A NUCLEAR-PHOTON ENERGY CONVERSION STUDY. Quarterly Technical Report No. 3, October 1, 1962 to December 31, 1962

Technical Report · Tue Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4630368

Watts, H V; Nudelman, S

The temperature dependence and phosphor thickness dependence of the luminescence output was studied for several phosphors that appear promising for use in a nuclearphoton energy conversion system. In this system, beta particles from a radioisotope source are absorbed by the phosphor which emits a multiplicity of low energy photons. These photons are then converted to electrical energy by a photovoltaic device. Thc most promising phosphor to data, a ZnCdS: Cu. had about a 15% decrease in luminescence intensity as the temperature was increased to be relatively transparent to its own light within optimium thickness for Sr/sup 90/ beta excitation of 160 mg/sq cm. Sr/sup 90/ beta particle radiation damage studies on this phosphor indicate an onset of damage at a total radiation dose of 10/sup 8/ ergs/sq cm. These data indicite that Sr/sup 90/ cannot be used and that the maximum operating temperature is about 120 deg C. Calculations indicite that with a maximum temperature of 120 deg C allowed in the divice, a maximum power input density of 200 mw/cm/sup 2/ is permitted. (auth)

• Research Organization: Illinois Inst. of Tech., Chicago. Armour Research Foundation
• NSA Number: NSA-17-037642
• OSTI ID: 4630368
• Report Number(s): ARF-1214-TR-3; AD-295003
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ABSORPTION
BETA PARTICLES
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CONVERSION
COPPER
DENSITY
ENERGY
LUMINESCENCE
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUMERICALS
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
PHOTONS
PHYSICS
POWER
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOISOTOPES
STRONTIUM 90
TEMPERATURE
ZINC SULFIDES