Betavolt nuclear battery delivers 50 years of atomic energy

Chinese company Betavolt has unveiled its nuclear battery, powered by atomic energy, which can provide stable power for 50 years from a single charge, with no need for recharging or even maintenance.

This is not science fiction. The civilian-focused solution has just entered its pilot phase and is expected to move into mass production and become commercially available shortly.

Betavolt is targeting its new battery at aerospace and medical equipment, as well as AI (Artificial Intelligence) devices, sensors, drones and more.

Smartphones that never need charging and drones capable of continuous flight are among the possibilities offered by this atomic battery.

Betavolt BV100 nuclear battery specifications

Known as the Betavolt BV100, this first battery is no larger than a coin, measuring 15 mm on each side and just 5 mm thick.

It can supply 100 µW (microwatts) of power at 3 V. However, the company says that several units can be connected in series or parallel, depending on each device's energy requirements. Its continuous energy output is 8.64 J (joules) per day and 3153 J per year.

Betavolt also says that the new battery produces energy consistently, without being affected by its surrounding environment. It can generate power continuously at temperatures between -60 °C and 120 °C, without self-discharging.

Since it can produce electricity continuously for half a century, this physical battery cannot be discussed in terms of charge cycles in the same way as electrochemical batteries. According to Betavolt's statement, its energy density is around 10 times higher than that of lithium batteries, storing approximately 3300 mAh (milliampere-hours) per gram.

Is the nuclear battery safe?

Nuclear energy may naturally raise concerns, but Betavolt is keen to state that its new battery is completely safe. That comes down to the materials used in its construction.

The BV100 uses a nickel-63 (⁶³Ni) isotope and a fourth-generation diamond semiconductor. Nickel-63 serves as the radioactive source, but it decays into a stable copper isotope, which is non-radioactive and poses no threat or environmental pollution.

Indeed, the company states that the BV100 emits no external radiation, meaning it could even be used in medical devices such as pacemakers and similar equipment.

Compared with existing electrochemical batteries, nuclear energy batteries also have the benefit of not requiring complex recycling processes, which can be very costly.

To underline its safety credentials, Betavolt further claims that the battery will neither catch fire nor explode if punctured.

Larger Betavolt atomic battery models

The BV100 is only Betavolt's first atomic battery, intended for small devices, but the company is already examining larger solutions, including a 1 W version planned for 2025. It remains to be seen how large these batteries could become in future - could they eventually reach cars?