[wordup] Scientists Invent 30 Year Continuous Power Laptop Battery

[Adam Shand]

Definitely in the too good to be true category ... but also in the  
<sigh> wouldn't it be nice </sigh> category.

Adam.

Source: http://www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news-betavoltaic-10.1.html

Scientists Invent 30 Year Continuous Power Laptop Battery
Your next laptop could have a continuous power battery that lasts for  
30 years without a single recharge thanks to work being funded by the  
U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. The breakthrough betavoltaic power  
cells are constructed from semiconductors and use radioisotopes as the  
energy source. As the radioactive material decays it emits beta  
particles that transform into electric power capable of fueling an  
electrical device like a laptop for years.
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Although betavoltaic batteries sound Nuclear they?re not, they neither  
use fission/fusion or chemical processes to produce energy and so (do  
not produce any radioactive or hazardous waste). Betavoltaics generate  
power when an electron strikes a particular interface between two  
layers of material. The Process uses beta electron emissions that  
occur when a neutron decays into a proton which causes a forward bias  
in the semiconductor. This makes the betavoltaic cell a forward bias  
diode of sorts, similar in some respects to a photovoltaic (solar)  
cell. Electrons scatter out of their normal orbits in the  
semiconductor and into the circuit creating a usable electric current.

The profile of the batteries can be quite small and thin, a porous  
silicon material is used to collect the hydrogen isotope tritium which  
is generated in the process. The reaction is non-thermal which means  
laptops and other small devices like mobile phones will run much  
cooler than with traditional lithium-ion power batteries. The reason  
the battery lasts so long is that neutron beta-decay into protons is  
the world's most concentrated source of electricity, truly  
demonstrating Einstein?s theory E=MC2.

The best part about these cells are when they eventually run out of  
power they are totally inert and non-toxic, so environmentalists need  
not fear these high tech scientific wonder batteries. If all goes well  
plans are for these cells to reach store shelves in about 2 to 3 years.