Wedoany.com Report-Mar 13, In the latest step to clean energy technology, a Chinese company said that it has developed a prototype of ultra-longevity carbon-14 (C-14) nuclear battery, named Zhulong-1, making progress in the micro-nuclear battery innovation quest.
Wuxi Beita Pharmatech Co., Ltd. which is located in east China’s Jiangsu Province, said it made the achievement in collaboration with Northwest Normal University in Gansu Province in the northwest of China.
Nuclear batteries convert radioactive decay energy into electricity, differing fundamentally from conventional chemical batteries. Wuxi Beita has established a whole C-14 industry chain system, covering C-14 labeling products and labeling technologies, laying foundation for developing Zhulong-1, according to the company.
Zhang Guanghui, technology leader of the battery project, who is from Northwest Normal University, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the core innovation of Zhulong-1 lies in the use of C-14, a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 5,730 years, which is paired with a silicon-carbide (SiC) semiconductor to generate power. As C-14 decays, it emits beta particles that interact with the semiconductor, producing a steady flow of electrons.
This approach addresses key technical challenges, including the preparation of high-specific-activity C-14 sources, and the low energy conversion efficiency and stability of transducer devices, said Zhang.
In a live demonstration at Wuxi Beita’s laboratory, a Zhulong-1-powered LED has operated flawlessly for nearly four months, sustaining over 35,000 pulsed flashes. Researchers further validated its utility by integrating the battery with a Bluetooth chip — which successfully transmitted and received wireless signals.
