A research group led by Soochow University is using americium to build a nuclear battery. This should guarantee continuous power generation for decades.
Researchers from several Chinese institutions led by Soochow University are using americium, a slightly radioactive element that does not occur naturally, for future nuclear batteries. It is extracted from the waste of nuclear reactors and has already been used as a source of ionizing radiation, for example in fluorescence spectroscopy and in ionization smoke detectors.
The experts embed a small amount of americium in a polymer crystal that converts the element’s alpha rays into green light. This light falls on a solar cell that generates electricity for decades.
8,000 times more efficient
Alpha rays, unlike radioactive beta and gamma rays, can be easily shielded so that they cannot be dangerous to humans. Even a sheet of paper is enough. The researchers in Suzhou are using quartz glass as shielding.
According to the team, the micronuclear battery has delivered constant power over hundreds of hours of testing and would likely continue to do so without interruption for decades. According to the scientists, the new development was more than 8,000 times more efficient than previous designs. However, the amounts of energy involved are tiny.
Wide range of applications
Nevertheless, such a device could be useful for some applications, particularly for low-power sensors and devices that need to operate unattended for long periods of time and where recharging or changing batteries is impractical and extremely expensive due to the large amount of effort involved, such as on the seafloor, in remote mountain weather stations or in space.
Source: www.com-magazin.de
