ScienceDaily: Electricity News

Innovation could bring flexible solar cells, transistors, displays

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:20:20 EDT

Researchers have created a new type of transparent electrode that might find uses in solar cells, flexible displays for computers and consumer electronics and future "optoelectronic" circuits for sensors and information processing.

Detecting mirror molecules: New technique reliably tells left-handed from right-handed variant of a compound

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:12:12 EDT

Physicists have developed a novel technique that can detect molecular variants in chemical mixtures -- greatly simplifying a process that is one of the most important, though time-consuming, processes in analytical chemistry.

Whirlpools on the nanoscale could multiply magnetic memory

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:58:58 EDT

Scientists are developing four-bit magnetic cells instead of the two-bit magnetic domains of standard magnetic memories. Magnetic vortices are whirlpools of magnetic field, in which electron spins point either clockwise or counterclockwise. In the crowded center of the whirlpool the spins point either down or up. These four orientations could represent separate bits of information in a new kind of memory, if controlled independently and simultaneously.

Engineers devise new way to produce clean hydrogen

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:39:39 EDT

Engineers have developed a novel method for producing clean hydrogen, which could prove essential to weaning society off of fossil fuels and their environmental implications.

Single-cell transfection tool enables added control for biological studies

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:22:22 EDT

Researchers have developed a novel tool for single-cell transfection, in which they deliver molecules into targeted cells through temporary nanopores in the cell membrane created by a localized electric field.

New method for tailoring optical processors

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:16:16 EDT

Physicists and engineers have unveiled a robust new method for arranging metal nanoparticles in geometric patterns that can act as optical processors that transform incoming light signals into output of a different color.

Not just blowing in the wind: Compressing air for renewable energy storage

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:28:28 EDT

A comprehensive study into the potential for compressed air energy storage in the Pacific Northwest has identified two locations in Washington state that could store enough Northwest wind energy combined to power about 85,000 homes each month.

Bacteria use hydrogen, carbon dioxide to produce electricity

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:11:11 EDT

Researchers have engineered a strain of electricity-producing bacteria that can grow using hydrogen gas as its sole electron donor and carbon dioxide as its sole source of carbon.

Artificial forest for solar water-splitting: First fully integrated artificial photosynthesis nanosystem

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:26:26 EDT

Researchers have created the first fully integrated artificial photosynthesis nanosystem. While "artificial leaf" is the popular term for such a system, the key to this success was an "artificial forest."

Storage power plant on the seabed

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

A group of scientists aims to store electricity at the bottom of the sea. The energy will be stored with the help of high water pressure.

New uses for tiny carbon nanotubes: Adding ionic liquid to nanotube films could build smaller gadgets

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:06:06 EDT

Nanotubes are stronger than steel and smaller than any element of silicon-based electronics. They can potentially process information faster while using less energy. The challenge has been figuring out how to incorporate these properties into useful electronic devices. Now scientists have discovered that by adding ionic liquid -- a kind of liquid salt -- they can modify the optical transparency of single-walled carbon nanotube films in a controlled pattern.

Entrepreneur giving space shuttle truss new uses

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:11:11 EDT

A truss design devised to help workers process space shuttles continues to find new uses as a space shuttle engineer-turned-entrepreneur adapts it to everything from a solar-powered electric generator to a mobile cellphone tower.

First precise MEMS output measurement technique unveiled

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:27:27 EDT

The commercial application of MEMS, or micro-electro-mechanical systems, will receive a major boost today following the presentation of a brand new way to accurately measure the power requirements and outputs of all existing and future devices.

Solar panels as inexpensive as paint?

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:36:36 EDT

Researchers are helping develop a new generation of photovoltaic cells that produce more power and cost less to manufacture than what's available today.

Graphene joins the race to redefine the ampere

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:12:12 EDT

New research could pave the way for redefining the ampere in terms of fundamental constants of physics. The world's first graphene single-electron pump provides the speed of electron flow needed to create a new standard for electrical current based on electron charge.

New endurance record for small electric unmanned aerial vehicle

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:45:45 EDT

Using liquid hydrogen fuel stored in a new NRL-developed cryogenic fuel storage tank, the flight shatters the previous 26-hour record set by the UAV in 2009.

