- #1
DIYMatt
I want to build a "Betavoltaic Battery"
A while ago I got a tritium keychain that will glow for 10 years, and since then I've gotten very interested in building a generator based on this. Originally I wanted to build a conventional RTG but apparently it is hard to find radioactive materials that are warm to the touch :/
Anyway I thought this would be the place to come for some input on whether or not this would work. My plan is to use Americium sources from smoke detectors because they are easy to find. Obviously a high-beta source would be better but I don't know where to buy something like Stronium 90. The Americium would be suspended in a vial of water mixed with a readily available phosphor (possibly zinc sulphate?) which would then glow, if the stars lined up. The glowing vile would be surrounded by a small solar panel from eBay, and hopefully produce enough power for a digital watch.
There are three things I'm not sure about: would Americium cause zinc sulphate to glow, would the wavelength of zinc sulphate power a solar cell, and would the gentle glow be enough to produce any measurable power? Also my budget is $50 :)
A while ago I got a tritium keychain that will glow for 10 years, and since then I've gotten very interested in building a generator based on this. Originally I wanted to build a conventional RTG but apparently it is hard to find radioactive materials that are warm to the touch :/
Anyway I thought this would be the place to come for some input on whether or not this would work. My plan is to use Americium sources from smoke detectors because they are easy to find. Obviously a high-beta source would be better but I don't know where to buy something like Stronium 90. The Americium would be suspended in a vial of water mixed with a readily available phosphor (possibly zinc sulphate?) which would then glow, if the stars lined up. The glowing vile would be surrounded by a small solar panel from eBay, and hopefully produce enough power for a digital watch.
There are three things I'm not sure about: would Americium cause zinc sulphate to glow, would the wavelength of zinc sulphate power a solar cell, and would the gentle glow be enough to produce any measurable power? Also my budget is $50 :)