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No, you are not having a dejà vu. Nuclear batteries They were on everyone’s lipsafter the Chinese company Betavolt announced the beginning of the production of its batteries. And although it seems a new idea, the first nuclear battery was created in 1954 using Strontium-90. Since then, the search for safer batteries has continued and South Korea has given a new impulse.
Short. A group of scientists from the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute and Technology has developed A nuclear battery that promises to convert radiation into electricity for decades, without the characteristic dangers of conventional nuclear energy. According to Newatlasthe betavoltaic cell sensitized with dye uses beta particles to generate electricity from carbon-14.
There is battery for a while. Carbon-14, with a half-life of 5730 years, will guarantee a long-term energy supply, at least in theory. However, in practice, factors such as material degradation and progressive loss of efficiency can limit the real battery life.
It is just a prototype. As They have detailed In Newatlas, the battery has a relatively low power density – 20.75 nanovatos per square centimeter by milicur, with an efficiency of 2.86 % -, and the progress opens the door to applications where longevity is crucial. Instead of depending on lithium -ion batteries, very low consumption devices could use this technology and eliminate the need for frequent recharges or substitutions.
More technical. The operation of this battery is based on the emission of beta particles from carbon-14, a radioactive isotope that emits high energy electrons. These electrons impact on a titanium dioxide semiconductor covered with a ruthenium -based dye, which causes the flow of electric current.
Do you have real application? Scientists They have done An estimate considering sectors where longevity and low energy consumption are key. On the one hand, in the medical field, to feed implantable devices, such as pacemakers and sensors. On the other hand, in remote or difficult access for environmental monitoring stations, allowing continuous functioning for years without human intervention. Also, researchers have observed that integration in microchips, RFID labels and other miniaturized devices, as well as slow load applications, where small capacitors could accumulate energy and free it quickly in demand peaks, would be interesting.
Something already existed … At the University of Bristol They have designed A carbon-14-based nuclear battery, but the approaches are different. In the British version, carbon-14 is encapsulated in synthetic diamond, offering extreme durability of up to 5,700 years and greater protection against radiation. The latter, although more expensive and complex to manufacture, is oriented to devices that require continuous operation for centuries, such as space probes or monitoring systems in extreme environments, while the Korean option could be more viable for low -cost applications and lower energy demand.
Chinese technology vs Korean. Both technologies, the nuclear battery developed in South Korea and BV100 of betavolt From China, they share the principle of converting radioactive energy into electricity, but they diverge significantly in their approaches and applications. The Chinese battery uses Nickel-63, an isotope with a half-life of 100 years, in a more compact and modular design that promises to feed higher power devices, including drones and industrial equipment. In addition, while the Korean battery is still in an experimental phase, Betavolt has advanced towards marketing.
Forecasts. While there is still a way to go to perfect its efficiency and reduce costs, the perspective of batteries that can last decades without recharges completely redefine the way we conceive energy storage and open new possibilities.
Image | ACS
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