Researchers reveal long-lasting, highly efficient nuclear power source boasting a fifty-year lifespan.
A team of researchers led by Haisheng San, PhD, a professor at Xiamen University, and Xin Li, PhD, a researcher at the China Institute of Atomic Energy, have developed a groundbreaking nuclear battery that can withstand at least half a century of radiation. The battery, which integrates strontium-90 radioisotopes with multilayer-stacked GAGG: Ce scintillation waveguides, promises to revolutionise power sources for extreme environments.
The novel nuclear battery aims to meet the stringent operational demands of harsh environments, including long-term durability, maintenance-free operation, and continuous self-sustaining capabilities. In performance trials, a single RPVC unit achieved an energy conversion efficiency of 2.96 percent, significantly higher than existing RPVC designs. The battery offers three times the energy efficiency of conventional designs.
The innovative design converts radioactive energy into light, which is then directed toward photovoltaic cells that generate electricity. The battery is built on a waveguide light concentration (WLC) structure, which realizes a 3-fold improvement in energy conversion efficiency compared with conventional RPVC structures.
When exposed to electron beam irradiation equivalent to 50 years of radiation exposure, the devices showed only a modest 13.8 percent drop in optical performance. The prototype demonstrated a short-circuit current of 2.23 milliamperes (mA) and an open-circuit voltage of 2.14 volts (V).
The study, published in the journal Light: Science & Applications, marks a substantial step forward in promoting nuclear battery applications. However, large-scale production is still limited by challenges such as mass production and cost reduction of strontium-90 radioisotopes.
The new nuclear battery is designed to improve battery performance in extreme environments, such as space or deep-sea infrastructure. Conventional power sources struggle with long-term reliability in extreme conditions. The battery's ability to withstand harsh radiation makes it an ideal solution for missions requiring continuous, unattended power over many years.
The WLC-based RPVCs can achieve both high power output and outstanding long-term stability, representing a substantial advancement in facilitating nuclear battery applications. GAGG: Ce is a single-crystal scintillator known for its excellent photon detection capabilities, with an emission peak at 520 nanometers (nm).
Despite the advancements, the search results do not contain specific information about the duration of development and production of strontium-90 radio-photovoltaic cells developed by researchers in China. No relevant data was found on timelines or project length for this technology.
In conclusion, the new nuclear battery developed by Haisheng San, PhD, and Xin Li, PhD, offers a promising solution for powering extreme environments, such as space and deep-sea infrastructure. The battery's radiation resistance, energy efficiency, and long-term stability make it a significant step forward in nuclear battery technology. However, challenges in mass production and cost reduction of strontium-90 radioisotopes must be addressed for large-scale implementation.
