在電池世界中，持續時間是國王

無論是坐落在最小的可穿戴設備中還是為電網提供備用功率

In the realm of batteries, duration is king. Whether we're talking about the smallest wearable or a device providing back-up power for the electric grid, a battery that can provide reliable energy for longer will always outlast the competition—figuratively and literally.

在電池領域，持續時間是國王。無論我們談論的是最小的可穿戴設備還是為電網提供備用功率，可以在圖形上和字面上始終超過競爭的可靠能量，這將始終超過競爭。

The U.S. led the way in nuclear battery innovation over the past 70 years—and even developed the first battery that ran on nuclear radiation in the 1950s. But in the 21st century, China has become the undisputed champ of nuclear batteries, which make it possible to power endeavors for decades without needing to recharge. They could provide the backbone for whole industries we haven’t even invented yet, like cybernetics, which could enable a truly intelligent robot, or deep space missions that could fly us to the stars.

在過去的70年中，美國領導了核電池創新的道路，甚至開發了1950年代核輻射的第一個電池。但是在21世紀，中國已成為無可爭議的核電池冠軍，這使得幾十年來無需充電就可以努力努力。他們可以為我們甚至還沒有發明的整個行業提供骨幹，例如Cyber​​netics，它可以實現真正聰明的機器人或可以將我們帶到星星的深空任務。

Earlier this year, the Chinese company Betavolt unveiled a coin-sized nuclear battery named BV100 that uses Nickel-63 as its radioactive source, yielding an estimated 50-year lifespan. But this battery isn’t just a lab innovation—it’s already being mass produced, with the intention to power technologies ranging from medical and aerospace devices to future smartphones.

今年早些時候，這家中國公司Betavolt推出了一種名為BV100的硬幣大小的核電池，該電池使用Nickel-63作為放射性來源，估計有50年的壽命。但是，這種電池不僅是實驗室的創新，而且已經生產了大量的，目的是為從醫療和航空航天設備到未來的智能手機提供動力技術。

For most of us, better batteries are simply a convenience, but in some cases, battery life that’s more akin to a human lifespan is crucial. We may have no hope of long-term space exploration or life-saving medical interventions without such long-term batteries, which harness energy from a radiation source. Some elements, like uranium, are radioactive, and they have unstable atomic nuclei that spontaneously lose energy. There’s more than one way to capture that energy—in the 1950s and 60s, NASA developed radioisotope thermoelectric generators that transferred the heat from natural radioactive decay into practical energy.

對於我們大多數人來說，更好的電池只是一種便利，但是在某些情況下，電池壽命更像人類的壽命至關重要。如果沒有這樣的長期電池，我們可能沒有希望長期探索或挽救生命的醫療干預措施，這些電池可利用輻射源的能量。一些元素，例如鈾，是放射性的，它們具有自發失去能量的不穩定原子核。捕獲這種能量的方法不止一種 - 在1950年代和60年代，NASA開發了放射性同位素熱電發電機，將熱量從天然放射性衰減轉移到實用能量中。

But now, a new generation of batteries can trap energy from beta particles, which are electrons or positrons that fly away from their atomic nuclei during radioactive decay. This acts somewhat like photons hitting a solar panel, but in this case, beta radiation is bombarding a specially designed semiconductor, and this is how Betavolt is powering its batteries. Betavoltaic batteries comprise two parts: a radioactive emitter and semiconductor absorber. As the emitter naturally decays, high-speed electrons (aka beta particles) strike the absorber. This creates an “electron-hole” pair, which generates a small-but-stable supply of usable electric current. Since beta particles can be blocked using simply a thin sheet of aluminum, betavoltaic batteries are safe.

