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Categories: Energy: Alternative Fuels, Energy: Fossil Fuels
Published Scientists develop inexpensive device that can harvest energy from a light breeze and store it as electricity
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have developed a low-cost device that can harness energy from wind as gentle as a light breeze and store it as electricity.
Published Driving high? Chemists make strides toward a marijuana breath analyzer
(via sciencedaily.com) Chemists have developed a fuel cell sensor that they hope to develop into a handheld analyzer to detect THC on a person's breath. When THC is introduced into their laboratory-scale device it oxidizes, creating an electric current whose strength indicates how much of the psychoactive compound is present.
Published Keeping planes and wind turbines ice-free
(via sciencedaily.com) Engineers have made a significant breakthrough in de-icing technology. New research examines a smart, hybrid -- meaning passive and also active -- de-icing system that works by combining an interfacial coating with an ice-detecting microwave sensor.
Published Solar harvesting system has potential to generate solar power 24/7
(via sciencedaily.com) A professor is reporting on a new type of solar energy harvesting system that breaks the efficiency record of all existing technologies. And no less important, it clears the way to use solar power 24/7.
Published Artificial enzyme splits water
(via sciencedaily.com) Progress has been made on the path to sunlight-driven production of hydrogen. Chemists present a new enzyme-like molecular catalyst for water oxidation.
Published Process converts polyethylene bags, plastics to polymer building blocks
(via sciencedaily.com) Polyethylene plastics -- single-use bags and general-purpose bottles -- are indestructable forever plastics. That also makes them hard to recycle. Chemists have found a way to break down the polymer -- a chain of about a thousand ethylene molecules -- into three-carbon molecules, propylene, which are in high demand for making another plastic, polypropylene. The process could turn waste plastic into high-value feedstocks and reduce the need for fossil fuels to make propylene.
Published Clean hydrogen: A long-awaited solution for hard-to-abate sectors?
(via sciencedaily.com) One of the world's biggest climate challenges is decarbonizing fossil energy uses that cannot be directly electrified using renewable power. Among so-called 'hard-to-abate' (HTA) sectors are major industries that rely on fossil fuels, either for high-temperature energy or for chemical feedstocks. New research examines how China -- by far the largest producer of iron, steel, cement, and building materials -- can potentially utilize clean hydrogen ('green' and 'blue' hydrogen) to decarbonize HTA sectors, and aid in achieving its 2030 and 2060 decarbonization pledges.
Published Scientists improve process for turning hard-to-recycle plastic waste into fuel
(via sciencedaily.com) Turning plastic waste into useful products through chemical recycling is one strategy for addressing Earth's growing plastic pollution problem. A new study may improve the ability of one method, called pyrolysis, to process hard-to-recycle mixed plastics -- like multilayer food packaging -- and generate fuel as a byproduct, the scientists said.
Published More reasons to go solar when gearing up for a greener drive
(via sciencedaily.com) With electric vehicles sales soaring worldwide, potential buyers are not just weighing up the price tag, but also the logistics and expense of charging the planet-friendly cars. A new study shows households with solar panels and batteries will be the big winners.
Published New research can help electric utilities account for climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have devised a method to determine the impact of climate change on the supply and variability of local renewable energy. An increase in unusual weather patterns related to climate change means the demand for power and the availability of solar, hydro and wind energy can all become more variable.
Published Catalytic process with lignin could enable 100% sustainable aviation fuel
(via sciencedaily.com) An underutilized natural resource could be just what the airline industry needs to curb carbon emissions. Researchers report success in using lignin as a path toward a drop-in 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Lignin makes up the rigid parts of the cell walls of plants. Other parts of plants are used for biofuels, but lignin has been largely overlooked because of the difficulties in breaking it down chemically and converting it into useful products.
Published Casting shadows on solar cells connected in series
(via sciencedaily.com) Even small objects, such as dust and leaves, can block sunlight from reaching solar cells, and understanding how the loss of incoming radiation affects power output is essential for optimizing photovoltaic technology. Researchers explore how different shade conditions impact performance of single solar cells and two-cell systems connected in series and parallel. They found that the decrease in output current of a single cell or two cells connected in parallel was nearly identical to the ratio of shade to sunlight. However, for two cells running in series, there was excess power loss.
Published Researchers create single-crystal organometallic perovskite optical fibers
(via sciencedaily.com) Due to their very high efficiency in transporting electric charges from light, perovskites are known as the next generation material for solar panels and LED displays. A team have now invented a brand-new application of perovskites as optical fibers.
Published Solvent study solves solar cell durability puzzle
(via sciencedaily.com) The manufacture of high-efficiency solar cells with layers of 2D and 3D perovskites may be simplified by solvents that allow solution deposition of one layer without destroying the other.
Published Wind music causes less transmission than singing, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) The risk of transmission from an infected person on a wind instrument is generally much lower than for people who sing or speak, provided that one spends the same amount of time in their vicinity, according to a new study.
Published Rooftop solar cells can be a boon for water conservation too
(via sciencedaily.com) Electricity-generating rooftop solar cells not only save on planet-warming carbon emissions, they also save a significant amount of water. Water consumption is tightly bound to energy use, because without water we cannot mine, drill, frack, or cool thermoelectric and nuclear plants. A given household may save on average 16,200 gallons of water per year by installing rooftop solar.
Published Fundamental research improves understanding of new optical materials
(via sciencedaily.com) Research into the synthesis of new materials could lead to more sustainable and environmentally friendly items such as solar panels and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Scientists have developed a colloidal synthesis method for alkaline earth chalcogenides. This method allows them to control the size of the nanocrystals in the material and study the surface chemistry of the nanocrystals.
Published Passive cooling system could benefit off-grid locations
(via sciencedaily.com) A new passive cooling system relies on evaporation and radiation and requires no electricity. The device can provide up to about 19 degrees Fahrenheit (9.3 degrees Celsius) of cooling from the ambient temperature, to help keep food fresh longer or supplement air conditioning.
Published Novel carrier doping in p-type semiconductors enhances photovoltaic device performance by increasing hole concentration
(via sciencedaily.com) The carrier concentration and conductivity in p-type monovalent copper semiconductors can be significantly enhanced by adding alkali metal impurities. Doping with isovalent and larger-sized alkali metal ions effectively increased the free charge carrier concentration, and the mechanism was unraveled by their theoretical calculations. Their carrier doping technology enables high carrier concentration and high mobility p-type thin films to be prepared from the solution process, with photovoltaic device applications.
Published Paving the way for large-scale, efficient organic solar cells with water treatment
(via sciencedaily.com) Using water for morphology control of active layer thin films, researchers develop large-area, high-performance organic solar cells.