Radioactive Gadget Battery on the Way

Have a seat before digesting this one. Following years of rumor and conjecture, a battery that has the capability of running for 30 years might be on the horizon. The energy source isn't chemical but rather "radioisotopes" which decay, emitting beta particles that cause electrons to bounce into the circuit, producing electricity. Just don't call it a "nuclear" battery.

The battery is called a betavoltaic and we are assured that it does not produce hazardous waste after it runs out. Powered by protons decaying, the reaction produces no heat and, because it's converting matter directly into energy, lets it last nearly forever. The batteries would be small enough to power cell phones or laptops and, essentially, never die. Read this full post at Next Energy News to get the full details.

Impressed or scared... or both? While I'm a big fan of nuclear power, I'm not sure I'm ready for a decaying proton to power my laptop. My problem isn't the batteries during normal use, but rather what happens if one ruptures. The material may be perfectly inert when the material is spent after 30 years, but what about the laptop that cracks open on the floor of an office building on year one? Will a biohazard crew have to come clean up? Like the alpha particles that poisoned Alexander Litvinenko last year, beta particles can also be deadly if inhaled or ingested.

There's also the issue that 30 years might be a bit excessive. Most people replace laptops and phones within two or three years, and not because of dead batteries but because technology has moved on. Would you be willing to use a 1977 cell phone today? The lifespan of the battery is a product of the radioactive emissions, not the size of the cell, so making it smaller wouldn't be an easy fix. What happens to the battery for the 27 years after you get rid of your computer?

Still, this is exciting stuff, and I'm hopeful that any problems could be worked out. Just don't say it's nuclear!

Oh... and Rupert Goodwins has a lengthy expose on why this is all bunk. 

LINK: Scientists Invent 30 Year Continuous Power Laptop Battery