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Categories: Energy: Alternative Fuels, Energy: Batteries
Published The opto-ionic effect: Light may increase performance of fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries


Lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells and many other devices depend on the high mobility of ions in order to work properly. But there a large number of obstacles to such mobility. Researchers have now shown that light can be used to increase the mobility of ions and improve the performance of such devices.
Published Bionic wing flaps improve wind energy efficiency


Scientists show a bionic approach combining features of a seagull's wing with an engineered flow control accessory, known as a Gurney flap, can greatly improve wind turbine performance. To achieve the best aerodynamic performance, the scientists simulated the use of the combined flow control accessory in a variety of situations, including high and low angle of attack and pre- and post-stall scenarios. They compared their computational simulations to experimental results for an aircraft wing undergoing a dynamic stall.
Published Wind, solar could replace coal power in Texas


A fraction of the wind and solar projects already proposed in Texas could eliminate the state's remaining coal power plants and their emissions, according to engineers.
Published Cheaper, more efficient ways to capture carbon


Researchers have developed a new tool that could lead to more efficient and cheaper technologies for capturing heat-trapping gases from the atmosphere and converting them into beneficial substances, like fuel or building materials.
Published Making green energy greener: Researchers propose method for wind turbine blades' recycling


Wind turbine blades made from glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) laminate composites can serve for up to 25 years. After that, they end up in landfills which has become a real challenge for the renewable energy industry. Researchers have proposed a method for wind turbine blades' recycling. Using pyrolysis, they broke the composite materials into their constituent parts. According to scientists, the extracted materials can be reused, and the process is virtually waste-free.
Published Selecting the right structural materials for fusion reactors


Do two promising structural materials corrode at very high temperatures when in contact with 'liquid metal fuel breeders' in fusion reactors? Researchers now have the answer. This high-temperature compatibility of reactor structural materials with the liquid breeder -- a lining around the reactor core that absorbs and traps the high energy neutrons produced in the plasma inside the reactor -- is key to the success of a fusion reactor design.
Published New, nature-inspired concepts for turning CO2 into clean fuels


Researchers have developed an efficient concept to turn carbon dioxide into clean, sustainable fuels, without any unwanted by-products or waste.
Published A new, inexpensive catalyst speeds the production of oxygen from water



Researchers have developed a new type of catalyst material, called a metal hydroxide-organic framework (MHOF), which is made of inexpensive and abundant components. The catalyst speeds up the electrochemical reaction that splits apart water molecules to produce oxygen, which is at the heart of multiple approaches aiming to produce alternative fuels for transportation.
Published From the streets to the stratosphere: Clean driving technology enables cleaner rocket fuel



A chemical used in electric vehicle batteries could also give us carbon-free fuel for space flight, according to new research.
Published Nuclear power may be the key to least-cost, zero-emission electricity systems


Nuclear power generation can play a crucial role in helping the world reach a key goal of zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century, especially in countries with low wind resources, according to new work.
Published Solar and wind power are key to decarbonizing Switzerland


How can we reduce the carbon footprint of electricity consumption in Switzerland? The country relies on electricity imports from fossil fuel power plants, which are major emitters of greenhouse gases.
Published Jet stream models help inform US offshore wind development


With the federal government planning to hold the largest sale of offshore wind farm leases in the nation's history, a new study could help inform the development of offshore wind farms by providing detailed models characterizing the frequency, intensity and height of low-level jet streams over the U.S. Atlantic coastal zone.
Published Scientists develop insect-sized flying robots with flapping wings


A new drive system for flapping wing autonomous robots has been developed, using a new method of electromechanical zipping that does away with the need for conventional motors and gears.
Published Owl wing design reduces aircraft, wind turbine noise pollution


Researchers used the characteristics of owl wings to inform airfoil design and significantly reduce trailing-edge noise. The team used noise calculation and analysis software to conduct a series of detailed theoretical studies of simplified airfoils with characteristics reminiscent of owl wings. They applied their findings to suppress the noise of rotating machinery. Improving the flow conditions around the trailing edge and optimizing the shape of the edge suppressed the noise.
Published Researcher pushes limit of when water will freeze


An engineer is changing what we know about when water freezes as he pushes the limit and gets the best look yet at tiny drops of water as they freeze.
Published Macrogrid study: Big value in connecting America’s eastern and western power grids


A 'macrogrid' that increases the electricity moving between America's Eastern and Western interconnections, two of the biggest power grids on the planet, would more than pay for itself, according to new research.
Published Wind and solar could power the world’s major countries most of the time


With the eyes of the world on the United Nations COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, strategies for decarbonizing energy infrastructure are a trending topic. Yet critics of renewables question the dependability of systems that rely on intermittent resources.
Published Tidal stream power can aid drive for net-zero and generate 11% of UK’s electricity demand


A day before world leaders meet at COP26 to discuss the importance of clean energy, scientists from across the UK say that harnessing the power of the ocean's tidal streams can provide a predictable and reliable means of helping to meet the country's future energy demand.
Published Energy efficiency instead of long-term storage


Incorporating energy efficiency measures can reduce the amount of storage needed to power the nation's buildings entirely with renewable energy, according to a recent analysis.
Published Using overpasses as shelter from tornado?


Meteorologists and emergency workers continue to contest the popular thinking that waiting out a tornado under an overpass is safe. According to the National Weather Service, doing so could actually increase the risk of death, in part because the wind from a tornado is thought to accelerate as it flows under the overpass, in what's known as the wind tunnel effect.