Purdue University

Overview

Since 2008, City Labs has collaborated with Purdue University and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) on betavoltaic research and testing. This partnership focuses on enhancing tritium betavoltaic technology for reliable, long-term power solutions in extreme environments.

The collaboration is led by Dr. Thomas Adams, a scientist at NSWC Crane and an adjunct professor at Purdue’s School of Nuclear Engineering. Dr. Adams’ expertise has been instrumental in advancing the performance and applications of City Labs’ NanoTritium™ batteries.

Key Details

Timeline

• 2008–Present

Collaborators

• Purdue University: Dr. Thomas Adams, Adjunct Professor, School of Nuclear Engineering
• NSWC Crane: Dr. Thomas Adams, Scientist, Power and Energy Division

Funding

• Jointly by City Labs and NSWC Crane

Goal

• To conduct long-term testing and development of tritium betavoltaic power sources to improve performance and reliability for defense and aerospace applications.

Significance and Applications

The ongoing partnership has successfully demonstrated the durability, reliability, and efficiency of City Labs’ tritium betavoltaic technology under various environmental conditions. Testing includes performance assessments in extreme temperatures and simulating environments encountered in remote terrestrial locations and space missions. This research supports the development of power solutions capable of operating in harsh conditions without maintenance.

Dr. Adams has also contributed to modeling experiments to scale up battery energy and power densities. These efforts explore innovative materials and methods, such as alloys and metal hydrides, to enhance tritium absorption and containment.

Additionally, the development of hybrid batteries capable of providing burst power addresses the needs of sensors requiring steady power for data collection and periodic high-power transmission capabilities.

Resources and Links

• Case Study: Collaborating With Dr. Thomas Adams on Advanced Tritium Battery Solutions
• Micropower Betavoltaic Hybrid Sources Whitepaper