Energy: Batteries
Published

Thin-film batteries rechargable in just one minute      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineers aim to revolutionize rechargeable batteries: Their thin-film batteries are not only safer and longer-lasting than conventional lithium-ion batteries, they are also much more environmentally friendly to manufacture and can be charged in just one minute. For now, the battery is very small, but the founders have big plans for it.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published

Scientists invent micrometers-thin battery charged by saline solution that could power smart contact lenses      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have developed a flexible battery as thin as a human cornea, which stores electricity when it is immersed in saline solution, and which could one day power smart contact lenses.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology Engineering: Graphene
Published

New study finds ways to suppress lithium plating in automotive batteries for faster charging electric vehicles      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study has found a way to prevent lithium plating in electric vehicle batteries, which could lead to faster charging times.

Energy: Batteries Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Towards better batteries and fuel cells with dispersibility estimation for carbon electrode slurries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Carbon slurries, which consist of a suspension of carbon particles in a solvent, are used to mass-produce battery electrodes. However, there are no adequate methods to evaluate whether the particles are uniformly dispersed in the slurry during the manufacturing process. In a recent study, researchers used an innovative approach, combining viscosity and electrochemical impedance measurements, to accurately assess the dispersibility of slurries, opening doors to enhanced electric vehicles and fuel cell batteries.

Energy: Batteries
Published

New platform could boost development of carbon-capturing batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Efficient and cheap batteries that can also capture harmful emissions could be right around the corner, thanks to a new system that speeds up the development of catalysts for lithium-CO2 (Li-CO2) batteries.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Hard-of-hearing music fans prefer a different sound      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers study the impact of hearing loss on subjects' enjoyment of different music mixes. They played different music mixes to listeners with and without hearing loss and found that those with hearing loss preferred louder lead vocals, higher frequencies, and sparser mixes with fewer frequencies overall. Previous research has found that music steadily shifted to quieter vocals and louder instrumentals leading up to 1975, meaning today's music may be less accessible to those with hearing loss.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology
Published

Move over lithium-ion: Zinc-air batteries a cheaper and safer alternative      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Zinc-air batteries have emerged as a better alternative to lithium in a recent study into the advancement of sustainable battery systems.

Engineering: Robotics Research Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Brain recordings capture musicality of speech -- with help from Pink Floyd      (via sciencedaily.com) 

For those with neurological or developmental disorders compromising speech, brain machine interfaces could help them communicate. But today's interfaces are slow and, from electrodes placed on the scalp, can detect letters only. The speech generated is robotic and affectless. Neuroscientists have now shown that they can reconstruct the song a person is hearing from brain recordings alone, holding out the possibility of reconstructing not only words but the musicality of speech, which also conveys meaning.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology
Published

Chloride ions from seawater eyed as possible lithium replacement in batteries of the future      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Sodium, Potassium and zinc have all been promising contenders for lithium's place in rechargeable batteries of the future, but researchers have added an unusual and more abundant competitor to the mix: chloride, the richest negatively charged ions in seawater. Xiaowei Teng, the James H. Manning professor of Chemical Engineering at WPI, has discovered a new redox chemistry empowered by chloride ions for the development of seawater green batteries.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology
Published

Faster thin film devices for energy storage and electronics      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An international research team reported the first realization of single-crystalline T-Nb2O5 thin films having two-dimensional (2D) vertical ionic transport channels, which results in a fast and colossal insulator-metal transition via Li ion intercalation through the 2D channels.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Cracking in lithium-ion batteries speeds up electric vehicle charging      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Rather than being solely detrimental, cracks in the positive electrode of lithium-ion batteries reduce battery charge time, research shows. This runs counter to the view of many electric vehicle manufacturers, who try to minimize cracking because it decreases battery longevity.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology Offbeat: Earth and Climate
Published

Energy-storing supercapacitor from cement, water, black carbon      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineers have created a 'supercapacitor' made of ancient, abundant materials, that can store large amounts of energy. Made of just cement, water, and carbon black (which resembles powdered charcoal), the device could form the basis for inexpensive systems that store intermittently renewable energy, such as solar or wind energy.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

A wearable ultrasound scanner could detect breast cancer earlier      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In hopes of improving the survival rate for breast cancer patients, researchers designed a wearable ultrasound device that could allow women to detect tumors when they are still in early stages.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Batteries Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Solar batteries: New material makes it possible to simultaneously absorb light and store energy      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers are making progress on the design of a solar battery made from an abundant, non-toxic and easily synthesized material composed of 2D carbon nitride.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

A quick look inside a human being      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists have succeeded in making a new imaging technique ready for use on humans. Radioactive markers and radiation are not necessary for this.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Going the distance for better wireless charging      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Accounting for radiation loss is the key to efficient wireless power transfer over long distances.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology
Published

Aluminum materials show promising performance for safer, cheaper, more powerful batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers are using aluminum foil to create batteries with higher energy density and greater stability. The team's new battery system could enable electric vehicles to run longer on a single charge and would be cheaper to manufacture -- all while having a positive impact on the environment.

Energy: Batteries
Published

Current thinking on batteries overturned by cathode oxidation research      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in understanding and overcoming the challenges associated with Ni-rich cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Dry manufacturing process offers path to cleaner, more affordable high-energy EV batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Early experiments have revealed significant benefits to a dry battery manufacturing process. This eliminates the use of toxic solvents while showing promise for delivering a battery that is durable, less weighed down by inactive elements and able to maintain high energy storage capacity after use. Such improvements could boost wider EV adoption, helping to reduce carbon emissions and achieve U.S. climate goals.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Controlling signal routing in quantum information processing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Routing signals and isolating them against noise and back-reflections are essential in many practical situations in classical communication as well as in quantum processing. In a theory-experimental collaboration, a team has achieved unidirectional transport of signals in pairs of 'one-way streets'. This research opens up new possibilities for more flexible signaling devices.