I know they are looking at using lithium ion batteries to increase efficiency in hybrid cars but the energy you use to plug it into your house comes from the same basic non renewable sources like coal and oil. Sure there are some wind and solar sources as well as water and yes nuclear power plants, but the vast majority of electricity still comes from burning fossil fuels. So are we really helping the enviroment by plugging in? There is a byproduct of nuclear power plants that is the used or spent fuel rods. This is contaminated radioactive material that is not strong enough to generate the electricity needed for continued use in the power plant. It is however still highly contaminated. Nuclear batteries are to put it plainly, silicon chips that capture the particles given off by a radiocative gas such as tritium. Can't the rods and "yellow cake" be used in basically the same way.
2006-11-01 03:48:23 · 5 answers · asked by gorillawizard 1 in Environment
No, the SNAP generators (sometimes incorrectly called nuclear batteries) used on space craft require pure plutonium to work. And they don't make that much power either. They are only used on space craft that are going to Saturn or Pluto because sunlight is too weak out there for solar panels to be practical, and because cost is no problem.
2006-11-01 03:56:52 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What makes you think that we don't?
Do you know what we use to power pacemakers?
In most cases using the costs for using a nuclear battery out weigh the benefits. But when we need power sources that will produce constant amounts of energy for long periods of times, radioactive sources are a good solution.
Besides the health risks, you also have to realize that radation is very harsh on materials. For example if you want to use a strong radioactive source near electrons you need a lot of shielding to prevent them from being damaged. Also a car accident becomes a bigger problem when you suddenly expose a Sr-90 RTG source or two.
2006-11-03 18:45:11 · answer #2 · answered by sparrowhawk 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a terrorists dream come true. Just pop down to the auto dealership steal some nuclear batteries and stick them in an ammonium nitrate bomb to make a dirty bomb capable of causing expensive to clean up contamination and high levels cancer incidence wherever it's set off.
2006-11-01 03:59:03 · answer #3 · answered by corvis_9 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, I agree with alea. Them thar suckers would be radioactive!
2006-11-01 03:58:00 · answer #4 · answered by retiredslashescaped1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no because if there is an accident there would be a little nuclear explotion. we don't want that now do we?
2006-11-01 03:50:19 · answer #5 · answered by anonymous 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