Abstract

In order to find an energy source with higher longevity than conventional sources, many scientists and researchers have proposed use of radioactive elements with sufficient half-lives. The most common approach for extracting energy is to utilize the decay heat of a radioactive element to produce electricity. This concept has paved the way to the development of nuclear battery, which is believed to be a prominent source of energy in future. This work focuses on the adequacy of the current designs in generating useful amount of energy that may be sufficient to be used to drive artificial organs. This paper also analyzes the potential human health hazards due implanting these radioactive elements inside the body and how they can be minimized. The study indicates that the available technologies to harvest nuclear energy from the source may not generate sufficient output to operate an artificial organ with high power requirements but may be suitable for devices with low power requirements.

Keywords

nuclear battery, ionizing radiation, decay heat, tissue weighting factor, dose limit, artificial organs, artificial organs, emitted rays, Alpha rays, thin layer, radioactive elements, beta radionuclide batteries, less hazardous, seebeck effect