Flawed diamonds promise sensory perfection: Electron spin extended for incredibly tiny magnetic detectors

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:21:21 EDT

By extending the coherence time of electron states to over half a second, scientists have improved the performance of one of the most potent sensors of magnetic fields on the nanoscale -- a diamond defect no bigger than a pair of atoms called a nitrogen vacancy center. The achievement is important news for nanoscale sensors and quantum computing.

'Power plants': How to harvest electricity directly from plants

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:43:43 EDT

The sun provides the most abundant source of energy on the planet. However, only a tiny fraction of the solar radiation on Earth is converted into useful energy.

Graphene quantum dots may someday tell if it will rain on Mars

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:18:18 EDT

Chemical engineers may be able to improve humidity and pressure sensors, particularly those used in outer space.

Value in concentrating solar power to add to electric grid calculated

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:58:58 EDT

Researchers have quantified the significant value that concentrating solar power plants can add to an electric grid.

Chaos proves superior to order

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:08:08 EDT

Physicists have demonstrated that chaos can beat order - at least as far as light storage is concerned.

Scientists build a living patch for damaged hearts

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:24:24 EDT

Biomedical engineers have grown three-dimensional human heart muscle that acts just like natural tissue. This advancement could be important in treating heart attack patients or in serving as a platform for testing new heart disease medicines.

Microwave oven cooks up solar cell material

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:49:49 EDT

Metallurgists used an old microwave oven to produce a nanocrystal semiconductor rapidly using cheap, abundant and less toxic metals than other semiconductors. They hope it will be used for more efficient photovoltaic solar cells and LED lights, biological sensors and systems to convert waste heat to electricity.

Improving materials that convert heat to electricity and vice-versa: Turning waste heat into electricity

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:59:59 EDT

Thermoelectric materials can be used to turn waste heat into electricity or to provide refrigeration without any liquid coolants, and new study has found a way to nearly double the efficiency of a particular class of them that's made with organic semiconductors.

Researchers estimate a cost for universal access to energy

Thu, 02 May 2013 22:58:58 EDT

Universal access to modern energy could be achieved with an investment of between 65 and 86 billion US dollars a year up until 2030, new research has shown. The proposed investments are higher than previous estimates but equate to just 3-4 per cent of current investments in the global energy system.

Robotic insects make first controlled flight

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:26:26 EDT

In the very early hours of the morning, in a Harvard robotics laboratory last summer, an insect took flight. Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, it leaped a few inches, hovered for a moment on fragile, flapping wings, and then sped along a preset route through the air. This demonstration of the first controlled flight of an insect-sized robot is the culmination of more than a decade's work.

Some 'green' hot water systems fail to deliver on promises, study shows

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:29:29 EDT

A new research paper reports that hot water recirculating systems touted as "green" actually use both more energy and water than their standard counterparts.

Charging electric vehicles cheaper and faster

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:16:16 EDT

Researchers have developed a unique integrated motor drive and battery charger for electric vehicles. Compared to today's electric vehicle chargers, they have managed to shorten the charging time from eight to two hours, and to reduce the cost by around $2,000.

Success in observation of swelling of single-particle of silicon electrode for lithium ion batteries during charging reaction

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:49:49 EDT

Scientists have measured the volumetric expansion of single particles of silicon accompanying the charging reaction. This finding demonstrated the importance of electrode design from the viewpoint of volumetric energy density.

Racing car with electric drive

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:37:37 EDT

Drive technology has an electric future – of this research scientists are in no doubt. Scientists have developed an electric racing car with a novel solution for battery management and electronic sensor systems.

High performance semiconductor spray paint could be a game changer for organic electronics

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:33:33 EDT

Researchers have come up with a novel solution to one of the biggest technological barriers facing the organic semiconductor industry today. They developed a high performance organic semiconductor 'spray paint' that can be applied to large surface areas without losing electric conductivity.

Engineers generate world-record mmWave output power from nanoscale CMOS

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:11:11 EDT

Electrical engineers have generated a record amount of power output —- by a power of five —- using silicon-based nanoscale CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology for millimeter-wave power amplifiers. Power amplifiers are used in communications and sensor systems to boost power levels for reliable transmission of signals over long distances as required by the given application.

