The Future and Potential of Nuclear Batteries

Batteries have been an important invention in history. Ever since Alessandro Volta made the first battery in 1880, batteries have only gotten better and more powerful. A few weeks ago, a Beijing-based company, Betavolt, introduced a game-changer in batteries and technology. In a surprising turn of events, Betavolt claims to have invented a battery which can last up to 50 years. This technology was originally introduced in the 20th century but has never been accomplished in real life. This article will explore the future and potential of nuclear batteries.

Betavolt’s Battery

First of all, let's talk about the Betavolt battery. This battery measures 15 by 15 by 5 millimeters. According to reliable sources, this battery generates roughly 100 microwatts of power and has a voltage of 3 volts. The source also states that Betavolt’s battery is already in the pilot testing stage and will be ready for mass production. As mentioned earlier, this battery made headlines when Betavolt said it could last 50 years. This led to many mixed opinions such as wondering whether the statement was true or if it could ruin other companies making batteries if everyone bought it.




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Challenges

Unfortunately, developing nuclear batteries, like all products, comes with challenges. Over here, we are only going to discuss 5 of these challenges. Be aware that there are more challenges which aren’t listed in this paragraph and more challenges may arise as this field of technology is explored further.

High Costs

Unsurprisingly, developing and making nuclear batteries has high costs. Nuclear batteries require diamond semiconductors and nickel-63 isotopes which are expensive to obtain and refine. It’s no wonder that these batteries are at such a high cost during the production process. Additionally, these batteries require complex manufacturing. To manufacture nuclear batteries, you need to convert radioactive decay into electricity which involves sophisticated engineering and different manufacturing techniques to other products as they require precision when manufacturing. Furthermore, as the development of nuclear batteries can involve dangerous elements, there are strict safety procedures and laws which ensure the safe handling and disposal of radioactive materials. All of these add to the factor of high costs which are certainly a challenge in developing nuclear batteries.

Safety

Nuclear batteries use radioactive materials. Radioactive materials can, in certain circumstances, cause harm to humans. For example, if the casing of the nuclear battery breaks, radioactive isotopes could leak out which would potentially cause health issues with the human body. However, Betavolt has claimed that its batteries are of “no harmful radiation” and “should cause no concern”. This could be due to the reason that the amount of radioactive ingredients in the battery is very small compared to those used, for example, in nuclear power plants.

Heat

According to recent studies, the decayed radioactive isotopes in nuclear batteries generate large amounts of heat. In certain circumstances, if not cooled properly, it can lead to the battery overheating and potentially damaging it. If the battery is damaged, however small the chance is, it could lead to negative health effects should any part of the radioactive ingredient leak out of the battery.

Uses

Though nuclear batteries come with a set of challenges and limitations, it does not necessarily mean that the challenges overpower the uses. If more breakthroughs in nuclear batteries come, it could potentially lead to a new era of batteries. Some of the uses of nuclear batteries include:




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Powering Space Exploration

One of the challenges when it comes to space exploration is the ability to make spacecraft last in space without spending a massive amount of money. Nuclear batteries have already played a role in this as many space vehicles today already contain these batteries. According to NASA, nuclear batteries installed on spacecraft can help them to run for decades without recharging.
Use in devices

Apart from use in large companies, nuclear batteries can also have a big impact on our daily lives. These can range from tiny things like our watches and smartphones to large things such as cars and trucks. For example, according to New Atlas, the Betavolt battery already has enough power to keep a drone in the air for a long time. Betavolt also states that future models of batteries could one day keep drones in the air “indefinitely”. Some other uses could be to incorporate the battery into phones which would mean that they would rarely need to be recharged in it’s lifetime.

Conclusion

The development of nuclear batteries in the past few years has sparked much interest in this field. Nuclear batteries have the potential to revolutionize the way batteries are used in our daily lives. The Betavolt battery, with its ability to last 50 years is already a starting point which calls for a high demand for the quality of future, more powerful products. However, as we discussed, these batteries also have many challenges which need to be resolved and limitations which we need to be aware of. Nevertheless, it also has many uses and benefits which will shape the future of energy storage.


Citations/References





1. https://economymiddleeast.com/news/chinese-startup-nuclear-battery/

2. https://rps.nasa.gov/technology/

3. https://newatlas.com/energy/betavolt-diamond-nuclear-battery

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_battery

5.https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-battery-Chinese-firm-aiming-for-mass-mark

6. https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/nuclear-battery-betavolt-atomic-china-b2476979.html