With the Leopoldina Prize for young scientists 2023, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina honors Dr. Jingyuan Xu, who researches novel heating and cooling technologies for the energy transition at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Currently, the young engineer can boast two more significant awards: the Hector RCD Award as well as admission to the Global Young Academy, an exclusive association of international young scientists.
Tag: Energy
Healable Cathode Could Unlock Potential of Solid-state Lithium-sulfur Batteries
UC San Diego engineers developed a cathode material for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries that is healable and highly conductive, overcoming longstanding challenges of traditional sulfur cathodes. The advance holds promise for bringing more energy dense and low-cost Li-S batteries closer to market.
INFUSE workshop gives private and public fusion partners a chance to network and share experiences
More than 120 people gathered for the 2024 Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) Workshop at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory from Feb. 27-28. The event, which was sponsored by the DOE’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), is a part of the INFUSE awards program that funds laboratories or universities so they can partner with private sector companies working on the science and technology solutions that will bring fusion energy to the power grid. To date, DOE has granted 90 awards, with most ranging from $100,000 to $350,000 for a 12-month project.
When Planning Sustainable Energy Systems, Don’t Forget About People
New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that models commonly used to shape climate mitigation need to include human behaviors and rules—and shows models can be adapted to do so
UT-Battelle donates $186,000 to support SEEED’s green construction program
Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s managing contractor, UT-Battelle, presented a donation of $186,000 to Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development, or SEEED, to support the nonprofit’s third green solar home as part of their Green Construction Program.
Plasma technology for more effective lithium extraction
Applying plasma technology increases efficiency by 3-fold. Confirmation of a novel approach for lithium extraction from brine.
Electrification or hydrogen? Both have distinct roles in the European energy transition
The study, published in ‘One Earth’, is the first to analyse the interplay of electrification and hydrogen in EU climate neutrality scenarios at greater sectoral detail.
Japan’s electric vehicle transition by 2035 may be insufficient to combat the climate crisis, but there are solutions
Researchers at Kyushu University have found that Japan’s current policy of stopping the sale of gas vehicles by 2035 and transitioning only to hybrids and electric vehicles may be insufficient to reduce the country’s CO2 emissions and prevent it from reaching its decarbonization target goals.
RUDN Mathematicians: IoT reduces energy costs of household
RUDN University mathematicians have proposed a system that helps to use energy more efficiently. It is based on the Internet of Things and the digital twin of the household.
Jefferson Lab Welcomes Next Generation of Nuclear Physicists
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is proud to announce nine new graduate fellowships for the 2023-2024 academic year, thanks to ongoing funding from Jefferson Science Associates. These fellowships offer students a unique opportunity to collaborate with leading nuclear physicists at Jefferson Lab and pursue advanced studies at their respective universities.
New Study Finds Electric Vehicles Are Driven Less Than Gas Cars
One of the largest studies to date finds the current generation of EV owners drive far fewer miles than owners of gas vehicles, translating to lower emissions savings from EVs.
Improved wind speed forecasts can help urban power generation, according to new Concordia research
Navid Shirzadi uses deep learning models that hybridize existing forecasting models
Offshore wind farms can “steal” wind from each other
The incentive to develop an offshore wind farm can diminish with just a five percent reduction in capacity, based on economic considerations,” says PhD candidate Eirik Finserås at the Faculty of Law, University of Bergen (UiB).
Hybrid nanomaterials promise a sustainability boost across multiple industries
Polyoxometalate (POM)-based nanohybrids potentially offer a step-change in sustainability across a wide variety of industries, but research into the substances is in its infancy. A group of researchers has produced a comprehensive review of the sector’s progress and challenges yet to be overcome.
Cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries could be produced at low temperatures
Layered lithium cobalt oxide, a key component of lithium-ion batteries, has been synthesized at temperatures as low as 300°C and durations as short as 30 minutes.
Discovery made about Fischer Tropsch process could help improve fuel production
A fundamental discovery about the Fischer Tropsch process, a catalytic reaction used in industry to convert coal, natural gas or biomass to liquid fuels, could someday allow for more efficient fuel production.
Solar cell material can assist self-driving cars in the dark
Material used in organic solar cells can also be used as light sensors in electronics. This is shown by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, who have developed a type of sensor able to detect circularly polarised red light.
