California company NDB says its nano-diamond batteries will absolutely upend the energy equation, acting like tiny nuclear generators. They will blow any energy density comparison out of the water, lasting anywhere from a decade to 28,000 years without ever needing a charge. They will offer higher power density than lithium-ion. They will be nigh-on indestructible and totally safe in an electric car crash. And in some applications, like electric cars, they stand to be considerably cheaper than current lithium-ion packs despite their huge advantages.
I think the core idea is that the irradiated graphite trickles out power that’s used to charge the supercapacitor. So, it is a question of how long it takes for the battery to recharge itself. In terms of radiation, I’m guessing the whole idea is to capture majority of it to power the capacitor. Presumably, larger batteries could also have shielding on them.
While I don’t think it’ll be a silver bullet for every situation, it’s definitely a very exciting development because it provides a way to actually use nuclear waste in a productive way. And if this can be used for regular applications such as cell phones and laptops it would reduce huge amounts of waste produced by regular lithium batteries.
I think the core idea is that the irradiated graphite trickles out power that’s used to charge the supercapacitor. So, it is a question of how long it takes for the battery to recharge itself. In terms of radiation, I’m guessing the whole idea is to capture majority of it to power the capacitor. Presumably, larger batteries could also have shielding on them.
While I don’t think it’ll be a silver bullet for every situation, it’s definitely a very exciting development because it provides a way to actually use nuclear waste in a productive way. And if this can be used for regular applications such as cell phones and laptops it would reduce huge amounts of waste produced by regular lithium batteries.