Image credit: University of Bristol
(bristol.ac.uk) - New technology has been developed that uses nuclear waste to generate electricity in a nuclear-powered battery. The short lifespan of conventional batteries means they either cannot be used or have significant drawbacks in situations where it is not feasible to charge or replace them. For example, pacemakers, satellites, high-altitude drones or even spacecraft are low-power electrical devices where long life of the energy source is needed. A team of physicists and chemists from the University of Bristol have grown a man-made diamond that, when placed in a radioactive field, is able to generate a small electrical current. This innovative method for radioactive energy was presented at the Cabot Institute’s sold-out annual lecture - ‘Ideas to change the world’- on Friday, 25 November 2017.
