Imagine an auto-battery pack that lasts nearly a century or a power source that can help power smartphones for nine years.
As surreal as these claims may seem, we might be closer to realizing them than you imagined. And that’s because of a newly-tested proof-of-concept, nuclear waste-fueled nano-diamond battery.
Nuclear plant facilities across the world usually leave a massive quantity of nuclear waste. Not only are these wastes toxic, but they can last for thousands of years.
As a result, nuclear waste poses a challenge for parties that have to dispose of — bury and encase — it safely. However, a California-based battery company, NDB, has found a way to utilize the waste safely.
Rather than bury it deep within the Earth, NDB says it can use the radioactive waste to generate power in its nanodiamond batteries.
In a statement about the project, NDB’s chief strategy officer Neel Naicker said:
“Imagine a world where you wouldn’t have to charge your battery at all for the day. Now imagine for the week, for the month… How about for decades? That’s what we’re able to do with this technology.”
So, how does it work?
Creating a Nano-diamond Battery that can Last a Thousand Years
The process begins with processing graphite nuclear waste into a pure form. After that, the team simply has to convert the pure graphite into diamonds.
As nuclear waste around the diamond decays, it interacts with the carbon to generate electricity.
According to NDB, the battery never needs to recharge. Even better, it can power a device throughout a user’s lifetime and beyond, depending on the power drain.
The nanodiamond battery can power smartphones, satellites, and medical products such as pacemakers. It’s also useful in remote areas where routine maintenance might be challenging.
Although the company hasn’t created a prototype, it says it has a proof of concept. Be that as it may, skeptics have raised some issues with some of NDB’s claims.
For example, Steven Novella of the NEUROLOGICA blog wonders how the batteries will attain sufficient output to be as effective as the developers claim.
“This all sounds great,” Novella says. “But there is a critical factor left out… What is the power density of these devices?”
Meanwhile, NDB says it would start working on a prototype as soon as the COVID-19 quarantines ease. The company hopes to produce a working prototype in less than two years.
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