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kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,854

Am-241 lighting for mars

SpaceNut,

I especially liked the nuclear light bulb concept, whereby a tiny quantity of Am-241 could be used to produce the equivalent of a 600W incandescent bulb, for use on Mars.  Since the nuclear isotope used has a half-life of around 432 years, it can continue producing light that's at least equivalent to a 300W bulb over the next few centuries.  We could save as much as 10% of global electricity output, even over LED light bulbs, by using nuclear light bulbs.  Since there are no moving parts or control electronics or extreme temperatures involved, nuclear light bulbs could last a very, very long time in office buildings, which means energy and therefore money to produce new light bulbs is not required.  Even if electric power is cut completely, radioisotopes provide light output.  10% of global energy usage is a huge figure, and even a 5% reduction would be very significant.  So long as you're several feet away from the bulb, the radiation received is negligible, although minor shielding drastically reduces radiation output.  They were talking about using ALON and Lead, encased in plastic.

Think about the amount of electricity, wiring, fire hazards, total complexity, and maintenance that could be saved in homes, office buildings, and motor vehicles.  All that stuff could be eliminated by accepting that some forms of energy are more concentrated than others, and learning to live with the downsides, such as radiation.

Due to proximity, we'd still use LEDs for flashlights and vehicle interiors, but you're far enough away from road illumination lamps and overhead lighting that both types could be nuclear powered, and simply transferred between different generations of vehicles.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Am-241 lighting for mars

Americium 241, ionization smoke detectors are the most sensitive to invisible particles found in highly dangerous, fast-burning, smokeless fires.

Americium 241 is harmless outside the body because the radiation it emits is too weak to penetrate human skin. Swallowing Americium—even though this is not recommended—is also considered harmless. In known cases where the element was consumed, the substance passed through the gastrointestinal tract and out of the body without leaving any detectable contamination.

All ionization detectors contain a minimal amount of Americium 241 which is encapsulated in gold foil and shielded on all sides by stainless steel. The reason for this housing is to prevent the escape of Americium 241 under unusual conditions, such as tampering or destroying the unit. This housing is NOT needed to protect you from radioactivity under normal household conditions.

Am-241 for Heat Source Material for Radioisotope Power Systems

High power direct energy conversion by nuclear batteries have the potential to achieve specific powers of 1–50 mW/g

• Alpha emitter     Half-life (years)     Energy (MeV)     Aver spec. power (mW/g)
  U-232     68.9     5.414     700
  Pu-238     87.74     5.593     555
  Am-241     432.2     5.486     106
  Cm-244     18.1     5.902     2777

The wattage corresponds to the pole height and road width:

Many cities and towns have change them

A high-pressure sodium street light can draw up to 1000 watts, and an incandescent light used in the 1900s needed 320 watts. Some LED street lights require only 73 watts and, according to the U. S. Department of Energy, produce a higher quality of light.

Fluorescent bulbs were used in street lights from the 1950s to the 1970s, but because of their low reliability and size, they gave way to high-pressure sodium lights rated at 250 watts. A metal halide street light draws 400 watts and gives true, white light. Mercury vapor lights also appeared in the 1950s, with 100-watt bulbs used in street lights, but were banned in 2008.

Lumens to Watts Conversion: Choose the Right LED Replacement Bulb

Lumens for Light Source Watts
Lumens      Incandescent Watts      LED Watts
375      25      4
450      40      6
800      60      12
1100       75      15
1600       100      20
2600      150      30
3000      200      38

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Am-241 lighting for mars

I got thinking about this as it should be a low cost to manufacture.

on way is electro luminescent material usually phosphors such as in those flat light panels night lights to be feed the ions from the what resembles an RTG.
Alpha Radiation-Induced Luminescence by Am-241 in Aqueous Nitric Acid Solution

4HV org forum topic  Americium 241 fluorescence

AEIERICIUM-241 THE  MULTI-PURPOSE RADIOISOTOPE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroluminescence