Chinese scientists have built a nuclear battery that can produce power for up to 50 years without being recharged. The technology, which contains a radioactive isotope, or version of nickel, as its power source, will be the first of its kind available for general purchase, Betavolt representatives said on Jan. 8 in a translated statement.
The new battery, dubbed “BV100”, is smaller than a coin, measuring 0.6 x 0.6 x 0.2 inches (15 x 15 x 5 millimeters), and generates 100 microwatts of power. If approved for use in devices like smartphones, future generations of the battery would ultimately remove the need to ever charge them, company representatives said.
But Juan Claudio Nino, a materials scientist at the University of Florida, is skeptical. Its size means it contains relatively little radioisotope and it produces just 0.01% of the electricity required. “Certainly it’s within the range for a pacemaker or perhaps a passive wireless sensor. But in its current form, it just doesn’t have enough power to run a cell phone,” he said.
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