Nuclear waste, diamonds, and how they can revolutionize smartphone batteries

Science fiction has become reality as we carry phones in our pockets that act like small computers. Yet even as technology advances, we are held back by the power source behind the technology, limiting the benefits these devices present. From the moment we turn on the device, the clock ticks because the battery is deteriorating and losing capacity. On a daily basis, checking that the battery is charged and ready to go is a hassle, and we all forget to plug it in overnight from time to time.

For me, as a content creator with cameras, drones, tablets, microphones and other devices that I need to charge, it can become quite a task to make sure that all my electronics work when I need them to. To make matters worse, in many phones and other mobile devices, battery replacement is difficult or completely impossible. But a solution is on the horizon. One day soon, there will be a battery revolution using an unlikely combination of nuclear waste and diamonds.

Why today’s phone batteries are a problem

Andy Zahn / Digital trends

From the beginning to the end of the life cycle of our electronics, batteries present many problems. Extracting the lithium and other battery components we currently use is dirty, destructive work – and so is refining these rare materials. As demand grows, these impacts will affect more and more of our wild landscapes with potentially catastrophic consequences.

When our batteries die, they and the devices they power often end up rotting in landfills. Sometimes our electronic waste is sent abroad, where it is then unprofessionally salvaged or incinerated and ends up in the air and water. Only a small percentage of our discarded electronics is actually responsibly recycled. If only batteries didn’t degrade so quickly, such waste could be dramatically reduced.

How nuclear technology could be our solution

Of all the promising new battery technologies being worked on today, nuclear batteries are the most exciting. Not only would such batteries potentially last for tens, hundreds or even thousands of years, but they would also generate their own energy from radiation. In the not too distant future, our batteries may not only outlive our phones and possibly outlive our lifespan by many times, but they will never need to be recharged.

As if the concept of nuclear batteries couldn’t sound crazier, the ones that could one day be found in our phones and cars would actually be made from man-made nanodiamonds. To say the science behind these nanodiamond batteries is complex is an understatement. Basically, in the simplest terms, radioactive elements are extracted from nuclear waste and put into diamonds using chemical vapor deposition. The diamond then acts as a transducer that converts the radiation into electricity.

D. Mukherjee/Wikimedia Commons

In addition to longevity and self-rechargeability, nuclear batteries would revolutionize smartphone design. They would make charging ports unnecessary, so phones could be completely waterproof and made much stronger than ever before. It’s also possible that, as man-made diamonds become cheaper to produce, our phones may soon be encrusted with diamonds and therefore virtually indestructible.

Besides phones, these nuclear batteries could potentially power every electronic device we use today. From smartwatches and headphones to cars, drones and even robots. Once you start thinking about it, you realize that nanodiamond batteries have the potential to change many aspects of our technology that are held back by the limitations of our current, deeply flawed battery design.

A company trying to make nuclear batteries a reality

One of the leading companies in the development of this technology is NDB, an acronym that stands for “Nano Diamond Batteries”. In the words of NDB Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nima Golsharifi, in an interview for an episode of the Energy Cast podcast: “Speaking metaphorically, it is similar to solar panels; the difference is that NDB produces electricity using the radiation of radioactive materials instead of sunlight”

Diamond batteries are also a possible solution to the long-neglected issues related to the disposal of waste from nuclear fission power plants. Huge quantities of this highly hazardous material exist worldwide, and its storage or disposal is incredibly expensive. However, this waste is also rich in energy, which is what powers the nuclear batteries NDB is developing.

NDB inc

As Dr. Golsharifi says, “NDB Solutions and our company’s purpose is to make good use of these by-products and solve nuclear waste problems, and in turn help the environment by promoting nuclear energy, which is a clean source, and in turn support society by creating a kind of circular economy.”

Of course, the logical question you might ask is whether or not these batteries are safe. There is a stigma around anything to do with nuclear power, which is a potential barrier to the adoption of this technology, but Dr. Golsharifi believes this fear can be overcome through education: “Not many people know that most smoke detectors contain radioactive material; however, they have them at home without any problems.”

The radiation from nuclear batteries is safely locked inside those tiny diamonds. “We have a probe locking system that prevents the isotope from being accessed in bulk and used for purposes other than the NDB’s power source. In particular, we do this by ionic implantation of radioisotopes at the nanoscale level within our structure, and this allows us to meet various consumer safety requirements,” explains Dr. Golsharifi.

NDB has conducted extensive research to ensure their batteries are safe enough for use in products such as phones and cars. In many ways, NDB batteries produce no emissions or harmful radiation. Nuclear batteries made of nearly indestructible diamonds are probably safer than lithium-ion batteries, which are known to explode and catch fire.

Nano Diamond battery explained #NDB #Green_energy

Another relevant issue is the price. After all, we are talking about a product that is made of both diamonds and nuclear materials. However, the price is already falling, from $2.4 million per kilogram down to $40,000 in 2018 (according to Dr. Golsharifi). NDB expects the price to drop even further with mass production, starting out more expensive than lithium-ion and dropping over time, eventually becoming price competitive with lithium-ion.

Even if they are initially more expensive than traditional batteries, wouldn’t you be willing to pay extra for a phone you never need to charge? A car that never needs to be filled? Devices that not only never run dry, but sell their juice back into the grid or reduce your household electricity bill?

Nanodiamond batteries never need to be recharged, last longer than the devices they would power, are safe for use in consumer products, and would help solve the age-old question of what to do with our nuclear waste.

Nuclear devices are coming in 2023

So when can we expect nuclear batteries to hit the market? NDB has already conducted proof-of-concept tests and aims to have a working product ready by 2023. Arkenlight, another nanodiamond battery company, already has low-power nuclear batteries in operation in monitoring equipment at the Stromboli volcano and at a UK nuclear waste repository. It will be a little further into the future before the first nanodiamond batteries make their way into our smartphones, and probably much longer before they start powering our cars.

Even if we end up waiting five to ten years for this technology to become commonplace, that is not the time at all for such a revolutionary advance. Of course, it’s also worth acknowledging how unpredictable cutting-edge technology like this can be. However, given that the science behind it is solid and that smaller implementations of these batteries are already out in the field, I see good reason to be optimistic that one day soon our batteries will outlast our phones and never need to be recharged.

Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn

Links: Nuclear waste, diamonds, and how they can revolutionize smartphone batteries – Tekmonk Bio, Nuclear waste, diamonds, and how they can revolutionize smartphone batteries – Kungfutv, Nuclear waste, diamonds, and how they can revolutionize smartphone batteries – Blogtomoney