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from the diamonds-are-our-best-friend dept.
[Converting] Carbon-14 from nuclear waste to long life battery.
From engadget
Nuclear waste is normally a major environmental headache, but it could soon be a source of clean energy. Scientists have developed a method of turning that waste into batteries using diamond.
From treehugger
"There are no moving parts involved, no emissions generated and no maintenance required, just direct electricity generation," said Professor of Materials Tom Scott. "By encapsulating radioactive material inside diamonds, we turn a long-term problem of nuclear waste into a nuclear-powered battery and a long-term supply of clean energy."
From newatlas
One unexpected example of this is the Bristol team's work on a major source of nuclear waste from Britain's aging Magnox reactors, which are now being decommissioned after over half a century of service. These first generation reactors used graphite blocks as moderators to slow down neutrons to keep the nuclear fission process running, but decades of exposure have left the UK with 95,000 tonnes (104,720 tons) of graphite blocks that are now classed as nuclear waste because the radiation in the reactors changes some of the inert carbon in the blocks into radioactive carbon-14.
Presumably other beta emitters could be wrapped in diamond shells creating a common class of Betavoltaic nuclear batteries. Although the diamond in a diamond seems an elegant technical solution.
(Score: 2) by Taibhsear on Tuesday November 29 2016, @10:43PM
Sounds like their first prototype didn't use the c14 yet. Still sounds badass. Wonder what kind of output it's supposed to have, or how large they'd be.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 29 2016, @11:21PM
Wonder what kind of output it's supposed to have, or how large they'd be.
Since they're initially targeting satellites & spacecraft and implantable medical devices I'm guessing nothing to big to start.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday November 30 2016, @03:22PM
That would be nice. Going under the knife every 6-7 years to replace a battery gets old.
Washington DC delenda est.