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Nuclear battery produces power for 50 years without needing to charge
(www.independent.co.uk)
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The company said the next-generation battery had already entered the pilot testing stage and will eventually be mass produced for commercial applications like phones and drones.
Scientists in the Soviet Union and United States were able to develop the technology for use in spacecraft, underwater systems and remote scientific stations, however the thermonuclear batteries were both costly and bulky.
The quest to miniaturise and commercialise nuclear batteries was taken up under China’s 14th Five-Year Plan designed to strengthen the country’s economy between 2021 and 2025, while research institutions in the US and Europe are also working on their development.
Their small size means they could be used in series to produce more power, with the company imagining mobile phones that never need to be charged and drones that can fly forever.
Its layered design also means it will not catch fire or explode in response to sudden force, Betavolt claims, while also being capable of working in temperatures ranging from -60C to 120C.
“The atomic energy battery developed by Betavolt is absolutely safe, has no external radiation, and is suitable for use in medical devices such as pacemakers, artificial hearts and cochleas in the human body,” the company said.
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