How nuclear batteries can speed up the hybrid energy race

Fusion power has always been a bit controversial. The fusion part is easy – for undergrad recently built a simple integrated device in his bedroom, for example – but getting electricity out of it is not.

“A composite action that creates energy – and there are many, already exist,” says Daniel Velásquez, head of materials science. Avalanche Energyhe told TechCrunch. “An integrated cable that makes electricity better.” That’s where startups stay.

Fusion produces more energy by combining two lighter atoms into a heavier one. But harvesting that power has been difficult. The most common method is to heat water and spin a steam turbine, but the method is not very efficient, to use properly. about 60% about power.

Avalanche Energy thinks it can capture more energy by developing new devices called radiovoltaics. Radiovoltaics are similar to photovoltaics – traditional solar panels – in that they use semiconductors to convert radiation into electricity. They have been around for a while, but they are not very effective. Existing radiovoltaics are easily damaged by the radiation they use and do not produce much electricity.

Today, Avalanche was awarded a $5.2 million contract from DARPA to develop new radiovoltaics, the company told TechCrunch.

The Pentagon’s research organization wants to use a new type of nuclear batteries, which use radioactive decay from elements such as polonium to generate electricity. Such equipment can help operate aircraft and satellites for several years. They can also be used for multi-day ground-based military operations – “especially for autonomous systems or missions where transportation is not allowed,” Velásquez said.

This is not what Avalanche is building as a company, but the DARPA award aligns with its ambitions.

First, fusion reactions and nuclear batteries emit alpha particles, a type of radiation that is so powerful that it can damage all types of weapons, including nuclear weapons. Second, the Avalanche are making a desktop-scale fusion reactor which can replace diesel generators in remote military locations.

If the company can develop a new radiovoltaic for a nuclear battery, it can apply that knowledge to a new part of the reactor. Such insulation would help trap alpha particles, protecting the reactor and increasing the amount of electricity it produces. Avalanche also won a $1.25 million award from the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX research laboratory to use advanced techniques to quickly find objects.

All fusion startups are racing to achieve what is known as breakeven, which in science is known as Q>1, where Q is the ratio of the energy produced by the fusion process to the energy needed to continue. Putting alpha particles to work to generate electricity can make the power of commercial integration easier to obtain.

Avalanche is not the only company with a reactor design that produces alpha particles. If successful, the company may find itself offering other integrated technology companies, the way to come within the industry.