Red light, big impact: phytochromes in strawberry development unveiled

A new study has revealed how light regulates the growth and pigmentation of woodland strawberries. Researchers identified the FvePhyB gene, a red/far-red light photoreceptor, as a key player in controlling plant height and anthocyanin production. These findings could reshape strawberry farming by optimizing light conditions to improve crop quality and yield.

KIMM initiates a giant leap in the development of technologies for storing alternative energy sources by developing, for the first time in the country, a cryogenic turboexpander capable of cooling gases to temperatures as low as -183 degrees Celsius

The Korean research team of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials has succeeded in developing an oil-free cryogenic turboexpander that uses Zero-GWP refrigerants, and has completed the demonstration testing of an expander used for natural gas liquefaction.

AFL women must ‘carb up’ to maximise footy performance

Pasta, breads, rice, and cereals, they’re the carb-loaded foods that fuel our bodies for high-intensity exercise and sports. So as the 2024 footy season kicks off, making sure AFLW athletes get enough of the good stuff is key for peak performance.

The world’s fastest single-shot 2D imaging technique films ultrafast dynamics in flames

Candle flames, cars, and airplanes emit harmful gases and particles, which are formed through highly complex processes involving extremely fast reactions and often transient flow conditions. To better understand these processes, scientists from the USA and Europe developed the fastest 2D planar imaging system.

Smithsonian Scientists Help Uncover How The Solar Wind Gets Its Energy

Since the 1960s, astronomers have wondered how the Sun’s supersonic “solar wind,” a stream of energetic particles that flows out into the Solar System, continues to receive energy once it leaves the Sun. Now, thanks to a lucky line up of two spacecraft currently in space studying the Sun, they may have discovered the answer.

Korean Researchers Overcome Critical Challenges in Developing Fire-Risk-Free Aqueous Zinc Batteries

The operation performance of the battery and the stability of large-area deposition have been verified, bringing the technology closer to commercialization. Also, the research was published as the cover article in the August issue of the world-renowned journal in the field of energy and materials, Advanced Energy Materials.

Chiral quantum heating and cooling with an optically controlled ion

Exploring quantum heat engines is vital for designing highly efficient power systems beyond classical limits and for understanding quantum thermodynamics. Scientists demonstrate the first implementation of chiral thermodynamic cycles and quantum state transfers in a trapped ion by dynamically encircling a closed loop excluding Liouvillian exceptional points.

Princeton graduate student wins prestigious plasma physics award

Eduardo Rodriguez, a 2022 graduate of the Princeton Program in Plasma Physics hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), has won the Marshall N. Rosenbluth Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award.

Energy companies pressure landowners into fracking, study shows

Energy companies use persistent and personalized pressure to get landowners to give permission for hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and even when landowners decline, companies use legalized compulsion to conduct fracking anyway, according to a new study led by researchers at UNLV and Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Atoms in advanced alloys find preferred neighbors when solidifying

A discovery that uncovered the surprising way atoms arrange themselves and find their preferred neighbors in multi-principal element alloys (MPEA) could enable engineers to “tune” these unique and useful materials for enhanced performance in specific applications ranging from advanced power plants to aerospace technologies, according to the researchers who made the finding.

Esther Takeuchi Honored in Special Festschrift Issue

Esther Sans Takeuchi, a materials scientist and chemical engineer at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, was honored by the Journal of Physical Chemistry C in a special Festschrift issue earlier this year.

Innovation Crossroads welcomes seven entrepreneurs for Cohort 2024

Seven entrepreneurs comprise the next cohort of Innovation Crossroads, a Department of Energy Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program node based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The program provides energy-related startup founders from across the nation with access to ORNL’s unique scientific resources and capabilities.

Yeast Fuel, Developed by Chula’s Faculty of Science Soon to Expand Its Production for the Aerospace Industry

Researchers from Chulalongkorn University have made use of forage grass to feed microorganisms and convert the resulting fat into jet fuel. They aim to expand petroleum-based oil replacement production to reduce impacts on human health and the environment.

KIER Develops ‘Viologen Redox Flow Battery’ to Replace Vanadium.’

Dr. Seunghae Hwang’s research team from the Energy Storage Research Department at the Korea Institute of Energy Research has successfully enhanced the performance and cycle life of redox flow batteries, a prominent large-capacity energy storage device, by introducing functional groups that replace the active materials and improve solubility and stability

Understanding quantum states: New FAMU-FSU research shows importance of precise topography in solid neon qubits

A study led by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Professor Wei Guo that was published in Physical Review Letters shows new insight into the quantum state that describes the condition of electrons on an electron-on-solid-neon quantum bit, information that can help engineers build this innovative technology.

