2024-06-19 06:30:00
U.S. NUCLEAR BATTERY
WNN - 12 June 2024 - California-based Infinity Power says it has successfully developed a very powerful and long-lasting nuclear battery that uses electrochemical energy conversion.
It says its nuclear battery - developed with support from the US Department of Defense - has been demonstrated to attain an overall efficiency of more than 60%.
"Compared to other radioisotope energy conversion methods with low efficiency (<10%), it marks the highest level of overall efficiency ever achieved," according to the company. "This shows that the upcoming commercial release of next-generation radioisotope power sources holds out huge hope."
Nuclear batteries - also known as radioisotope batteries - work on the principle of utilising the energy released by the decay of nuclear isotopes and converting it into electrical energy through semiconductor converters. Unlike typical other converters, Infinity Power says its battery uses novel electrochemical energy conversion.
The company claims its "tiny coin-cell-style device can provide tens of milliwatts of power for over 100 years".
Infinity Power says its technology is scalable, enabling a wide range of power generation, from nanowatts to kilowatts or more.
"Because of its higher efficiency, it requires less radioisotope to produce the same amount of power as other conversion processes," it says. "Furthermore, compared to previous methods that only allow for limited selection, it offers a significantly wider range of radioisotope materials' selection."
The company says that for many specialised applications - such as implantable medical devices, deep-sea power systems, space power systems, remote area power systems, microgrid power systems, etc - the scalable design and mass producibility of its technology "will allow for speedy market acceptance".
"Our goals are to guide this discovery toward a prosperous product launch and begin a new chapter in the history of revolutionary nuclear energy storage solutions," said Infinity Power CEO Jae Kwon.
In January, Chinese firm Beijing Betavolt New Energy Technology Company Ltd claimed to have developed a miniature nuclear battery that can generate electricity stably and autonomously for 50 years without the need for charging or maintenance. It said the battery is currently in the pilot stage and will be put into mass production on the market.
-----
Earlier:
2024, June, 13, 06:35:00
U.S. NUCLEAR EXPANSION
"To reach our goal of net-zero by 2050, we have to at least triple our current nuclear capacity in this country. That means we’ve got to add 200 more gigawatts by 2050,"
2024, May, 7, 06:35:00
GLOBAL NUCLEAR ENERGY RISKS
The nuclear energy future that is being proposed now – small, flexible reactors distributed everywhere for many uses besides electricity – will not reduce, but will add to the
national security risks that are unique to nuclear energy. On top of this, cooperation among key states essential to minimize the safety, security and proliferation risks of nuclear energy is at an all-time low.
2024, May, 3, 06:45:00
CHINA'S NUCLEAR ACCELERATING
China has the world’s largest nuclear fleet and aims to produce 10% of its electricity from nuclear power by 2035 and 18% by 2060 to enhance energy security and advance decarbonisation goals.
2024, April, 3, 06:40:00
CHINA'S NUCLEAR OPENING
The opening of these research facilities and testing platforms by China to the world is expected to promote the development of nuclear technology worldwide.
2024, March, 13, 06:55:00
U.S. ENERGY INVESTMENT 2025: $44 BLN
The DOE Budget requests $51 billion in discretionary budget authority for 2025, a $3.6 billion or 7.5 percent increase from the 2023 level.
2024, January, 22, 06:45:00
CHINA'S NUCLEAR BATTERY: 50 YEARS
Betavolt, which was established in April 2021, says its battery "combines nickel-63 nuclear isotope decay technology and China's first diamond semiconductor (4th generation semiconductor) module to successfully realise the miniaturisation of atomic energy batteries".
2023, November, 23, 06:15:00
U.S. BATTERY INVESTMENT $3.5 BLN
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $3.5 billion from the Infrastructure Law to boost domestic production of advanced batteries and battery materials nationwide.
