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Categories: Energy: Alternative Fuels, Engineering: Graphene
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 Upgrading your computer to quantum
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have demonstrated how a nanoscale layer of superconducting niobium nitride (NbNx) can be grown directly onto aluminum nitride (AIN). The arrangement of atoms, nitrogen content, and electrical conductivity were found to depend on growth conditions, particularly temperature, and the spacing of atoms in the two materials was sufficiently compatible to produce flat layers. The structural similarity between NbNx and AIN will facilitate the integration of superconductors into semiconductor optoelectronic devices.
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.
Published New laser-based instrument designed to boost hydrogen research
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed an analytical instrument that uses an ultrafast laser for precise temperature and concentration measurements of hydrogen. Researchers describe a new coherent Raman spectroscopy instrument, made possible due to a setup that converts broadband light from a laser with short (femtosecond) pulses into extremely short supercontinuum pulses, which contain a wide range of wavelengths. Their new approach could help advance the study of greener hydrogen-based fuels for use in spacecraft and airplanes.
Published Decarbonizing the energy system by 2050 could save trillions
(via sciencedaily.com) Transitioning to a decarbonized energy system by around 2050 is expected to save the world at least $12 trillion compared to continuing our current levels of fossil fuel use, according to a new study.
Published New ice-shedding coating is 100x stronger than others
(via sciencedaily.com) To combat the hazards of ice, a mechanical engineer has developed a sprayable ice-shedding material that is 100 times stronger than any others. It's been tested by Boeing under erosive rain conditions at 385 miles per hour and outperformed current state-of-the-art aerospace coating technologies.
Published Nanotubes illuminate the way to living photovoltaics
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have gotten bacteria to spontaneously take up fluorescent carbon nanotubes for the first time. The breakthrough unlocks new biotechnology applications for prokaryotes, such as near-infrared bacteria tracking and 'living photovoltaics' -- devices that generate energy using light-harvesting bacteria.
Published Making mini-magnets
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers demonstrated a topological insulator device that opens the way towards observing the quantum anomalous Hall effect. Because the currents generated are resistant to scattering, but very sensitive to applied magnetic fields, they may be used for reducing power consumption in computing applications.
Published A breakthrough discovery in carbon capture conversion for ethylene production
(via sciencedaily.com) A team of researchers has discovered a way to convert 100% of carbon dioxide captured from industrial exhaust into ethylene, a key building block for plastic products.
Published A little strain goes a long way in reducing fuel cell performance
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers report that strain caused by just a 2% reduction in the distance between atoms when deposited on a surface leads to a whopping 99.999% decrease in the speed at which the materials conduct hydrogen ions, greatly reducing the performance of solid oxide fuel cells. Developing methods to reduce this strain will help bring high-performance fuel cells for clean energy production to a wider number of households in the future.
Published Researchers devise tunable conducting edge
(via sciencedaily.com) Physicists have demonstrated a new magnetized state in a monolayer of tungsten ditelluride. This material of one-atom thickness has an insulating interior but a conducting edge, which has important implications for controlling electron flow in nanodevices.