The two most important problems to address in this world are waste management and the search for better energy sources. A solution to both of these problems is addressed through a single innovation by a California-based company called Nano Diamond Battery (NBD). That could lead us one step closer to the ever-coming sustainable future.
The company claimed that it developed a device that can power daily use devices up to a whopping 1000 years. Yeah, you heard it right; this is the future we all have been waiting to unveil. This device is not only interesting from the huge number it promises but also for the possibilities that come with it.
PROBLEMS AND UNIMAGINABLE SOLUTIONS
Nuclear waste management and safe dumping of 1 million cubic meters require 1 billion dollars per year which too doesn’t guarantee full safe disposal. This is a huge problem and this problem is only going to increase in the future as the requirement of nuclear power plants to generate electricity has been increasing exponentially. The company has been doing research extensively to harness this nuclear waste to produce energy that can run multiple devices.
The battery that the company has developed claims to work for years and does not require any replacement. With this feature, it can solve issues with devices that cannot change batteries easily like the pacemakers of an artificial heart.
The battery will produce energy through the process of electron decay for this purpose carbon-14 will be used. This radioactive c14 waste will be kept inside an artificial diamond-studded case. The outer wall will be coated with artificial diamonds that will not allow harmful radiations to pass through. While the common crowd is still skeptical about the health issues and impact of the battery the company assures there is no need for worry. The beta radiations of the radioactive waste will require a 2 to 3 layer coating of the artificial diamond for complete protection.
The diamond used here are grown in the laboratory is usually beta voltaic rather than photovoltaic (solar cells) so these diamonds convert beta radiations to electricity rather than light to electricity. The radioactive waste that is mostly graphite waste throws electrons the diamond surface and is then converted into electricity as the decay continues the production of electricity also continues.
The usage of this battery will be very versatile; it can come in handy in our daily use of devices like mobiles, smartwatches, ear pods speakers, and IoT (internet of things) devices. when fitted with these batteries imagine the days the battery would not die out. Gone are the days of multiple charging and battery replacement worries. The future is about non-exhaustive batteries.
These batteries will also be used extensively in space tech. be its space satellites, rockets, or battery for powering up the cockpit. This would be a great step as this thing requires a huge array of energy to run and these nuclear waste batteries is all about power.
To enhance its capacity to an extended level the company is now focusing on purifying nuclear waste. This would mean an extended level of power and days it can run. They also plan to develop a Nano battery that would power chips, semiconductors, and computer circuits.
With this development, the hope for a sustainable future continues.
REFERENCES
- https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/a-battery-made-from-nuclear-waste-that-can-last-28000-years/article32484905.ece
- https://www.wired.com/story/are-radioactive-diamond-batteries-a-cure-for-nuclear-waste/
- https://www.livingcircular.veolia.com/en/industry/radioactive-waste-diamonds-could-create-source-electricity-lasting-thousands-years
- https://www.reutersevents.com/nuclear/diamond-battery-can-process-nuclear-waste-and-generate-electricity
