In the vast emptiness of space, Voyager 1 has faithfully whispering its secrets to Earth since 1977. But in just over two decades, its nuclear heart is expected to get dark. What would happen if, on the other hand, could I continue to hum for thousands of years?
A team of British scientists and engineers has created a battery that could make such a thing possible. Its device, a carbon diamond-14 battery, is a strange fusion of radioactive decomposition, synthetic diamonds and plasma chemistry. The result is a source of energy that could survive generations of human civilization.
A battery like no other
In its nucleus, the diamond battery thrives in the decomposition, specifically, the decomposition of the carbon-14 isotope. Carbon-14 is better known for its role in radiocarbon appointments, but now you are ready to enter the energy storage game.
Locked inside a synthetic diamond, carbon-14 suffers beta decomposition, releasing electrons that the diamond then converts into electricity. The whole process is surprisingly similar to how solar panels turn sunlight into power, but with a crucial difference. Instead of capturing photons from the sun, the diamond capture electrons emitted from the inside.
With a half-life of 5,700 years, carbon-14 can last more than our oldest pyramids. That means that a diamond battery could, in theory, continue to provide energy for thousands of years, many times about the life cycle of any engineering project. However, there is a trap. It is not designed for high drainage devices such as smartphones or laptops. But for low power applications (think of medical implants, sensors and satellites, the possibilities are amazing.
“Diamond batteries offer a safe and sustainable way to provide continuous microwatt power levels,” said Sarah Clark, director of the tritium fuel cycle in the Atomic Energy Authority of the United Kingdom (UKAEA). “They are an emerging technology that uses a diamond manufactured to safely enclose small amounts of carbon-14”.
Space, medicine and more
Practical uses for a thousand -year battery are almost unlimited. The spacecraft and satellites, such as Voyager 1 aging, could maintain communication much longer than they can currently. Tom Scott, professor of materials at the University of Bristol, imagines a future in which such batteries are an exploration pillar in deep space.
“Our microperwower technology can admit a wide range of important applications from spatial technologies and security devices to medical implants,” Scott said. “We are excited to explore all these possibilities, working with partners in industry and research, in the coming years.”
Closer to home, the implications are equally deep. Imagine a pacemaker that never needs replacement or a hearing aid that works for decades without a new battery. For patients, this means less surgeries and less discomfort. For hospitals and health systems, it promises less logistics headaches and reduced costs.
Neil Fox, from the School of Chemistry of the University of Bristol, says that this battery is completely safe. “Carbon-14 was chosen as a source material because it emits short-range radiation, which is rapidly absorbed by any solid material. This would make it dangerous to ingest or touch with your bare skin, but maintained safely inside the diamond, it cannot escape the short -range radiation. ”
In fact, the diamond is the hardest known natural material. Radiation remains blocked inside, harmless to the user.
Fusion to Diamonds
The diamond battery is an unexpected branch of Fusion Research. In the Ukaea Culham campus, where scientists strive to take advantage of the energy of the merger, the same experience has fed innovation in the science of materials.
Using a plasma deposition platform, a specialized device for the growth of synthetic diamonds, the equipment successfully created the delicate diamond housing necessary to contain carbon-14. Carbon itself came from graphite blocks, a byproduct of nuclear fission reactors.
Although the concept of diamond batteries emerged for the first time in 2016, recent advances mark a significant step towards practical use. Researchers are now exploring industrial associations to bring technology to the market. Previously, Zme Science reported on another battery of diamonds, a fed by nuclear waste instead of carbon-14, which can last 28,000 years.
Scott is still optimistic on the way ahead. “The decade ahead is about improving power performance and reduction production,” he said.
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