

At the moment, we are only in the professional field and see it shine. Especially the space full of fantasy and unknown, this is the ocean of nuclear battery applications.

If you want to know more, our website has product specifications for batteries, you can go to ALLICDATA ELECTRONICS LIMITED to get more information