A cross-sector team from Northwest Normal University and Gansu Zhulong Technology unveiled a new carbon-14 nuclear battery and silicon carbide transducer on Monday, developed entirely with domestic technology and parts.
The device, named Qianjiyuan Tianshu battery, is a major upgrade from the team’s Candle Dragon-I prototype unveiled in November 2024.
The new battery reduces radioactive material use to 22 per cent of the original, increases short-circuit current by 2.5 times and maximum power by 2.6 times, while shrinking effective volume to 17 per cent and raising volumetric power density by 15.5 times.
Project leader Su Maogen said carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 years, giving a theoretical lifespan of thousands of years. The device operates reliably from minus 100 to 200 degrees Celsius.
China’s Science and Technology Daily reported on Tuesday that nuclear batteries are vital for space exploration, polar missions and China’s new-energy strategy.