Betavolt unveils revolutionary coin-size battery with nickel-63 nuclear isotope and diamond semiconductors

[Redaktion]

The BV100 micro nuclear energy battery is said to provide 100 mW at 3V continuously without recharge or any maintenance for 50 years. Despite using the radioactive nickel-63 isotope, the battery can safely power even pacemakers inside the human body and is environment-friendly as well.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Betavolt-unveils-revolutionary-coin-size-battery-with-nickel-63-nuclear-isotope-and-diamond-semiconductors.793254.0.html

[Li]

Please get your facts straight, basic math required:

power rating is limited to 100 mW at 3V. It produces 8.64 J per day and 3153 J per year.

Nope, it's 100 uW (microwatt), only then you arrive at 8.64 J/day. Tom's Hardware got it right, HKEPC and you did not.

"way ahead" of Europe and America, which only developed large-size thermonuclear batteries

I understand they want you to think this way, but tritium based 'chip' batteries from CityLabs are available with similar power, higher safety due to less radiation, but shorter half-life.
According to Wikipedia, promethium-based 'nuclear' (actually, betavoltaic is the correct term) batteries were used in pacemakers since early 1970s.

And, BTW, these 'chinese' batteries seem to based on 2018 russian research.

[DavidC1]

Please get your facts straight, basic math required:

Rarely anything this Bogdan author write real news. Sorry, but you gotta do a BETTER JOB.

Betavolt devices have been used back in the 1970s before being phased out and coming back in 2018. And yes it's not Chinese, but Russian, but maybe not attributing it to Russia has to do with political correctness maybe?

Also if they can ramp the power up, radioactivity will really become a concern.

[anan]

"large-size thermonuclear batteries" really sounds ominous. Also - wrong.
This info is likely regurgitated from other sources. Some of it sticks out even for my general knowledge on the subject.
Anyway. The gist is - the technology is not new but it is exciting anyways.

If it is betavoltaic - wouldn't it be safe even at larger sizes? Like the tritium tubes.

[David M]

Would 60 of them in series give out 200mA ? I'd like to power a raspberry pi zero.