2187 - The 50 Year Nuclear Battery From China And How To Make Your Own Version
Summary
TLDRThe video discusses emerging nuclear battery technology using radioactive isotopes like nickel-63 and diamond semiconductors to generate electricity. It provides background on how nuclear batteries work using radioactive decay to create an electric current. The host builds a demonstration nuclear battery using a smoke detector's americium-241 and a transistor to show the alpha voltaic effect. While dangerous, these batteries can last extremely long without recharging. The technology holds promise for powering devices, though currently outputs only small amounts of energy.
Takeaways
- 😀 A new long-lasting nuclear battery using nickel and diamond has been developed by a Chinese company
- 😲 Nuclear batteries have existed since the 1950s using radioactive decay to generate electricity
- 🔋 The new Chinese battery uses radioactive nickel and diamond semiconductors to produce current
- ⚡ The battery can power devices for 50+ years without needing a recharge
- 🔋 Stacking battery modules can increase voltage and current like conventional batteries
- 😀 The batteries have no risk of explosion/fire and the nickel decays into harmless copper
- 📱 In the future these batteries may be able to power mobile phones indefinitely
- 🇷🇺 Russia and the UK have made nuclear batteries from radioactive reactor graphite
- 🤔 It's possible to make your own simple nuclear battery using a smoke detector
- 😲 But making your own involves radioactive materials and should only be done for education
Q & A
What is a nuclear battery?
-A nuclear battery is a device that uses radioactive material to generate electricity. It converts nuclear energy into electrical energy.
How does a nuclear battery work?
-A nuclear battery works by using radioactive decay to generate an electric current. As the radioactive material decays, it emits charged alpha or beta particles. These particles hit a semiconductor material, knocking electrons free and creating a flow of electricity.
What are the components of a nuclear battery?
-The main components of a nuclear battery are a radioactive isotope, a semiconductor material like diamond, and a protective casing.
What are the advantages of a nuclear battery?
-Nuclear batteries have a very long lifespan and high energy density. They can provide power for decades without needing to be recharged or replaced.
What radioactive materials can be used in nuclear batteries?
-Some radioactive isotopes used in nuclear batteries include plutonium-238, curium-242, nickel-63, and americium-241.
How safe are nuclear batteries?
-Nuclear batteries are designed to fully contain the radioactive material safely. The radiation exposure is very low. However, proper safety precautions should still be taken when handling them.
What are some applications of nuclear batteries?
-Nuclear batteries are well-suited for long-duration, low-power applications like pacemakers, spacecraft and satellites.
How does a diamond nuclear battery work?
-A diamond nuclear battery uses a thin layer of radioactive diamond that emits beta particles. The particles generate a flow of electrons in the diamond's crystalline structure, producing electricity.
When were the first nuclear batteries invented?
-The first nuclear batteries were created in the 1950s, though the diamond semiconductor design has been developed more recently in 2016.
Can you make a nuclear battery at home?
-It is possible but extremely dangerous to try to make a homemade nuclear battery, as it involves handling radioactive materials. This should only be attempted with proper training and safety precautions.
Outlines
🌤 A Chinese company unveiled a new nuclear battery called the BV100.
Paragraph 1 introduces a new nuclear battery called the BV100 developed by a Chinese company called Betal. It uses nickel 63 radioactive isotope and diamond semiconductors to generate power for 50 years without recharging. The current 100 microwatt version is 15mm x 15mm x 15mm and pilot production has started, with plans for a 1 watt version in 2025 with 10x the energy density of lithium ion batteries. It poses no fire or explosion risk, and the nickel decays into harmless copper.
🔋 Bristol University and Russia created nuclear batteries from radioactive graphite.
Paragraph 2 discusses how Bristol University and Russia created nuclear batteries using radioactive graphite from decommissioned reactors. The graphite was turned into radioactive diamond sheets using chemical vapor deposition. Like the BV100, these work similarly to solar cells by emitting particles to knock off electrons and generate current. The first commercial nuclear battery in 1970 used plutonium and powered pacemakers for up to 88 years without replacing.
☢️ Demonstration of how to make a simple nuclear battery.
Paragraph 3 shows a demonstration of making a simple nuclear battery using a smoke detector as an ionization source and a transistor to collect the generated current. It produces a small amount of power but will last 432 years. This is just for illustration and not recommended to replicate due to radiation exposure risk.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡nuclear battery
💡radioactive decay
💡beta particles
💡semiconductor
💡diamond battery
💡smoke detector
💡alpha particles
💡transistor
💡radioactive waste
💡half-life
Highlights
New nuclear battery unveiled by Chinese company Betal, called BV100, combining radioactive nickel-63 and diamond semiconductors.
