World first carbon-14 diamond battery with potential lifespan of 1000s of years

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2024/december/diamond-battery-media-release.html

by toss1 • 2 years ago

6 2 2 years ago

bristol.ac.uk

Given its long half life doesn’t this mean the power output also very small? Like, what could we power with a kg of carbon 14? My guess is barely enough to light up an LED though. Given that they do not state the power output in the article I’m inclined to believe my assumption here is correct and they don’t state it easily as it renders this tech little more than a toy

At either rate, Thousands of years of continuous power is interesting but I don’t think we have much applications that could make use of it yet. At best we’d maybe put one in an interstellar probe when we feel like doing that but i cant think of much else

inhumantsar• 2 years ago

Diamond batteries offer a safe, sustainable way to provide continuous microwatt levels of power.
Several game-changing applications are possible. Bio-compatible diamond batteries can be used in medical devices like ocular implants, hearing aids, and pacemakers, minimising the need for replacements and distress to patients.
The batteries could power active radio frequency (RF) tags where there is a need to identify and track devices either on earth or in space, such as spacecraft or payloads, for decades at a time, thus reducing costs and extending operational lifespan.

World first carbon-14 diamond battery with potential lifespan of 1000s of years

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