http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/electricity/ News in electrical research. Read full text articles on electricity and magnetism, the latest research on efficient electrical systems and more. en-us Tue, 13 May 2008 07:05:01 EDT Tue, 13 May 2008 07:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/electricity/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508132406.htm Australia is uniquely endowed with heat-producing elements under its surface that could provide potentially unlimited amounts of geothermal power for this country, say geoscientists. West of the line between Cairns and the mouth of the Murray River lies a belt of rocks containing the enriched elements uranium, thorium, and potassium that are around 1.5 billion years old. These enriched elements are essentially a heat source located in the upper part of the continental crust. Mon, 12 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508132406.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512213306.htm New experiments at Cornell have verified a theory that variations in the distance between atoms in cuprate superconductors account for differences in the temperature at which the material begins to superconduct. A better understanding of the process could lead to superconductors that work at higher temperatures. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512213306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143307.htm Many important electronic devices used by people today would be impossible without the use of ceramics. A new study illustrates the use of ceramic materials in the development of technological devices, including mobile communication and ultrasonic imaging. Fri, 09 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506100306.htm Carbon nanotubes' potential as a super material is blighted by the fact that when first made they often take the form of an unprepossessing pile of sooty black mess in the bottom of a test tube. Now chemists have found a way of producing carbon nanotubes in which they instantly form a highly sensitive ready made electric circuit. Thu, 08 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506100306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505120710.htm Methanol fuel cells are an efficient and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, but they are still not economically viable. Now, a research chemist has developed new materials that enable the manufacture of cheaper and more efficient methanol fuel cells. Tue, 06 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505120710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430154809.htm Hybrid cars are so quiet when operating only with their electric motors that they may pose a risk to the blind and some other pedestrians, research by a psychologist suggests. In some contexts, pedestrians may have only one second to audibly detect the location of approaching hybrid cars when the vehicles operate at very slow speeds. Thu, 01 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430154809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428091839.htm Levying a price on carbon dioxide released by electric generators could considerably reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- even before the deployment of any environmentally friendly technology -- according to scientists. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428091839.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425163711.htm Engineering researchers report that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that fuel global warming, but the benefits are highly dependent on how the electricity system changes in the coming decades. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425163711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424212327.htm Transistors are an indispensable building block in electric appliances, where they amplify weak electric currents. Now researchers have developed a new type of transistor that is 50 times more energy efficient than today's models. It is also the first to be developed using nanotechnology. Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424212327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422155735.htm The microscopic structure of the human brain is almost incomprehensibly complicated, composed of trillions of interconnections between tens of billions of neurons. Understanding this circuitry, the aim of modern neuroscience, is a laudable goal for fundamental as well as neurological health care reasons. Exploring the brain's microcircuitry has traditionally been done by lining up tiny electrodes within or near single neurons to probe their electrical activity. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422155735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422103930.htm The 1930s semi-detached house: three million of them were built in the United Kingdom, they stimulated a boom in employment, and they turned a nation of shop keepers into a nation of home owners. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422103930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417173953.htm It is easy to overlook that most of the energy we consume daily, such as electricity or natural gas, is produced with the help of a dwindling resource -- fresh water. Scientists are researching the water-efficiency of some of the most common energy sources and power generating methods. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417173953.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421123231.htm Rising energy and environmental costs may prevent nuclear power from being a sustainable alternative energy source in the fight against global warming, according to a new study. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421123231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418090427.htm Two great obstacles to hydrogen-powered vehicles lie with fuel cells. Fuel cells, which like batteries produce electrical power through chemical reactions, have been plagued by their relatively low efficiency and high production costs. Scientists have tested a wide assortment of metals and materials to overcome the twin challenge. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418090427.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417152019.htm For almost half a century, scientists have struggled with plutonium nanoclusters spreading further in groundwater than expected, increasing the risk of sickness in humans and animals. Scientists were able to finally discover and study the structure of plutonium nanoclusters. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417152019.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417142457.htm Researchers have discovered that certain organic -- or carbon-based -- molecules exhibit the properties of atoms under certain circumstances and, in turn, conduct electricity as well as metal. Detailed in Science, the finding is a breakthrough in developing nanotechnology that provides a new strategy for designing electronic materials, including inexpensive and multifunctional organic conductors that have long been considered the key to smaller, cheaper and faster technologies. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417142457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416111607.htm From cars and mobile phones to computers and furniture, most of today's products are created virtually on a computer before they are actually produced. Researchers are adding new functionalities to digital product development. