MILAN – In the midst of the journey towards the energy transition, the nuclear battery also appears, which lasts fifty years, yes, you read that right.
The Chinese start-up Beijing Betavolt is drawing the attention of scientists across the planet to the new atomic accumulators, whose operating principle is similar to Rtg (radioisotope thermoelectric generator), which produce electricity by exploiting the natural heat of the decay of radioactive isotopes and are capable of powering, for example, space probes, remote villages such as those in Siberia and much more.
Above all, the atomic battery has an energy density ten times higher than the lithium one, it does not catch fire, it does not explode, it has no limit on recharging cycles and at the same time it does not lose its capacity, it can resist heat and cold .
Finally, from the tests carried out, it is not radioactive and after half a century the Nickel-63, of which it is composed, transforms into copper without releasing harmful substances.
How the Bv100 is made and what use it will be used for
At the moment the size of the battery is that of a coin, it delivers a power of 100 microwatts at a voltage of 3 V, comparable to a lithium cell accumulator. But the Beijing company promises that by 2025 it will have a 1-watt unit.
As anticipated, the Bv100 exploits the decay of isotopes, in particular it uses Nickel 63 (Ni-63), an artificial isotope, which becomes copper over time. This step is called Beta Decay and is generated with the emission of electrons and antineutrinos, whose energy produced is collected with an original system.
In order for the above to develop, Betavolt has created a special 10 micron thick diamond semiconductor which, when placed alongside a two micron thick layer of Nickel 63, creates a sandwich structure.
Nuclear accumulators are modular and depending on use they can be arranged in series and parallel.
So will electric cars be equipped with nuclear batteries in the future? Let’s take it easy, at the moment it’s just a prototype even if we know how hardworking and fast the Chinese idea and testing factory is. From the company’s data we can affirm that nuclear batteries are lighter and more compact than lithium ones. Furthermore, manufacturers would no longer have to worry about disposal at the end of the life cycle, which lasts around fifty years and, finally, they could move from the old car to the new one, creating a sort of recycling chain.
So far so good and it might work, but at what cost?
Betavolt has not yet commented on the price.
In short, after having churned out lithium batteries, China is now also specializing in atomic ones with the ambition of achieving a monopoly on electricity.