2187 - The 50 Year Nuclear Battery From China And How To Make Your Own Version

Summary

The 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

00:00

🌤 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.

05:00

🔋 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.

10:08

☢️ 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.

Keywords

💡nuclear battery

A nuclear battery is a device that uses radioactive material to generate electricity. It works by using the particles and energy released from radioactive decay to create an electric current. The video discusses new nuclear battery technology using nickel-63 and diamond semiconductors. It does not need recharging and can power devices for decades.

💡radioactive decay

Radioactive decay is the process by which unstable atomic nuclei emit radiation over time. As the radioactive material in a nuclear battery decays, it releases energetic particles that can be converted into electricity.

💡beta particles

Beta particles are high energy electrons emitted from some radioactive decay processes. The new nuclear battery described uses nickel-63, which decays by beta decay. The beta particles released can generate an electric current in diamond semiconductor layers.

💡semiconductor

A semiconductor is a material that can conduct electricity under some conditions but not others. The nuclear battery uses layered diamond semiconductors to convert the energy of radioactive decay into electrical current.

💡diamond battery

A diamond battery uses radioactive diamond material to generate electricity via radioactive decay. The video discusses diamond batteries made using radioactive carbon-14 and how they work on a similar principle to the new nickel-63 nuclear battery.

💡smoke detector

Smoke detectors contain a small amount of radioactive americium-241. The video shows dismantling a smoke detector to extract the americium and use it to demonstrate a simple nuclear battery.

💡alpha particles

Alpha particles are helium nuclei emitted from some radioactive decay processes. Some materials used in nuclear batteries emit alpha particles, which can knock electrons free in a semiconductor to produce electricity.

💡transistor

A transistor is an electronic component that can be used to convert light or radiation into electrical current. The video uses a standard transistor to build a simple demonstration nuclear battery using americium from a smoke detector.

💡radioactive waste

Radioactive waste refers to materials left over from nuclear applications that contain radioactive isotopes. The video discusses the potential to use such waste to create useful nuclear batteries rather than needing to store or dispose of it.

💡half-life

The half-life of a radioactive isotope is the time it takes for half of the material to undergo radioactive decay. Materials with long half-lives, like those used in nuclear batteries, can keep producing energy for very long periods.

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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