An additive manufacturing research project led in collaboration with Adelaide University is seeking to advance the manufacturing of next-generation power systems for space and defence applications, as researchers and industry partners work to transition a nuclear battery prototype toward pre-commercial manufacture.
According to Adelaide University, the project is the first funded research initiative of the Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (AMCRC) and supports South Australian nuclear engineering company entX in developing manufacturing processes for its GenX Betavoltaic Power Generator.
The device has been developed through a collaboration between entX and Adelaide University and is designed to provide long-duration, maintenance-free power for use in space, subsea and other extreme environments.
The university said traditional power sources often face limitations in settings where maintenance, refuelling or solar access is impractical, including spacecraft, unmanned underwater vehicles and remote defence systems.
“Reliable, long-life power is one of the biggest bottlenecks facing space, subsea and defence systems,” said Dr Scott Edwards, General Manager for Space and Defence at entX.
“GenX fundamentally changes what’s possible. By re-engineering betavoltaics as ultra-thin, additively manufactured devices, we’re achieving power densities that were previously out of reach and enabling entirely new mission profiles.”
Adelaide University said the GenX system combines additive manufacturing with advanced surface engineering, integrating nanoscale metal, metal-oxide and semiconductor layers through a sequential manufacturing process.
This approach, according to the researchers, blurs the boundary between surface engineering and 3D printing and enables the creation of ultra-thin betavoltaic films.
Professor Drew Evans from Adelaide University, who helped develop the GenX prototype and will lead the research project, said the work represents a significant shift in manufacturing capability rather than a minor refinement.
“This is not an incremental improvement – it’s a genuine step-change,” Professor Evans said. “By combining novel semiconductor deposition methods with additive manufacturing and surface engineering, we’ve demonstrated betavoltaic devices with power densities that simply weren’t achievable using conventional approaches.”
Over the next 14 months, Adelaide University and entX will validate both the GenX device and its manufacturing process to prepare it for customer evaluation.
The university said the project will focus on transitioning prototype activities, including physical vapour deposition used to form electrical junctions, into an integrated and scalable additive manufacturing process at entX’s certified radiation facility in Adelaide.
Additive manufacturing techniques will also be used to rapidly prototype radiation-shielded encasements designed to support safe integration of the technology into space, defence and remote systems.
Simon Marriott, Managing Director of the Additive Manufacturing CRC, said the $1.8 million project illustrates how additive manufacturing research can support the move from laboratory development to production.
“This project is a clear example of how additive manufacturing can take breakthrough research and make it manufacturable at scale,” \Marriott said. “By supporting the transition from laboratory prototype to integrated production, AMCRC is helping Australian innovators bring technologies to market faster and with lower risk.”
Adelaide University said the project aims to deliver a high-power betavoltaic demonstrator and contribute to Australia’s manufacturing capability in advanced energy systems, while noting that further validation and evaluation will be required as the technology progresses toward commercial readiness.
