Scientists at Ohio State University have developed an innovative battery that can convert nuclear energy into electricity using light radiation, which could help with the disposal of radioactive waste.
According to a statement on the university's website, the scientists used a combination of scintillation crystals, which emit light when they absorb radiation, and solar cells. They managed to convert ambient gamma radiation into electricity sufficient to power microelectronics, such as microchips.
The prototype battery, measuring just four cubic centimeters, was tested at the Ohio State University Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (USA). The tests used two sources of radiation — cesium-137 and cobalt-60, the main byproducts of nuclear fuel fission. It turned out that when using cesium-137, the battery produces 288 nanowatts, and when using the more powerful isotope cobalt-60 — 1.5 microwatts, which is enough to operate miniature sensors.
According to Professor Raymond Kao, while current power ratings are below those of household appliances, further development could allow the technology to be scaled up to watt levels and beyond. Scientists say these batteries could find applications in nuclear waste storage, space and deep-sea exploration.
The battery itself does not contain radioactive materials, but only uses gamma radiation, which makes it safe to use. As Raymond Kao, who is the author of the study, emphasized, scientists strive to turn waste into a useful resource. Experiments also showed that the shape and size of the scintillation crystals significantly affect the final power of the device. Increasing their volume allows them to absorb more radiation and convert it into additional energy.
Ibrahim Oksuz, who is also one of the authors of the study, said that the next step will be to scale up the technology to achieve higher power. The scientists believe that such batteries are able to operate in high radiation conditions without regular maintenance, making them a promising energy source for specialized applications. The full text of the study, which was published in the journal Optical Materials: X, is available at the link.
As we previously reported, Amazon's cloud computing subsidiary is investing over $500 million in nuclear power for artificial intelligence data centers.