但是現在，新一代的電池可以從β顆粒中捕獲能量，這些電池是電子或正電子在放射性衰減期間從原子核飛走的電子或原子。這有點像擊中太陽能電池板的光子，但是在這種情況下，β輻射正在轟擊一個專門設計的半導體，這就是Betavolt在為電池供電的方式。 Betavoltaic電池包括兩個部分：放射性發射極和半導體吸收器。隨著發射極自然的衰減，高速電子（又稱β顆粒）會擊中吸收劑。這會產生一個“電子孔”對，可產生可用的電流的小而穩定的供應。由於可以簡單地使用一較薄的鋁片阻斷β顆粒，因此Betavoltaic電池是安全的。

While not producing as much power as NASA’s thermoelectric method, these “betavoltaic batteries” can provide small amounts of reliable power for possibly up to a century—or maybe even longer, depending on the half-life of the material. It may not replace the old, reliable lithium-ion battery that powers most of our gadgets. However, the betavoltaic battery’s long life—coupled with its ability to operate in extreme conditions—makes it perfectly suited for planetary rovers, deep sea sensors, and even pacemakers. Basically, anywhere you desperately want to avoid frequent battery replacement. Nuclear batteries will become even more relevant as the world continues to decarbonize while also becoming increasingly dependent on smart sensors and other internet-connected devices. Several countries are pursuing betavoltaic battery development, including China, the U.S., South Korea, and in Europe.

儘管這些“ betavoltaic電池”的功率不如NASA的熱電學方法，但可能會在一個世紀內提供少量可靠的功率，甚至更長的時間，具體取決於材料的半衰期。它可能無法替代為我們大多數小工具提供動力的舊，可靠的鋰離子電池。但是，Betavoltaic電池的壽命（結合其在極端條件下運行的能力）非常適合行星漫遊者，深海傳感器，甚至是起搏器。基本上，您迫切希望避免頻繁更換電池的任何地方。隨著世界的繼續脫碳化，核電池將變得更加相關，同時也越來越依賴於智能傳感器和其他與互聯網連接的設備。幾個國家正在追求包括中國，美國，韓國和歐洲在內的Betavoltaic電池開發。

Betavolt isn’t the only China-based company devising nuclear battery advancements. Just last week, Northwest Normal University in Gansu, China, announced its own carbon-based nuclear battery that can last up to 100 years. Although the basis of this battery, carbon-14, is extremely rare, the South China Morning Post reported that China has a carbon-14 commercial reactor in Zhejiang. Mimicking its photovoltaic playbook for solar energy, China is building the entire supply chain for these devices within its own borders.

Betavolt並不是唯一一家設計核電池進步的公司。就在上週，中國甘努的西北師範大學宣布了自己的碳基核電池，可以持續100年。儘管該電池的基礎是碳14，但非常罕見，但《中國南部郵報》報導說，中國在鄭安吉有一個碳14商業反應堆。中國模仿了其太陽能的光伏劇本，正在自己的邊界內建造這些設備的整個供應鏈。

While China forges ahead, the rest of the world is racing to catch up. In the U.S., the Miami, Florida-based City Labs is feverishly working on betavoltaic-based microelectronics for space missions. In November 2024, the company received significant funding from the NIH to develop long-lasting betavoltaic batteries for pacemakers (thanks to their low penetration depth, beta particles can be easily shielded from the body). Instead of Nickel-63, City Labs’ battery uses tritium, which will likely provide a 20-year battery life. Following China’s lead, the company also thinks the supply chain in the U.S. could support the batteries’ production. Scalable production of tritium can happen, because national labs and companies are forging a path, Peter Cabauy, chief executive at City Lab, told Chemistry World.

儘管中國鍛造了，但世界其他地區都在趕上。在美國，總部位於佛羅里達州的邁阿密城市實驗室正在狂熱地從事基於BETAVOLTAIC的微電子，用於太空任務。 2024年11月，該公司從NIH獲得了大量資金，為起搏器開發了持久的Betavoltaic電池（由於其滲透深度低，可以輕鬆地將Beta顆粒遮蓋在體內）。 City Labs的電池代替了鎳63，而是使用Tritium，這可能會提供20年的電池壽命。在中國的領導之後，該公司還認為，美國的供應鏈可以支持電池的生產。城市實驗室首席執行官彼得·卡布伊（Peter Cabauy）告訴化學界，由於國家實驗室和公司正在開闢一條道路，因此可能會發生tri骨的可擴展生產。

City Lab actually developed the world’s first successful betavoltaic battery called the “Betacel” back in the 1970s, but the battery’s relatively limited lifespan at the

城市實驗室實際上在1970年代開發了世界上第一個稱為“ betacel”的世界第一個成功的betavoltaic電池