A nuclear battery that works for thousands of years

A team of experts from Northwest Normal University and Gansu Zhulong Technology have unveiled an interesting battery called Qianjiyuan Tianshu. It is a fully nuclear battery developed in China that uses the isotope carbon-14 and a silicon carbide (SiC) converter. This nuclear battery represents a huge step forward compared to its predecessor, the Zhulong-1, from 2024, as it overcomes the problems of high cost, low power, and poor integration.

Unlike the classic nuclear batteries that NASA and China already use in space probes and lunar rovers (such as Chang'e-3 and Chang'e-4), which work on the principle of converting heat into electricity, the Chinese innovation has taken a different path. The battery works similarly to a solar cell, except that instead of light, it "catches" electrons (beta particles) that are released when carbon-14 decays, which directly generate an electric current in a silicon carbide semiconductor.

Thanks to this technology and an advanced three-dimensional folded structure, scientists have reduced the battery volume by 17 percent while increasing the volumetric power density by a factor of 15. The Qianjiyuan Tianshu nuclear battery measures just over 16.8 cubic centimeters, but can produce a current of 0.713 microamperes at a voltage of 2.06 V and a maximum output power of 1.13 microwatts.

The key advantage of this battery is its exceptional lifespan. Since the half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years, the battery will work without problems for thousands of years. With such projects, China aims primarily to reduce dependence on foreign technologies and to find practical applications in industrial applications, remote environmental sensors and long-lasting electronic devices, where changing batteries would be too difficult or even impossible.