Nuclear binding-energy difference → Electrical work

Matrix context

D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.

D.20 × C.27 · Nuclear binding-energy difference × Nuclear heatfamily: Nuclear heatD.20 × C.21 · Nuclear binding-energy difference × Electrochemicalfamily: Electrochemical

Typed bounds on this route

Every limit the atlas holds for this route, as constraint records: reached through bounded_by claims on the route's own entities. Hard bounds (an upper bound or a formula) decide the thermodynamic-bound check above; benchmarks, constitutive relations and resource limits are listed and never decisive. No prose limit exists anywhere (pass 42).

• Carnot limit · formula-bound · hard, applies to this route
  η ≤ 1 − T_c/T_h for any heat engine between reservoirs at T_h and T_c

Steps

1. 01
   Nuclear binding-energy difference —drives→ Nuclear fissionestablishedclaim record

   nuclear → kinetic · loss to radiative

   • for neutron-induced fission: a fissionable nuclide and an incident neutron in an energy range with non-zero fission cross-section
   • critical geometry is required only for a self-sustaining chain reaction; a moderator is reactor-design dependent

   About 200 MeV per event, almost all as fragment kinetic energy (Frisch 1939); thermalisation is a separate step.

   refs [1] [2]
2. 02
   Nuclear fission —produces→ Temperature gradientestablishedclaim record

   kinetic → thermal · loss to radiative

   • fragment and neutron kinetic energy thermalised in the fuel; the fuel runs hotter than the coolant

   refs [2] [3]
3. 03
   Temperature gradient —drives→ Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversiondemonstratedclaim record

   thermal → electrical · loss to thermal

   • sodium at 900–1300 K on the hot side of a β″-alumina electrolyte and a condenser at 400–700 K

   above ~700 K · liquid

   refs [4]
4. 04
   Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion —produces→ Ionic currentdemonstratedclaim record

   electrical → electrical

   refs [4]
5. 05
   Ionic current —converts into→ Electrical workestablishedclaim record

   electrical → electrical · loss to thermal

   • electrodes exchange the ionic current for an electronic current through the external load

   refs [5]

Evidence for the complete composition · 0

No source on record for this exact composition. The sources below support the individual steps, not the route as a whole.

Evidence for the constituent relations · 5

1. [1]
   O. Hahn, F. Strassmann. Über den Nachweis und das Verhalten der bei der Bestrahlung des Urans mittels Neutronen entstehenden Erdalkalimetalle (1939)

   Naturwissenschaften 27, 11–15 · doi:10.1007/BF01488241 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
2. [2]
   O. R. Frisch. Physical evidence for the division of heavy nuclei under neutron bombardment (1939)

   Nature 143, 276 · doi:10.1038/143276a0 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
3. [3]
   A. Bejan. Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics (4th ed.) (2016)

   Wiley · doi:10.1002/9781119245964 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
4. [4]
   T. Cole. Thermoelectric energy conversion with solid electrolytes (1983)

   Science 221, 915–920 · doi:10.1126/science.221.4614.915 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
5. [5]
   A. J. Bard, L. R. Faulkner. Electrochemical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications (2nd ed.) (2001)

   Wiley · book, no DOI · record