Nuclear batteries for drones?

[Capt KO]

Apparently China company is developing small nuclear batteries that will fit in phones and drones to power them for years, safely. Claims they can be sized up for use in EVs as well. Sounds exciting until you consider the military applications sure to follow.

A tiny radioactive battery could keep your future phone running for 50 years

A glowing horizon for phones

www.techradar.com

 

[mavic3usa]

Wonder how much those will cost?

 

[Capt KO]

What's a phone or drone worth that doesn't need charging. Battery will outlast the device, just plug it in a new one? If this is truly safe it's world changing.. hopefully in a good way.
but...

Wonder how much those will cost?

 

[Droning on and on...]

It's a great idea, if they can solve the power issue. Keep in mind it will not be a controlled fission reaction like in a nuclear power plant. Looking over the article, it's tried-and-true RTG tech, which at present is used mainly in unmanned spacecraft (satellites, interplanetary probes, space telescopes, etc.). The current state-of-the-art produces 110W, and is pretty big, so won't be finding its way into a DJI Supercalifrajilistic Intelligent Battery any time soon.

The Mavic 3 pulls 120-150W in flight.

 

[BigAl07]

What's a phone or drone worth that doesn't need charging. Battery will outlast the device, just plug it in a new one? If this is truly safe it's world changing.. hopefully in a good way.
but...

Exactly! Imagine a single battery lasting through man "iterations" of aircraft.

I don't see this being "allowed" because the Battery Industry is HUGE and a single "Life Time" battery would be an industry killer . . .

 

[Droning on and on...]

Oh one more thing... @Capt KO mentions safety. Current RTG tech relies on plutonium isotopes, because plutonium 238 has a half life of 87 years. the power output of radioactive isotopes is inversely related to their half life. Uranium 238 has a half life of 700 million years.

So uranium is unusable for thus application. A lump of uranium doesn't get hot all by itself. To get energy out of uranium you have to get fission going in a significant way.

Plutonium is anything BUT safe. Enough to produce 150W of power is enough to kill quite a few people should it "get out". Among other isotopes commonly used in RTGs include Polonium-210, half life 138 days, another lovely thing to be exposed to.

The short half life is both what makes it work as a power source, and exceptional poison, radioactivity destroying tissue and organs throughout your body.

 

[Cafguy]

If I crash it in my yard How far should myself and those around me evacuate? Also When I sell the home do I have to Disclose the Radiation? BUT count me in!

 

[Droning on and on...]

If I crash it in my yard How far should myself and those around me evacuate? Also When I sell the home do I have to Disclose the Radiation? BUT count me in!

Just make sure you add a 2000ft roll of yellow caution tape to your drone bag.

 

[Capt KO]

According to the article, the battery gives off no external radiation, and is safe enough to use inside the body for a pacemaker..apparently it’s also safer than lithium because there’s no way it’ll burst into flames, even if shot. Time will tell

 

[Droning on and on...]

According to the article, the battery gives off no external radiation, and is safe enough to use inside the body for a pacemaker..apparently it’s also safer than lithium because there’s no way it’ll burst into flames, even if shot. Time will tell

This must be put in context. The power requirements of a pacemaker are trivial. An exceedingly tiny amount of radioisotopes are used, and in such a small package it can be made very robust.

The power requirements of an sUAV or automobile are another matter. The amount of radioactive material would not be allowed rolling around out there in a car. The weight of any Armour necessary to reliably contain the material in a 150mph crash (75/75 head-on) would make the weight impractical.

From their own article, the coin-size version produces 100 microwatts – 0.0001W. They hope to produce a version that can produce 1W by 2025.

Don't hold your breath, gang.

 

[mavic3usa]

What's a phone or drone worth that doesn't need charging. Battery will outlast the device, just plug it in a new one? If this is truly safe it's world changing.. hopefully in a good way.
but...

From 9+ years ago

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[SWTSU]

Get some tritium lights and solar cell = nuclear battery.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Been using them in my MPP for years.

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[Cafguy]

Get some tritium lights and solar cell = nuclear battery.

What about a beryllium sphere? There FREE! ( You just gotta fight off those little troll guys).

 

[SWTSU]

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[mavicpilotsnumpty]

When this baby hits 88 miles an hour…

 

[Vic Moss]

TSA is gonna love that one...

 

[GerdS]

As far as I am aware of, theese nuclear batteries are only good for very low-power devices, such as wireless sensors or implants, but not for power-hungry devices such as smart phones or drones.

 

[Nanny Ogg]

Lets bring nuclear powered devices to the retail marketplace. What could go wrong?

 

[Droning on and on...]

Lets bring nuclear powered devices to the retail marketplace. What could go wrong?

And of course, no one would think to do anything nefarious with the stuff, as the human animal is so trustworthy and kind...