Latest news with #NorthwestNormalUniversity
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
26-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists debut revolutionary battery built to deliver energy for lifetimes: 'Advancements in this technology could reshape the future'
Experts at Northwest Normal University in China have an uncommon invention: a small nuclear battery that can power pacemakers and other tiny tech, according to multiple outlets. The fascinating invention could theoretically provide electricity for hundreds to thousands of years, the reports touted about the benchmark. The news made headlines after a slew of tests, including 35,000 LED pulses, successful integration into Bluetooth chips for signal transmission, and even energizing a clock, per Interesting Engineering and pv magazine. The applications could be vast. IE added that deep-sea and outer-space uses are possible for nuclear batteries, powering sensors and small gadgets. On Earth, imagine smartphones that never die or tech that helps to keep us alive. "The researchers are confident that the battery could permanently power implantable devices like pacemakers or brain-computer interfaces," IE's Ameya Paleja wrote. Nuclear batteries leverage the power of radioactive materials, which at first seems like a dangerous idea when considered for use inside the body. But a news release about similar research in South Korea said that not all nuclear elements harm living organisms. Radiation can be blocked if it's encased, too. Power is generated from the decay energy of radioactive isotopes, according to the expert descriptions. The Korean scientists built a prototype pack with carbon-14, the same atomic material used in China, where experts encased it in a silicon carbon semiconductor material. This negates leaks and ensures safety. The Chinese battery is called Candle Dragon One, per pv. "Nuclear battery technology represents the next generation of micro-power solutions, driving transformation in advanced manufacturing, national security, and aerospace applications," Beita Pharmatech chairman Li Gang said in the pv story. Bieta collaborated with Normal on the project. Candle Dragon One's energy conversion efficiency clocked in at 8%, with a storage capacity 10 times greater than lithium-ion packs per pound. The units can work at an astounding temperature range of minus-148 degrees to 392 degrees Fahrenheit, pv added. It's not the only nuclear battery being developed in China, as experts at Soochow University are working on one involving the element americium. U.S. researchers are also making packs with radioactive parts. Experts elsewhere even have ideas for a theoretical black hole battery. The small storage units could play a big role as we shift to cleaner energy, which is key to reducing harmful planet-warming dirty fuel emissions. Air pollution is not only an overheating force, but it's also being linked to brain damage and dementia. Should the U.S. invest more in battery innovations? Absolutely Depends on the project We're investing enough We should invest less Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Larger nuclear projects are already providing about 9% of global electricity, according to the World Nuclear Association. It's made without air pollution but produces radioactive waste that needs to be safely stored. There's also the risk of rare yet catastrophic meltdowns. For the smaller batteries, experts have more milestones to achieve before commercial use can happen, as the power output is low, per pv. "While currently limited to niche applications, advancements in this technology could reshape the future of energy storage," the magazine's Vincent Shaw wrote. In the meantime, you can reshape energy use in your home immediately by switching out traditional bulbs for better LEDs. The move could save you up to $600 in energy costs annually while preventing five times the pollution of the old bulbs. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Ammon
17-03-2025
- Science
- Ammon
Nation's first C-14 nuclear battery developed in Gansu
Ammon News - Chinese researchers have developed the country's first carbon-14 nuclear battery, marking a milestone in the research and development of micro-nuclear battery technologies. According to a news release from Northwest Normal University in Gansu province's capital of Lanzhou, researchers from the university and Wuxi Beita Pharmatech, a private nuclear medicine company in Jiangsu province, have jointly made the world's first model of silicon-carbide semiconductor-based C-14 nuclear battery. Named "Zhulong" after a mythical creature symbolizing light in Chinese classic Shan Hai Jing, this nuclear battery uses energy from the decay of high-specific-activity C-14, a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 5,730 years, to generate electricity. The half-life of a radioactive isotope is the amount of time it takes for one-half of the radioactive isotope to decay. As C-14 decays, it emits beta particles that interact with the siliconcarbide semiconductor, producing a steady flow of electrons. The device is expected to have a century-long operational lifespan, which means it can provide long-lasting power supply to polar and deep-sea exploration as well as aircraft and spacecraft. It features full intellectual property covering core materials and energy conversion components and boasts zero emission, according to the university. The battery demonstrates a short-circuit current of 282 nanoamps, open-circuit voltage of 2.1 volts and maximum output power of 433 nanowatts, achieving an eight-percent energy conversion efficiency. When integrated with energy storage modules, it successfully powered a Bluetooth radio-frequency chip for signal transmission and reception. An LED light using Zhulong 1 as source of power has operated continuously for nearly four months, completing over 35,000 pulse flashes, the release said. Taking advantage of the 5,730-year half-life of C-14, the battery offers theoretical service life spanning millennia and can withstand extreme temperatures from — 100 C to 200 C. It also boasts an energy density 10 times higher than commercial lithium-ion batteries.
South China Morning Post
14-03-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese scientists create nuclear battery that could last for a century
Chinese scientists have developed the country's first nuclear battery based on carbon that they say could potentially last for a century without a charge. Advertisement The ultra-long-lasting battery could be used to power pacemakers – which currently last for up to 15 years – as well as spacecraft and devices deployed in extreme environments such as polar regions and the deep sea, Northwest Normal University in Gansu province said in a statement on Thursday. While it did not mention electric cars, the university said the battery's green and low-carbon characteristics could 'promote the upgrade of China's new energy industrial chain'. The nuclear battery is designed to last for 50 years, but the university statement said it could last for more than 100 years in extreme conditions. And according to Zhang Guanghui, the university's technical lead on the project, 'theoretically, the battery could last for thousands of years thanks to the long half-life of carbon-14 at 5,730 years'. Advertisement He was referring to the time it would take for a radioactive isotope to decay to half its original value.
