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Category: energy – Page 25

Scientists Smashed Two Crystals — And Unlocked Double the Power From Heat

Scientists have found a clever way to double the efficiency of thermoelectric materials — those that convert heat into electricity — by mixing two substances with contrasting mechanical properties but similar electronic traits.

The result is a hybrid that blocks heat at microscopic interfaces while allowing electricity to flow freely, bringing us closer to cheaper, more stable alternatives to today’s gold-standard materials used in the Internet of Things and beyond.

Boosting thermoelectrics for the internet of things.

A 124-year-old dream is about to come true : powering entire homes wirelessly through electromagnetism

For more than a century, electricity has flowed through wires, powering everything from the smallest gadgets to entire cities. However, what seemed like a distant dream—wireless energy transmission—may soon become a reality. This breakthrough technology, known as “power beaming”, promises to eliminate the need for physical infrastructure, delivering power directly from one point to another using electromagnetic waves.

The most graceful animal in the ocean has inspired a propulsion system that could soon power our ships, thanks to Switzerland

Innovation in maritime propulsion has reached a significant milestone with the development of a revolutionary technology inspired by one of the ocean’s most elegant creatures. Swiss engineering giant ABB has successfully tested its biomimetic propulsion system that replicates the graceful swimming motion of whales, potentially transforming how vessels navigate our seas.

Biomimetic innovation transforms maritime propulsion

The marine industry stands at the threshold of a major breakthrough with ABB’s latest innovation. The ABB Dynafin propulsion system draws inspiration from the efficient swimming techniques of cetaceans, creating a mechanism that could significantly reduce energy consumption across various vessel types. This technology comes at a crucial time as detailed ocean mapping reveals new underwater features that challenge traditional navigation methods.

Lost in the Glow: Hidden Galaxies That Could Rewrite the Universe’s Story

Astronomers may have uncovered a hidden population of galaxies that could rewrite what we know about the universe’s evolution.

These faint, dusty galaxies were discovered using the deepest far-infrared image ever created, thanks to data from the Herschel Space Observatory. Their collective light might explain a long-standing mystery about the universe’s energy output in the infrared spectrum. If confirmed, these galaxies would challenge current galaxy evolution models and reveal a previously unseen side of the cosmos—one shrouded in dust and only visible in longer wavelengths of light.

Unveiling hidden galaxies in the early universe.

Harnessing photocatalysis: Hydrogen generation and organic synthesis explored through new database

Generation of hydrogen (H₂) by means of photocatalysis has been at the forefront of research since the 1970s because it can potentially fulfill the demand for this green fuel by employing abundant solar light as the only energy source. It encompasses mainly two approaches: overall water splitting and selective dehydrogenation of organic compounds.

An alternative to artificial fertilizers: Small peptides enhance symbiosis between plants and fungi

Industrial farming practices often deplete the soil of important nutrients and minerals, leaving farmers to rely on artificial fertilizers to support plant growth. In fact, fertilizer use has more than quadrupled since the 1960s, but this comes with serious consequences. Fertilizer production consumes massive amounts of energy, and its use pollutes the water, air, and land.

Plant biologists at the Salk Institute are proposing a new solution to help kick this unsustainable fertilizer habit.

In a new study, the researchers identified a key molecule produced by plant roots, a small peptide called CLE16, that encourages plants and beneficial soil fungi to interact with each other. They say boosting this symbiotic relationship, in which the fungi provide mineral nutrients to the plants through CLE16 supplementation, could be a more natural and sustainable way to encourage crop growth without the use of harmful artificial fertilizers.

Carbon battery startup aims to make energy storage circular

Ukrainian startup SorbiForce said they’ve created the world’s first sustainable battery using four key ingredients: carbon, water, salt and agricultural waste.

“With the current way energy storage systems and batteries are designed, they have really big sustainability implications for the planet,” Kevin Drolet, SorbiForce’s CMO, told pv magazine USA. He explained that material scientist Serhii Kaminskyi, SorbiForce’s CEO and co-founder, had long been bothered by those environmental ramifications.

Kaminskyi pulled together a team of experts in the late 2010s to work on solving the problem. This ultimately landed them a spot in the University of Arizona Center for Innovation startup incubator following the start of the Russia-Ukraine war through the U.S. Department of State’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology initiative.

SorbiForce, a Ukrainian energy storage company now in Arizona, has developed metal-free organic batteries made entirely from agricultural waste.

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