Application of liquid scintillators as energy conversion materials in nuclear batteries

Publication date: Available online 19 March 2019Source: Sensors and Actuators A: PhysicalAuthor(s): Zhengrong Zhang, Xiaobin Tang, Yunpeng Liu, Zhiheng Xu, Huangfeng Ye, Feng Tian, Kai Liu, Zicheng Yuan, Wang ChenAbstractThe application of liquid scintillators as energy conversion materials in nuclear batteries was proposed. By introducing liquid scintillators, the output properties of radioluminescence (RL) nuclear batteries based on different liquid scintillators were investigated via low-energy X-ray. Results indicated that the values of short circuit current Isc and maximum output power Pmax increased as the X-ray intensity increased, and the output power of nuclear battery with Ultima Gold liquid scintillator was greater than those of batteries with Emulsifier-Safe or Bioscint liquid scintillator under excitation condition of 25 kV tube voltage. To analyze the RL effects of the liquid scintillators under X-ray excitation, we measured the RL spectra of the different liquid scintillators. Considering luminescence utilization in batteries, the surface of the quartz cuvette was covered with Al film. Al is a high-performance reflective material that can increase the scintillation light released by Ultima Gold, reaching the GaInP/GaAs/Ge device. After covering a thin Al film, the output power of the battery was significantly improved under X-ray excitation.Graphical abstractKeep improving nuclear battery based on liquid scintillators!GaInP/GaAs/Ge X-ray RL nuclear batteries ba...

Source: Sensors and Actuators A: Physical - March 19, 2019 Category: Physics Source Type: research