Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed a new type of battery that can turn radioactive waste into electricity.
This battery works by using a special process to change nuclear energy into light and then into electrical power.
Although nuclear power plants produce clean energy with almost no greenhouse gas emissions, they also create radioactive waste that can be harmful if not managed properly.
This new battery could help make use of that waste in a safe way.
The battery is built using scintillator crystals, which are materials that light up when they absorb radiation, and solar cells that convert this light into electricity.
In the laboratory, the researchers tested the battery using two radioactive sources: cesium-137 and cobalt-60. Cesium-137 is one of the common products of nuclear fission in reactors, while cobalt-60 is a stronger source of radiation.
When the battery was exposed to cesium-137, it produced 288 nanowatts of power.
With cobalt-60, the power output increased to 1.5 microwatts. While these numbers might seem very small, the energy produced is enough to run very tiny electronic devices like microchips or sensors.
The prototype battery is very small—only about 4 cubic centimeters in size—and was tested at Ohio State’s Nuclear Reactor Laboratory.
Although the power generated by this battery is measured in very small units (nanowatts and microwatts), the study suggests that if the design is scaled up, it might be possible to generate electricity at levels useful for more significant applications.
Future developments could lead to batteries that produce power at or above the watt level, which could be used in more advanced devices.
One of the exciting aspects of this technology is its potential use near nuclear waste storage areas, such as in storage pools at nuclear power plants, or in harsh environments like deep-sea or space exploration where radiation levels are high.
Since the battery itself does not contain radioactive material, it remains safe to handle even though it is designed to work in highly radioactive environments.
The researchers also discovered that the shape and size of the scintillator crystals affect the battery’s performance. Larger crystals can absorb more radiation and produce more light, which in turn allows the solar cells to generate more power. This finding is important for future efforts to scale up the battery design.
While the current battery prototype is still in the early stages of development, the researchers believe that with further improvements, this concept could play a significant role in powering sensors and other small electronic devices in environments where regular maintenance is difficult.
They see this new battery as a promising step toward turning nuclear waste into a valuable resource—truly a case of turning trash into treasure.
Source: Ohio State University.