BV100 measures 15mm x 15mm x 15mm, is in pilot production, expected full scale production in 2025 with 1 watt version.
No explosion/fire risk, nickel isotope decays back to copper, relatively harmless to environment.
Nuclear batteries first commercialized in 1970s for pacemakers, 88 year lifespan.
Russians created nuclear battery from radioactive graphite rods of decommissioned reactors.
Bristol University made radioactive diamond sheet semiconductor for nuclear battery.
Diamond emits beta particles, called beta voltaic. Other materials emit alpha, called alpha voltaic.
Smoke alarms use americium-241, 432 year half-life. Combined with transistor makes simple nuclear battery.
Smoke alarm ionization chamber contains americium-241 emitter, generates alpha particles.
Alpha particles hit transistor PN junction, generate small current like photovoltaic cell.
Nuclear batteries have very long lifespan so high energy density over time.
Nuclear waste could potentially be used productively in batteries.
Demonstrated basic homemade nuclear battery using smoke alarm and transistor.
Alpha voltaic and beta voltaic convert radiation directly to electricity like solar cells.
Lifetime of 432 years makes nuclear battery highly energy dense, though low power output.
Transcripts
[Music]
hi everybody so a new nuclear bory has
been unveiled by a Chinese company
called betol and they're calling it
their BV 100 It's a combination of
nickel 63 which is a radioactive isotope
and Diamond semiconductors and it's
supposed to be able to power devices for
the next 50 years without ever needing
to be recharged now they're making a 100
mowatt version which measures 15 mm x 15
mm x 15 mm and it's in Pilot production
now with full scale production expected
in about 2025 when they're looking at
generating a one watt version with an
energy density expected to be more than
10 times lithium ion now of course there
isn't an explosion or fire risk with
this kind of device and the nickel
radioactive isotope actually decays back
into harmless copper so not prone to
fire no charging recycling problems
relatively harmless to the environment
what's not to love about such a prospect
nuclear batteries have actually been
around since about the 1950s though most
of them were what called radi thermal
generators where the heat from the
decaying radioactive elements was turned
into electricity by using some sort of
thermocouple or a Sterling engine it was
in 2016 when the new principle of using
Diamond layers as a semiconductor was
first tried the idea is to select an
isotope that releases beta particles
which are essentially high energy
highspeed electrons or positrons into a
diamond Matrix which generates an
electric current which is of course
where betaal got its name from Beal's
new battery called the BV 100 uses two
single crystal diamond semiconductors
layers with a thickness of 10 microns
sandwiching a two Micron layer of nickel
63 each one of these sandwiches can
produce a current and they can be
stacked up or linked up just like
oldfashioned batteries to form hundreds
of independent modules that work
together to boost the current or the
voltage the whole thing is then sealed
in a protective case to Shield against
the radiation and protect the battery
against physical damage the current BV
100 can produce 100 microwatts at 3
volts and measures 15x 15x 5 mm and it's
thought that one day such batteries
could power your mobile phone so that it
never needs recharging it is a wonderful
thing that's for sure but it doesn't
stand in isolation it has a history 2018
the Russians created a nuclear battery
um they actually followed work done by
Bristol University where what they did
was take the carbon rods out of a
nuclear reactor and turn it into a
battery now the carbon rods are used to
um cover the nuclear fuel rods because
the nuclear fuel rods put out lots of
neutrons some of those neutrons are just
fast moving some of them are hot you
want the hot ones inside you want to get
rid of the fast moving ones so the fast
moving ones go into the graphite that
surrounds the rod absorbed in the
graphite and changes carbon 12 and 13
which is pretty innocuous into carbon 14
which is radioactive so of course when
they decommission a nuclear reactor
there's a ton of radioactive graphite
kicking about what Bristol did was take
that graphite Sublime it that turn that
is turn it directly from a solid into a
gas use chemical rep addition and create
a sheet of radioactive diamonds that's
kind of cool if you think about it
because Diamond actually is a
semiconductor when it's in that stair so
making a sheet of radioactive diamond
and putting another semiconductor device
on top of it means that they were able
to make a battery out of it and this
battery works in pretty much the same
way as a solar cell does by emitting
these alpha particles or beta particles
knocking off electrons and driving a
current now when something decays it
decays back from carbon Caron 14 to
carbon 12 or whatever it is doing that
way and it does it by the emission of
alpha particles which are helium or beta
particles which are electrons now
Diamond emits an awful lot of beta
particles so it's called beta voltaic
other materials emit an awful lot of
alpha particles and they're called Alpha
voltaic both of these have been used in
batteries before it was in
1970 when the first nuclear battery was
um commercialized and it used in pace
makers because it was used in pacemakers
and because it had an 88e lifespan then
you need never replace it normally a
past maker is replaced through surgery
every 5 to 10 years but these nuclear
ones that were put in the 1970s never
