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Why can't we use radioactive radiation to generate electricity?

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 15:24:41 2020 No.12480277 View Reply Original Report

Quoted By: >>12480284 >>12480295 >>12480322 >>12480337 >>12481755 >>12482199 >>12484205

What's the problem with using gamma rays for example?

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 15:29:05 No.12480284 Report

Quoted By: >>12480291

>>12480277
because haha, water make turbine go VRRRR

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 15:30:44 No.12480291 Report

Quoted By:

>>12480284
You ever heard of solar panels?

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 15:33:50 No.12480295 Report

Quoted By: >>12480315 >>12481899

>>12480277
Gamma rays are produced by nuclear reactions, therefore they are also absorbed by nuclear reactions.
In order to generate electricity like in solar panels, you need radiations that has an energy related to those of electrons, gamma rays have way to much energy

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 15:42:10 No.12480315 Report

Quoted By: >>12481824

>>12480295
>gamma rays have way to much energy
I have an idea why this is a problem. But on a abstract level, having a large amount of energy sounds like a good thing.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 15:44:41 No.12480322 Report

Quoted By:

>>12480277
>Why can't we use radioactive radiation to generate electricity?
We can, just boil some water with it

Anonymous

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Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 15:47:17 No.12480327 Report

Quoted By:

>gamma
impossible to direct or deflect the same way you do with normal light. gamma rays don't deflect off a mirror, or metal, or any surface really and they are dangerous in high amounts. it's still possible but difficult and unpractical
>beta and alpha
attempts at Radiovoltaic conversion have been attempted but from what i remember it's very unstable, expensive and not very useful, also it's actually dangerous. btw you can buy small betavoltic batteries

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 15:51:47 No.12480337 Report

Quoted By: >>12480349

>>12480277
>Why can't we use radioactive radiation to generate electricity?
We already do
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 15:57:33 No.12480349 Report

Quoted By:

>>12480337
They also suck from an efficiency perspective btw, not even exceeding 10% efficiency.
They are reliable and long lasting though.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 22:56:56 No.12481665 Report

Quoted By:

Related question. Can a solar panel using gamma/alpha/beta to produce electricity be made?

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 23:21:36 No.12481755 Report

Quoted By:

>>12480277
gammas have too high energy to be absorbed and they pass through most matter

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Dec 2020 23:47:57 No.12481824 Report

Quoted By:

>>12480315
If you managed to make a photoelectric panel for gamma radiation it would have about a million volts and pretty much no current. But that would be pretty much impossible to do because the technology relies on the photon knocking an electron out from an atom. There is no electron bound to an atom in the mega electron volt energy range. As such you would never have a good efficiency (the gamma ray still knocks out the electron but when it recombines, after passing through a circuit, you will not get into the kilovolt range anyway. So unless you discover a new way of generating a potential through photon absorption you are going to be shit out of luck.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Dec 2020 00:11:23 No.12481899 Report

Quoted By: >>12482191

>>12480295
Who said anything about solar panels?

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Dec 2020 01:45:46 No.12482191 Report

Quoted By:

>>12481899
If you don't use solar panels, than the only other option is just to use a heat engine... like 80% of all power generated at this point in time

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Dec 2020 01:48:40 No.12482199 Report

Quoted By:

>>12480277
>radioactive radiation
you mean ionizing radiation? It is not effecient as an energy source because it require literal tons of concrete/lead to dissipate.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Dec 2020 16:55:46 No.12484205 Report

Quoted By:

>>12480277
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator

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