A research group is developing nuclear batteries using radioactive carbon to provide continuous electricity for a long time instead of charging many times like lithium-ion battery.
Betavoltaic battery developed by the research team of In Print. Image: Su-il in
Researchers are considering using radioactive carbon as a source for small and cheap nuclear batteries that can exist for decades or longer without charging. Su-il in, a professor at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, presented the research results at the spring meeting of the American Chemistry Association (ACS) from 23 to 27/3, according to Phys.org.
Sometimes, the mobile phone runs out faster than expected or electric cars are not enough to run to the destination. Lithium-ion battery (Li-ion) charges many times on these devices usually only maintain a few hours or days between each charge. However, after many use, the battery is degraded and need to recharge more often. This limits the usefulness of Li-ion batteries to supply electricity such as drone and remote sensor device. This battery is also harmful to the environment. Lithium exploitation consumes a lot of energy and the release of Li-ion battery can pollute the ecosystem.
With the increasing popularity of connected vehicles, data centers and many other computer technologies, the long -lasting demand for batteries is also greater. According to In, future energy technology research experts, the performance of Li-ion battery is also almost saturated. Therefore, printing and colleagues are developing nuclear batteries as a solution to replace lithium batteries.
The nuclear battery generates electricity by exploiting high energy particles emitted by radioactive materials. Not all radioactive elements emit radioactive harmful to the organization of life, some radioactive can be prevented by materials. For example, beta beads (or beta rays) can be blocked by thin aluminum sheets, turning betavoltaic battery into a safe selection for nuclear batteries.
The team creates a prototype of Betavoltaic battery with carbon-14, a form of carbon less stable radiation, called radioactive carbon. Print the decision to use radioactive isotope of carbon because it only produces beta rays. In addition, is a by -products of nuclear power plants, radioactive carbon is not expensive, available and easy to recycle. Because radioactive carbon decay very slowly, theoretically, the battery operating with radioactive carbon can exist throughout the millennium.
In the normal Betavoltaic battery, the electron hits the semiconductor, produces electricity. The semiconductor is the key part of the Betavoltaic battery, because they are basically responsible for energy transformation. Therefore, scientists discover high -end semiconductor materials to achieve higher energy conversion efficiency, measure a type of battery that can convert electrons into electricity is available.
To significantly improve the energy transformation performance of the new design, print and colleagues use semiconductor -based semiconductors based on titanium dioxide, a common material used in the photoelectric battery, extremely sensitive to the ruthenium dye. They reinforce the link between Titan dioxide and dye through treatment with citric acid. When the beta ray from radioactive carbon collided with the processed Ruthenium dye, a series of electron conversion reactions took place, called electronic waterfall. The electronic waterfall moves through the dye and Titan dioxide effectively collects the electron effectively.
The new battery also contains radioactive carbon at the anode sensitive to dyes and the cathode. By handling both electrodes with radioactive isotopes, the team increases the amount of beta -generated rays and reduces the beta radiation energy loss related to the gap between the two structures.
During the test prototype, the team found that beta rays were released from radioactive carbon at both ruthenium dyes in the anode producing electronic waterfall, collected by Titanium dioxide layer and external circuits, available power supply.
Compared to the previous design containing only radioactive carbon in the cathode, the new battery has a much higher energy change efficiency, up from 0.48% to 2.86%. This long -lasting nuclear battery can support many applications, for example, the pacemaker operates for a lifetime, eliminating the needs of replacement surgery. The researchers are working hard to optimize and absorb beta rays, thereby enhancing the battery performance.