Chinese company unveils revolutionary nuclear battery with 50-year lifespan

Recently, a Chinese company claimed to have developed a new battery that could generate power for 50 years.

Released by Beijing Betavolt New Energy Technology Co Ltd, the nuclear battery utilizes nickel-63, a kind of nuclear isotope, decay technology and diamond semiconductors to miniaturize, modularize and reduce the cost of atomic energy batteries, Science and Technology Daily reported.

The company's first product, the BV100 battery, has a power of 100 microwatts, a voltage of three volts and a size of 15×15×5 cubic millimeters, which is smaller than a coin.

Atomic energy batteries, also known as nuclear or radioactive isotope batteries, work by converting the energy released from the decay of nuclear isotopes into electricity. The energy density of nuclear batteries is more than 10 times that of ternary lithium batteries. They do not catch fire or explode even when punctured or shot. They can operate normally within a temperature range of -60 C to 120 C.

Zhang Wei, CEO of the company, said the new type of nuclear battery can achieve stable power generation for 50 years without recharging or maintenance. It produces no external radiation. Once mass-produced and introduced to the market, it will meet the long-endurance power supply needs of aerospace, artificial intelligence devices, medical equipment, microelectromechanical systems, sensors, small drones and micro-robots. If the power output is sufficient, mobile phones equipped with nuclear batteries will no longer need recharging, and drones will not need to return for recharging.

Zhang added that the company is collaborating with domestic universities to develop higher-power batteries using strontium-90, promethium-147 and deuterium isotopes.