WO2017054031A1

WO2017054031A1 - An electricity generator

Info

Publication number: WO2017054031A1
Application number: PCT/AU2016/000335
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Anthony MUDGEE
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-10-02
Filing date: 2016-09-30
Publication date: 2017-04-06
Anticipated expiration: 2018-04-02

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electricity generator which includes one or more radioactive substances being capable of decaying and a solar cell or photovoltaic material, both of which are contained in a container. The solar cell or photovoltaic material is adapted to be exposed to and activated by the decaying of the or each radioactive substance. The container is adapted to contain the solar cell or photovoltaic material and the or each radioactive substance. The or each radioactive substance is magnetised by one or more magnetic means placed in or in close proximity to the container so as to accelerate or otherwise enhance decaying of the or each radioactive substance resulting in augmentation of electricity generation.

Description

An Electricity Generator

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to an electricity generator. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electricity generator including a radioactive substance whose decay is accelerated by magnetism.

Background of the Invention

It is well recognised that radiation sources can produce electrical and/or thermal power. Radiation sources can be used to power spacecraft and satellites, the lights on ocean bouys, remote weather stations etc. They can also be used to generate electrical power for consumer use, as is done in a nuclear reactor.

It is generally recognised among scientists that it is highly desirable to manipulate the rate of radioactive decay for the purpose of improving the efficiency of power/electricity generation. It has been observed that raw data from measuring radioactive decay from isotopes in nature is all over the place. Scientists have been using the mean average for data collection, which is believed to correspond to the greatest cluster of results.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electricity generator which may meet the above desire by speeding up the rate of radioactive decay or which will at least provide a useful alternative.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided an electricity generator including: one or more radioactive substances being capable of decaying;

a solar cell or photovoltaic material adapted to be exposed to and activated by the decaying of the or each radioactive substance; and

a container adapted to contain the solar cell or photovoltaic material and the or each radioactive substance;

wherein the or each radioactive substance is magnetised by one or more magnetic means placed in or in close proximity to the container so as to accelerate or otherwise enhance decaying of the or each radioactive substance resulting in augmentation of electricity generation. Preferably, decaying involves emission of at least electrons and/or photons from the or each radioactive substance.

In a preferred embodiment, the radioactive substance is in the form of liquid. Preferably, the radioactive substance is liquid Radium.

Alternatively, the radioactive substance includes nuclear means. Preferably, the nuclear means is a nuclear fuel rod.

Preferably, the solar cell or photovoltaic material is porous. As such, a large surface area of the solar cell or photovoltaic material may be activated by the decaying radioactive substance. More preferably, the solar cell or photovoltaic material is a Titanium paste. Alternatively, the solar cell or photovoltaic material is a solid mass. The solid mass may have one or more surfaces.

Preferably, the Titanium paste is soaked or at least immersed in the radioactive liquid. More preferably, as the radioactive liquid decays, it shoots off a plurality of electrons which activates the solar cell or photovoltaic material thereby generating electricity.

In a preferred embodiment, the container is in the form of a metallic tube. Preferably, the container is a made of a ferrous metal. More preferably, the metallic tubeis operably associated with multiple magnetic means. Even more preferably, the or each magnetic means includes or takes the form of a thin piece. Most preferably, the container has a surface lined with the pieces being closely packed together. As such, the magnetic field generated by each piece of magnetic means would overlap with that generated by one or more of the neighbouring pieces thereby creating a greater magnetic strength. .

Preferably, the magnetic means are adapted to speed up decaying of the radioactive liquid thereby shortening its half-life. As a result, both electrical and thermal outputs are increased.

The container may take any shape or form. Preferably, the container is in the shape of a tube or sphere. Alternatively, the container may be cubic or rectangular in shape.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which;

Figure 1 is a side view of an electricity generator in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an electricity generator in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 3 is a schematic view of a surface of the container of the electricity generator in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the surface being associated with multiple magnetic means on the exterior and filled with titanium paste in the interior.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

It should be noted that the present invention functions on the principle or hypothesis that an atom's magnetism is spatial. In other words, the magnetism is substantially equal in all directions and the magnetism of the atom speeds up the neighbouring atoms' decay. As such, scientists would be able to choose the most isolated isotopes.

Referring to Figure 1 , an electricity generator 10 has a radioactive substance in the form of liquid 12 and a solar cell or photovoltaic material in the form of paste 14. In this embodiment, the radioactive substance 12 is radium in liquid form being capable of decaying, which involves emission of at least electrons and/or photons from the liquid radium 12. Radium has a half-life of about eight hundred years. The solar cell or photovoltaic material is a titanium paste 14 being immersed in the liquid radium. As the liquid radium decays, it shoots off electrons which activate titanium paste thereby generating electricity.

Although not visible in Figure 1 , the electricity generator 10 has a container 16 carrying therein the liquid radium and titanium paste 14. The container 16 is magnetised so as to expedite decaying of the liquid radium resulting in augmentation of electricity generation. In this embodiment, the metallic container 16 is operably associated with multiple magnetic means which are in the form of thin pieces 34. Referring to Figure 3, the length of the container 16 provides a surface 36 lined with multiple pieces 34 being closely packed together. Hence the pieces 34 are in close proximity to the container and the radioactive substance being the liquid 12. As such, the magnetic field (eg. 40, refer to Figure 3) generated by each piece of magnetic means would overlap with that (eg. 38, 42, refer to Figure 3) generated by the neighbouring pieces thereby creating a greater magnetic strength. The or each magnetic means has multiple sections resulting in an overlap of magnetic fields. As such, the magnetic strength of the magnetic means is greater. This also leads to a significant expedition of the decay of the liquid radium contained in the contained 16.

