Photovoltaics

[AgentJean]

It is my understanding that Photovoltaics(solar panels) work when photons from solar radiation hit the panel and then via some science processes you have electric power.

Would it be possible to have a simalr type of panel but instead of using solar radation it uses another radiation soruce, such as.....dare I say....uranium(there are other radiation soruces but that's a good enough example)?

 

[BrownTown]

yes, the device simply has to be configured to absord radiation at that energy level. However, there are more efficient ways of trapping energy then the method used by solar cells. So like for example with Uranium the radiation is absorbed by the water which heats it to make steam. So, depending on the surce, and nature of the radiation you are wanting to use there might be more efficient means.

 

[patentman]

 

[AgentJean]

So I guess it wouldn't be efficient to modify a solar panel to create electricity off the radiation of spent fuel rods.

Can't use nuclear waste to heat water.

 

[BrownTown]

Well, actually nuclear waste does produce heat which is why they store it in water for the first few years until the radioactivity has gone down after the short lived readiactive isotopes have decayed away. However, the amount of energy produced is obviously not enough to be efficiently extracted. The radiation from dry cast spent fuel rods is not very high, so it would not produce very much energy at all. If you want to use nuclear waste for power try looking into breeder reactors, that way you can get the energy out over a few years, not a few million.