Photon-Intermediate Direct Energy Conversion

Photon-intermediate direct energy conversion, or PIDEC, is a proposed scheme for converting nuclear power directly into electricity. A fluorescer gas surrounding the nuclear fuel is excited by the neutrons the fuel emits and gives off narrow-band ultraviolet light, which specialized photovoltaic converters then turn into electricity, in a process its proponents compare to how a compact fluorescent lamp converts energy into a more useful form. Because the light produced is narrow-band rather than the broad spectrum an ordinary solar cell converts, PIDEC own conversion efficiency is expected to be considerably higher, around 40 percent, and combining it with conventional thermodynamic generation could in principle reach about 70 percent combined efficiency, against roughly 35 percent for a conventional nuclear plant today. The concept is designed to pair particularly well with fourth generation reactor designs such as molten salt reactors, which run at higher temperatures and lower pressures that would further improve the conversion. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/