Scientists develop a battery to convert atomic waste into electricity

A team of scientists at Ohio State University managed to develop an innovative nuclear battery capable of converting atomic waste into electricity, which represents a great achievement in the field of energy storage.

Russia Today website stated that the research team tested a preliminary model for this battery, as it showed its ability to harvest nuclear radiation to operate micro chips, which paves the way for new uses in the areas of space and deep seas.

The new battery relies on absorbing the ray of gamma from the exhausted nuclear fuel, and then turning it into light through the flavor crystals, then this light is converted into electricity using solar cells.

Raymond Cao, professor of mechanical and satellite engineering at Ohio State University and the leader of the study, whose results were published in the magazine “Optical Mateials: X”, that this technique represents a shift in the way to exploit radioactive waste, saying: “We are reaping something that is considered waste, and we turn it into a precious energy source.”

Explore space and ocean depths

The battery does not contain radioactive materials, which makes it safe to touch, but it has not been designed for general use, and instead, scientists expect to be ideal for operating nuclear systems in space exploration and ocean depths, as it is difficult to use traditional energy sources.

The size of the initial model is almost the size of the sugar cube, and is able to generate 1.5 microscopes of energy, while the team aspires to develop larger versions that generate higher levels of electricity.

Ibrahim Oxoz, a researcher participating in the study, explained that the concept of the nuclear battery is promising … there is a great room for improvement, and it is expected that this technology will become an essential part of the future of energy and sensors.

Besides this American achievement, China is also developing similar technologies as part of its fourteenth five -year plan.

Betavolt, based in Beijing, announced last year plans to produce nuclear batteries in large quantities to use in smartphones, drones and medical devices.