According to the company, the battery is smaller than a 50-cent coin but can still supply power for 50 years. It is designed so that smartphones, smartwatches, and other small devices no longer need to be recharged and drones can fly almost indefinitely. In addition, the small atomic battery is said to be completely harmless to health and therefore suitable for use in implants, sensors, and medical devices.
Atomic batteries are not sensitive
According to Betavolt Technologies, atomic batteries have other advantages over conventional batteries in addition to their long service life, including insensitivity to high and low temperatures. Furthermore, they should not emit any radiation and are non-flammable. The nuclear material they contain will completely decay by the end of their service life.
Nickel-63 isotope as a radiation source
The Chinese company Betavolt Technologies uses the isotope nickel-63 for its atomic batteries. This is a coating only 2 micrometers thick, embedded between two diamond semiconductor layers, each only 10 micrometers thick. This design is intended to ensure higher battery efficiency.
The BV100 atomic battery has an output of 100 microwatts and a voltage of 3 volts, which is not enough to power a smartphone. Betavolt Technologies aims to launch a one-watt atomic battery by 2025. This could also power smartphones and similar devices.