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Beijing-based startup claims its coin-size nuclear battery could fly drones "continuously"

There is no doubt that China keeps surprising the whole world with its new discoveries. Let me tell you that many countries have been trying for a long time to develop small-sized nuclear batteries and commercialize them on a large scale but finally, china has brought a big revolution by developing it. So, we will know in detail which isotope has been used inside this nuclear battery, which sources have been used, and at the same time whether it is safe or not because whenever there is talk of nuclear energy we must talk about harmful and long-lasting effects of radiation. Will you be able to use this battery in your smartphone, will it be safe or not? You will get to know a lot in this article, let's move ahead.

nuclearBetavolt battery
Beijing-based startup name Betavolt announced that it has developed a revolutionary battery which has the capability to run your smartphone for 50 years without charging. (Image credit: BetaVolt)

The Beijing-based startup name Betavolt announced that it has developed a revolutionary battery which has the capability to run your smartphone for 50 years without charging if it becomes completely Commercialized and produced on a large scale, then what a big revolution it can be. This startup expects the battery to be used in industries ranging from aerospace to robotics and smartphones. 

Betavolt battery is being called the world's first miniature atomic energy system. If you look at its size and compare it with coins you see it is smaller than that, while measuring 15×15×15 cubic millimetre. 

How does a Betavolt nuclear battery work? 

Betavolt battery uses nickel-63 as a radioactive☢️ source. Nickel-63 decays into copper through a beta pathway(neutron that transforms into a proton by emitting an electron), if you can do something with that electron, it becomes the source of electricity.   

Inside China's nuclear battery Betavolt
Inside China's nuclear battery "BV100".(Image credit: BetaVolt)

Betavolt batteries sandwich the radioactive nickel between two ultrathin plates of a diamond semiconductor converter. Nickel-63 is placed next to a diamond plate so that when the high energy electron impacts the diamond plate. It knocks an electron out of where it wants to be within the diamond plate creating an electron-hole pair these electron-hole pairs want to recombine with each other if you connect a wire to the top and bottom of the diamond plate electrons will rush to recombine with holes and you can use the current flow to do useful electrical work. 

Why Betavolt use diamonds in its nuclear battery? 

Most semiconductor materials, due to the structure and way that they're made, are very susceptible to damage from radiation, which degrades the material over time, reducing its efficiency Both Betavolt and Arkenlight, the UK startup, use semiconductors made from incredibly thin layers of diamond because it is very radiation hard material, meaning it resists degradation another good thing about diamond to use is that there's a relatively large band gap of about 5.5 eV, which is the difference between the energy levels of the conduction band and valence band. This means two things: one, that it can capture more energy from decaying electrons that would otherwise be lost to heat heating up the material, and two, that a large band gap is useful because it makes it difficult for the created electron-hole pairs to then recombine, increasing the carrier lifetime and making the device more efficient overall. 

Future

Betavolt battery usage is considered. it is being told that pilot testing has been done on it and if the company wants to mass produce it, then here it can be used on smartphones, mini drones aerospace, artificial intelligence, medical devices, microprocessors, advanced sensors, and many other appliances. You have to understand that initially the nuclear battery which has been developed by Betavolt. Basically, it delivers 100 microwatts of power and the voltage inside it is 3V, which translates to a minuscule electric current of 0.000033 amp. This current, originating from the decay of radioactive nickel atoms, means we would consume about 34.3 grams of nickel-63 over 50 years. Now see the power here it is very small. However, the company's next plan is to produce a battery with 1 watt of power till 2025 so that we can operate the big devices. 

Safety concerns addressed

Here we are talking about nickel-63, which is a radioactive element installed inside it, so it is obvious that there will be a lot of concerns regarding its safety. It is being told by the company that the design has been made it ensure safety. They say that the layered structure of the battery will basically prevent the from catching any fire and exploding. This battery can work in a wide range of temperatures, from -60C to 120C this is what the company says, meaning no matter how you use it anywhere, it will work smoothly but there is still concern regarding the radiation, will the radiation release from the nickel-63 used, will harm us? Here again, the company says that no, nothing like this is going to happen, this battery is very safe. There will be no external radiation. It can even be used in a pacemaker(fitted inside our baby). They have basically claimed that it's one decay period is over then the nickel-63 isotope will transform itself into a stable non-radioactive isotope of copper, making it easily recyclable due to which there will be no safety concerns about it. 

Conclusion

Miniature nuclear batteries have been a long-time goal of scientists. The Soviet Union and the United States tried to make them for a long time so that they could be used in spacecraft, in underwater systems, and in remote scientific stations, but they came out more expensive and also quite big what china has done is that it has been made in very small form. 
But before you get too excited regarding the potential of this remarkable energy source. I would like to remind you that another startup named NBD secured over $1.2 million in investment for a similar battery promising a lifespan of thousands of years the device still hasn't materialized, and the US Securities and Exchange Commission is now going after the company for fraud. 



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