ScienceDaily: Energy Technology News

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."

Security risks found in sensors for heart devices, consumer electronics

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:39:39 EDT

The type of sensors that pick up the rhythm of a beating heart in implanted cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers are vulnerable to tampering, according to a new study conducted in controlled laboratory conditions.

New insights into how materials transfer heat could lead to improved electronics

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:56:56 EDT

Researchers have published new insights into how materials transfer heat, which could lead eventually to smaller, more powerful electronic devices.

Strategies to achieve net-zero energy homes

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:50:50 EDT

Chances are you know how many miles your car logs for each gallon or tankful of gas, but you probably have only a foggy idea of how much energy your house consumes, even though home energy expenditures often account for a larger share of the household budget.

First direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly fractal observed in moiré superlattices

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:15 EDT

Scientists have directly observed a rare quantum effect that produces a repeating butterfly-shaped energy spectrum, confirming the longstanding prediction of this quantum fractal energy structure called Hofstadter's butterfly.

Making frequency-hopping radios practical

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:39:39 EDT

New hardware could lead to wireless devices that identify and exploit unused transmission frequencies, using radio spectrum much more efficiently.

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.

Physicists light 'magnetic fire' to reveal energy's path

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:52:52 EDT

Physicists have uncovered how energy is released and dispersed in magnetic materials in a process akin to the spread of forest fires, a finding that has the potential to deepen our understanding of self-sustained chemical reactions.

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.

Perfectly doped quantum dots yield 'colors to dye for'

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:45:45 EDT

This focuses on an ultra-precise method for doping the tiny semiconductors produces vivid hues.

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.

'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.

Spintronics discovery: Scientists find new 'magic' in magnetic material

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:19:19 EDT

Researchers have reported a fundamental finding that will help advance the development of next-generation electronics called "spintronics."

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.

New mechanism converts natural gas to energy faster, captures carbon dioxide

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:48:48 EDT

Chemical engineering researchers have identified a new mechanism to convert natural gas into energy up to 70 times faster, while effectively capturing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

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.

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.

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.

Plasma device could revolutionize energy generation and storage

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:19:19 EDT

Engineers have developed a method of creating and controlling plasma that could revolutionize American energy generation and storage.

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.

Engineers craft new material for high-performing 'supercapacitors'

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:48:48 EDT

Taking a significant step toward improving the power delivery of systems ranging from urban electrical grids to regenerative braking in hybrid vehicles, researchers have synthesized a material that shows high capability for both the rapid storage and release of energy.

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.

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.

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.

Cost-saving measure to upgrade ethanol to butanol -- a better alternative to gasoline

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:35:35 EDT

Scientists have reported a discovery that could speed an emerging effort to replace ethanol in gasoline with a substantially better fuel additive called butanol, which some experts regard as “the gasoline of the future.” Their report on this discovery, holds potential to reduce the costs of converting ethanol factories to production of butanol.

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.

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.

Carbon dioxide released from burning fuel today goes back into new fuels tomorrow

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:28:28 EDT

The search for ways to use megatons of carbon dioxide that may be removed from industrial smokestacks during efforts to curb global warming has led to a process for converting that major greenhouse gas back into the fuel that released it in the first place.

Tin nanocrystals for the battery of the future

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:32:32 EDT

More powerful batteries could help electric cars achieve a considerably larger range and thus a breakthrough on the market. A new nanomaterial for lithium ion batteries could come into play here.

Organic semi-conductors could revolutionize electronics

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:48:48 EDT

Organic semi-conductors could revolutionize electronics in various areas. Nowadays, components put out such high performances that they are used in small devices like mobile phones. With larger devices, however, the organic components heat up in such an uncontrollable manner that they break down or conduct electricity in an irregular way. Physicists and mathematicians have now analyzed the typical feedback effects and they describe them for organic semi-conductors.

New emissions standards would fuel shift from coal to natural gas

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:48:48 EDT

Tougher EPA air-quality standards could spur an increased shift away from coal and toward natural gas for electricity generation, according to a new study. Complying with stricter regulations on sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxide and mercury may make nearly two-thirds of the U.S. coal-fired power plants as expensive to run as plants powered by natural gas. The regulations would make 65 percent of U.S. coal plants as expensive as natural gas, even if gas prices rise significantly.

Experts propose research priorities for making concrete 'greener'

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:28:28 EDT

According to a new report, the potential engineering performance, energy-efficiency and environmental benefits of making concrete greener -- reducing its sizable carbon footprint without compromising performance -- is a challenge worth undertaking.

Ionic thrusters generate efficient propulsion in air

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:20:20 EDT

Thrusters powered by ionic wind may be an efficient alternative to conventional atmospheric propulsion technologies. When a current passes between two electrodes -- one thinner than the other -- it creates a wind in the air between. If enough voltage is applied, the resulting wind can produce a thrust without the help of motors or fuel. Researchers have now found that ionic thrusters may be a far more efficient source of propulsion than conventional jet engines.

Breakthrough in hydrogen fuel production could revolutionize alternative energy market

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:41:41 EDT

Researchers have discovered a way to extract large quantities of hydrogen from any plant, a breakthrough that has the potential to bring a low-cost, environmentally friendly fuel source to the world.

Solar village to house microgrid project

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:45:45 EDT

Four solar homes built by students will soon become home to an experimental microgrid to manage and store renewable energy.

Finding instead of searching

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:12:12 EDT

It is easy to lose track of things in large storage facilities but not at the wind turbine manufacturer Enercon‘s facility in Magdeburg though, where a positioning system with digital inventory management increases transparency and expedites processes.

A longer life for lithium-sulfur batteries

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:12:12 EDT

Electric cars have still got it tough in the German marketplace. They are too expensive and their range is too short. This is an opportune time for a breakthrough in efficient and low-cost lithium-sulfur batteries.