China’s Betavolt New Energy Technology has unveiled a new modular nuclear battery that uses a combination of a nickel-63 (⁶³Ni) radioactive isotope and a 4th-generation diamond semiconductor and can power a device for 50 years.
Beijing Betavolt New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. announced on January 8 that it has successfully developed a miniature atomic energy battery, which combines nickel 63 nuclear isotope decay technology and China’s first diamond semiconductor (No. 4generation of semiconductors) module, successfully realized the miniaturization, modularization and low cost of atomic energy batteries, and started the process of civilian use. This marks that China has made disruptive innovations in the two high-tech fields of atomic energy batteries and fourth-generation diamond semiconductors at the same time, and is “far ahead” of European and American scientific research institutions and enterprises.
The betavolt atomic energy battery has been generating electricity stably for 50 years, without charging or maintenance, and has entered the pilot stage and will be put into mass production and put into the market. Betavolt Atomic Batteries can meet the power supply of long-lasting and multi-scenario scenarios such as aerospace, AI equipment, medical devices, MEMS systems, advanced sensors, small drones, and microrobots. This new energy innovation will help China take the lead in the new round of AI technology revolution.
Atomic energy batteries, also known as nuclear batteries or radioisotope batteries, work by using the energy released by the decay of nuclear isotopes and absorbing and converting it into electrical energy through semiconductor converters. This is the United States and the Soviet Union in the 60s of the last century focused on the research of high-tech fields, at present only for aerospace temperature difference nuclear battery, this kind of battery is large in size and weight, high temperature inside, expensive, can not be civilian. In recent years, the miniaturization, modularization and civilian use of nuclear batteries have been the goals and directions pursued by European and American countries. China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and Vision 2035 also put forward the commercialization of nuclear technology and the multi-use development of nuclear isotopes as future development trends.
The betavolt nuclear battery develops a completely different technical path, generating an electric current through a semiconductor transition of β particles (electrons) emitted by the radioactive source nickel-63. To do this, a team of scientists at Beta Volt has developed a unique single crystal diamond semiconductor with a thickness of only 10 microns, putting a 2 micron thick nickel-63The lamellae is placed between two diamond semiconductor converters and converts the decay energy of the radioactive source into an electric current, forming a separate unit. Nuclear batteries are modular, can be composed of dozens or hundreds of independent unit modules, and can be used in series and parallel, so battery products of different sizes and capacity power can be manufactured.
Zhang Wei, chairman and CEO of Beta Volt, said that the first product that the company will launch is BV100, which is the world’s first nuclear battery that will be mass-produced, with a power of 100 microwatts, a voltage of 3V, and a volume15 x 15 x 5 cubic millimeters, which is smaller than a coin. Nuclear batteries are generating 8.64 joules per day and 3,153 joules per year. Multiple of these batteries can be used in series and parallel. The company plans to launch a 1-watt battery in 2025, and if the policy allows, the atomic battery can make a mobile phone never charge, and the drone, which can now only fly for 15 minutes, can fly all the time.
According to reports, the atomic energy battery is a physical battery, not an electrochemical battery, the energy density is more than 10 times that of ternary lithium batteries, and it can store 3,300 Haowah hours in a 1-gram battery, and it does not fire or explode against acupuncture and gunshots. Because of 50 years of self-generation, there is no concept of the number of cycles (2000 charges) of an electrochemical cell. The power generation of the atomic battery is stable, does not change due to harsh environment and load, can work normally in the range of minus 120 degrees and minus -60 degrees, and there is no self-discharge. The atomic batteries developed by Beta Volt are completely safe and free of external radiation, making them suitable for use in medical devices such as pacemakers, artificial hearts, and cochlea in the human body. Atomic batteries are environmentally friendly, and after the decay period, the nickel-63 isotope as a radioactive source becomes a stable isotope of copper, which is not radioactive and does not pose any threat or pollution to the environment. Therefore, unlike existing chemical batteries, nuclear batteries do not require an expensive recycling process.
At present, Betavolt has registered a patent in Beijing and will start to register it worldwidePCT Patents. In the 2023 Innovation Competition held by China National Nuclear Corporation, Betavolt, as one of the very few external participating companies, stood out among hundreds of enterprises and research institutions and won the third prize of the competition, representing the recognition of Betavolt’s atomic battery technology and products by China’s authoritative nuclear technology enterprises. Betavolt has also communicated with China’s professional nuclear research institutions and universities to continue research on the use of isotopes such as strontium-90, promethium-147 and deuterium to develop higher power and a service life of 2-30 years.
Zhang Wei said that the core of the betavolt atomic battery is the fourth-generation diamond semiconductor, which is the industry’s well-known semiconductor ultimate material, and another highland in the global semiconductor field science and technology competition. Betavolt is currently the only company in the world that can dope to make large-size diamond semiconductor materials, and high-efficiency diamond converters are the key to manufacturing nuclear batteries. Betavolt is not only a new energy company, but also a fourth-generation semiconductor and ultra-long carbon nanotube new materials company. Nuclear batteries, diamond semiconductors and supercapacitors, the three major technologies and materials are linked and fused, forming the core technology and innovation ability of Betavolt.