Rads to Watts
Daniel Velazquez
Avalanche's Materials Science Team Lead
DARPA's Rads to Watts program is one of the agency's flagship efforts to field compact, long-lived nuclear power systems for defense and space missions where traditional batteries, refueling, and solar power are not viable.
Under this contract, Avalanche will develop solid-state, micro-fabricated cells that convert radioisotope-produced alpha particles into electricity - analogous to how a solar cell converts photons into electricity. The cells are designed to convert the kinetic energy of alpha particles from radioisotopes directly into electricity.
The system aims to deliver more than 10 watts per kilogram — enough to continuously power a laptop-class system for months from a device weighing only a few kilograms — while maintaining performance in the harsh radiation environment of space, where conventional electronics would rapidly degrade.
Avalanche will validate the device’s operational resilience using both particle accelerators and active radioisotopes.
Develop a compact alpha-voltaic nuclear battery—advancing technologies that directly support Avalanche’s mission to commercialize practical, portable fusion power.
DARPA, the Pentagon research agency is interested in using the materials in a new class of nuclear batteries, which use radioactive decay from materials like polonium to generate electricity.
