Furthermore, according to Weber, one DARPA program remains in need of a power system that has a volumetric-power-density goal of 35 mW/cm³, and Weber believes NAG technology has the capability to exceed this goal by up to a factor of 10. This provides the opportunity to revise and resubmit previous proposals in response to future rounds of funding issued by DARPA to meet this challenge.

Michael Huff, founder and director of the DARPA-supported MEMS Exchange program, was one of the first technologists introduced to NAG technology. Huff stated that while the data for larger NAG prototypes looks encouraging, it is unknown how the efficiency of this technology will scale with size down to the MEMS (i.e., micro) level.

He also stated that based on the experimental data he reviewed, it is more likely that the high projected efficiencies of NAG technology will be retained as the physical scale of the systems is increased (though he re-emphasized high efficiencies may still be achievable for small-scale systems).

Huff added that if full working versions of the technology can be demonstrated, that success would facilitate the use of NAG systems with certain inventory-constrained or controlled isotopes. Some of those isotopes could provide higher performance levels than what would be possible using readily available isotopes.

If NAG technology is proven and successfully applied to industrial applications currently served by long-life primary batteries, it could become as ubiquitous as the nuclear technology currently deployed in modern smoke detectors. Ironically, according to Weber, this is one application for which the technology would probably not be well suited.

For more information about NAG technology, visit Executive Engineering's web page on the topic, www.exec-eng.com/eenag.

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