New Beavoltaic battery than can last for 30 years

[syzygy]

Simply awesome . . Unbelievable application potential . . .

Ooohs and aaahs.

 

[Chaotic42]

That's awesome!

Maybe they can scale them up to work on vehicles...

 

[Jeff7]

From a site with a section on "Free energy."

Be afraid.


"The reason the battery lasts so long is that neutron beta-decay into protons is the world's most concentrated source of electricity, truly demonstrating Einstein?s theory E=MC2."

Okay then. That's new to me.

The grammar and punctuation is excellent, too.
"Although betavoltaic batteries sound Nuclear they?re not, they?re neither use fission/fusion or chemical processes to produce energy and so (do not produce any radioactive or hazardous waste).


"The profile of the batteries can be quite small and thin, a porous silicon material is used to collect the hydrogen isotope tritium which is generated in the process. "
Tritium? So it collects it and does what with it? Tritium is radioactive.


And let's see, if neutrons are decaying into beta particles and protons, then why is this stuff producing neutrons, which then magically bind to hydrogen to produce that tritium?


Next they'll be harvesting the power of sunspots to produce cognitive radiation.

 

[So]

LOL

Despite not using fission / fusion, these things have been known about for years. Simply elements undergoing beta decay (radioactive) but the low energy form that is simply an electron being emitted now and then. They last forever and would rock, but I think they are super low current, and always going.

 

[MrDudeMan]

Betavoltaic

Edit: Oh and this is stupid. Until I see one in a real product this is pure BS.

Edit2: I should clarify. I know the fact that a current can be harvested from beta-decay, but I say powering a laptop off of this is BS.

 

[NanoStuff]

Now we just need cars that use 100mW of power and we're all set.

 

[FoBoT]

shens, need a reputable source

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
Betavoltaic

Edit: Oh and this is stupid. Until I see one in a real product this is pure BS.

Edit2: I should clarify. I know the fact that a current can be harvested from beta-decay, but I say powering a laptop off of this is BS.

And there are already devices that produce electricity from the decay of radioactive substances. NASA's known about them for quite some time.

But they aren't exactly powerful things, despite that they use plutonium.

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: NanoStuff
Now we just need cars that use 100mW of power and we're all set.

:laugh:

 

[So]

Originally posted by: NanoStuff
Now we just need cars that use 100mW of power and we're all set.

Haven't you heard fromthe green movement? We can just keep improving efficiency until that happens! All we have to do is march on washington. charge the barricades and make them see...make the government mandate it. After all, engineers only have to obey the laws of thermodynamics until congress repeals them!

 

[ppdes]

Someone will pass a law forcing the manufacturers to put a radiation symbol on them in case they break open or something and so no one will buy them. Think irradiated foods.

>electricity from the decay of radioactive substances. NASA's known

Don't the NASA ones usually go radioactive decay -> heat -> electricity? The one in the article doesn't seem to use heat.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: ppdes
Someone will pass a law forcing the manufacturers to put a radiation symbol on them in case they break open or something and so no one will buy them. Think irradiated foods.

>electricity from the decay of radioactive substances. NASA's known

Don't the NASA ones usually go radioactive decay -> heat -> electricity? The one in the article doesn't seem to use heat.

They use both. This stuff has been around since the 50's but there is no way you could get the government to allow that much tritium in the hands of consumers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_battery

 

[T9D]

Marty: Uh,... Wait a minute, are you telling me that this sucker is nuclear?!

Doc Brown: No, no, no. This sucker's electrical, but I need a nuclear reaction to generate the 1.21 gigawatts of electricity I need.

 

[NanoStuff]

Mercury is the second-deadliest poison known to man.

I can make up bullshit too.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Mercury is the second-deadliest poison known to man.

I can make up bullshit too.

This is the first.

 

[Maiora]

Betaphotovoltaic concept is nothing new.

Radioaktivitet

 

[BrownTown]

also FWIW this is finitely 100% nuclear, the creator is just saying its not to avoid the irrational scare that the word "nuclear" provides. But anyways, they use these in space ships and such, nothing new whatsoever. They obviously store way more energy than a normal battery, but given how slow it is released you would have a hard time running anything meaningful off them. In terms of improving battery power I am all for the miniature combustion turbines or fuel cells, that could get you alot long batter charge for your laptop (although it would take exploding laptops to a whole new level ).

 

[OrganizedChaos]

and where exactly is all this tritium going to come from?

 

[So]

Originally posted by: OrganizedChaos
and where exactly is all this tritium going to come from?

...North...Korea?

 

[jagec]

radioisotopes...radioactive...beta particles..."although these sound nuclear they're not."

 

[BrownTown]

also FWIW tritium is used in alot of application where the beta decay activates a phosphor to produce light. Such situation include exit signs, gun sights, and illuminating watches.

Tritium can be produced in several ways, in the USA they use lithium fissioning in a nuclear reactor. Canadians produce ALOT without even trying in their heavy water reactors by way of neutron capture by deuterium, although I believe they don't sell it to counties that use it in nuclear weapons like the USA.

 

[effowe]

Bump for this article.