Predicting the sustainability of a future hydrogen economy
As renewable energy sources like wind and solar ramp up, they can be used to sustainably generate hydrogen fuel. But implementing such a strategy on a large scale requires land and water dedicated to this purpose.
Department of Energy Announces $5.8 Million for Research on Nuclear Data Benefitting Nuclear Science and Applications
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $5.8 million in funding for five projects in nuclear data for basic nuclear science and applications.
X-ray Spectral Microscopy Reveals The Active Edges of a Water-Splitting Material
Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is a key process for energy storage. The chemical transitions involved in splitting water require energy, so researchers are designing more efficient new electrodes with energy saving catalytic properties.
The swan song of African hydropower?
The attractiveness of new hydropower is decreasing fast, both due to the increasing economic competitiveness of solar panels and to the increasingly uncertain effects of climate change on river flows.
How to Prepare your Home for Summer Heat Waves
From covering windows and planting trees, to upgrading your air conditioning system—PNNL scientists offer tips to keep your home cool in extreme heat
ORNL, UT’s Spark Cleantech Accelerator partner to support entrepreneurs
Entrepreneur-fellows in Innovation Crossroads, a Department of Energy Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will complete the Spark Cleantech Accelerator, a 12-week program offered by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Spark Innovation Center at the UT Research Park.
Higher efficiency catalyst key to green hydrogen
The race to make the widespread use of intermittent renewable energy a reality has taken a step forward with new research by experts from the University of Adelaide who are improving the efficiency of iridium-based catalysts.
ESF Researchers Receive NSF Funding for Eco-manufacturing of Renewable Lignin-derived Products using Sustainable Energy
Researchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to further its research on carbon-neutral alternative sources for value-added chemicals currently sourced from petroleum and other fossil fuels.
UC Irvine scientists create long-lasting, cobalt-free, lithium-ion batteries
Irvine, Calif., June 14, 2023 – In a discovery that could reduce or even eliminate the use of cobalt – which is often mined using child labor – in the batteries that power electric cars and other products, scientists at the University of California, Irvine have developed a long-lasting alternative made with nickel. “Nickel doesn’t have child labor issues,” said Huolin Xin, the UCI professor of physics & astronomy whose team devised the method, which could usher in a new, less controversial generation of lithium-ion batteries.
Early career scientist wins prestigious Hungarian physics award
Laszlo Horvath, an early career physicist at PPPL, is the winner of the 2022 Károly Simonyi Memorial Plaque from the Hungarian Nuclear Society.
Fusion Q&A: The Path Forward
Fusion energy could address pollution, climate change, and high energy prices. Berkeley Lab’s Cameron Geddes and Reed Teyber explain how researchers are trying to make it a reality.
Chemists Unravel Reaction Mechanism for Clean Energy Catalyst
Chemists at the University of Kansas and Brookhaven National Laboratory have unraveled the entire reaction mechanism for a key class of water-splitting catalysts. Their work could help pure hydrogen be produced from renewable energy sources such as solar power.
Cooper appointed to DOE’s Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee
ORNL scientist Valentino Cooper has been appointed to the DOE Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee.
Environmental impact of AI and its sustainability
Artificial intelligence’s rapid growth has led to advancements like autonomous vehicles, virtual reality, and ChatGPT. But AI technologies and the training of AI models require a lot of energy, increasing concerns about the environmental impact of AI and its sustainability. To put AI’s energy usage into perspective: it took nine days to train one of OpenAI’s early model chatbots known as MegatronLM.
PPPL hosts workshop on fusion energy and nonproliferation
PPPL hosted a workshop on fusion energy and nuclear nonproliferation at Princeton University on Jan. 25 and 26. Participants included representatives from government, national laboratories, Princeton University, other academic institutions, and private fusion developers.
AFLW athletes off mark when it comes to diet
As footy kicks off for state women’s leagues, researchers are encouraging teams to take a closer look at athlete nutrition, as new research shows that many elite athletes are not getting enough energy to meet their needs in pre-season training or competition.
National Science Foundation awards $90.8M to Arizona State University to advance X-ray science
The National Science Foundation today announced $90.8 million in funding to Arizona State University — the largest NSF research award in the university’s history — to advance groundbreaking research in X-ray science.
