The aforementioned super-durable nuclear battery, named Zhulong-1, can be used to provide energy for the pacemaker (currently operating for up to 15 years), as well as spacecraft and equipment deployed in harsh environments such as extreme and deep sea, in sheets, South China Morning Post Lead the notice on March 13 from Northwestern Pedagogy University in Gansu province of China.
The nuclear battery was developed by a group of scientists from Northwestern Pedagogy University in Gansu of China
Photo: Screenshot SCMP
Although not mentioning electric cars, a research team at Northwestern Pedagogy University said the green and low carbon characteristics of the new nuclear battery could “promote the upgrade of China’s new energy industrial chain”.
Zhulong-1 nuclear battery is designed for 50 years, but the statement of the Northwestern Pedagogy University said that this new battery could operate for more than 100 years in harsh conditions.
The battery can operate stably within the temperature range from 100 degrees C to 200 degrees C, with an energy density 10 times higher than the commercial lithium-ion battery and the decline rate of less than 5% in the design life is 50 years, according to the Xinhua, the Xinhua leads the head of the DingLong project.
In addition, Mr. Zhang Guanghui, head of the technical project of the nuclear battery project of the Northwestern Pedagogy University, said: “In theory, this battery can operate for thousands of years thanks to the long half-life of Carbon-14 is 5,730 years”. The semi -disintegration cycle is the necessary time for a radioactive isotope to decay to half of the original value.
The team is conducting the second generation model, Zhulong-2, with an effort to focus on reducing production costs and miniature sizes. “Zhulong-2 is expected to be released later this year or early next year, only the size of a coin,” Mr. Cai said.