Processes, models and the influencing factors for enhanced boiling heat transfer in porous structures

Abstract Due to the increasing volume of electric vehicles in automotive markets and the limited lifetime of onboard lithium-ion batteries, the large-scale retirement of batteries is imminent. The battery packs retired from electric vehicles still own 70%–80% of the initial capacity, thus having…

Synergy of green energy technologies through critical materials circularity

Abstract Synergies between technology flows is essential to balance the consumption of their related critical materials and promote a sustainable green economy transition. Using dynamics modelling, a comprehensive analysis of silicon flows applied in green energy technologies such as photovoltaic…

Energy saving and economic competitiveness of solar desiccant cooling technology – A case study of the Moroccan Kingdom

Abstract As many countries in the world, Morocco is vulnerable to climate change having direct impacts on its main economic sectors highly dependent on natural resources. This is exemplified, among other things, by long periods of drought, increase of average…

Polyphase wireless power transfer system achieves 270-kilowatt charge, sets another world record for electric light-duty passenger vehicles

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have successfully demonstrated the first 270-kW wireless power transfer to a light-duty electric vehicle. The demonstration used a Porsche Taycan and was conducted in collaboration with Volkswagen Group of America using the ORNL-developed polyphase wireless charging system.

Multi-criteria decision-making for techno-economic and environmentally sustainable decentralized hybrid power and green hydrogen cogeneration system

Abstract For global sustainable development, supplying reliable, clean and affordable energy to all is critical. Also to achieve the stringent carbon emission reduction target, the global energy transition is towards increasing the renewable share of total power generation. As renewable resources are intermittent,…

Successful Workshop for Leading the ‘Carnot Battery’, the Future of Energy Storage

On May 17th (Friday), the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) held a workshop at its main headquarters in Daejeon with experts from industry, academia, research, and government to discuss the technology, policy status, and development direction of the Carnot Battery in relation to energy storage and heat pumps.

Bhatia named new head of ITER projects at PPPL

Ravinder Bhatia, a leader and engineer with three decades of experience managing collaborative science initiatives, is the new head of ITER projects at PPPL. In this role, Bhatia oversees the design and fabrication of six diagnostic systems that PPPL is building for ITER.

Vibration to power: bidirectional piezoelectric systems for future aerospace structures

In a significant leap for aerospace and mechanical engineering, researchers have developed a cutting-edge bidirectional energy-controlled piezoelectric shunt damping technology. This breakthrough not only significantly enhances the suppression of vibration amplitudes in mechanical systems without external power but also harnesses electrical energy, heralding a new era of self-powered solutions.

Innovative Material for Sustainable Building

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) introduce a polymer-based material with unique properties in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications. This material allows sunlight to enter, maintains a more comfortable indoor climate without additional energy, and cleans itself like a lotus leaf. The new development could replace glass components in walls and roofs in the future

UAH-led FTPP recognized nationally as National Science Foundation ranks in top 10 best places to work

The $20 million, five-year Future Technologies and Enabling Plasma Processes (FTPP) initiative led by The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, is cited in “The Washington Post” as a key contributor toward the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) top-10 ranking in the 2023 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government.

Deep-sea sponge’s “zero-energy” flow control could inspire new energy efficient designs, according to research co-led by NYU Tandon School of Engineering

The deep-sea Venus flower basket sponge can filter feed using only the faint ambient currents of the ocean depths, no pumping required, new research reveals. This discovery of natural ‘“zero energy” flow could help engineers design more efficient chemical reactors, air purification systems, heat exchangers, hydraulic systems, and aerodynamic surfaces.

Better Plants program leads to carbon reduction, cost savings for US manufacturing

Helping hundreds of manufacturing industries across the United States increase energy efficiency requires a balance of teaching and training, blended with scientific guidance and technical expertise. It’s a formula for success that researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been providing to the Department of Energy’s Better Plants program for more than a decade.

New Sodium-ion battery tech boosts green energy storage affordability

In significant advances for energy-storage technologies, researchers have developed high–ionic-conductivity solid-state electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries that dramatically enhances at room temperature. This breakthrough not only paves the way for more efficient and affordable energy storage solutions but also strengthens the viability of sodium-ion batteries as a sustainable alternative to traditional lithium-ion systems.

UA Little Rock Receives $5 Million to Advance Cybersecurity Education and Innovation

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received $5 million in federal funding aimed at enhancing cybersecurity in the energy sector through education, workforce development, and innovation. The award comes from appropriations language authored by U.S. Sen. John Boozman passed into law in December 2022. The funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response.

New Technique Lets Scientists Create Resistance-Free Electron Channels

Researchers have taken the first atomic-resolution images and demonstrated electrical control of a chiral interface state – an exotic quantum phenomenon that could help researchers advance quantum computing and energy-efficient electronics.

Development of Durability Evaluation Technique Against Solar Variability for Advancing Green Hydrogen Production

Dr. Bora Seo’s research team from the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), led by Director Yoon Seok-jin, has developed a durability evaluation technique for green hydrogen production devices with step durations as short as one second, utilizing actual solar irradiance data.

Prize of the Leopoldina for young scientist Jingyuan Xu from KIT

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.