Latest news with #RaymondCao
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists develop game-changing device that extracts energy from nuclear waste: 'Trying to turn it into treasure'
Buckeye scientists have a scintillating idea for recycling nuclear waste to generate even more energy from the abundant, air pollution-free power source, according to an Ohio State news release. The linchpin to the innovation is scintillator crystals, which emit light when they absorb radiation, something nuclear waste has in abundance. By pairing the crystals with solar cells, the researchers found that there's enough light energy — via gamma radiation-illuminated crystals — to produce electricity sufficient to power small sensors and microchips, per the release. "We're harvesting something considered as waste and … trying to turn it into treasure," Buckeye Professor Raymond Cao, lead study author and director of Ohio State's Nuclear Reactor Lab, said in the statement. The team is optimistic that with the right mix of radioactive material and tech, the concept could be used for more applications, mostly in already radioactive settings. The United States' 54 nuclear power plants provide about 20% of the nation's electricity, according to government data. The hazardous byproduct isn't a green ooze held in drums. Rather, nuclear waste is in the form of ceramic pellets that are dangerous to humans. The plants — which create enough energy to power 70 million homes — produce enough waste to fill half of an Olympic-sized swimming pool each year. However, the plants prevent more than 440 million tons of heat-trapping air pollution from dirty-fuel-based generation. The pellets are stored at more than 70 locations in 35 states, according to the U.S. Energy Department. The waste remains potent but it can be recycled, the DOE summary added. Scientists in the United Kingdom are also working with microbes that can eat it (pass the Tums). The Buckeye prototype is less than a cubic inch in size, and it is being tested with different types of radioactive materials to find one that garners the best results, the experts reported. They envision the "batteries" being used near nuclear waste production sites, in space, or during deep sea exploration. They are long-lasting devices that don't need much maintenance. How would you feel about a nuclear power plant being built near your home? I'd be excited I'd be scared I'd be angry I wouldn't care Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "Although the gamma radiation utilized in this work is about a hundred times more penetrating than a normal X-ray or CT scan, the battery itself does not incorporate radioactive materials, meaning it is still safe to touch," the team noted in the release, which added that it's not meant for public use. Nuclear energy is an enticing research field because the power source nixes planet-warming fumes, linked by NASA to increased severe weather risks and by other government experts to poor classroom performance. Other nuclear innovations include microreactors that can power remote sites. Microsoft is working to reopen a portion of Three Mile Island to energize electricity-hungry data centers, a move that drew criticism after being announced. Meanwhile, fusion reaction experiments continue to make progress. The alternative nuclear science produces nearly limitless energy with little waste, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. At Ohio State, the team said its nuclear battery could be costly to produce, but further tests will determine its "usefulness and limitations," per the release. "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," study co-author Ibrahim Oksuz said. At home, you can better manage the electricity already being made by simply unplugging so-called energy vampires — unused devices and chargers that needlessly burn power. It's a move that could save you up to $165 annually. 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.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Built a Tiny Battery Out of Nuclear Waste That You'll Never Have to Recharge
Nuclear energy accounts for 10 percent of the world's energy, and estimates say that by 2050, that number could increase by 2.5 times. That increase in nuclear energy also means an increase in nuclear waste, so scientists are searching for ways to use the latent energy in nuclear waste for energy-production purposes. A new study shows that scintillator crystals, which emit light when exposed to gamma radiation, can transform into microbatteries when paired with solar cells. Around 10 percent of the world's energy comes from nuclear fission, and while this source doesn't produce harmful greenhouse gasses, it does have the unfortunate side effect of producing radioactive waste. This nuclear waste is usually stored in spent fuel pools, but some companies and scientists have looked for ways to harness the residual energy in nuclear waste for further energy production. A new study by scientists at Ohio State University (OSU) created a nuclear waste battery by using scintillator crystals—a high-density material that emits light by absorbing gamma radiation, which makes them well-suited for medical imaging and radiation detection. In this context, these crystals are paired with solar cells that convert emitted light into usable energy. This isn't grid-scale capability, or even recharge-your-smartphone scale. Instead, these batteries create just hundreds of nanowatts to even a microwatt of power. The results of the study were published in the journal Optical Materials: X.'We're harvesting something considered as waste and by nature, trying to turn it into treasure,' Raymond Cao, a co-author of the study from OSU, said in a press statement. Cao's team tested the battery with two types of radioactive material: cesium-137 and cobalt-60. Cesium-137 is one of the most common fission products in nuclear waste, and cobalt-60 (also a byproduct of fission) is used in radiation therapies. When testing with the cesium isotope, the team's nuclear waste battery registered only 288 nanowatts. But cobalt-60 produced a whopping 1.5 microwatts—enough energy to power microsensors. Although these are tiny numbers, Cao doesn't see any reason why the right power source couldn't power things up to the watt level and beyond. The shape of the scintillator crystal can also have a big impact on the amount of energy produced, as a larger volume can absorb more radiation and therefore produce more light. More surface area also means that solar cells could generate more power. 'These are breakthrough results in terms of power output,' Ibrahim Oksuz, co-author of the study from OSU, said in a press statement. 'This two-step process is still in its preliminary stages, but the next step involves generating greater watts with scale-up constructs.' In the short term, these batteries could be a perfect fit for places already inundated with radiation, whether that be those aforementioned fuel pools or in nuclear systems used for exploration anywhere from the deep sea to deep space. These batteries are additionally well-suited for this kind of hard-to-reach application because they require little maintenance, and could (to borrow a popular battery slogan) 'keep going and going and going.' Of course, this isn't the first attempt to transform some facet of the nuclear power industry into useful batteries. In 2020, for example, physicists from the University of Bristol aimed to recycle the carbon-14 isotopes in spent graphite blocks for use in long-lasting diamond batteries. As a bonus, the remaining material would then be much less radioactive after secondary use, making it safer for disposal. Due in large part to the increasing need to wean humanity off of climate change-exacerbating fossil fuels, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) forecasts a 2.5 global increase in nuclear power by the year 2050. That being the case, there's no time like the present to start figuring out how we can turn one reactor's nuclear trash into energy-producing treasure. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
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.
