ABSTRACT
In this chapter, methods are discussed for directly converting nuclear radiation or the thermal energy produced by the radiation into electrical energy. Such direct conversion has been an attractive engineering challenge because converters based on this technology would have the advantage of simplicity, reliability, quietness of operation, and a long lifetime since no moving parts are generally needed. Over the past several decades, a few such converters have been developed. Unlike nuclear power plants which produce thousands of megawatts of electrical power, these direct conversion devices typically produce only hundreds of watts to microwatts of electrical power. Nevertheless, these converters have found specialized applications for which low power levels are adequate, such as space satellites, remote meteorological weather stations, and heart pacemakers.