New battery design could help solar and wind power the grid

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:06:06 EDT

Researchers have designed a low-cost, long-life battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid.

Battery and Memory Device in One

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:10:10 EDT

Conventional data memory works on the basis of electrons that are moved around and stored. However, even by atomic standards, electrons are extremely small. It is very difficult to control them, for example by means of relatively thick insulator walls, so that information will not be lost over time. This does not only limit storage density, it also costs a great deal of energy. For this reason, researchers are working feverishly all over the world on nanoelectronic components that make use of ions, i.e. charged atoms, for storing data. Ions are some thousands of times heavier that electrons and are therefore much easier to 'hold down'. In this way, the individual storage elements can almost be reduced to atomic dimensions, which enormously improves the storage density.

Rivers act as 'horizontal cooling towers' for power plants, study finds

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:30:30 EDT

Running two computer models in tandem, scientists have detailed for the first time how thermoelectric power plants interact with climate, hydrology, and aquatic ecosystems throughout the northeastern US and show how rivers serve as "horizontal cooling towers" that provide an important ecosystem service to the regional electricity sector -- but at a cost to the environment.

Revolutionary new device joins world of smart electronics: New flexible, transparent, photosensitive device

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:11:11 EDT

Smart electronics are taking the world by storm. From techno-textiles to transparent electronic displays, the world of intelligent technology is growing fast and a revolutionary new device has just been added to its ranks. Researchers have developed a new photoelectric device that is both flexible and transparent.

Device to mitigate power outages, prevent equipment damage

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:41:41 EDT

Engineering researchers have developed equipment that will prevent rolling power outages by regulating or limiting the amount of excess current that moves through the power grid when a surge occurs.

New solar-cell coating could enable a major boost in efficiency

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:23:23 EDT

Throughout decades of research on solar cells, one formula has been considered an absolute limit to the efficiency of such devices in converting sunlight into electricity: Called the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit, it posits that the ultimate conversion efficiency can never exceed 34 percent for a single optimized semiconductor junction. Now, researchers have shown that there is a way to blow past that limit as easily as today's jet fighters zoom through the sound barrier -- which was also once seen as an ultimate limit.

Battery low? Give your mobile some water

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:48:48 EDT

A power source for your mobile phone can now be as close as the nearest tap, stream, or even a puddle, with the world’s first water-activated charging device.

Prototype generators emit much less carbon monoxide

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:59:59 EDT

Portable electric generators retrofitted with off-the-shelf hardware emitted significantly lower levels of carbon monoxide, according to the results of recent tests.

Super-nanotubes: 'Remarkable' spray-on coating combines carbon nanotubes with ceramic

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:59:59 EDT

Researchers have demonstrated a spray-on mixture of carbon nanotubes and ceramic that has unprecedented ability to resist damage while absorbing laser light. Coatings that absorb as much of the energy of high-powered lasers as possible without breaking down are essential for measuring the output of such lasers.

Small in size, big on power: New microbatteries the most powerful yet

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:19:19 EDT

The most powerful batteries on the planet are only a few millimeters in size, yet they pack such a punch that a driver could use a cellphone powered by these batteries to jump-start a dead car battery -- and then recharge the phone in the blink of an eye. The new microbatteries out-power even the best supercapacitors and could drive new applications in radio communications and compact electronics.

Building a better capacitor with custom nanorods

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:17:17 EDT

A new process for growing forests of manganese dioxide nanorods may lead to the next generation of high-performance capacitors.

Powerpot turns heat and water into electricity

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:41:41 EDT

Students have invented a portable cook pot that doubles as a thermoelectric generator, and are now marketing it.

Neighbors move electrons jointly: Ultrafast collective electron transfer after excitation of single electron

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:22:22 EDT

Applying femtosecond x-ray methods, researchers have observed an extremely fast, collective electron transfer of ~100 molecular ions after excitation of a single electron in a crystal of transition metal complexes.

Research uses mirrors to make solar energy cost competitive

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:39:39 EDT

Concentrating solar power technologies use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight to produce heat, which can then be used to produce electricity, according to ongoing work by mechanical engineers. These technologies present a distinct advantage over photovoltaic (PV) cells in their ability to store the sun’s energy as thermal energy, experts say.

