Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

New insights into energy loss open doors for one up-and-coming solar tech      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new method for describing energy loss in organic solar cells has paved the way for building better and more efficient devices.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Offshore wind farms may harm seabirds, but scientists see potential for net positive impact      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The development of offshore wind energy is expanding globally, with the potential to be an important source of clean renewable energy. Yet offshore wind farms pose significant risks to seabirds and other marine wildlife. A new study outlines a framework for addressing the impacts of offshore wind farms on marine bird populations and highlights conservation strategies that could potentially more than offset those impacts.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

How fine bubbles lead to more efficient catalysts      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Catalysts are of utmost relevance for the production of chemicals and energy storage with hydrogen. Researchers have now discovered that the formation of bubbles in the pores of a catalyst can be essential for its activity. Their findings help to optimize catalyst materials for reactions in which gases are formed from liquids -- and which play a central role in a future green hydrogen economy.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

New discoveries made about a promising solar cell material, thanks to new microscope      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A team of scientists has developed a new characterization tool that allowed the scientists to gain unique insight into a possible alternative material for solar cells.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

How photoelectrodes change in contact with water      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Every green leaf is able to convert solar energy into chemical energy, storing it in chemical compounds. However, an important sub-process of photosynthesis can already be technically imitated -- solar hydrogen production: Sunlight generates a current in a so-called photoelectrode that can be used to split water molecules. This produces hydrogen, a versatile fuel that stores solar energy in chemical form and can release it when needed.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Space: Exploration
Published

Improving the performance of electrodeless plasma thrusters for space propulsion      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Space missions already use electric propulsion devices, where electromagnetic fields are utilized to generate the thrust of spacecraft. One such electrodeless device, which harnesses radio frequency (rf) to generate plasma and a magnetic nozzle (MN) to channel and accelerate plasma, has shown immense promise in pushing the boundaries of space travel. But scientists have so far failed to achieve efficient conversion of the rf power to thrust energy. Now, a researcher has achieved a stunning 30% conversion efficiency.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Ultrathin solar cells promise improved satellite performance      (via sciencedaily.com) 

As low Earth orbit becomes more cluttered, it becomes increasingly necessary to use middle Earth orbits, and radiation-tolerant cell designs will be needed. Making photovoltaics thinner should increase their longevity because the charge carriers have less far to go during their shortened lifetimes. Scientists propose a radiation-tolerant photovoltaic cell design that features an ultrathin layer of light-absorbing material. Compared to thicker cells, nearly 3.5 times less cover glass is needed for the ultra-thin cells to deliver the same amount of power after 20 years of operation.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Shining new light on solar cell development      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An increase in the efficiency of solar panels may be on the horizon, as new research reduces their current limitations.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

New tech solves longstanding challenges for self-healing materials      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineering researchers have developed a new self-healing composite that allows structures to repair themselves in place, without having to be removed from service. This latest technology resolves two longstanding challenges for self-healing materials, and can significantly extend the lifespan of structural components such as wind-turbine blades and aircraft wings.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels
Published

Revolutionary technique to generate hydrogen more efficiently from water      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have made a serendipitous scientific discovery that could potentially revolutionize the way water is broken down to release hydrogen gas -- an element crucial to many industrial processes. The team found that light can trigger a new mechanism in a catalytic material used extensively in water electrolysis, where water is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen. The result is a more energy-efficient method of obtaining hydrogen.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

One-stop hydrogen shop: Reducing the cost of a future energy carrier      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have demonstrated a proof-of-concept for a novel molecular hydrogen production method that bypasses the need for expensive purification steps. They developed a system where hydrogen is separated and stored in liquid organic hydrogen carriers by catalysis of triaryl boranes in one seamless process. The results of this work will help facilitate the transition to a hydrogen-based economy that is necessary for a more sustainable future.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Global collaboration saved countries $67 billion in solar panel production costs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study quantifies for the first time the historical and future cost savings to the solar industry from globalized supply chains.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Nano-sized islands open possibilities for application of single-atom catalysts      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new method to anchor single atoms of platinum-group metals on nanometer-sized islands allows for efficiently using these expensive metals as catalysts for a wide variety of applications. Researchers showed that platinum atoms could be confined on small cerium-oxide islands within a porous material to catalyze reactions without sticking to each other, which has been a major stumbling block for their use.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Dye-sensitized solar cells achieve a new record      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have increased the power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells beyond 15% in direct sunlight and 30% in ambient light conditions.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Tandem solar cells with perovskite: Nanostructures help in many ways      (via sciencedaily.com) 

By the end of 2021, scientists had presented perovskite silicon tandem solar cells with an efficiency close to 30 percent. This value was a world record for eight months, a long time for this hotly contested field of research. Scientists now describe how they achieved this record value with nanooptical structuring and reflective coatings.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Improving light absorption in perovskite/Si tandem solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineers have achieved a power conversion efficiency of 23.50% in a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell built with a special textured anti-reflective coating (ARC) polymeric film.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Durable, inexpensive catalyst reduces carbon footprint of ammonia production      (via sciencedaily.com) 

To reduce the energy requirements of the Haber-Bosch process, which converts nitrogen and hydrogen to ammonia, researchers have developed a metal nitride catalyst containing an active metal (Ni) on a lanthanum nitride support that is stable in presence of moisture. Since the catalyst doesn't contain ruthenium, it presents an inexpensive option for reducing the carbon footprint of ammonia production.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Storing hydrogen fuel in salts -- a step toward 'cleaner' energy production      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Hydrogen gas could someday replace fossil fuels as a 'clean' energy source, producing only water and energy. However, handling large quantities of gaseous hydrogen is cumbersome, and converting it to a liquid requires vessels that can withstand extremely high pressures. Now, researchers have developed a method to store and release highly pure hydrogen with salts in the presence of amino acids.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Batteries
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.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
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.