Novel Battery on Atomic Waste Material

The United States generates around 20% of its electrical energy from controlled nuclear reactions. Canada comes a close second at 15%, meaning North America generates a significant amount of nuclear waste. Until now, the nuclear industry has buried this waste underground as a stop-gap solution. Researchers at Ohio State University have successfully operated a novel battery on atomic waste.

Turning Atomic Waste Into a Viable Battery

The team from Ohio State University were aware that nuclear electricity creates radioactive waste. They used high-density scintillator crystals emitting light when absorbing radiation, as their experimental platform. Then they teamed these with solar cells as their source of energy.

This combination demonstrated that ambient radiation from nuclear waste, could power micro-electronic circuits from two sources:

Cesium-137, one of the most significant fission products that comes from spent nuclear fuel.
Cobalt-60 that forms when metal structures, such as steel rods, are exposed to neutron radiation.

Both of these options underwent trials at the Ohio State Nuclear Reactor Laboratory. This laboratory does not produce electrical power though. It supports student and faculty research, student education, and provides a service to industry.

Did Either of These Wastes Produce Usable Electricity?

Not really, at this stage. The Cesium-137 byproduct from spent nuclear fuel, only managed to produce 288 nano-watts, or 288 millionths of a watt.

Although the researchers had more success with the Cobalt-60. This delivered 1.5 micro-watts of power, enough to switch on a tiny sensor.

Even at this early stage, there could be a role for this novel battery on atomic waste. It may prove useful in nuclear waste storage pools, or nuclear systems for space and deep sea exploration.

“These are breakthrough results in terms of nuclear battery power output,” according to the co-author of the study. “This two-step process is still in its preliminary stages, but the next step involves generating greater watts with scale-up constructs.”