Color of OLEDs can now at last be predicted thanks to new modeling technique

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:48:48 EDT

OLEDs can be made more efficiently and at lower cost by a better understanding of the electronic processes.

The future of our energy

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:48:48 EDT

When it comes to sustainable energy supplies hydroelectric plants are usually the best solution, according to researchers who have reviewed the economic, social and environmental impact of fuel provision.

Better batteries from waste sulfur

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:34:34 EDT

A new chemical process can transform waste sulfur into a lightweight plastic that may improve batteries for electric cars, reports a new study. Scientists have successfully used the new plastic to make lithium-sulfur batteries. The team's discovery could provide a new use for the sulfur left over when oil and natural gas are refined into cleaner-burning fuels. Other potential applications for the new plastic include optical uses.

Memory effect now also found in lithium-ion batteries

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:32:32 EDT

Due to their high energy density, lithium-ion batteries are used in many commercial electronic appliances. They are also believed to exhibit no memory effect. That’s how experts call a deviation in the voltage of the battery that can limit the usability of the stored energy as well as the ability to determine the state of charge of the battery reliably. Scientists have now however discovered a memory effect in a lithium-ion battery. This finding is particularly relevant for the use of lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicle market.

Compact multipurpose scooter for crowded megacities

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:38:38 EDT

Researchers have unveiled an all-new multipurpose scooter prototype, codenamed VOI, at the 3rd Taiwan International Electric Vehicle Show. VOI gets its name from the Vietnamese word for elephant -- a symbol of a safe and intelligent mean of transport. It is a two-wheel concept vehicle.

Solar booster shot for natural gas power plants

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:23:23 EDT

A new system reduces carbon emissions and fuel usage at natural gas power plants by 20 percent by injecting solar energy into natural gas.

Innovative self-cooling, thermoelectric system consumes no electricity

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:54:54 EDT

Researchers have produced a prototype of a self-cooling thermoelectric device that achieves “free” cooling of over 30ºC in devices that give off heat. It is a piece of equipment that acts as a traditional cooler but which consumes no electricity because it obtains the energy it needs to function from the very heat that has to be dissipated.

Plasmonics: A flexible bridge between two worlds

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:41:41 EDT

A novel material shows its credentials to facilitate the integration of photonic and electronic components in practical devices.

Understanding the life of lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:39:39 EDT

Scientists have now answered a question that worries millions of owners and potential owners of electric and hybrid vehicles using lithium-ion batteries: How long before the battery pack dies, leaving a sticker-shock bill for a fresh pack or a car ready for the junk heap? Their answer may surprise skeptics.

Overcoming a major barrier to medical and other uses of 'microrockets' and 'micromotors'

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:39:39 EDT

An advance in micromotor technology akin to the invention of cars that fuel themselves from the pavement or air is opening the door to new medical and industrial uses for these tiny devices, scientists say. Their update on development of the motors -- so small that thousands would fit inside this "o" -- was part of a recent conference presentation.

Advancing secure communications: A better single-photon emitter for quantum cryptography

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:50:50 EDT

In a development that could make the advanced form of secure communications known as quantum cryptography more practical, researchers have demonstrated a simpler, more efficient single-photon emitter that can be made using traditional semiconductor processing techniques.

Electronic implants: New fast transcutaneous non-invasive battery recharger and energy feeder

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:18:18 EDT

Scientists have developed a non-invasive battery recharger system for electronic implants that allows a longer life for the internal implantable devices in the human body such as pacemakers, defibrillators and electric hearts.

'Artificial leaf' gains the ability to self-heal damage and produce energy from dirty water

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:58:58 EDT

Another innovative feature has been added to the world's first practical "artificial leaf," making the device even more suitable for providing people in developing countries and remote areas with electricity. It gives the leaf the ability to self-heal damage.

Global solar photovoltaic industry is likely now a net energy producer

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:29:29 EDT

The construction of the photovoltaic power industry since 2000 has required an enormous amount of energy, mostly from fossil fuels. The good news is that the clean electricity from all the installed solar panels has likely just surpassed the energy going into the industry's continued growth, Stanford researchers find.