Nuclear reactor - at home from scratch
Some time ago I published an article about homemade microprocessors, but today we will touch on a more complex and sensitive topic (especially in light of the events at Fokushima) - the creation of a nuclear reactor capable of generating energy at home. And before you start to worry, remembering negative experiences in the past (see Radioactive Boy Scout - who picked up a decent amount of Amercia-241 from smoke detectors) I will say in advance that everything described in this article is relatively safe (at least no more dangerous than working with hydrofluoric acid at home), but it is highly not recommended to repeat it. Please consult your attorney before taking any action - laws vary from country to country. Many people are already sitting.
What options do we have to create a home nuclear reactor?
Thermonuclear reaction
Heavy hydrogen (deuterium) is relatively easy to obtain at home - all you need is multi-stage electrolysis of ordinary water. But even scientists still have problems with the reactor, and have been for decades (and this does not take into account that deuterium is far from the easiest thermonuclear fuel to use)
Nuclear fission reaction
In the simplest case, you just need natural uranium without enrichment and a little water (hehe, “Just add water”: water is both a moderator and a neutron reflector).
The problem is that you need hundreds of tons of this stuff, and a doctor will definitely come for you, even if you try to find/buy/take away 0.1 grams. Here, in despondency, we can only turn our eyes to the sky and see what the interplanetary ships are flying on - there is just a piece of radioactive material that, due to natural decay, heats up and receives energy from Peltier elements. (By the way, natural decay is actually the main physical cause of all the troubles at Fokushima - after stopping a nuclear reactor in the first minutes, 7% of the rated power is released due to decay, in the first weeks - ~1%, then drops to 0.1%. That is, from 700 MW In the first weeks of the reactor, 7 MW of heat must be removed, and this process cannot be stopped) Let's try to think in this direction: There are 3 main types of radioactive decay:
Gamma decay
Gamma radiation sources are widely used in medicine and industry, mainly based on Cobalt-60/Cesium-137 (infamous for nuclear disasters). The problem is that their radiation is very hard, extremely dangerous, and even a centimeter of lead cannot protect against it (see the cheerful Vavilov-Cherenkov glow on the right - electrons knocked out by gamma quanta moving in water at superluminal speed emit energy in the visible range). So we avoid them as much as possible. Well, besides, a lot of people get jailed every year for the illegal sale/purchase of gamma sources PS. To be fair, it is worth noting that the gamma quantum in these cases is not released directly, but as a result of the decay of one of the daughter short-lived elements.
Alpha decay
Alpha radiation sources are actively used in smoke detectors, to facilitate spark ignition, and in some radio tubes. One of the most famous is Americium-241, mentioned at the beginning. It is easy to protect yourself from alpha radiation even with a piece of paper, but there is another danger with them: they are extremely dangerous if inhaled/swallowed. See the myth about the poisoning of Litvinenko by Bloody Gabney. In addition, it is unrealistic to obtain amounts larger than micrograms, so you will have to forget about thermoelectric generators. It’s a pity, since the most efficient energy generators operate on the basis of alpha decay. The best - Plutonium-238 (Not to be confused with 239) - produces 0.5 Watt of heat per 1 gram of mass, half-life 87 years (price - 1 megabucks per kilo).
Beta decay
Soft beta sources (essentially electrons/positrons) are moderately well shielded, and have a damn useful quality: when an electron hits a phosphor, it can cause it to glow.
Well, as a side effect, in most countries of the world “safe” beta emitters are quite legal. This is what manufacturers of all sorts of luminous keychains use, as in the first photo. Perhaps we will build our nuclear reactor on the basis of beta decay. The basis of our reactor is a capsule with tritium, from the well-known DealExtreme website - www.dealextreme.com/p/mini-tritium-glowring-keychain-10-year-green-glow-6830. 9.7$. Formally, radioactive materials cannot be sent by mail so easily, but DealExtreme apparently does not know about this.
About security
Soft beta radiation cannot leave the capsule; helium is not radioactive.
The problem can only arise if the capsule is damaged. If tritium is inhaled, then the infection will be minimal, because Hydrogen is not directly absorbed by the body. But if it burns, then the water can become part of the cells, and then you get all the radiation that can squeeze out that microscopic piece of tritium. So, don’t break, burn or inhale what you got. So, Tritium is super-heavy hydrogen, with a half-life of 12.32 years. At the output we have helium and very “soft” electrons - 6.5 kEv (+ antineutrinos, for connoisseurs). We will collect energy with a solar battery and feed it to the input of the Step-Up stabilizer MCP1640 - it works up to tenths of a volt at the input, and at the output there is a 1 Farad and 5V ionistor. In our case, the load will be a red LED.
In order to collect as much light as possible, we place our tritium capsule in a foil reflector.
For focusing we use 2 lenses of 10 diopters each, the solar battery is visible before gluing, the capsule is not installed. We connect, turn off the light, wait a minute for the initial charge of the ionistor, and here is the result:
The first electricity produced by a homemade nuclear reactor 
Freebie?
Oh no On average, the reactor produces a power of about 7 milliwatts (and in 12.32 years it will be 3.5), and although this is enough for an LED, it cannot charge a laptop) But on the other hand, a dozen such modules will be quite capable of keeping a cell phone in standby mode for a couple of dozen years True price... The capsule costs $9.7, the solar battery is $5, the lenses are $13.8*2 - already $42 per module.
And for a dozen you will have to pay $420... On the other hand, there are larger capsules on the site - but for 35. Comments/questions/opinions - to the studio.
