Contact potential generator system

Claim 2

An electric power generator comprising: electric battery means for generating a low-voltage DC signal; oscillator means responsive to said low-voltage DC signal for generating an AC signal; and a current-voltage generator including a plate-like member of piezoelectric ferro-electric material electrically polarized in a predetermined direction substantially parallel to a flat surface thereof, a first pair of relatively large area electrodes on opposite sides of said plate-like member and connected to said oscillator means for receiving said AC signal and generating an electric field transverse to said direction of electric polarization of said plate-like member to produce oscillating shear forces and deformations therein, and a second pair of relatively small area electrodes on opposite sides of said plate-like member adjacent to said first pair of electrodes for applying to an output circuit connected thereto an amplified alternating voltage generated between said second pair of electrodes in response to said oscillating shear forces in said plate-like member.

Claim 3

The electric power generator of claim 1 wherein said oscillator means includes first and second oscillators for generating relatively high and relatively low-frequency AC signals which are combined and applied to said first pair of electrodes and wherein said electric power generator further includes frequency selector means connected to said second pair of electrodes for filtering said low-frequency signal from an output signal developed thereat and passing same to said output circuit.

Claim 4

The electric power generator of claim 2 wherein said current-voltage generator comprises a stack of a plurality of said first and second pairs of electrodes each on opposite sides of a different plate-like member of piezoelectric ferro-electric material polarized in predetermined direction substantially parallel to a flat surface thereof and each of said second pairs of electrodes being connected in common to said frequency selector means.

Claim 5

The electric power generator of claim 1 wherein said battery means comprises a contact potential cell including: an upper and a lower unit, said upper unit comprising upper plate-like cathode and anode electrodes engaging upper and lower surfaces of an upper semiconductor disc, and a quantity of radioactive material between a portion of said upper cathode and said upper semiconductor disc for emitting beta particles for passing through said upper semiconductor disc to said upper anode, and said lower unit comprising, lower plate-like cathode and anode electrodes engaging upper and lower surfaces of a lower semiconductor disc, and a quantity of radioactive material between a portion of said loweR cathode and said lower semiconductor disc for emitting beta particles for passing through said lower semiconductor disc to said lower anode; means for electrically connecting said upper cathode and said lower anode to said oscillator means; and said upper and lower cathodes having higher work functions than said upper and lower anodes and said upper and lower semiconductor discs having higher work function upper surfaces than engaging lower surfaces of said upper and lower cathodes and lower work function lower surfaces than engaging upper surfaces of said upper and lower anodes whereby electrons are exchanged at said engaging surfaces with said semiconductor discs and flow omnidirectionally from said upper cathode to said lower anode to produce said low-voltage DC signal at said oscillator means.

Claim 6

The electric power generator of claim 4 wherein said upper semiconductor disc is thinner than said lower semiconductor disc to pass larger quantities of beta particles to said upper anode than are passed to said lower anode.

Claim 7

The electric power generator of claim 4 wherein said current-voltage generator is located immediately adjacent said battery means with an input circuit of said current-voltage generator including input resistor means adjacent said battery means to emit infrared radiation to said battery means.