通過將小硬幣大小的核電站榨汁，中國可能剛剛引發了全球競賽

值得期待的事情：一家中國電池製造商取得了突破，引發了全世界的緊湊型核能。

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

一家中國電池製造商取得了突破，可能會引發全世界的緊湊型核能競賽。

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.

該創新是北京貝塔沃爾特新能源技術的小硬幣大小的電池，該電池正在大規模生產，可以提供長達50年的果汁，而無需為此充電或維護。

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.

流行力學報告說，該技術是邁向更實用和可擴展的核電解決方案的重要一步。它還將貝塔沃爾特（Betavolt）定位為將核電站商業化的競賽中的領導者。

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.

確實，Betavolt的成功已經在中國的科學界得到認可。該公司在中國國家核公司2023年的創新競賽中獲得三等獎，並在國內註冊了專利，並正在根據PCT框架準備全球申請。

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

突破從去年開始，當時Be​​tavolt推出了BV100作為整合中國第四代鑽石半導體技術的第一個核電池。

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.

BV100使用其鎳63核心的放射性衰減中的能量來發電。兩微米厚的芯層分層在兩個10微米厚的鑽石半導體之間，這有效地將同位素的衰變轉化為電。它的模塊化結構允許可擴展性，將多個單元組合成串聯或平行，以創建不同尺寸和容量的電池。

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.

BV100緊湊而功能強大，大約是小硬幣的大小，並在3伏特下提供100 microwatts的功率輸出。儘管它的當前容量不足以用於智能手機或筆記本電腦（例如智能手機或筆記本電腦），但Betavolt設想了將多個電池組合起來以滿足更大需求的應用程序。該公司計劃在今年晚些時候推出更強大的一瓦版本，其用途從消費電子產品到能夠連續飛行而無需充電的無人機。

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.

但是，核電池的優勢超出了壽命和緊湊的範圍。與傳統的化學電池相比，它具有比三元鋰電池大10倍以上的能量密度，每克儲存3,300毫瓦小時。它對極端條件具有很高的抵抗力，在沒有自我釋放或火災或爆炸的風險的情況下，溫度可靠地運行。該公司聲稱，由於放射性鎳63核心隨著時間的推移而變成穩定的銅，因此該細胞的環境影響很小，從而消除了對昂貴的回收過程的需求。

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的創新偏離了傳統的核電站設計，這些核電站的設計依賴於冷戰時代開發的笨重且昂貴的熱電發電機。由於內部溫度高和安全問題，這些較舊的模型僅限於航空航天應用。相比之下，Betavolt的Betavoltaic技術通過放射性衰減期間發出的β顆粒產生電力 - 一種更安全，更緊湊的替代方案。

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.

Betavolt指出，其技術實際上具有無限的應用，包括航空航天系統中的用例，人工智能設備，醫療設備，小型無人機，微型機器人等。實際上，任何需要持久電源的東西都是潛在的市場。

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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.

Betavolt的董事長兼首席執行官Zhang Wei指出，該公司目前是唯一的大型鑽石半導體材料的全球生產商。該能力還具有超級電容器和超長碳納米管材料扇區的應用。

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.

這一突破激發了全球對核電電池開發的興趣。中國西北師範大學等機構正在使用碳14等稀有同位素探索類似的技術。像美國的城市實驗室，Kronos Advanced Technologies，Yasheng Group和Arkenlight這樣的國際競爭對手也正在推動Betavoltaic技術的進步。 City Labs最近獲得了美國國立衛生研究院的資金，以開發持久的Betavoltaic電池，為起搏器和人工心臟等醫療設備。但是，這些細胞使用tri蟲作為放射性核心。