Couldn’t we have a lead box lined with these radiation to electricity converters with a small amount of radioactive material in the center, and have an energy generating device that would last for thousands or even millions of years? Imagine putting the sun in a box lined with solar cells, but on a much smaller scale.

Is there a reason this wouldn’t work?

  • bouh@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Looking into it, it should be theoretically possible to get a material that decay into beta particles trapped in sphere that would gather these particles and thus electrically charge the sphere.

    I don’t see how you turn it on or off though, which might be a problem.

    • qyron@sopuli.xyz
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      1 year ago

      I think there a similar concept for providing energy to space missions built around a plutonium isotope.

      And why turn it off? Even if the maximum output was only seldomly required, convert the excess energy into a reserve (like green hydrogen) would make sense.