Harnessing Plant Molecules to Harvest Solar Energy
ROCKVILLE, MD – Our current solar panels aren’t very efficient; they are only able to convert up to about 20 percent of the sun’s energy into electricity. As a result, to generate a lot of electricity, the panels require a lot of space—sometimes leading forests to be cut down or farms to be replaced by solar.
New superalloy could cut carbon emissions from power plants
Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories have shown that a new 3D-printed superalloy could help power plants generate more electricity while producing less carbon.
How a Record-Breaking Copper Catalyst Converts CO2 Into Liquid Fuels
Since the 1970s, scientists have known that copper has a special ability to transform carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals and fuels. But for many years, scientists have struggled to understand how this common metal works as an electrocatalyst, a mechanism that uses energy from electrons to chemically transform molecules into different products.
Iowa State to study growing crops in solar farm’s footprint
A new Iowa State University research project will explore how to grow crops and keep bees amid solar panels. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, most of the research will be conducted a few miles south of Ames, where Alliant Energy plans to begin construction in April on a 1.35 megawatt solar farm.
The impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on energy markets
Michael De Groot, assistant professor in the Indiana University Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, reflects on the economic impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine as the 1-year anniversary of the invasion approaches.
GW Experts on Energy Grid Resiliency After Texas Ice Storm
Thousands of people across the state of Texas were still without power early Friday after an ice storm hit the state and parts of the U.S. South this week. Local officials are attributing the outages to frozen equipment and ice-burdened…
Seawater split to produce green hydrogen
Researchers have successfully split seawater without pre-treatment to produce green hydrogen. The international team was led by the University of Adelaide’s Professor Shizhang Qiao and Associate Professor Yao Zheng from the School of Chemical Engineering. “We have split natural seawater into oxygen and hydrogen with nearly 100 per cent efficiency, to produce green hydrogen by electrolysis, using a non-precious and cheap catalyst in a commercial electrolyser,” said Professor Qiao.
UCI researchers decipher atomic-scale imperfections in lithium-ion batteries
As lithium-ion batteries have become a ubiquitous part of our lives through their use in consumer electronics, automobiles and electricity storage facilities, researchers have been working to improve their power, efficiency and longevity. As detailed in a paper published today in Nature Materials, scientists at the University of California, Irvine and Brookhaven National Laboratory conducted a detailed examination of high-nickel-content layered cathodes, considered to be components of promise in next-generation batteries.
‘Green’ energy patents more focused on ‘clean’ conventional energy instead of renewables
A new study by world leaders in patent data has revealed some unusual trends in energy tech R&D, questioning whether companies are more committed to extracting fossil fuels or in pursuing genuinely ‘green’, renewable energy technologies.
Digital Science acquires knowledge graph and decision intelligence software company metaphacts
Digital Science has completed the acquisition of metaphacts, which has become the newest member of the Digital Science family.
Press registration open for the hybrid ACS Spring 2023 meeting
Journalists who register for the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) will have access to more than 10,000 presentations on topics. ACS Spring 2023 is a hybrid meeting being held virtually and in-person in Indianapolis on March 26-30 with the theme “Crossroads of Chemistry.”
Electricity harvesting from evaporation, raindrops and moisture inspired by nature
Raindrops, evaporating water, and even moisture in the air are all potentially sources of decentralized clean electricity generation, but many of the technologies that take advantage of this ambient and vast source of energy—many of which are inspired by the electricity harvesting techniques of plants and animals—remain at the lab-bench stage.
Fusion ‘breakthrough’ is big, but more efficient methods needed
The Department of Energy has announced the first ever fusion reaction to generate more energy than used to start the reaction. Gennady Schvets is an expert on fusion and plasma physics at Cornell University who will lead Cornell’s Laboratory of…
Capsule-sized ingestible biobatteries could allow new view of digestive system
A new biobattery being developed at Binghamton University, State University of New York could power ingestible cameras in the small intestine.
GW Expert Available to Discuss Impacts of Severe Drought Conditions and Climate Change on Hydropower
Officials are continuing to sound the alarm on the severe drought conditions impacting the American Southwest and Colorado River. According to a report by The Washington Post, further receding water levels at the Glen Canyon Dam of Lake Powell could…
PPPL awarded more than $12 million to speed development of a fusion pilot plant
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded PPPL funding of more than $12 million to work with laboratories around the world to accelerate the development of a pilot plant powered by the carbon-free fusion energy that drives the sun and stars and can counter climate change.