Energy: Technology
Published

Novel material supercharges innovation in electrostatic energy storage      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have developed artificial heterostructures made of freestanding 2D and 3D membranes that have an energy density up to 19 times higher than commercially available capacitors.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Data-driven music: Converting climate measurements into music      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A geo-environmental scientist from Japan has composed a string quartet using sonified climate data. The 6-minute-long composition -- entitled 'String Quartet No. 1 'Polar Energy Budget'-- is based on over 30 years of satellite-collected climate data from the Arctic and Antarctic and aims to garner attention on how climate is driven by the input and output of energy at the poles.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Clearing the air: Wind farms more land efficient than previously thought      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Wind power is a source of energy that is both affordable and renewable. However, decision-makers have been reluctant to invest in wind energy due to a perception that wind farms require a lot of land compared to electric power plants driven by fossil fuels. Research was based on the assessment of the land-use of close to 320 wind farms in the U.S. paints a very different picture.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Cooler transformers could help electric grid      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Simulations on the Stampede2 supercomputer of the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) are helping scientists engineer solutions to overheating of grid transformers -- a critical component of the electric grid.

Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Global North energy outsourcing demands more attention      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Manufacturing nations in the Global North are stockpiling energy and emission problems by outsourcing energy-intensive industrial processes to countries in the Global South.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Energy: Technology Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Quantum precision: A new kind of resistor      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a method that can improve the performance of quantum resistance standards. It's based on a quantum phenomenon called Quantum Anomalous Hall effect.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Pyrite, also known as fool's gold, may contain valuable lithium, a key element for green energy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The technology revolution and development of new renewable energy resources is driving demand for lithium to new heights, but it is not a common mineral. Scientists say they have found lithium in an unexpected place; fool's gold, or pyrite, deposits.

Energy: Nuclear Energy: Technology Physics: General
Published

With inspiration from 'Tetris,' researchers develop a better radiation detector      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new detector system based on the game 'Tetris' could enable inexpensive, accurate radiation detectors for monitoring nuclear sites.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

New device gathers, stores electricity in remote settings      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Wirelessly connected devices perform an expanding array of applications, such as monitoring the condition of machinery and remote sensing in agricultural settings. These applications hold much potential for improving the efficiency, but how do you power these devices where reliable electrical sources are not available? Research points to a possible solution in the form of a novel type of battery.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology
Published

BESSY II: How pulsed charging enhances the service time of batteries      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An improved charging protocol might help lithium-ion batteries to last much longer. Charging with a high-frequency pulsed current reduces aging effects, an international team demonstrated.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Physics: Optics
Published

New four-terminal tandem organic solar cell achieves 16.94% power conversion efficiency      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have fabricated a new four-terminal organic solar cell with a tandem configuration with a 16.94% power conversion efficiency (PCE). The new device is composed by a highly transparent front cell that incorporates a transparent ultrathin silver (Ag) electrode of only 7nm, which ensures its efficient operation.

Chemistry: General Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Using pulp and paper waste to scrub carbon from emissions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have come up with an innovative approach to improve the energy efficiency of carbon conversion, using waste material from pulp and paper production. The technique they've pioneered not only reduces the energy required to convert carbon into useful products, but also reduces overall waste in the environment.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology
Published

'Tug of war' tactic enhances chemical separations for critical materials      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Lanthanide elements are important for clean energy and other applications. To use them, industry must separate mixed lanthanide sources into individual elements using costly, time-consuming, and waste-generating procedures. An efficient new method can be tailored to select specific lanthanides. The technique combines two substances that do not mix and that prefer different types of lanthanides. The process would allow for smaller equipment, less use of chemicals, and less waste production.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology
Published

Drawing inspiration from plants: A metal-air paper battery for wearable devices      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Drawing inspiration from the way plants breathe, a group of researchers has created a paper-based magnesium-air battery that can be used in GPS sensors or pulse oximeter sensors. Taking advantage of paper's recyclability and lightweight nature, the engineered battery holds promise for a more environmentally friendly source of energy.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Magnetic fields boost clean energy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers show that using magnetic fields can boost electrocatalysis for sustainable fuel production by enhancing the movement of the reactants, which improves the efficiency of energy-related reactions.

Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water
Published

A simple way to harvest more 'blue energy' from waves      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

As any surfer will tell you, waves pack a powerful punch. Now, we are one step closer to capturing the energy behind the ocean's constant ebb and flow with an improved 'blue energy' harvesting device. Researchers report that simply repositioning the electrode -- from the center of a see-sawing liquid-filled tube to the end where the water crashes with the most force -- dramatically increased the amount of wave energy that could be harvested.

Energy: Technology Environmental: General
Published

Building blocks for greener energy: Reconfigurable elastic metasurface      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Energy harvesting, an eco-friendly technology, extends beyond solar and wind power in generating electricity from unused or discarded energy in daily life, including vibrations generated by passing car engines or trains. Recent intriguing research has been announced, aiming to enhance the efficiency of energy harvesting using a new type of metasurface that can be reconfigured, resembling the assembly of LEGO bricks.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Researchers discover dual topological phases in an intrinsic monolayer crystal      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team working with single-atom thick crystals found TaIrTe4's transition between the two distinct topological states of insulation and conduction. The material exhibited zero electrical conductivity within its interior, while its boundaries remain conductive. The team's investigation determined that the two topological states stem from disparate origins. The novel properties can serve as a promising platform for exploring exotic quantum phases and electromagnetism.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Engineers 'symphonize' cleaner ammonia production      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Among the many chemicals we use every day, ammonia is one of the worst for the atmosphere. The nitrogen-based chemical used in fertilizer, dyes, explosives and many other products ranks second only to cement in terms of carbon emissions, due to the high temperatures and energy needed to manufacture it. But by improving on a well-known electrochemical reaction and orchestrating a 'symphony' of lithium, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms, engineers have developed a new ammonia production process that meets several green targets.