nuclear battery
Decay-powered energy source
A nuclear battery converts energy from radioactive decay into electricity.
Unlike nuclear reactors, which use fission chain reactions, nuclear batteries rely on the steady emission of particles from decaying isotopes.
They produce modest power but last for decades without refueling, making them ideal for spacecraft, pacemakers, and remote sensors.
Also called radioisotope generators or atomic batteries.
Heat-to-electricity converting
- strontium-90Radioactive isotope from fission
- decayGradual organic breakdown
- half-lifePeriod for fifty-percent reduction
- alpha particlesEmitted helium nuclei
heat source · transuranic · radionuclide · Voyager · Curiosity · Pioneer · New Horizons · Cassini
Needing no regular servicing
- reliabilityConsistent, predictable performance
- enduranceSustained effort capacity
- durabilityResistance to wear
- uninterruptedContinuing without a stop
self-sustaining · steady-state · continuous · perpetual · resilience · survivability · autonomous · lifetime
Tightly packed together
- portableAble to be carried
- lightweightLacking mass or importance
- small-scaleLimited in size or scope
- implantableCapable of bodily insertion
handheld · self-contained · encapsulated · solid-state · modular · embedded · milliwatt · microwatt
Implanted cardiac rhythm devices
- satellitesBodies circling larger ones
- deep-seaOf ocean depths
- ArcticEarth's northernmost zone
- AntarcticSouthern polar region
space probes · military · submarines · lighthouses · weather stations · interplanetary · unmanned · extreme environments
thermoelectric
Heat-to-electricity converting
- strontium-90Radioactive isotope from fission
- decayGradual organic breakdown
- half-lifePeriod for fifty-percent reduction
alpha particles · heat source · transuranic · radionuclide · Voyager · Curiosity · Pioneer · New Horizons · Cassini · pacemaker
maintenance-free
Needing no regular servicing
- reliabilityConsistent, predictable performance
- enduranceSustained effort capacity
- durabilityResistance to wear
uninterrupted · self-sustaining · steady-state · continuous · perpetual · resilience · survivability · autonomous · lifetime · stability
compact
Tightly packed together
- portableAble to be carried
- lightweightLacking mass or importance
- small-scaleLimited in size or scope
implantable · handheld · self-contained · encapsulated · solid-state · modular · embedded · milliwatt · microwatt · sensors
pacemakers
Implanted cardiac rhythm devices
- satellitesBodies circling larger ones
- deep-seaOf ocean depths
- ArcticEarth's northernmost zone
Antarctic · space probes · military · submarines · lighthouses · weather stations · interplanetary · unmanned · extreme environments · inaccessible
- reactorsfission reactor, reactor, fusion reactor, breeder reactor, bioreactor
- Space RoversCuriosity, Perseverance, Mars rover, lunar rover, Rashid
nuclear batteryalkaline battery
Disposable electrochemical power source
solar cell · solar panel · lithium-ion battery · lead-acid battery · fuel cell
nuclear batterydisposable battery
Single-use electrochemical power source
capacitor · AA battery · button cell · watch battery · rechargeable battery
nuclear, battery, nucleus, nuclei, nucleic, nucleotide, nucleotides, nucleoside, thermonuclear