[bennysaurus]

I think the OP is looking at using their stove as the heat source, not a nuclear battery.

On that note, the idea you're talking about was actually considered for a little while for public use until the dangers were found to outweigh the benefits.

[grecy]

Right now I'm thinking about a stove, but this nuclear battery has me thinking.

I am wondering if it would be possible to buy or build such a nuclear battery.

[tsotha]

Governments tend to frown on the personal acquisition of radioactive isotopes. Well, there's a tiny bit in your smoke detector, but if you managed to get the eleven pounds that are in the MSL's RTG you'd make the international news.

Pu-238 isn't naturally occurring, and nobody makes it anymore. The US bought the plutonium that went into the MSL from the Russians, who are starting to run out themselves.

The other problem with RTGs is they get less efficient as they get larger. The one in the MSL only produces 125 watts, which will decay to about 100 watts at the end of its 14 year lifetime. That's not a lot of power.

[bennysaurus]

Certainly to build one the theory behind it wouldn't be tough, it'd operate on the same principles as the stove setup. To buy though? There's a story of a boy scout who did something similar as part of a personal experiment in the 90's. (Before getting raided out of fear by the FBI) Will have to find that story again.

In almost every country the materials required are tightly regulated and getting permission even in a lab environment is tough work. If you can work out the legalities and safety, I'd be interested too!

[K2h]

The book is The Radioactive Boyscout

http://www.amazon.com/The-Radioactive-Boy-Scout-Backyard/dp/...

I read the book. from what I remember he started with smoke detectors and worked his way up from there. Just a few letters to some supply houses saying he was a researcher or something. he effectively mail ordered his radioactive sources I think.