Imagine never needing to replace the battery in a device again, or even having a battery that could last longer than your lifetime.
Betavolt, a Chinese tech company, has unveiled a compact nuclear battery that it asserts can remain operational for a remarkable 50 years. The company based in Beijing says they are in the initial testing phase for a battery that is smaller than a coin and will soon start producing it on a large scale.
The company expects that the battery will be utilized in various industries, including aerospace, robotics, and smartphones.
“If policies permit, atomic energy batteries can allow a mobile phone to never be charged, and drones that can only fly for 15 minutes can fly continuously,” the company claims.
The company’s claims are not far-fetched as there are already commercially available batteries with a lifespan of over 20 years.
The battery is very small, measuring 15 x 15 x 5 millimeters, and is composed of thin layers of nuclear isotopes and diamond semiconductors. It is a betavoltaic device, which means that it uses radioactive isotopes, specifically a nickel isotope, to release energy that is converted into electricity by collecting and converting electrons during decay.
Betavolt says the radiation poses no danger to the human body, making it usable in medical devices such as pacemakers. The nickel isotope decays to a stable copper isotope, making it easily recyclable.
However, it is important to remain cautious about the potential of this amazing energy source. Extraordinary claims require exceptional evidence. For example, NBD, a startup that promised a battery with a lifespan of thousands of years, raised $1.2 million in funding but has failed to deliver the product. As a result, the US Securities and Exchange Commission is pursuing legal action against the company for fraudulent activities.
Reference- Betavolt Newsroom, Futurism, Green Car Congress, The Independent, Interesting Engineering