Scientists at the University of Missouri-Columbia have developed an atomic energy battery that can provide a continuous power supply for decades.
According to nuclear scientists and the energy company Qynergy, their discovery will enable applications for compact energy sources that last longer in daily life. These energy cells generate a small, continuous amount of electricity for approximately 20 years.
David Robertson, director of the nuclear reactor research center, stated, “In our research, we have been able to achieve an energy conversion efficiency of 11%, whereas similar energy sources until now have only reached 5%.”
Researchers indicate that the technology used in these energy batteries functions similarly to solar power plants but utilizes radioactive isotopes as the energy source.
The energy batteries incorporate radioactive isotopes that are encapsulated within the battery, similar to the radioactive sources used in smoke detectors, and are safe for users and the environment.
This technology converts beta particles into electrical energy, allowing electricity generation for many years, depending on the type of energy and the half-life of the radioactive isotopes used.
