Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Betavolt says its diamond nuclear battery can power devices for 50 years
https://newatlas.com/ ^ | January 16, 2024 | David Szondy

Posted on 01/18/2024 1:07:17 PM PST by Jonty30

China's Betavolt New Energy Technology has unveiled a new modular nuclear battery that uses a combination of a nickel-63 (⁶³Ni) radioactive isotope and a 4th-generation diamond semiconductor and can power a device for 50 years.

Nuclear batteries may sound like something super-advanced, but they've been around in one form or another since the early 1950s. Most of these are what are called radio-thermal generators, which turn the heat from decaying radioactive elements into electricity by some sort of thermocouple or a Stirling engine.

In 2016, a new principle was introduced, which uses diamond layers doped with radioactive isotopes – in the case of the first attempt, carbon-14 (¹⁴C). The idea is to select an isotope that releases Beta (β⁻) particles, which are essentially high-energy, high-speed electrons or positrons. When these are released, the diamond matrix acts as a semiconductor to generate an electric

(Excerpt) Read more at newatlas.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-51 next last
I'm just wondering why this isn't more developed by now? It's a great way to use up nuclear fuel and the batteries are essentially reusable.
1 posted on 01/18/2024 1:07:17 PM PST by Jonty30
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

Bkmk


2 posted on 01/18/2024 1:09:59 PM PST by sauropod (The obedient always think of themselves as virtuous rather than cowardly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30
I'm just wondering why this isn't more developed by now? It's a great way to use up nuclear fuel and the batteries are essentially reusable.


3 posted on 01/18/2024 1:12:25 PM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30
Radiation pollution is my guess. It does make sense though as soon as they can make it 100% safe.

This a ship load of EV's on fire


4 posted on 01/18/2024 1:15:44 PM PST by Boomer (The Long Winter is coming...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

Yep, a Chinese-made nuclear battery. What could go wrong?


5 posted on 01/18/2024 1:16:54 PM PST by hanamizu ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

Orobably more like:

Be one of the first to take advantage of this sure-fire investment!

(But first follow this link for a detailed promotional video by world renowned Energy expert...


6 posted on 01/18/2024 1:17:07 PM PST by epluribus_2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

Well, first, it’s in it’s relative infancy, producing only 100 microwatts (0.1 milliwatt) which could power a watch. The one watt version could power much more. I don’t know about the problems with scaling it up in size.


7 posted on 01/18/2024 1:17:24 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants ( "It is easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled."- Mark Twain)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hanamizu

8 posted on 01/18/2024 1:18:35 PM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: epluribus_2

Han-Tur-Bai-Dun.


9 posted on 01/18/2024 1:18:48 PM PST by epluribus_2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

magic battery technology is becoming quite avant-garde lately: this one has BOTH diamond AND nuclear technology!


10 posted on 01/18/2024 1:19:00 PM PST by catnipman (A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

“The BV100 can produce 100 microwatts at 3 volts”
Time to bring back the radium dial watch. /sarc


11 posted on 01/18/2024 1:19:29 PM PST by thegagline (Sic semper tyrannis! Goldwater in 2024)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

There have been other companies that have tried this tech...

They need air to work, so applications are still kinda limited.

A 50 year flashlight or cell phone is probably do-able though.


12 posted on 01/18/2024 1:24:08 PM PST by Dead Corpse (A Psalm in napalm...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Boomer

The spray of water is a nice touch.

It’s probably to keep the flaming ship of EVs away…


13 posted on 01/18/2024 1:25:55 PM PST by Empire_of_Liberty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

They are more advanced. China reverse engineered these

https://www.energylivenews.com/2020/09/02/us-startup-unveils-battery-made-from-nuclear-waste-that-could-last-up-to-28000-years/


14 posted on 01/18/2024 1:26:29 PM PST by Fai Mao (Starve the Beast and steal its food.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

And they only cost a million dollars apiece.


15 posted on 01/18/2024 1:30:18 PM PST by Orosius (Wake America Up Again )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

The side-story to this is - The US Dept of Energy apparently owns the patent on this technology, and sold it to China for pennies on the dollar.


16 posted on 01/18/2024 1:30:45 PM PST by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

“... and can power a device for 50 years. “

Already been done. Voyager 1.


17 posted on 01/18/2024 1:35:34 PM PST by Revel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hanamizu

Tofu-dreg nuclear battery


18 posted on 01/18/2024 1:37:19 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

…can power a device for 50 years - as long as it is a very small device, in a warm environment and is turned off the whole time.


19 posted on 01/18/2024 1:40:49 PM PST by enumerated (81 million votes my ass)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

They’re programing the chip to allow them to have it go critical via backdoor software......


20 posted on 01/18/2024 1:46:39 PM PST by G Larry ("XFKAT" We can't keep spelling out "X Formerly Known As Twitter"!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-51 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson