China achieves microwatt milestone with self-reliant carbon-14 nuclear battery
Cross-sector team says device, which marks significant step in long-life power sources, was developed without foreign tech or parts Northwest Normal University, in collaboration with Chinese tech firm Gansu Zhulong Technology, unveiled a carbon‑14 nuclear battery and silicon carbide (SiC) transducer on Monday, saying the equipment was developed without any foreign technology or parts. The Qianjiyuan Tianshu battery is a major upgrade from the team’s earlier Candle Dragon‑I, or Zhulong-1, prototype unveiled in November 2024. Compared with its predecessor, the new battery cuts radioactive material use to just 22 per cent, boosting short‑circuit current to 2.5 times and maximum power to 2.6 times – all while maintaining the same voltage and stability. Among performance gains, the effective volume of the device shrank to just 17 per cent of the original, resulting in a dramatic 15.5‑fold increase in volumetric power density. Su Maogen, who leads the project team at Northwest Normal University, said carbon‑14 had a half‑life of 5,730 years, giving the battery a theoretical lifespan of thousands of years.
