Nuclear battery

Claim 2

The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said source member includes a backing disc having a layer of radioactive material provided on a surface thereof and which is a promethium source of beta particles, and said system includes a silicon system of N -type, P-type and P -type layers of different electrochemical potential material and having carrier concentrations of the order of approximately 1019, 1016 and 1019 atoMs/cm3, respectively, said N -type and P-type layers having said junction therebetween, said P -type layer serving primarily as said reflector barrier and said fuel element being positioned operatively close to said junction adjacent to said N -type layer.

Claim 3

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said fuel element includes a bi-directional source which is a unitary radioactive disc member comprising promethia and a matrix to hold and support said promethia, and said semiconductor element is positioned in at least close proximity to one side of said bi-directional source, and further comprising another similar semiconductor element positioned symmetrically to the other side of said bi-directional source.

Claim 4

The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said fuel element is of a planar form, and said semiconductor element is of a correspondingly similar planar form and having multiple sections which are insulated from each other and operatively connected in at least a partially series arrangement to provide an output voltage higher than that available from a commensurate cell having a unitary semiconductor element.

Claim 5

The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said fuel element is of a planar form, and said semiconductor element is of a laminar form having laterally disposed multiple sections with planes oriented perpendicularly to the plane of said fuel element, said sections being operatively coupled in series to provide an output voltage higher than that available from a commensurate cell having a unitary semiconductor element.

Claim 6

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said fuel element is of an elongated and hollow cylindrical form, and said semiconductor element is of a correspondingly elongated and solid cylindrical form positioned concentrically within said fuel element and having axially disposed multiple sections which are insulated from each other and operatively connected in at least a partially series arrangement to provide an output voltage higher than that available from a commensurate cell having a unitary semiconductor element.

Claim 7

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said fuel element includes a unitary radioactive source member comprising a backing disc having a layer of radio-active material provided on a surface thereof and which is a promethium source of beta particles, and said system includes a silicon system of N -type and P-type layers of different electrochemical potential material and having carrier concentrations of the order of approximately 1019 and 1016 atoms/cm3, respectively, said N -type and P-type layers having said junction therebetween and said fuel element being positioned operatively close to said junction adjacent to said N -type layer.

Claim 8

A nuclear battery comprising: a plurality of cells arranged in a series stack, each of said cells including a fuel element comprising a radioactive source of nuclear particles having a known maximum energy, said fuel element including a unitary radioactive source member, and a semiconductor element positioned in at least close proximity to said fuel element and irradiated by the same, said semiconductor element comprising a semiconductor wafer and relatively thin, electrically conductive, distributed ohmic contact members provided on respective faces of said wafer, and said wafer including a system of at least a high carrier concentration first-type layer and a lower carrier concentration second-type layer of semiconductor material having respectively different electrochemical potentials and having an energy threshold level of radiation damage compatible with, and at least of the same order as, the maximum energy of said nuclear particles, said layers having a junction therebetween and said fuel element being positioned operatively close to said junction adjacent to said high carrier concentration first-type layer; a plurality of electrically conductive ring members corresponDing in number to said cells and positioned concentrically about said fuel elements, respectively; electrically conductive end members sandwiching said cells of said stack, said ring members axially contacting said end members and said ohmic contact members of said wafers and providing a series connection from one of said end members through said semiconductor elements of said cells to the other of said end members; spring means for biasing and maintaining said end members and cells of said stack in effective series contact throughout the same; and a pair of electrode terminals adapted to be connected respectively to said end members, whereby a long life battery of maximum output voltage and high power output is obtained.

Claim 9

A nuclear battery comprising: a fuel element including a radioactive source of nuclear particles having a known maximum energy, said fuel element being of a planar form; and a semiconductor element positioned in at least close proximity to said fuel element and irradiated by the same, said semiconductor element being of a correspondingly similar planar form to said fuel element and including multiple sections which are insulated from each other and electrical leads operatively connecting said sections in at least a partially series arrangement to provide a higher output voltage therefrom, each of said sections comprising a semiconductor wafer and relatively thin, electrically conductive, distributed ohmic contact members provided on respective faces of said wafer and connecting with said leads, and said wafer including a system of at least a high carrier concentration first-type layer and a lower carrier concentration second-type layer of semiconductor material having respectively different electrochemical potentials and having an energy threshold level of radiation damage compatible with, and at least of the same order as, the maximum energy of said nuclear particles, said layers having a junction therebetween and said fuel element being positioned operatively close to said junction adjacent to said high carrier concentration first-type layer whereby a long life battery of maximum output voltage and high power output is obtained.

Claim 10

The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said source member includes a backing disc having a layer of radioactive material provided on a surface thereof and which is a promethium source of beta particles, at least said ohmic contact member adjacent to said fuel element provides a relatively large fractional open area for free passage therethrough of said nuclear particles, said system includes a silicon system of at least N -type and P-type layers of different electrochemical potential material and having carrier concentrations of the order of approximately 1019 and 1016 atoms/cm3, respectively, said N -type and P-type layers having said junction therebetween and said fuel element being positioned operatively close to said junction adjacent to said N -type layer, and said spring means includes an electrically conductive spring ring for axially biasing uniformly over a wide base against one of said end members of said stack, and further comprising a shielding container for containing and primarily providing radiation protection containment of said stack, and a fire container for containing said shielding container and primarily providing high temperature protection containment of said stack, one of said electrode terminals being mounted on and insulated from said fire container and said spring ring electrically connecting the one of said end members to said shielding container which is in electrical contact with said fire container serving as the other of said electrode terminals.

Claim 11

The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein said fuel element includes a unitary radioactive source member which is a promethium source of beta particles, at least said ohmic contact member adjacent to said fuel element provides a relatively large fractioNal open area for free passage therethrough of said nuclear particles, and said system includes a silicon system of at least N -type and P-type layers of different electrochemical potential material and having carrier concentrations of the order of approximately 1019 and 1016 atoms/cm3, respectively, said N -type and P-type layers having said junction therebetween and said fuel element being positioned operatively close to said junction adjacent to said N -type layer.