Something to look forward to: A Chinese battery manufacturer has developed a breakthrough, sparking a worldwide race for compact nuclear energy. The innovation is a small coin-sized battery powered by a radioactive nickel isotope that decays into stable copper. While the initial cell is relatively weak, it can easily be layered to provide more power for up to 50 years.
Energy storage technology has reached a transformative milestone as the BV100, a miniature atomic energy battery, enters mass production. Popular Mechanics notes that the coin-sized cell from Beijing Betavolt New Energy Technology can provide juice lasting up to 50 years without charging or maintenance.
The tech represents a significant leap toward practical and scalable nuclear power solutions. The innovation positions Betavolt as a global leader in the race to commercialize nuclear batteries, a field in which companies from China, the U.S., and Europe fiercely compete. Betavolt's success has already garnered recognition within China's scientific community. The company won third prize at the China National Nuclear Corporation's 2023 Innovation Competition and has registered patents domestically while preparing global filings under the PCT framework.
This breakthrough began last year when Betavolt unveiled the BV100 as the first nuclear battery to integrate China's fourth-generation diamond semiconductor technology. The BV100 harnesses energy from the radioactive decay of its nickel-63 core. The two-micron thick core, sandwiched between two 10-micron thick diamond semiconductors, efficiently converts the isotope's decay into electricity. Its modular structure allows for scalability, with multiple units combined in series or parallel to create batteries of varying sizes and capacities.
Compact yet powerful, the BV100 is about the size of a small coin and delivers a power output of 100 microwatts at 3 volts. While its current capacity is insufficient for high-energy devices like smartphones or laptops, Betavolt envisions applications combining multiple batteries to meet greater demands. The company plans to launch a more powerful one-watt version later this year, with uses ranging from consumer electronics to drones capable of flying continuously without recharging.
However, the nuclear battery's advantages extend beyond longevity and compactness. Unlike conventional chemical batteries, it boasts an energy density over ten times greater than ternary lithium batteries, storing 3,300 milliwatt-hours per gram. It is highly resistant to extreme conditions, operating reliably in temperatures ranging from -60°C to +120°C without self-discharge or risks of fire or explosion. The company claims the cell's environmental impacts are minimal since the radioactive nickel-63 core decays into stable copper over time, eliminating the need for costly recycling processes.
That sounds great, but it probably won't be allowed, because:
1) It will put a lot of assholes out of business in America. They don't want people having energy sources that last 50 years without having to pay anyone. If they wanted to, we'd already have power sources that last half a century or more that run on a pellet of radium or similar material. They'd rue the day when everybody can have an inexpensive, sealed cube in their basement that provides power for 100 years. Similar with electric vehicles that cost practically nothing to run.
2) They'll posture that people can't have radioisotopes because it's too dangerous, but the real reason will be the above. (Though we do have small amounts of radioactive materials in some devices. If you were to scrape the Americium from smoke detectors and collect it, or the radium from luminous dials, you'd be guilty of a felony lol)
3) China
It's about time that somebody came up with something like this. Only China would have the balls.
