Beta-Voltaic Battery

Abstract

Power sources based on semiconductor converters using the beta-voltaic effect. The Beta-voltaic battery comprises housing and cover, semiconductor converters, insulating and radioisotope elements and conductive contacts configured to make one or several packs connected in parallel and (or) in series. The pack is assembled from converters, whose opposite-polar surfaces face each other, with conductive radioisotope elements placed between them. The packs are separated by insulating elements, along the perimeter of which grooves are evenly spaced. The opposite grooves have conductive contacts designed in such a way as to electrical connect to both the conductive contacts of the extreme semiconductor converters of each pack and the controller. Highly enriched Nickel-63 is used as a radioisotope element, which is deposited on n-layers of semiconductor converters.

Claims

1. Beta-voltaic battery comprising housing and cover, semiconductor converters based on p-n or p-i-n structures made of silicon, A3B5 compounds, solid solutions of aluminum, gallium, nitrogen or phosphorus (or all of them), made with profiled doping, insulating and radioisotope elements and conductive contacts that can be configured to make one or several packs connected in parallel and (or) in series to achieve the required output power, characterized in that semiconductor converters are made with an increased area of space charge over the entire width of the semiconductor converter, the pack is assembled from semiconductor converters, with opposite-polar surfaces of which facing each other, current-carrying radioisotope elements are placed between opposite-polar surfaces, the packs are separated by insulating elements, along the perimeter of which grooves are evenly spaced, the number of which is equal to or more than twice the number of packs in the battery; the opposite grooves are provided with conductive contacts, one of which is brought to the lower surface of the insulating element in the region of the groove, and the second one is brought to the upper surface, while the conductive contacts of the insulating elements being designed in such a way that these can be electrically connected to both the conductive contacts of the extreme semiconductor converters of each pack and the controller.

2. Battery according to claim 1, characterized in that a highly enriched Nickel-63 is used as a radioisotope element, which is deposited on n-layers of semiconductor converters.

3. Battery according to claim 1 characterized in that the conductive contacts of the outermost semiconductor converters of the packs are made by depositing on n- or p-layers of a conductive metal, for example, copper.

4. Battery according to claim 1, characterized in that the conductive contacts of the outermost semiconductor converters of the packs are made by depositing on n- or p-layers of Nickel-63 and have suitable thickness.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The claimed inventions are illustrated by drawings, representing the following:

[0033] FIG. 1—battery assembled with controller;

[0034] FIG. 2—extension element of FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3—section B-B in FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 4—section A-A in FIG. 1;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The proposed battery 1 comprises (see FIGS. 1 and 2) converters 2 stacked to make one or several packs 3, and insulating elements 4 between them. FIG. 1 shows the battery comprising three packs. Converters 2 in packs 3, whose opposite-polar surfaces face each other, with conductive radioisotope elements 5 being placed between the opposite-polar surfaces. A highly enriched Nickel-63 radioisotope deposited on n-layers of converters 2 is used as a radioisotope element 5. The upper 6 and lower 7 converters of each pack 3 are provided with contacts 8, which are created by applying, respectively, on n- or p-layers of conductive material, such as copper, while contacts 8 on the upper converters 6 are applied to n-layers, and on the lower converters 7 these are applied on p-layers. The insulating elements 4 are provided with grooves 9, which are evenly spaced around the entire perimeter of the insulating element 4, and the total number of grooves 9 is equal to twice the number of packs 3 in battery 1 or exceeds this number depending on the embodiment of battery 1. In the opposite grooves 9 of the insulating elements 5 (see FIG. 3) contacts 10 and 11 are provided, and the remaining grooves 9 are unoccupied. Each contact 10 comprises a conductive section 12, which is deposited on the bottom surface 13 of the insulating element 5, where the groove 9 is located, and the conductive section 14, which is located directly in the groove 9 and is connected to it. Each contact 11 comprises a conductive section 12, which is deposited on the upper surface 15 of the insulating element 5, where the opposite groove 9 is located, and the conductive section 14, which is located directly in the groove 9 and is connected to it.

[0038] If the conductive contacts of the extreme converters 6 and 7 of the packs 3 are applied on their n- or p-layers of the radioisotope element 5, in particular on Nickel-63, and have the optimum thickness, their electrical connection with contacts 11 and 10 in grooves 9 of the insulating elements 4, 16 and 17 is implemented through the direct electrical contact of the radioisotope element 4 with the conductive sections 12.

[0039] On the upper insulating element 16, only contact 10 is provided, which is connected to the upper converter 6 of the pack 3 located under it, and on the lower insulating element 17, only contact 11 is provided, which is connected to the lower semiconductor converter 7 of the pack 3 above it. When assembling the battery 1, each insulating element 5 and the upper insulating element 16, which are located above the lower insulating element 17, rotate relative to each other by a pitch between the grooves 9, and, as a result, the unoccupied grooves 9 without contacts 10 and 11 in them are placed above all the grooves, in which contacts 10 and 11 are provided. Each pack 3 is installed in the insulating bush 18 with its outer surface.

[0040] Battery 1 is placed in housing 19, in which the lower negative electrode 20 and the upper positive electrode 21 are secured, for installation of which in housing 19, insulating gaskets 22 and 23 are used. The space between housing 19 and packs 3 is filled with dielectric mastic or compound 24. The lower electrode 20, contact 11 of the lower insulating element 17, contacts 10 and 11 of the insulating elements 5, contact 10 of the upper insulating element 16 and the upper electrode 21 are connected (see FIG. 4) with conductors 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, with controller 31, which is installed in housing 19 above the upper insulating element 16.

[0041] The proposed battery 1 and its housing 19, insulating elements 5, 16 and 17 and semiconductor converters 2, 6 and 7 can have a square or rectangular cross section, and electrodes 20 and 21 can be placed in the upper part of battery 1.

[0042] Electric energy is produced in battery 1 as follows.

[0043] Leaving the surface of the radioisotope element 5, beta particles fall on converters 2 that are adjacent to the specified element. Due to its high energy, beta particles fly through p- or n-doped layers of adjacent converters 2. Getting into the space charge region (SCR), beta particles collide with atoms of this region. As the electric bond between the atom and electrons is much weaker in the SCR than in the p- and n-layers of converters 2, the electron is detached from the atom and an electron-hole pair is formed. The free electron begins to rush into the region of increased negative charge i.e. into the n-layer of converter 2. Accordingly, the remaining electrons in the SCR tend to fill the resulting absence of an electron and also tend to the negative charge region, thereby, virtually, an atom, in which there is no electron, moves to the positively charged region i.e. to the p-layer of converter 2. Thus, the electric potential difference arises between the p-layer and the n-layer of converter 2 i.e. voltage. The beta particle continues its movement in the SCR region and generates electron-hole pairs until all of its energy has been exhausted.

[0044] Since converters 2 are assembled to make packs 3, and the opposite-polar surfaces in them face each other, and the conductive radioisotope elements 5 are placed between the opposite-polar surfaces, the converters 2 in packs 3 are, as a result, electrically connected in series. From upper (6) and lower (7) converters of each pack 3, contacts 8 of which are connected, through conductive sections 12, with contacts 11 and 10 of insulating elements 4, 16 and 17 placed in grooves 9, negative charge from the n-layer of the lower converter 7 enters contact 10, and positive charge from the p-layer of upper converter 6 enters contact 11. From contacts 10 and 11, negative and positive charges are supplied to controller 31 through conductors 26, 27, 28 and 29, and voltage is supplied from the controller via conductors 25 and 30 to lower (20) and upper (21) electrodes.