Stop Hyperventilating, Say Energy Efficiency Researchers
A single advanced building control now in development could slash 18 percent - tens of thousands of dollars - off the overall annual energy bill of the average large office building, with no loss of comfort.
Researchers Unearth Bioenergy Potential in Leaf-Cutter Ant Communities
As spring warms up Wisconsin, humans aren't the only ones tending their gardens. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Bacteriology, colonies of leaf-cutter ants cultivate thriving communities of fungi and bacteria using freshly cut plant material.
"Popcorn" Particle Pathways Promise Better Lithium-Ion Batteries
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have confirmed the particle-by-particle mechanism by which lithium ions move in and out of electrodes made of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4, or LFP), findings that could lead to better performance in lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, medical equipment and aircraft. The research is reported in the journal Nano Letters, 2013, 13 (3), pp 866-872.
New All-Solid Sulfur-Based Battery Outperforms Lithium-Ion Technology
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have designed and tested an all-solid lithium-sulfur battery with approximately four times the energy density of conventional lithium-ion technologies that power today's electronics.
Bigger Cities Donat Always Equate to Energy Savings
It is a long-held assumption that large cities benefit from economies of scale. New research by Boise State University visiting professor of economics Michail Fragkias questioning this assumption could help shape how major cities are built and managed in the coming decades.
Transportation Fuels From Woody Biomass Promising Way to Reduce Emissions
Two processes that turn woody biomass into transportation fuels have the potential to exceed current Environmental Protection Agency requirements for renewable fuels, according to research published in the Forest Products Journal.
Not Just Blowing in the Wind: Compressing Air for Renewable Energy Storage
A comprehensive study into the potential for compressed air energy storage in the Pacific Northwest has identified two locations in Washington state that could store enough Northwest wind energy combined to power about 85,000 homes each month.
Never-Before-Seen Energy Pattern Observed at National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Two research teams at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab) broke through a nearly 40-year barrier recently when they observed a never-before-seen energy pattern.
Physicists Light aMagnetic Firea to Reveal Energyas Path
NYU physicists have uncovered how energy is released and dispersed in magnetic materials in a process akin to the spread of forest fires, a finding that has the potential to deepen our understanding of self-sustained chemical reactions.
Geologists Study Mystery of 'Eternal Flames'
"Eternal flames" fueled by hydrocarbon gas could shine a light on the presence of natural gas in underground rock layers and conditions that let it seep to the surface, according to research by Indiana University geologists.
Microwave Oven Cooks Up Solar Cell Material
University of Utah metallurgists used an old microwave oven to produce a nanocrystal semiconductor rapidly using cheap, abundant and less toxic metals than other semiconductors. They hope it will be used for more efficient photovoltaic solar cells and LED lights, biological sensors and systems to convert waste heat to electricity.
Researchers Find That Some aGreena Hot Water Systems Fail to Deliver on Promises
Two researchers affiliated with the Virginia Tech College of Engineering have published a paper which reports that hot water recirculating systems touted as "green," actually use both more energy and water than their standard counterparts. The research found that the "so-called green" hot water recirculation systems used more net water than the conventional systems after accounting for water needed to produce the extra energy.
Recipe for Low-Cost, Biomass-Derived Catalyst for Hydrogen Production
In a paper to be published in an upcoming issue of Energy & Environmental Science (now available online), researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory describe details of a low-cost, stable, effective catalyst that could replace costly platinum in the production of hydrogen. The catalyst, made from renewable soybeans and abundant molybdenum metal, produces hydrogen in an environmentally friendly, cost-effective manner, potentially increasing the use of this clean energy source.
Technique Unlocks Design Principles of Quantum Biology
University of Chicago researchers have created a synthetic compound that mimics the complex quantum dynamics observed in photosynthesis and may enable fundamentally new routes to creating solar-energy technologies.
Key Ingredient in Mass Extinctions Could Boost Food, Biofuel Production
In low doses, hydrogen sulfide, a substance implicated in several mass extinctions, could greatly enhance plant growth, leading to a sharp increase in global food supplies and plentiful stock for biofuel production, new University of Washington research shows.
ORNL Leading Study Focused on Afterlife of Electric Vehicle Batteries
Once they've finished powering electric vehicles for hundreds of thousands of miles, it may not be the end of the road for automotive batteries, which researchers believe can provide continued benefits for consumers, automakers and the environment.
A Solar Booster Shot for Natural Gas Power Plants
A new system reduces carbon emissions and fuel usage at natural gas power plants by 20 percent by injecting solar energy into natural gas.
New Report: California Lags in Fracking Regulations
A new report on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in California warns of possible water contamination and seismic activity near drilling sites, unless the oil-extraction method is tightly regulated.
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Cost-Saving Measure to Upgrade Ethanol to Butanol -- A Better Alternative to Gasoline
Scientists today reported a discovery that could speed an emerging effort to replace ethanol in gasoline with a substantially better fuel additive called butanol, which some experts regard as "the gasoline of the future." Their report on this discovery, which holds potential to reduce the costs of converting ethanol factories to production of butanol, came at the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Understanding the Life of Lithium Ion Batteries in Electric Vehicles
Scientists today answered a question that worries millions of owners and potential owners of electric and hybrid vehicles using lithium-ion batteries: How long before the battery pack dies, leaving a sticker-shock bill for a fresh pack or a car ready for the junk heap? Their answer, presented here at the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), being held here this week, may surprise skeptics.
'Artificial Leaf' Gains the Ability to Self-Heal Damage and Produce Energy From Dirty Water
Another innovative feature has been added to the world's first practical "artificial leaf," making the device even more suitable for providing people in developing countries and remote areas with electricity, scientists reported here today. It gives the leaf the ability to self-heal damage that occurs during production of energy.
Lithium-Ion Battery Technology Topic of Dozens of New Scientific Reports This Week
With lithium-ion batteries in the news for grounding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet -- and as a fixture in many consumer electronics products -- li-ion technology is the topic of dozens of potentially newsworthy scientific reports that begin here today. The presentations are part of the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Engineering Algae to Make the 'Wonder Material' Nanocellulose for Biofuels and More
Genes from the family of bacteria that produce vinegar, Kombucha tea and nata de coco have become stars in a project -- which scientists today said has reached an advanced stage -- that would turn algae into solar-powered factories for producing the "wonder material" nanocellulose. Their report on advances in getting those genes to produce fully functional nanocellulose was part of the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society, being held here this week.
Enzymes From Horse Feces Could Hold Secrets to Streamlining Biofuel Production
Stepping into unexplored territory in efforts to use corn stalks, grass and other non-food plants to make biofuels, scientists today described the discovery of a potential treasure-trove of candidate enzymes in fungi thriving in the feces and intestinal tracts of horses.
Turning Trash into Cash . . . and Saving Energy
Most people view an empty milk jug as yet another chunk of plastic to chuck in the garbage. For Joshua Pearce, it's raw material for all manner of useful things, courtesy of the 3D printing revolution.