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T Liquid Semiconductor Schottky Contact Nuclear Material Substrate US 2011 O274233A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2011/0274233 A1 Tsang et al. (43) Pub. Date: Nov. 10, 2011 (54) NUCLEARVOLTAIC CELL (52) U.S. Cl. ........................................................ 376/32O (76) Inventors: Francis Yu-Hei Tsang, Idaho Falls, ID (US); Tristan Dieter Juergens, Telluride, CO (US); Yale Deon (57) ABSTRACT Harker, Idaho Falls, ID (US); The invention describes a product and a method for generat Kwan Sze Kwok, Brooklyn, NY ing electrical power directly from nuclear power. More par (US); Nathan Newman, Scottsdale, ticularly, the invention describes the use of a liquid semicon AZ (US); Scott Arden Ploger, ductor as a means for efficiently converting nuclear energy, Idaho Falls, ID (US) either nuclear fission and/or radiation energy, directly into electrical energy. Direct conversion of nuclear energy to elec (21) Appl. No.: 10/720,035 trical energy is achieved by placing nuclear material in close proximity to a liquid semiconductor. Nuclear energy emitted (22) Filed: Nov. 21, 2003 from the nuclear material, in the form of fission fragments or radiation, enters the liquid semiconductor and creates elec Publication Classification tron-hole pairs. By using an appropriate electrical circuit an (51) Int. Cl. electrical load is applied and electrical energy generated as a G2ID 7700 (2006.01) result of the creation of the electron-hole pairs. NUCLEAR VOLTAC VyCEL LIQUID SEMICONDUCTOR SCHOTTKY CONTACT NUCLEAR MATERIAL SUBSTRATE NUCLEARMATERIAL 25 t LIQUIDSCHOTTKY SEMICONDUCTOR CONTACT 10 OHMC CONTACT LIQUID SEMICONDUCTOR SCHOTTKY CONTACT NUCLEAR MATERIAL SUBSTRATE i. NUCLEAR MATERIAL SCHOTTKY CONTACT LIQUID SEMICONDUCTOR OHMIC CONTACT LIQUID SEMICONDUCTOR 35 Patent Application Publication Nov. 10, 2011 Sheet 1 of 11 US 2011/0274233 A1 NUCLEAR VOLTag CELL LIQUID SEMCONDUCTOR SCHOTTKY CONTACT NUCLEARMATERIAL SUBSTRATE NUCLEAR MATERIAL 25 SCHOTTKY CONTACT t LIQUID SEMICONDUCTOR 10 OHMIC CONTACT LIQUID SEMICONDUCTOR SCHOTTKY CONTACT NUCLEAR MATERIAL SUBSTRATE NUCLEARMATERIAL SCHOTTKY CONTACT LIQUID SEMICONDUCTOR OHMIC CONTACT LIQUID SEMICONDUCTOR 35 FG.1 Patent Application Publication Nov. 10, 2011 Sheet 2 of 11 US 2011/0274233 A1 90 A THERMALIZED 80. OHMIC b |NELECTRON-A 20 CONTACT SSY N N-SEMCONDUCTOR 30 EXCITATION ENERGY DEPLETION DIFFUSION REGION N LENGTH N-110 70 COLLECTION VOLUME N 115 FIG.2 Patent Application Publication Nov. 10, 2011 Sheet 3 of 11 US 2011/0274233 A1 NUCLEAR OHMIC MARAL CONTACT HIGHENERGY ELECTRON Ge FRAGMENTFISSION FISSION KNOCK-ON FRAGMENT HOSTATOM SCHOTTKY COSACT SEMCONDUCTORLIQUID 20 FIG.3 Patent Application Publication Nov. 10, 2011 Sheet 4 of 11 US 2011/0274233 A1 NUCLEAR VOLTAC CELL LOUID SEMICONDUCTOR WITH NUCLEARMATERIAL IN SOLUTION LIQUID SEMICONDUCTOR WITH NUCLEAR MATERIAL 45 O IN SOLUTION LIQUID SEMICONDUCTOR WITH NUCLEAR MATERAL IN SOLUTION LIQUID SEMCONDUCTOR WITH NUCLEAR MATERIAL 45 IN SOLUTION O FIG.4 Patent Application Publication Nov. 10, 2011 Sheet 5 of 11 US 2011/0274233 A1 10-y\OEMccontacN O NUCLEAR O MATERIAL O 50 20-1 LIQUID SEMCONDUCTOR FISSION 35 & FRAGMENT a? as C 140 140 FISSIONEVENT 30 XNSCRoTRYeoNTACNN 120 FIG.5 Patent Application Publication Nov. 10, 2011 Sheet 6 of 11 US 2011/0274233 A1 RADIATION EMISSION 190 Yo NUCLEAR MASRIAL 20-1 LIQUID SEMECONDUCTOR O O -XNscRory contacin FIG.6 Patent Application Publication Nov. 10, 2011 Sheet 7 of 11 US 2011/0274233 A1 NUCLEAR LAYER 50 NUCLEAR VOLTAg CELL MAND REL N 200 NUCLEAR LAYER 50 SCHOTTKY CONTACT LAYER 30 FIG.7 Patent Application Publication Nov. 10, 2011 Sheet 9 of 11 US 2011/0274233 A1 OUTER HOUSING 250 FIG.9 Patent Application Publication Nov. 10, 2011 Sheet 10 of 11 US 2011/0274233 A1 RECIPROCATING 320 PNEUMPSO-1 HOT LEGS INERT GAS . 290 INERT GAS (HIGHPRESSURE) NUCLEARVOLTAIC (ERIGs: A (LOWPRESSURE) REACTOR CORE OSCILLATING SECOND 230 AEE727-z-z FAEESR ESSEE 46,44%r? r1 (WESSER (WITH REFUELING OF PROYOTS) FISSILE MATERIALS, IF DESIRED)310 COLD LIQUID OSCILLATINGVALVE LEGS SEMICONDUCTOR 340 280 20 FIG.10 Patent Application Publication Nov. 10, 2011 Sheet 11 of 11 US 2011/0274233 A1 350 360 NUCLEAR VOLTAIC REACTE CORE HEATEXTRACTOR ES5 ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS CONVERTER)380 390 LIQUID COOLANT PUMP PUMP SEMICONDUCTOR 18O 370 370 20 FIG.11 US 2011/0274233 A1 Nov. 10, 2011 NUCLEAR VOLTAC CELL to drive a steam turbine, which spins a generator to produce electrical power. In some reactors, the Superheated water GOVERNMENT RIGHTS from the reactor goes through a secondary, intermediate heat exchanger to convert water to steam in the secondary loop, 0001. This invention was made with U.S. Government which drives the turbine. Apart from the fact that the energy Support under a cost plus fixed fee contract, contract number Source is uranium-235, the nuclear powerplant uses the same DAAD17-03-C-0121 awarded by the U.S. Defense power conversion methods found in power plants that burn Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA). The U.S. Government fossil fuels. has certain rights in the invention. 