Personal Nuclear Power: New Battery Lasts 12 Years

www.livescience.com...

A new type of battery based on the radioactive decay of nuclear material is 10 times more powerful than similar prototypes and should last a decade or more without a charge, scientists announced this week.

The longevity would make the battery ideal for use in pacemakers or other surgically implanted devices, developers say, or it might power spacecraft or deep-sea probes.

You might also find these nuclear batteries running sensors and other small devices in your home in a few years. Such devices "don't consume much power," said University of Rochester electrical engineer Philippe Fauchet, "and yet having to replace the battery every so often is a real pain in the neck."

Fauchet told LiveScience the batteries could last a dozen years. They're being developed at Rochester and the technology has been licensed by BetaBatt Inc.

w0w...

mini nuclear power...

what happins if you drop it

just kidding...

I know radiating components are already in our homes everywhere, from the sensors in smokedetectors to our microwave ovens.. but personally Ill stick with my coppertops before I go implanting something glowing inside me.

But it does raise the question... what would happen if one were to say... purchase a cpl thousand or so of these batteries. Their contents would be rather uhm.. playful, when removed.

Yeah! Just imagine the incredible mutations. And the security nightmares.

The Nergizer Bunny keeps mutating and morphing, longer and longer...

The idea of placing somethign radioactive into ones chest seems like a very bad idea to me...

Originally posted by they see ALL

w0w...

mini nuclear power...

what happins if you drop it

just kidding...

so ubar

i like nuclear power

its c00l

don't you think?


o_0

Hmm, I think this type of technology could be helpful in powering hybrid cars? Just a thought.

Originally posted by they see ALL
www.livescience.com...

Fauchet told LiveScience the batteries could last a dozen years. They're being developed at Rochester and the technology has been licensed by BetaBatt Inc.

Not sure if I trust anything from Rochester though.

[edit on 14-5-2005 by Omniscient]

It would sure be nice to have to replace your laptop computer before the battery dies though.

What if you had these in your walkman and tried to go through an airport with one of those bomb sniffing devices that detect radiation? lol, that would be a hassel. They will have to post warning signs everywhere.



"Please be advised. The use of nuclear batteries is prohibited in LAX. Thank you for your cooperation."

I would love to have something like this for an UPS.

From the sounds of it this thing can probably only put out a few dozen milliamps of current... enough to power a smoke detector (probably not the beeper tho) or small photosensors, thermostat sensors.. anything that doesnt have to do much thinking and just sits there drawing a tiny amount of current.

It's beta radiation, that can be stopped by very little and isn't harmful.

Alpha and beta radiation is pretty fine, you can buy that stuff offline. It's the other types that suck.


*puts one in iPod, watches Apple win*

Yeah it only requires millimeters of shielding if memory serves me correctly. My High-School science teacher brought one to school and freaked the hell out of everyone by running a Geiger Counter over it and it bliped. It was tiny blip as he explained but he got a laugh out of it... he was a strange man.

If the batteries were successfully developed for like laptops, would you still want to put your laptop on your lap?

Technology is cool.

A battery that lasts over a decade?!?! What will they think of next?

Originally posted by simtek 22
If the batteries were successfully developed for like laptops, would you still want to put your laptop on your lap?

Technology is cool.

Have you read the article? The radioactive material can be shielded by a piece of paper! You could keep this battery in your pocket for a decade and not feel any effects from it.

Anyway, cool news. I hope this technology takes off in the coming years. Its been a while since there's been a signifigant breakthrough in battery capacity.

Originally posted by TJ11240
Have you read the article? The radioactive material can be shielded by a piece of paper! You could keep this battery in your pocket for a decade and not feel any effects from it.

I know, but having something radioactive , that close to a part of my body that I consider vital, well, I'd need to be really, really sure.

Originally posted by xonbrokenwingsx
A battery that lasts over a decade?!?! What will they think of next?

A computer worth keeping that long?

simtek, be really, really sure.