Remember back in early 2005 I said we ought to consider nuclear-powered cars? Nuclear batteries are getting there. This is a tiny battery, of course, but one day, it could happen. p. s., the Mars probe will be powered by plutonium....
Researchers Develop a Penny-Sized Nuclear Battery
A tiny nuclear energy source could help power micro- and nanomachines of the future
Nuclear power has long provided steady energy sources for everything from homes to deep space probes. Now researchers have begun developing a tiny nuclear battery the size of a penny that could provide power in a smaller, lighter, and more efficient package.
Most people probably think of nuclear power that involves fission and the splitting of atoms. But nuclear power can also come from the natural radioactive decay of isotopes such as plutonium-238 -- a much gentler process that has powered nuclear generators aboard spacecraft such as NASA's Cassini probe.
Nuclear batteries have also powered more familiar devices on Earth, such as pacemakers. The higher cost of the batteries represents the tradeoff for a long-lasting power source that provides more energy for its size than chemical batteries.
"The radioisotope battery can provide power density that is six orders of magnitude higher than chemical batteries," . . .
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http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-10/scientists-develop-penny-sized-nuclear-battery
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