Diamond nuclear battery is said to provide electricity for 28,000 years
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A new battery technology uses nano diamonds to generate electricity from nuclear waste. The beta voltaic battery is expected to provide energy for up to 28,000 years.
San Francisco (USA). With current battery technologies, there are often significant signs of wear and tear after two to three years of intensive use, which are noticeable in decreasing capacities. The Californian start-up Nano Diamond Battery (NDB) has now presented a battery with practically infinite service life. According to a report from Popular Mechanics, the beta-voltaic battery is said to provide power for up to 28,000 years.
The concept of a diamond-based nuclear battery used for this was first publicly presented in 2016 by the University of Bristol. According to the company, NDB has been working on the invention since 2012. In addition, Enlighten, a spin-off company from the university, is currently researching a suitable battery.
Nuclear waste generates electricity
The nuclear battery is based on mono crystalline nano diamonds and nuclear waste. Radiocarbon (carbon-14) is used for this, which gives off heat in the battery. This is dissipated so quickly via the diamonds (carbon-12) that the radioisotopes cannot absorb the heat. Thanks to the semiconductor properties of nano diamonds, electrical voltage is generated.
According to the NDB, the individual stacks of the battery are coated with multi-crystal nanodiamonds for safety reasons. These are intended to prevent the battery from emitting radiation and the construction from being mechanically damaged.
Proof-of-concept of the diamond nuclear battery
According to the NDB, the development of the diamond nuclear battery is already well advanced. The company's scientists are said to have already succeeded in a proof-of-concept that proves that the technology is sufficiently efficient. In the next step, a prototype is to be manufactured. The company's ambitious schedule foresees market readiness for 2023.
High cost and low performance
In addition to the high manufacturing costs of the diamond nuclear battery, the low energy output is currently still a problem. Service life of 28,000 years is possible in principle, but would only provide enough power for low-power components such as sensors or clocks.
So that other usage scenarios can also be covered with the diamond nuclear battery, it would be necessary to combine many stacks (cells) with one another. According to the NDB, this should also enable batteries for cars, medical devices, and space travel in the long term. In addition, a battery for common consumer electronics with a service life of nine years is planned.