need replacement they're 88 years
lifespan and you're done you would you
would be in your grave longer than it
would take for this battery to run out
now that's only um pacemakers they use
plutonium actually and the half life of
it is what it gives it is power now when
you think about nuclear bacteries you
probably think about spare shuttles that
sort of thing really highend really um
dangerous stuff and that's very true
they they are but they're also
exceedingly interesting because they
last such a long time and themselves
they have a low energy density during a
short period of time but because they
last for such a long time they've got
huge amounts of energy density and of
course we' got quite a lot of nuclear
waste so being able to use that nuclear
wte in a productive manner like that is
what's got everybody kind of excited
particularly as Bristol and the Russians
have come up with this diamond battery
and that's got a lot of people's
imaginations going now I think we're
going to make our own nuclear battery
because there're surprisingly easy to
make you only really need three things
you need a smoke alarm the ionization
type and you need a transistor now I'm
using the 2N 305 two 2n3 3055 2055 what
is it ah 3055 so I'm using a transistor
the 2 and
3055 is these things can be used to
straightforward solar cells if you chop
off that top connect to the collector
which is the tin here and the base of
the output legs then you'll get yourself
a solar cell when you pop that into the
sun because a nuclear battery needs an
ionization source and a semiconductor
Junction and the only other thing it
needs need is a healthy disregard for
your own safety and that of any future
children who may be born with two heads
if you've got those things then you can
make your own nuclear battery actually
really easily now what's inside these
things is an npn Junction these two are
the N materials and this one is the P
material and you want the NP Junction
now between the base which is this leg
here and the case is the NP Junction
that's lying on the top so it's the one
that's going to perform the best if you
want to make a solar cell you do exactly
the same thing just shine in the Sun and
you'll get the most out of that
particular Junction although they'll all
work anyway let's take this apart and
have a look at that's what it looks like
on the inside once we've got it open and
that tiny square is the semiconductor
material and there some delicate wires
going to each pin got to exposed to
ambient light and you can see on the PIP
it's about quarter of a volt if I cover
that up then obviously the voltage dro
off cuz having a light response got
myself a torch shine that on and there
we go the voltage jumps up so that's the
transistor having a fter voltaic effect
and like I say alpha voltaic and fto
voltaic are not too different from each
other so now what we need to do is take
our source out of here which are
ionizing alarms use amicum 241 as their
radioactive Source they collect the um
smoke ironize it and that's how the
smoke alarm actually works but inside
there is a small piece of amicum 241 now
amicum has a half life of something like
432 years so just like that little
square in the photovoltaic is only going
to produce about 70 microamps or so it's
not going to produce a huge amount but
it's going to do it for 430 years and
that's what makes them incredibly energy
dense okay so word of warning this is
for experimentation purposes only so
that I can show you what's going on and
it's meant for education and
illustration and I'm doing it so you
don't have to so if you go ahead and do
this yourself well on your own head be
it it's purely for educational endent p
take your smoke arm apart you'll have
this big black thing in here that's
where the actual material is that's just
a p buzzer if we take that black thing
off you find this red thing here and
right in the center there is the amicum
emitter now it's held in a case covered
with foil and covered with a ceramic and
so behind it actually the alpha particle
can't actually Escape it's only from
that little dot there that all the AR
particles are being fired out so if I
pointed at you you're the one getting
the radiation not
me so I've got my radioactive material
and put it on a stick so it's at the
moment emitting arha particles only in
that direction so I have no intention of
staring at this like that or pointing it
at my genitals what I'm going to do is
keep it pointing outwards now we have
our transistor here we've got our pip
and you can see it's reading about
quarter of a volt and that's because of
the ambient light if I stick my finger
over there so that we can see that it's
we got no light going in there and it
drops right down to what is more or less
zero that's because I'm about to cover
it with this so anything that produces
is going to be because of the radiation
that's coming off of there not because
of the ambient light
so
[Laughter]
there we go we successfully made
ourselves a nuclear battery it was Alpha
volcanic and it was using the same
Principle as photovoltaic cells do by
hitting that NP Junction with alpha
particles and driving a current and that
and beta voltages are the um basis for
most of the research in nuclear B at the
moment and as I say this is a
demonstration uh and we now have
ourselves a nuclear battery didn't give
out a huge amount but it wouldn't do but
with the merum it will last 432 years so
that is going to be pretty energy dense
over the lifetime of the battery anyway
I hope you enjoyed the video that's how
you make your nuclear battery and if you
did please remember to like And
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