First development of a 'nuclear battery' that can last up to 100 years

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 14th that Chinese scientists have developed the world's first nuclear battery that can last up to 100 years.

 

Northwest Normal University in Gansu Province, China, announced a statement the day before, revealing that it has developed a nuclear battery that generates electricity using the radioactive decay of carbon-14. The university stated that this battery can be used for 50 years without recharging in devices such as pacemakers, and it has the potential to last over 100 years in extreme environments such as spacecraft, polar regions, and deep oceans.

 

SCMP noted that the maximum lifespan of the batteries used in cardiac pacemakers is currently 15 years, but did not mention whether they can also be used in electric vehicles.

The university also expected that the environmentally friendly and low-carbon characteristics of the battery could promote the upgrade of China's emerging energy industry chain. Dr. Zhang Guanghui, the technical director of the battery development project, said, "Since the half-life of Carbon-14 is 5730 years, theoretically, the battery could last for thousands of years."

 

According to reports, the maximum output of the nuclear battery is 433 nanowatts, and it is made from a composite semiconductor composed of silicon and carbon. It can withstand extreme temperatures ranging from -100°C to 200°C, and has a very high energy density, with a performance degradation rate of less than 5% over its designed lifespan. The university stated that an LED lamp powered by the nuclear battery emitted over 35,000 pulses in nearly four months.

Sumaozen, the research director and professor of physics and electronic engineering, said, "Nuclear batteries can provide permanent energy for implantable medical devices such as pacemakers and brain-computer interfaces. In the case of the Internet of Things (IoT), they can support large-scale sensor networks." He continued, "In extreme environments such as the deep sea, polar regions, the Moon, and Mars, they can be used as continuous power supply devices without maintenance," and added, "This enables space probes to operate continuously without stopping."

Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon mainly used for dating organic materials. It exists in very small amounts in nature. Accordingly, Seobuk Teachers College announced that it will develop automated equipment and an isotope electromagnetic separator to secure Carbon-14 isotopes. The plan is to establish an industrial system through this.

 

Last year, China began mass production of carbon-14 at an eastern commercial reactor in Zhejiang Province. The goal is to become less dependent on imports from Canada, South Africa, Australia, and Russia.

Meanwhile, SCMP reported that in December of last year, scientists from the University of Bristol in the UK and the UK Atomic Energy Authority developed the world's first carbon-14 diamond battery. It was also added that this battery could serve as a long-lasting energy source for medical devices, security equipment, and space applications. Bristol University explained that they can safely contain small amounts of carbon-14 by capturing electrons moving rapidly within the diamond structure.

 

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It would have been really great if such development news had come from our country's developers.

In a reality where issues with electric battery efficiency are continuously discussed

Miniaturization of the nucleus might actually be the answer.

It seems they are developing assistive devices for the human body as well. Once implanted, they last for about 50 years.