The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority or UKAEA) has recently developed the first atomic energy battery with the University of Bristol carbon-14 diamond to the world. According to their studies, this technology of accumulation has the potential to power devices for thousands of years: a possible future battery with this technology for commercial use could last approximately 5000 years.
How the diamond battery is made
The diamond it is a mineral made up only of atoms of carbon tied in one crystal lattice tetrahedral in shape. In this case, however, a detail is used radioactive isotope of carbon, i.e. the carbon-14. Isotopes are atoms similar to others of the same element, in this case carbon, but with a different mass, linked to a different number of neutrons present in the atomic nucleus. The most stable isotope of carbon (which has 6 protons) and most abundant in nature has 6 neutrons. The core of carbon-14 instead it contains 8 neutrons. This isotope occurs naturally and is normally used for dating Of fossils and other organic remains.
The diamond battery is therefore based on a mineral of this type which includes in its structure a small quantity of atoms ofcarbon-14 isotope. To be precise, the material used belongs to the class of Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC), or materials amorphous of carbon which exhibit some of the properties similar to those of diamond.
How the carbon-14 battery works
The battery generates electricity by exploiting the energy released by nature radioactive decay of carbon-14. Since this decay is called in technical jargon beta decaynuclear batteries that exploit it are known as betavoltaic batteries.
We can therefore speak of a “nuclear battery” (or rather, atomic energy batteries) because it uses this type of energy. In beta decay one of the neutrons in the atomic nucleus decays into a proton, an electron and an antineutrino. The diamond battery takes advantage of the electrons produced by decay to power an electrical circuit, while in current nuclear power plants energy is produced by causing the fission of atomic nuclei (in practice, the nuclei are “broken” into lighter nuclei). In short, even if in both cases the word “nuclear” is included, we are talking about completely different technologies. A diamond battery can power the circuit to which it is connected Safe And checked thanks to structure of diamond which contains these isotopes.
How the University of Bristol diamond battery was developed
The diamond battery was proposal on a conceptual level from Cabot Institute at the University of Bristol during a seminar held in November of 2016. The first prototype built by the same university used an isotope of another element, the nickel-63. In the 2018 researchers from various technological institutes of Fly announced that they had developed a prototype battery that used the isotope nickel-63 and dei converters in diamond. Research at the University of Bristol then continued and led to the development of the carbon-14 based battery.
This line of research was very important because carbon-14 is a rejection at a low level of radioactivity induced by fission nuclear power plants. They are present in some nuclear fission reactors graphite bars (also composed entirely of carbon atoms), which are used to regulate the nuclear reaction. The carbon-12 they are made of becomes partly radioactive and if it could be used in this type of battery it would no longer be used as waste, but could become useful again and generate energy.
How long can a diamond battery last and possible uses
A small carbon-14 battery can generate 15 joules per day For thousands of years. To give an order of magnitude, a normal one AA battery that we use in remote controls or in many other small devices stores around 10,000 joules, which is equivalent to 15 joules per day for only two years. Diamond batteries can therefore be used for devices that require one very low current for a long period of time and are therefore ideal for applications such as medical devices (eye implants, hearing aids and pacemakers), or for extreme environmentsboth in the space that on Earthwhere it may be impossible to frequently replace a battery.