It should be noted that although the titanium is in paste form in the present embodiment, the solar cell or photovoltaic material may be a solid mass with one or more flat surfaces. The titanium is preferred to be in paste form because the paste 14 is porous. Consequently, it provides a large surface area which is exposed to and activated by the liquid radium. It should be noted that the surface area provided by the paste may be up to approximately 10,000 times more than that provided by a solid mass. As illustrated in Figure 1 , the titanium paste is immersed and soaked in the liquid Radium. In this embodiment, the container 16 is in the form of a ferrous metal tube which is magnetised. The magnetised or magnetisable container 16 is configured to speed up decaying of the radioactive radium liquid whose half-life is consequentially shortened. As a result, both electrical and thermal outputs of the electricity generator 10 are increased. The container 16, being in the form of a tube, offers the benefit of evening out the distance between the magnetic surfaces, being the body of the tube, as much as possible, thereby creating fewer hot and cold spots. This minimises the fluctuation in the electrical output over time.

Referring to Figure 2, in an alternate embodiment, the container of the present invention is in the shape of a cube 10A. In such an embodiment, the container 16A has internal corners 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 & 32. This configuration would mean that there are three magnetic surfaces in close proximity to the radioactive liquid Radium at each of the corners 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 & 32, resulting in an increase of the speed of the decay in those areas. This leads to an increase in the electrical and thermal output, creating eight hot spots near the respective corners 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 & 32. In contrast, the liquid radium at the centre of the cube 10A is less influenced by magnetism and thus decays slower and producing less electricity and creating a cold spot. It should however be noted that as the liquid radium at each hot spot has a shorter half-life, it will produce less electricity and eventually becomes a cold spot.

It is contemplated that the container of the present invention may also be in the shape of a sphere. It is however relatively difficult to fabricate a spherical container. It is also contemplated that the radioactive substance may be provided in a paste form. However, a radioactive paste would leave air bubbles that act as cold spots which do not produce anything. Although the electricity generator will also generate heat as a by-product and the heat will melt any radioactive paste into a liquid form, the air bubbles in the melted paste will rise upwards creating cold spots that do not produce anything.

Optionally, positive and negative terminals are provided at the opposite ends of the container 16 touching or biting into the paste. Also, in a most preferred embodiment as shown in Figure 3, the container 16 is filled with paste 44. The paste 44 is saturated in the liquid 12. The porous interior of the paste 44 is soaked in the liquid 12 thereby displacing the air present in the pores. In radioactive decay, high energy photons (ie. gamma rays) are also emitted depending on the nature of the chosen radioactive substance. As such, if an appropriate radioactive substance is chosen, the photons emission can also activate a suitable voltaic material thereby enhancing the electricity generation. Moreover, some radioactive substances are capable of emitting protons and neutrons as well. In a similar way, the emission of protons and neutrons may activate a suitable voltaic material. It is contemplated that some radioactive substances would emit neutrinos as well in the course of decaying. Protons, neutrons and neutrinos may respectively activate a suitable voltaic material resulting in enhancement of electricity generation.

It is believed that the present invention is capable of substantially reducing the half-lives. As the total emissions over a half-life should be the same, this invention will result in producing the same electricity at a faster rate..

Now that preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in some detail, it will be apparent to a skilled person in the art that the electricity generator of the present invention may offer at least the following advantages: 1. it is easy and relatively economical to manufacture;

2. it is low maintenance; and

3. It substantially enhances the efficiency of electricity generation using radioactive substances.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. For instance, other radioactive substances and solar cell or photovoltaic materials may be used. The container may be provided in a different shape or configuration. Also, the radioactive substance may be in the form of nuclear means such as a nuclear fuel rod. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

Claims

1. An electricity generator including:

one or more radioactive substances being capable of decaying;

wherein the or each radioactive substance is magnetised by one or more magnetic means placed in or in close proximity to the container so as to accelerate or otherwise enhance decaying of the or each radioactive substance resulting in augmentation of electricity generation.

2. The electricity generator of claim 1 , wherein decaying involves emission of at least electrons and/or photons from the one or more radioactive substance.

3. The electricity generator of either claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more radioactive substance is in the form of liquid.

4. The electricity generator of claim 3, wherein the radioactive substance is liquid Radium.

5. The electricity generator of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solar cell or photovoltaic material is porous.

6. The electricity generator of any one of preceding claims, wherein the solar cell or photovoltaic material is a Titanium paste.

7. The electricity generator of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the solar cell or

photovoltaic material is a solid mass.

8. The electricity generator of claim 7, wherein the solid mass has one or more

surfaces.

9. The electricity generator of claim 6, wherein the Titanium paste is soaked or at least immersed in the radioactive liquid.

10. The electricity generator of any one of the preceding claims, wherein as the radioactive liquid decays, it shoots off a plurality of electrons which activates the solar cell or photovoltaic material thereby generating electricity.

11. The electricity generator of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is in the form of a metallic tube.

12. The electricity generator of claim 1 1 , wherein the container is a made of a ferrous metal.

13. The electricity generator of either claim 11 or 12, wherein the metallic tube is

operably associated with multiple magnetic means.

14. The electricity generator of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each magnetic means includes or takes the form of a thin piece.

15. The electricity generator of claim 14, wherein the container has a surface lined with the pieces being closely packed together.

16. The electricity generator of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the magnetic means are adapted to speed up decaying of the radioactive liquid thereby shortening its half-life.

17. The electricity generator of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the container takes the shape of one of the following: a tube, a sphere, a cube or a rectangular block.

18. The electricity generator of either claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more radioactive substance include nuclear means.

19. The electricity generator of claim 18, wherein the nuclear means is a nuclear fuel rod.