Isotope Beta-Battery Approaches for Long-Lived Sensors

The energy density of isotopes exceeds that of chemical energy storage by six orders of magnitude. Isotopes are used in many commercial applications, and are produced and available at modest prices. The power requirements of many sensors and communications equipment can greatly reduce the power requirements of many devices such as sensors, light sources, and transmitters. Chemical batteries are the mainstay of power for these devices. However, chemical batteries have limited lifetimes. This makes remote use and replacement difficult for applications extending the lifetime use.