0009 Nuclear power plants, in general, have energy con FIELD OF THE INVENTION version rates of between 30 and 40 percent. This efficiency rate is very good considering that several steps are used in 0002 The invention relates primarily to a method of and a Such power plants to convert the nuclear energy to electrical device for generating electrical power directly from nuclear energy. Consequently, nuclear powerplants area good source power, and more particularly to using liquid semiconductors for large-scale generation of electricity. However, apparatus as a means for efficiently converting nuclear energy, either that use heat transfer techniques for generating electricity nuclear fission and/or radiation energy, directly into electrical from nuclear energy are, in general, large and inefficient for energy. Small-scale power conversion. 0010 Research has been performed into ways of reducing BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION the size of the equipment necessary for an effective heat 0003. Ever since the potential for generating electrical transfer system for generating electrical power from nuclear power from nuclear reactions was recognized, Scientists have materials. Some Success has been achieved, and since the strived to devise the best methods of harnessing nuclear 1950s Small nuclear power plants have powered a great num power and putting it to practical use. The main objectives of ber of military submarines and surface ships. However, such research have been to create the most efficient methods because of the associated risks, heat transfer systems have not of power conversion, power converters that can generate elec been used for other Small-scale energy sources and are no trical power from nuclear power sources for Sustained periods longer used on United States space vehicles. The use of of time without maintenance, and Smaller, more manageable nuclear energy to power nuclear Submarines highlights the power converters that can be used as everyday power sources. advantages that nuclear materials have as a power Source; for The sources of nuclear energy that scientists have sought to example, a nuclear submarine can travel 400,000 miles before harness include nuclear fission (the splitting of atoms), radia needing to be refueled. tion (the emission by radiation of alpha, beta or gamma rays) 0011 Because of the potential of nuclear materials as a and nuclear fusion (the fusing of atoms). The present inven Source for providing energy over along period of time, a great tion is designed to generate electrical power from energy deal of research has been performed to develop a small, produced from nuclear fission and/or radiation. For the pur self-contained power source utilizing nuclear materials that poses of this document, the following terms shall have, in does not have the associated risks inherent in a heat transfer addition to their generally accepted meaning, the meanings system. This research has led to the development of several listed below: methods of converting nuclear energy into electrical energy. 0004 (a) the term “nuclear material' or “nuclear materi 0012. Theoretically, the best methods for converting als' refers to fissile materials and radioactive isotopes that are nuclear energy into electrical energy should be direct meth non-fissile, but produce radiation—either alpha, beta or ods where the nuclear energy is directly changed into electri gamma type radiation; cal energy. The nuclear power plant discussed above involves 0005 (b) the term “fissile material' includes uranium, plu an indirect, two-step process in which the nuclear energy is tonium, thorium, neptunium and mixtures of plutonium and transferred into thermal energy that causes water to turn to uranium; steam that is used to drive turbines and create electrical 0006 (c) Uranium refers to the following classifica energy. Direct conversion methods are potentially the most tions—depleted uranium (U-235 concentration less than efficient conversion methods because they would avoid the 0.7%), natural uranium (U-235 concentration equal to inherent energy loss during each conversion process. The approximately 0.7%), low enriched uranium (U-235 or following are examples of direct conversion techniques that U-233 concentration less than 20%), high enriched uranium have been proposed up until the present date. (U-235 or U-233 greater than 20%); 0013 Conversion of nuclear energy to electrical energy 0007 (d) Plutonium refers to reactor grade plutonium using Solid semiconductors. In this process, radiation energy where the Pu-240 concentration is nominally 10% to 15%. from the radioactive isotope is directly converted to electrical 0008. The best-known method of generating electrical energy by irradiating a semiconductor material with radioac power using nuclear energy is via heat exchange processes, tive decay products to produce a number of electron-hole the method used in nuclear power plants to generate electric pairs in the material. To accomplish this, nuclear material, ity for use in the United States national grid. In the nuclear Such as a radioactive isotope, is placed in close proximity to a power plant, rods of uranium-235 are positioned in a reactor Solid semiconductor.
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