Long-lasting power

A partnership between scientists at the

Research Reactor (MURR) and

has resulted in the development of a power cell that will provide continuous power for years.

The new betavoltaic power cells developed by the scientists have the highest energy conversion efficiency ever recorded for such cells. What’s more, the cells have the potential for continuously generating small amounts of electricity for nearly 20 years.

“In our research, we were able to obtain an energy conversion efficiency of 11%, while the highest success to date had only been 5%,” said David Robertson, associate director of research and education at MURR.

The technology used in betavoltaic power cells is similar to solar power generation, but uses radioisotopes as the energy source rather than sunlight. The cells use isotopes that are fully contained within the power cell - similar to the radioactive source found in many household smoke detectors - and can be used without external risk.