Latest news with #Betavolt
Express Tribune
10-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
China unveils coin-sized nuclear battery that could last up to 100 years
Listen to article China has unveiled a breakthrough in energy technology with the development of miniaturised nuclear batteries that could transform the future of energy storage. In January 2024, Beijing-based company Betavolt introduced the BV100, a coin-sized battery powered by Nickel-63, capable of lasting up to 50 years without requiring a recharge. Production is already underway, with applications ranging from aerospace and medical devices to consumer electronics. Building on this momentum, Northwest Normal University announced a new nuclear battery powered by Carbon-14, boasting a potential lifespan of up to 100 years. Despite the rarity of Carbon-14, China has established a commercial reactor to extract it—signalling its ambition to dominate the entire nuclear battery supply chain, much like it did with solar panel production. While China takes the lead, other global players are working to close the gap. In the U.S., City Labs is developing a tritium-based nuclear battery with a 20-year life, targeting medical use. Britain's Arkenlight is developing a battery made from nuclear waste, while American firms Kronos Advanced Technologies and Yasheng Group have partnered to expand nuclear battery research. Several European and Asian nations are also exploring similar technologies. Although the concept of nuclear batteries dates back to the 1950s in the United States, widespread use was delayed by safety and longevity concerns. Today, those barriers are being reassessed in light of growing demand for longer-lasting, sustainable energy sources. With China currently holding a technological and production lead, experts suggest the global energy landscape could be reshaped as these innovations mature. Nuclear batteries, once considered a niche idea, now offer a promising long-term solution for powering everything from medical implants to deep space missions.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Battery breakthrough as scientists turn atomic waste into electricity
Scientists have achieved a major milestone in energy storage after developing a nuclear battery that can convert atomic waste into electricity. A team in the US has already tested the next-generation battery with a prototype device capable of harvesting enough nuclear radiation to power microchips. Nuclear batteries have been hailed for their potential to generate electricity for decades without the need for charging or maintenance. The breakthrough battery, built by researchers at Ohio State University, works by taking ambient gamma radiation from spent nuclear fuel and converting it to light via scintillator crystals. This light is then converted into electricity through solar cells. 'We're harvesting something considered as waste and by nature, trying to turn it into treasure,' said Raymond Cao, a professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ohio State University, who led the research. The battery does not incorporate radioactive materials, meaning it is safe to touch, however it is not being developed for public use. Instead, the researchers said they envisioned the batteries being used on nuclear systems for space and deep sea exploration. The technology is also being developed in China under the country's 14th Five-Year Plan, with Beijing-based Betavolt saying last year that it is hoping to mass produce nuclear batteries for commercial applications like phones, drones and medical devices. The working prototype built in Ohio, which is roughly the size of a sugar cube, is capable of producing 1.5 microwatts of power, though larger versions are expected to be able to produce significantly more electricity. 'These are breakthrough results in terms of power output,' said Ibrahim Oksuz, a research associate in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ohio State. 'This two-step process is still in its preliminary stages, but the next step involves generating greater watts with scale-up constructs. 'The nuclear battery concept is very promising. There's still lots of room for improvement, but I believe in the future, this approach will carve an important space for itself in both the energy production and sensors industry.' A study detailing the nuclear battery, titled 'Scintillator based nuclear photovoltaic batteries for power generation at microwatts level', was published in the journal Optical Materials: X.