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416111607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416161226.htm Chemists have determined that the element chromium displays electrical properties of magnets in surprising ways. This finding can be used in the emerging field of "spintronics," which might someday contribute to new and more energy efficient ways of processing and storing data. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416161226.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415162612.htm A new electric solar wind sail is almost ready for implementation. Electric sail propulsion might have a large impact on space research and space travel throughout the solar system. The electric solar wind sail uses the solar wind as its thrust source and therefore needs no fuel or propellant. The solar wind is a continuous plasma stream emanating from the Sun. Changes in the properties of the solar wind cause auroral brightening and magnetic storms, among other things. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415162612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080412172006.htm Scientists have developed a battery-free wireless 2-channel EEG system powered by a hybrid power supply using body heat and ambient light which could be used to monitor brain waves after a head injury or for other applications. The hybrid power supply combines a thermoelectric generator that uses the heat dissipated from a person's temples and silicon photovoltaic cells. The entire system is wearable and integrated into a device resembling headphones. The system can provide more than 1mW on average indoor, which is more than enough for the targeted application. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080412172006.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414232716.htm Engineers took an early step toward building superfast computers that run on far-infrared light instead of electricity: They made waveguides -- the equivalent of wires -- that carried and bent this form of light, also known as terahertz radiation, which is the last unexploited portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414232716.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410140538.htm For more than 20 years since the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity, scientists have been debating the underlying physical mechanism for this exotic phenomenon. Now, provocative results yielded by two years of experiments carried out at Princeton University have a group of scientists saying that high-temperature superconductivity does not hinge on a magical glue binding electrons together. The secret to superconductivity, they say, may rest instead on the ability of electrons to take advantage of their natural repulsion in a complex situation. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410140538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410140451.htm By using a popcorn-ball design -- tiny kernels clumped into much larger porous spheres -- engineers can more than double the efficiency of a type of solar cell at converting the sun's rays to electricity. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410140451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414115101.htm Advanced gas reactors offer more efficient operation, less waste disposal and other benefits over water-cooled reactor designs used in U.S. nuclear power plants. But creating fuel that burns efficiently and reliably in the higher temperatures of advanced gas reactors has been a challenge -- until now. Fuel fabricated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in cooperation with Idaho National Laboratory and the Babcock & Wilcox Company, has demonstrated the most successful performance ever for U.S. advanced gas reactor fuel. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414115101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411151001.htm Researchers have created a novel safer lithium-ion battery. It is based on a polymer electrolyte, which is -- unlike the liquid electrolyte in conventional lithium-ion batteries -- not inflammable. Lithium-ion batteries supply the power for cell phones and PDAs, and larger devices such as laptops, cordless screwdrivers and lawnmowers are becoming increasingly dependent on this power source. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411151001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414145653.htm Renewable electricity is being supported by a growing number of states through the creation of renewables portfolio standards. A new report provides a comprehensive overview of the early experiences with these state-level RPS policies. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414145653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407172717.htm Despite oil prices that hover around $100 a barrel, it may take at least 10 or more years of intensive research to reduce the cost of solar energy to levels competitive with petroleum, according to a leading expert on the topic. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407172717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408100532.htm People who want to save energy should always keep an eye on their consumption. The EWE Box offers customers a neat solution: It enables private households to monitor their electricity and gas consumption whenever they want -- and save costs thanks to new pricing models. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408100532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410101210.htm People could live in glass houses and look at the world through rose-tinted windows while reducing their carbon emissions by 50 percent, thanks to new Australian research. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410101210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408160614.htm Superinsulation may sound like a marketing gimmick for a drafty attic or winter coat. But it is actually a newly-discovered fundamental state of matter created by scientists. This discovery both opens new directions of inquiry in condensed matter physics and breaks ground for a new generation of microelectronics. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408160614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407132129.htm Researchers are developing a manufacturing strategy that could improve technologies used in tissue engineering and information technology. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407132129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407101854.htm Nano-physicists have made a discovery that could change the way data is stored on computers. In the future it will be possible to store data much faster, and with more accuracy. A computer has two equally important elements: computing power and memory. Traditionally, scientists have developed these two elements in parallel. Now computer scientists have made a step towards a new means of data-storage, in which electricity and magnetism are combined in a new transistor concept. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407101854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408144812.htm Escalating oil and gas prices along with the global challenge of climate change has in the past few years spurred a generation of scientists to pursue alternative energy sources while redirecting the focus away from fossil fuels. What is the current status, limitations and future challenges of alternative energy sources? Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408144812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331122552.htm Could combustion without flames be used to build industrial gas turbines for power generation that are much more efficient than current models and produce almost no polluting emissions? Researchers in the Middle East now provide a possible answer in the International Journal of the Environment and Pollution. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331122552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331092009.htm Now for some "shocking" news about plants: Exposing plants to electricity can boost production of useful plant chemicals and may provide a cheaper, safer, and more efficient method for producing medicines, pesticides, and other commercially important plant-based materials, researchers report. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331092009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328114403.htm Researchers are developing a portable, hydrogen-generating power system to power everything from laptops to communications gear for soldiers in the battlefield. The system transforms jet fuel into hydrogen and will relive soldiers from having to carry heavy loads of batteries. Individual soldiers carry between 20 to 40 pounds of batteries on standard four-day missions. The batteries power soldiers' personal portable electronics, such as GPS systems and night-vision goggles. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328114403.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312134132.htm With a proposed fiscal year 2009 budget of $20 million, the effort by the Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and partners to develop grid-appropriate reactors is gaining steam. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312134132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328070113.htm As steady increases in computing capability continue, some new technology will have to take over from silicon. Carbon nanotubes and superconductors may be the answer. The silicon chip, which has supplied several decades' worth of remarkable increases in computing power and speed, looks unlikely to be capable of sustaining this pace for more than another decade -- in fact, some say, the conventional silicon chip has no longer than four years left to run. Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328070113.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324094514.htm Physicists have shown that in graphene the intrinsic limit to the mobility, a measure of how well a material conducts electricity, is higher than any other known material at room temperature. Graphene, a single-atom-thick sheet of graphite, is a new material which combines aspects of semiconductors and metals. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324094514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319133704.htm A new type of membrane based on tiny iron particles appears to address one of the major limitations exhibited by current power-generating fuel cell technology. While there are many types of fuel cells, in general they generate electricity as the result of chemical reactions between an external fuel -- most commonly hydrogen -- and an agent that reacts with it. The membrane that separates the two parts of the cell and facilitates the reaction is a key factor in determining the efficiency of the cell. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319133704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320095008.htm A cheap alternative to silicon solar cells can be found in dye-sensitized solar cells. This type of cell imitates the natural conversion of sunlight into energy by, for instance, plants and light-sensitive bacteria. Researchers have now succeeded in substantially improving a process in this type of solar cell, which is similar to Graetzel cells. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320095008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318223250.htm Scientists have identified a new family of superconductors --- research that could eventually lead to the design of better superconducting materials for a wide variety of industrial uses. In an article in Science, they produced the first experimental proof that superconductivity can occur in hydrogen compounds known as molecular hydrides. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318223250.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320150027.htm Researchers have used nanotechnology to achieve a major increase in thermoelectric efficiency, a milestone that paves the way for a new generation of products -- from semiconductors and air conditioners to car exhaust systems and solar power technology -- that run cleaner. The team's low-cost approach, detailed in Science, involves building tiny alloy nanostructures that can serve as micro-coolers and power generators. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320150027.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319104308.htm A public-private effort to develop technologies for more fuel-efficient automobiles and to investigate the feasibility of hydrogen-based vehicles has made significant progress in most research areas, says a new report. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319104308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318110327.htm Engineers harnessing the same physical property that drives silent household air purifiers have created a miniaturized device that is now ready for testing as a silent, ultra-thin, low-power and low maintenance cooling system for laptop computers and other electronic devices. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318110327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318100925.htm Scientists have completed the first ever series of flights by autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles in Antarctica. This is the first time that unpiloted UAVs have been used in the Antarctic and the successful flights open up a major new technique for gathering scientific data in the harshest and remotest environment on Earth. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318100925.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317123255.htm Engineers are developing a technology to coat jet engine turbine blades with zirconium dioxide -- commonly called zirconia, the stuff of synthetic diamonds -- to combat high-temperature corrosion. The zirconia chemically converts sand and other corrosive particles that build up on the blade into a new, protective outer coating. In effect, the surface of the engine blade constantly renews itself. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317123255.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313091522.htm International inspectors may have a new tool in the form of an antineutrino detector, that could help them peer inside a working nuclear reactor. Scientists recently demonstrated that the operational status and thermal power of reactors can be quickly and precisely monitored over hour-to month-time scales, using a cubic-meter-scale antineutrino detector. The detector could be used to determine the operational amount of plutonium or uranium necessary to run the reactor and place a direct constraint on the amount of fissile material the reactor creates throughout its lifecycle. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313091522.htm