U-238 resonant nuclear reactor

[Esteban]

You can experiment with it, but under your risk!

[Max]

Originally Posted by Esteban

You can experiment with it, but under your risk!

Hi,
another science-fiction ?

1. the stuff is not a "nuclear reactor": a nuclear reactor is something where a nuclear reaction is promoted and happens... under controlled environment.

2. the stuff is a kind of nuclear battery... at least this was the intention of "inventor" who patented that thing too...

3. the fuel is not just U238 but it was made by a mix of three radionuclides (said the "inventor") and has alpha and beta emission

4. the principle is about inserting the rod of nuclear "fuel" in a circuit at primary... then get resonant oscillations at resonant tank ...kind of c-type amplifier that will sustain that oscillations...

Now the reality...

it's well known from about maybe 60years (even more... say 100 years) that is possible obtain current from radioactive materials... that is: nuclear batteries

The early type consisted of mainly a glass evenlope coated inside by metallic layer... with various pressures inside of inert gases or simply vacuum then at middle a metallic rod with a tip made of radium source , alpha emission: the alpha emission, helium nuclei have positive charge... these things scattered by radium tip were collected at metallic layer which make it positive (the helium nuclei will catch "free" electrons from the metal layer... thus becoming non-ionized helium... the metal lose electrons so it's apparentely charged positive)... then... the metallic rod/tip loosing helium nuclei have eccess electrons that then make is "negative".

That is... connect a galvanometer and you'll read some current sustained by continuos radium decay...

Other variations uses e.g. secondary ionization of a particular gas mixture etc effect is the same.

Now... it's well known also that these devices were totally useless cause of so small power produced.

The next step was creation of thermoelectricbatteries... where thermocouple effect is employed for generate a small voltage (and a much smaller current!)... from heat generated by a radio active source... e.g. Pu238 based thermocells used in some spacecrafts... like Voyager2 ...
the decay of plutonium generate much heat then you cool the other layer of conductors of thermocouple (the space is , indeed, COLD) and you got it.
Just you need thousands of thermocouples for generating the current required by a Voyager2... the system is highly inefficient by design...
but does't matter... cause you just need this stuff stay alive for decades FAR FROM SUN....and for such long time! So god bless... the Pu238-thermocells of Voyager2.

The power: each Voyager-like thermocell (made by General Electric under control of US - Department of Energy...) weight around 40Kg. There are 3 , so 120Kg in weight (around) for just 375W of produced total power...

Now coming back to the resonant thing... it clearly is an hoax... a joke I would say cause the same "inventor" declared he reach 7500W per gram of Sr-90: an ridiculos high value... just other unsupported by facts claims...

It's well known the use (and danger) of Sr-90 batteries... Soviets made hundreds of them and spread all over Soviet union... in lighthouses etc to avoid the use of e.g. fuel-driven-generators... what a bad idea!

But the REAL Sr-90 based batteries (that works similar to Pu238 ones) have poor efficiency respect e.g. a petrol generator... just they preferred cause Sr-90 has half-life of 30years... and in some places (like Siberia and Artic) it's not easy carry up and down oil/gasoline etc frequently... it's something designed for outposts I mean...
The efficiency is , of course, 100,000 times and more less than Brown's declared claims... so a big quantity of radioactive materials was employed in each "battery"... big mess I say.

So what ?

Oh... yes... there are spacecraft missions planned to use same Pu238 cells like Voyager... always same efficiency still today, real science... not mumbo jumbo...

Now tell me... if there was a more efficient method of producing energy from radionuclides ...wouldn't the NASA consider that ???

Each gram more in space mission means you need more trust by launcher.... you add more hazard in case of a disaster at launch (think at clouds of Pu238 floating all around Florida and lower U.S. = ENORMOUS RISK FOR POPULATION)... you add more risks to the spacecraft in case of hit by e.g. meteorites... cause meteorite can broke the shields... disperse fuel... cause heat rise onboard and failure of electrical power... etc etc etc
Not to say that such things HAVE A VERY HIGH COST for themselves....

So... at NASA are all blind and stupid and Mr. Brown was the genius... I see!

Kind regards,
Max