Researchers at the University of Bristol have found a means of creating a battery capable of generating clean electricity for five millennia.
英國(guó)布里斯托大學(xué)的研究人員們發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種制造電池的方法，可產(chǎn)生能夠使用5000年的清潔能源。
Scientists found that by heating graphite blocks - used to house uranium rods in nuclear reactors - much of the radioactive carbon is given off as a gas.
這一成果是科學(xué)家們通過(guò)加熱石墨塊發(fā)現(xiàn)的，這種石墨塊在核反應(yīng)堆中被用來(lái)容納鈾棒，其中大多數(shù)放射性碳都以氣體的形式被釋放出來(lái)。
This can then be gathered and turned into radioactive diamonds using a high-temperature chemical reaction, in which carbon atoms are left on the surface in small, dark-colored diamond crystals.
然后這些碳?xì)怏w可用被收集起來(lái)、用高溫化學(xué)反應(yīng)制成放射性鉆石，其表面都是一些以微小、呈黑色鉆石晶體的形式而存在的放射性碳原子。
These man-made diamonds produce a small electrical charge when placed near a radioactive source.
當(dāng)被置于一個(gè)放射源附近的時(shí)候，這些人造鉆石能夠產(chǎn)生一個(gè)小電荷。
The radioactive diamonds are then encased safely within a layer of non-radioactive diamond. The surface of a complete diamond emits less radiation than a banana.
這些放射性鉆石隨后被安全地包裹進(jìn)一層非放射性鉆石內(nèi)。這樣一個(gè)完整鉆石系統(tǒng)表面發(fā)射出的輻射比一根香蕉的輻射還要小。
The Bristol scientists have already created a working diamond battery from nickel-63, a radioactive isotope more stable than carbon-14, which is prevalent in nuclear waste.
布里斯托的科學(xué)家們已經(jīng)使用鎳-63制作出了一個(gè)能夠運(yùn)作的鉆石電池，鎳-63是一種比碳-14更加穩(wěn)定的放射性同位素，在核廢料中十分普遍。
They will create their first carbon-14 batteries in the New Year.
在新年的時(shí)候，科學(xué)家們將制作出他們的第一個(gè)碳-14電池。
"There are no moving parts involved, no emissions generated and no maintenance required, just direct electricity generation," said Tom Scott, Professor in Materials at the University of Bristol Interface Analysis Centre.
布里斯托大學(xué)界面分析中心材料學(xué)教授湯姆·斯科特說(shuō)道：“(這種電池)沒有移動(dòng)部件、不產(chǎn)生排放、無(wú)需維護(hù)，只是直接發(fā)電?！? "By encapsulating radioactive material inside diamonds, we turn a long-term problem of nuclear waste into a nuclear-powered battery and a long-term supply of clean energy."
“通過(guò)封裝鉆石內(nèi)部的放射性物質(zhì)，我們把核廢料這個(gè)長(zhǎng)期問(wèn)題變成了一個(gè)核動(dòng)力電池--一個(gè)長(zhǎng)期的清潔能源供應(yīng)?！? A diamond battery containing 20g of carbon-14 would deliver a small electrical charge of 300 joules per day. By contrast, an AA battery outputs 14,000 joules per day.
一個(gè)含有20克碳-14的鉆石電池每天能夠釋放300焦耳的小電荷。相比之下，一節(jié)AA電池每天能夠釋放14000焦耳的電荷。
Scientists at NASA are reportedly interested in using the technology in space flight, while tech firms could incorporate the batteries into smaller, internet-enabled devices.
據(jù)報(bào)道，NASA的科學(xué)家們有興趣將這種技術(shù)應(yīng)用在太空飛行上，而科技公司則可以將這種電池用于更小、具備互聯(lián)網(wǎng)功能的設(shè)備之上。