 |
A nuclear-powered battery
that lasts for a hundred years and packs ten times the punch of a traditional
chemical cell has been unveiled by Russian scientists. The prototype
(pictured) could lead to battery technology useful for long haul space flights
|
●Radioactive battery produces ten times the power of a
traditional chemical cell ●It consists of a semiconductor made out of diamond and a radioactive
chemical ●The technology could lead to permanent pacemakers that never
need changing ●NASA is looking to develop compact nuclear-powered batteries to
power small devices like sensors on long haul space flights
A nuclear-powered battery that lasts for 100
years and packs ten times the power of a traditional cell has been unveiled by
Russian scientists. The prototype consists of a semiconductor made
from diamond, known as a Schottky diode, and a radioactive chemical that fuels
it.
The technology could be used to power everything
from permanent pacemakers that never need changing, to manned missions to Mars.
Scientists at Russia's
Technological Institute for Superhard and Novel Carbon Materials in Moscow,
insist the technology is safe for everyday use. The battery is powered by beta radiation –
electrons and positrons – which is not dangerous to keep inside the body
because it is unlikely to be absorbed by our cells.
Professor Vladimir Blank, director of the
research, said: 'The results so far are already quite remarkable and can be
applied in medicine and space technology.'
Nuclear-powered batteries have been around for a
century, but are usually too large to be of any practical use. The Russian cell uses a new structure to make it
much more compact, meaning it puts out 3,300 milliwatt-hours of power per
gram – ten times more than commercially available chemical cell
batteries. The device uses the isotope nickel-63, which
decays and fires out high-speed electrons known as beta particles into layers
of nickel foil, generating electricity.
The battery can continue producing power for a
century, which is the length of time it takes for the radioactivity
in nickel-63 to reach its half-life. In experiments the device achieved power of ten
microwatts per cubic centimetre (166 microwatts per cubic inch) – enough
for a modern artificial pacemaker. Most state-of-the-art cardiac pacemakers are over
ten cubic centimetres (0.6 cubic inches) in size and require about ten
microwatts of power. That means the new battery could be used to power
these devices without any significant changes to their design and size.
Pacemakers that have batteries which need not be
replaced or serviced would improve the quality of life of patients, said the
researchers.
 |
The prototype consists of
a semiconductor made out of diamond, known as a Schottky diode (dark green),
and a radioactive chemical that fuels it. It is powered by the isotope
nickel-63 (pink) which fires high-speed electrons into nickel foil, generating
electricity
|
NASA – which is planning to land manned missions
on the red planet within 20 years – would also greatly benefit from the compact
nuclear batteries. Space agencies planning long trips will need to
develop small power sources that don't need replacing in order to save on cargo
space. NASA is already developing a large 'Kilopower'
nuclear reactor that could power colonies on Mars for decades.
But there is also a demand for smaller nuclear
batteries to power external sensors and memory chips with integrated power
supply systems for spacecraft. The prototype battery has a stack of 200 diamond
converters woven into layers of the radioactive material and nickel foil
layers. The amount of power depends on the thickness of
the foil and the converters themselves. Both affect how many beta particles are
absorbed.
The researchers believe they could increase the
battery's power by up to a factor of three by enriching the nickel-63 or
boosting voltage with improvements to the diamond converters.
Professor Blank said: 'We are planning to do
more. The higher the power density of the device, the more applications it will
have. 'We have decent capabilities for high-quality
diamond synthesis, so we are planning to utilize the unique properties of this
material for creating new radiation-proof electronic components and designing
novel electronic and optical devices.'
The researchers did not specify if they planned
to make the device in bulk or market it to space agencies and medical
firms. They said there is also an alternative
radioisotope for use in nuclear batteries. Diamond converters could be made using radioactive
carbon-14, which has an extremely long half-life of 5,700 years.
Batteries based on radioactive energy sources
were first suggested in the 1960s during a boom in nuclear power research. The idea was ultimately
shelved because of public safety concerns.
Originally published on DAILY MAIL UK
No comments :
Post a Comment