The Synthetic Diamond Battery: It could Change the World (and the way we think about Synthetic Diamonds!)
UK Atomic Energy Authority –
Roskin Gem news Report –
We’ve just seen news reports coming out of the UK that a synthetic diamond battery has been created – and that these batteries, in the future, will basically last forever (roughly 5700 years… or longer). “Goodbye Lithium batteries!”
What we’ve also come to find out is that this is NOT a new idea. It is at least 8 years old. Even Elon Musk has for the past couple of years been talking about developing his own to use in Tesla products.
Diamond Batteries
It’s a bit complicated, as most new technology is expected to be, but basically it comes down to this: radioactive waste is harvested for its radioactive carbon-14. That carbon-14 is then used to create a synthetic diamond. Then that radioactive synthetic diamond is encased in a non-radioactive synthetic diamond, which can now be used safely as a battery.
For further, and most accurate details, in quite simple terms and video (below), here is your lesson in radioactive diamond batteries, from the University of Bristol, Cabot Institute for the Environment, and the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
(There are other news outlets such as Time Magazine, Interesting Engineering, and IFLScience that have all published in the last 48 hours.)
The folks at Bristol University tell us that “despite their low-power, relative to current battery technologies, the life-time of these diamond batteries could revolutionise the powering of devices over long timescales. The actual amount of carbon-14 in each battery has yet to be decided, but one battery containing 1g of carbon-14 would deliver 15 Joules per day. This is less than an AA battery. Standard alkaline AA batteries are designed for short timeframe discharge: one battery weighing about 20g has an energy storage rating of 700J/g. If operated continuously, this would run out in 24 hours. Using carbon-14, the battery would take 5,730 years to reach 50 per cent power, which is about as long as human civilization has existed.” Now THAT is a battery!
The following article is from the UK Atomic Energy Authority…
Scientists and engineers from the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the University of Bristol have successfully created the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery.
This new type of battery has the potential to power devices for thousands of years, making it an incredibly long-lasting energy source.
The battery leverages the radioactive isotope, carbon-14, known for its use in radiocarbon dating, to produce a diamond battery.
Several game-changing applications are possible. Bio-compatible diamond batteries can be used in medical devices like ocular implants, hearing aids, and pacemakers, minimising the need for replacements and distress to patients.
Diamond batteries could also be used in extreme environments – both in space and on earth – where it is not practical to replace conventional batteries. The batteries could power active radio frequency (RF) tags where there is a need to identify and track devices either on earth or in space, such as spacecraft or payloads, for decades at a time, thus reducing costs and extending operational lifespan.
“Diamond batteries offer a safe, sustainable way to provide continuous microwatt levels of power. They are an emerging technology that use a manufactured diamond to safely encase small amounts of carbon-14,” said Sarah Clark, Director of Tritium Fuel Cycle at UKAEA.
The carbon-14 diamond battery works by using the radioactive decay of carbon-14, which has a half-life of 5,700 years, to generate low levels of power. It functions similarly to solar panels, which convert light into electricity, but instead of using light particles (photons), they capture fast-moving electrons from within the diamond structure.
Professor Tom Scott, Professor in Materials at the University of Bristol, said: “Our micropower technology can support a whole range of important applications from space technologies and security devices through to medical implants. We’re excited to be able to explore all of these possibilities, working with partners in industry and research, over the next few years.”
A team of scientists and engineers from both organisations worked together to build a plasma deposition rig, a specialised apparatus used for growing the diamond at UKAEA’s Culham Campus.
This development is the result, in part, of UKAEA’s work on fusion energy.
The expertise gained in fusion research is helping to accelerate innovation in related technologies.
THE DISCOVERY AND FUTURE OF SYNTHETIC DIAMOND BATTERIES
HOW DOES IT WORK, and HOW IS IT MADE?
Tap here to see the original post on the UK Atomic Energy Authority site.