UPDATE:
Comrades, we are raising an English translation on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/ggg43/guys_ive_just_built_tiny_nuclear_reactor_at_home/
How does biogas appear?
The operating principle of a biogas plant is to obtain a combustible substance from organic residues. Gas is released during the slow fermentation of biological products: manure, dry leaves, tops, straw. The result is a chemical reaction that produces hydrolytic, acidic, and methane-producing organisms. During their activity, they emit flammable liquid. According to scientific data, a large amount of methane is noted in its composition.
In terms of operational properties, it is in no way inferior to natural gas, which is intended for domestic and industrial use. Biogas is classified as an environmentally friendly fuel. The methods used to obtain it do not harm the environment.
For its production, biowaste is used, which is subjected to daily disposal. The fermentation products are placed in a special sealed reactor, where the following changes occur:
- Over the course of several weeks, biological waste undergoes a fermentation process. Bacteria gradually destroy the organic structure;
- During the life of anaerobic bacteria, a mixture of flammable gases is formed. It consists of methane, carbon dioxide and other types of gases. In addition, hydrogen sulfide is released in minimal quantities, which is dangerous for living organisms. When a small volume of a dangerous mixture is inhaled, signs of poisoning and intoxication appear;
- After this, the mixture of flammable gases is purified. The volume of liquid is directed to the gas tank. Here it will be stored for a long time;
- The finished gas can be used for domestic and industrial purposes. It can be used for space heating and cooking;
- It is important to remove completely decomposed biological residues from the bioreactor in a timely manner. Supplies of raw materials and fermentation products are used to fertilize fields and vegetable gardens.
Using a biogas plant for your home is cost-effective if there is a livestock farm nearby. In this way, the required volume of biological materials will be organized to replenish the sealed container.
According to experts, 90 cubic meters of flammable liquid can be formed from 1 cubic meter of organic substrate.
For regular production of biological gas, it is recommended to build several bioreactor designs in which organic fermenters will be placed with slight differences. In this way, it is possible to organize an uninterrupted supply of organic fuel to household appliances and the heating system.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a system?
Modern models of biogas plants have quite a few advantages. Professional experts highlight several significant disadvantages of such structures for home use. Before starting the construction of such equipment, it is necessary to weigh all the pros and cons.
The positive qualities are as follows:
- Fast disposal of organic waste. The device of a biogas plant allows you to extract a high-quality product from unnecessary waste, which must be disposed of in a timely manner. Organic fermentation in a bioreactor is not dangerous to natural resources;
- Waste-free production. Organic elements do not deplete the environment. The remains of fermented biomass can be used as a good fertilizer;
- During fermentation, a small amount of carbon dioxide is released. It does not affect the environment in any way. CO2 derivatives do not change the environment;
- Minimum amount of sulfur when used. During the combustion process, biogas releases a small amount of sulfur derivatives, unlike natural gas, the combustion of which releases 40% of toxic compounds;
- Uninterrupted fuel supply. Scientists claim that in terms of performance, solar panels are inferior to the performance of this design. In reality, managing solar and wind energy is almost impossible. The volume of biogas directly depends on human activity;
- Possibility of using several designs simultaneously. With proper design and assembly, it is possible to create unique equipment for the production of free gas;
- Good financial benefit. Regular production of energy raw materials will not require large expenses. Absolutely any waste based on organic raw materials can become a source of fermentation.
In addition, regular use of biological gas can significantly save financial costs on heating your home during the cold season.
Jetpack
According to the legend of Iron Man, the hero can fly thanks to powerful jets of energy emanating from the feet of his shoes.
They move him through the air, without the risk of his feet spontaneously combusting and without having to wear high heels, which would make the hero look like a representative of glam rock. However, in our world there are no jet boots that will help you take off, but there is something else: a personal jetpack. Jetpack. Personal jetpacks have been around for a long time. The first model appeared in 1919 in Russia, its creator was the inventor Alexander Fedorovich Andreev, but only in 1960 the first jetpack was presented to the public. Unfortunately, the high cost and short flight time meant that the hype around the invention would quickly fade.
But the dream lives on. New Zealand company Martin Aircraft has developed the Martin Jetpack, a gasoline-powered personal jetpack that can stay in the air for up to 30 minutes at a time. It is intended for the consumer market. According to some estimates, its price is about $1 million, and this is the minimum. But no one argues that all initiatives come at a cost to the real Tony Stark.
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JARVIS
Smart homes have always been a tempting idea for science fiction fans.
However, with advances in wireless networking, data analytics and artificial intelligence, systems like JARVIS are rapidly approaching scientific reality. According to Diana Cook of the University of Washington's School of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, the key to smart housing will be ubiquitous intelligence, capable of searching and interpreting information and acting autonomously according to algorithms. Some of these systems are already running in your home. Air conditioners can automatically adjust the temperature, refrigerators can automatically defrost. And so on.
Although "Jarvis" is an assistant in Stark's lab, Cook's research into smart homes is focused elsewhere: she's exploring how fluid intelligence could help retirees live longer without involving outsiders.
Computers controlled by the power of thought
If the fact that Tony Stark controls an entire suit of high-tech armor with his mind seems completely impossible to you, how surprised you will be to know that technology already exists with which you can control a computer system with just the power of your mind.
The Advanced Technologies Lab, in collaboration with Ruzbeh Jafari, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Texas, has developed an experimental system that allows control of, for example, a Samsung Galaxy tablet without touch or voice commands. Everything is built on where you look and what you focus on.
It must be admitted that technology has not yet reached the stage where it is possible to write a simple message using this method, let alone control a complex military machine. For now, the user's choice is limited to a meager menu. But this is just the beginning.
