By Juicing Up Tiny Coin-Sized Nuclear Batteries, China May Have Just Sparked a Worldwide Race

Something to look forward to: A Chinese battery manufacturer has developed a breakthrough, sparking a worldwide race for compact nuclear energy.

A Chinese battery manufacturer has developed a breakthrough that may spark a worldwide race for compact nuclear energy.

The innovation is a small coin-sized battery from Beijing Betavolt New Energy Technology, which is being mass-produced and can provide juice for up to 50 years without needing to be charged or maintained.

Popular Mechanics reports that the tech is a significant step toward more practical and scalable nuclear power solutions. It also positions Betavolt as a leader in the race to commercialize nuclear batteries, a field in which companies from China, the U.S. and Europe are currently competing.

Indeed, Betavolt’s success has already been recognized 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 and is preparing global filings under the PCT framework.

The breakthrough begins last year when Betavolt unveiled the BV100 as the first nuclear battery to integrate China’s fourth-generation diamond semiconductor technology.

The BV100 uses energy from the radioactive decay of its nickel-63 core to generate electricity. The two-micron thick core is layered between two 10-micron thick diamond semiconductors, which efficiently convert the isotope’s decay into electricity. Its modular structure allows for scalability, with multiple units being 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 go beyond longevity and compactness. Compared to 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.

Betavolt’s innovation departs from traditional nuclear battery designs that relied on bulky and expensive thermoelectric generators developed during the Cold War era. These older models were limited to aerospace applications due to high internal temperatures and safety concerns. In contrast, Betavolt’s betavoltaic technology generates electricity through beta particles emitted during radioactive decay – a safer and more compact alternative.

Betavolt notes that its technology has practically unlimited applications, including use cases in aerospace systems, artificial intelligence devices, medical equipment, small drones, micro-robots, and more. Virtually anything requiring long-lasting power supplies is a potential market.

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Zhang Wei, chairman and CEO of Betavolt, noted that the company is currently the only global producer of large diamond semiconductor materials. This capability also has applications in supercapacitors and ultra-long carbon nanotube materials sectors.

The breakthrough has sparked global interest in nuclear battery development. Institutions such as Northwest Normal University in China are exploring similar technologies using rare isotopes like carbon-14. International competitors like City Labs in the U.S., Kronos Advanced Technologies, Yasheng Group, and Arkenlight in the UK are also pushing forward with advancements in betavoltaic technology. City Labs recently received funding from the National Institutes of Health to develop long-lasting betavoltaic batteries for medical devices like pacemakers and artificial hearts. However, these cells use tritium as a radioactive core.