Chinese startup company Betavolt introduced a new type of nuclear battery capable of generating electricity for 50 years without recharge.
Betavolt said that “this innovative energy decision will help China take a leading position in the new circle of the technological revolution in the field of artificial intelligence.” The company noted that this is the first nuclear battery, which reduces atomic energy to the size of less than the coin, placing 63 nuclear isotopes in the module.
Currently, the battery is being tested and in the future it will be mass-produced for commercial use in devices such as phones and drones.
The first of its kind, Betavolt’s nuclear battery provides a capacity of 100 microvatt and a voltage of 3 volts, while its dimensions are only 15x15x5 cubic millimeters. The company plans to release a battery with a capacity of 1 watt by 2025.
This project is included in the framework of China’s 14th five-year plan, which aims to strengthen the country’s economy by 2025. Research institutes in the USA and Europe are also working on the development of such technology.
Such technology can radically change the world of electronics, eliminating the need for chargers or portable batteries, creating devices that work continuously without losing battery capacity or service life.
The company also stated that the Betavolt nuclear power battery does not emit radiation and is suitable for use in medical devices, such as pacemakers, artificial hearts, and cochlear implants, inside the human body.
Atomic energy batteries are environmentally friendly. After the decay period, the 63 isotopes turn into a stable isotope of copper, which is not radioactive and does not pose a threat or pollution to the environment.