http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/energy_technology/ Energy News and Research. From super-efficient hybrid vehicles to new energy sources, read all the latest science news from leading energy technology laboratories around the world. en-us Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:05:01 EDT Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/energy_technology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902102534.htm A young researcher has put forward two protection techniques so that wind generators continue to be operative despite breaks in electricity supply. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902102534.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829120522.htm The secret of electron heating in low temperature plasmas has been discovered. Scientists found the answer to a question which has been puzzling scientists for decades -- why electrons in such plasmas are so hot. Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829120522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828172831.htm A total drying solution for the manufacturing industry which will make significant energy savings is currently under development. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828172831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826100829.htm A team of Australian and American researchers has developed a catalyst that effectively catalyzes the photooxidation of water. The core of the catalyst is a manganese-containing complex modeled after those found in photosynthetic organisms. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826100829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825092353.htm Bacteria may hold the key for our future. Amid mounting agreement that future clean, "carbon neutral," energy will rely on efficient conversion of the sun's light energy into fuels and electric power, attention is focusing on one of the most ancient groups of organism, the cyanobacteria. Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825092353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821212854.htm Scientists are working to convert sunlight to cheap electricity. They are working with new materials that can make devices used for converting sunlight to electricity cheaper and more efficient. Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821212854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163111.htm Researchers here have found a way to convert ethanol and other biofuels into hydrogen very efficiently. A new catalyst makes hydrogen from ethanol with 90 percent yield, at a workable temperature, and using inexpensive ingredients. The new catalyst is much less expensive than others being developed around the world, because it does not contain precious metals, such as platinum or rhodium. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163111.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163105.htm The proliferation of solar, wind and even tidal electric generation and the rapid emergence of hybrid electric automobiles demands flexible and reliable methods of high-capacity electrical storage. Now materials scientists are developing ferroelectric polymer-based capacitors that can deliver power more rapidly and are much lighter than conventional batteries. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080815170631.htm Carnegie Mellon University researchers are urging companies to embrace new methods for following trail of dangerous carbon emissions. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080815170631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080815170623.htm A new theory could help build future superconducting alternating-current fault-current limiters for electricity transmission and distribution systems. The work identifies design strategies that can reduce costs and improve efficiency in a bifilar fault-current limiter, a new and promising type of superconducting fault-current limiter. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080815170623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814091059.htm Hybrid technology combines the advantages of combustion engines and electric motors. Scientists are developing high-performance energy storage units, a prerequisite for effective hybrid motors. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814091059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812135702.htm Scientists have found a way to use asphalt's heat-soaking property for an alternative energy source by developing a solar collector that could turn roads and parking lots into ubiquitous -- and inexpensive sources of electricity and hot water. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812135702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164640.htm Researchers have developed a method for converting crop residue, wood pulp, animal waste and garbage into ethanol. The process first turns the waste material into synthesis gas, or syngas, and nanoscale catalysts then convert the syngas into ethanol. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811095500.htm If wind turbines clatter and whistle too loudly, they are only permitted to operate under partial load to protect the local residents -- but this also means a lower electricity output. An active damping system cancels out the noise by producing counter-vibrations. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811095500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080810214010.htm Researchers have devised an inexpensive way to produce plastic sheets containing billions of nanoantennas that collect heat energy generated by the sun and other sources. The new technology is the first step toward a solar energy collector that could be mass-produced on flexible materials, say the researchers. Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080810214010.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807073753.htm Why does lithium iron phosphate, a candidate for use in future lithium batteries, conduct electricity despite being an insulating material? Chemists have shed light on this paradox. Their experimentally verified "domino-cascade model" shows that local stresses within the material allow electrical and ionic conduction to spread from one area to the next, making the battery function. These results open new horizons in the search for improved battery electrode materials and help explain how tomorrow's electric car batteries work. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807073753.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144234.htm Refrigerators and other cooling devices may one day lose their compressors and coils of piping and become solid state, according researchers who are investigating electrically induced heat effects of some ferroelectric polymers. Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144234.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806140118.htm Physicists have demonstrated a powerful new technique that reveals hidden properties of ultracold atomic gases. To develop the new technique, the scientists borrowed an idea used for nearly a century in the study of materials: photoemission spectroscopy. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806140118.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804123039.htm Students have constructed a vehicle that is solely powered by wind energy, the Ventomobile. It took them many months of intense construction work to reach this goal. First wind tunnel testing produced very promising results. The extremely stylish three-wheeler features a two-bladed rotor on top, with a diameter of two meters. The efficiency of this setup proved to be extremely good. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804123039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731135924.htm Just weeks out from the Olympics, the CSIRO and its Chinese partners have officially launched a post-combustion capture pilot plant in Beijing that strips carbon dioxide from power station flue gases in an effort to stem climate change. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731135924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731143345.htm Until now, solar power has been a daytime-only energy source, because storing extra solar energy for later use is prohibitively expensive and grossly inefficient. Researchers have now hit upon a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient process for storing solar energy. Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731143345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731140313.htm Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania have characterized an aspect of graphene film behavior by measuring the way it conducts electricity on a substrate. This milestone advances the potential application of graphene, the ultra-thin, single-atom thick carbon sheets that conduct electricity faster and more efficiently than silicon, the current material of choice for transistor fabrication. Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731140313.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080729142524.htm Researchers argue that China's new title as the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter is at least partly due to consumption of Chinese good in the West. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080729142524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728192940.htm There's a new "gold standard" in the sensitivity of weighing scales. Using the same technology with which they created the world's first fully functional nanotube radio, Berkeley Lab researchers have fashioned a nanoelectromechanical system that can function as a scale sensitive enough to measure the weight of a single atom of gold. This NEMS scale could prove especially useful for measuring the mass of proteins and other molecules which don't fare well in mass spectrometry. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728192940.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728192813.htm Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have turned science fiction into reality with their development of a super-compact high-resolution microscope, small enough to fit on a finger tip. This "microscopic microscope" operates without lenses but has the magnifying power of a top-quality optical microscope, can be used in the field to analyze blood samples for malaria or check water supplies for giardia and other pathogens, and can be mass-produced for around $10. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728192813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723143553.htm NIST experiments with varying concentrations of nanoparticle additives indicate a major opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of large industrial, commercial, and institutional cooling systems known as chillers. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723143553.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723171551.htm Ferroelectric materials are named after ferromagnetic ones because they behave in a similar way. The main difference: these materials are not magnetic, but permanently electrically polarized. They have great importance for data storage technology and novel piezoelectric devices. Scientists have now produced microscopic images of ferroelectric domains - tiny regions of a ferroelectric material -, where the electric polarization points into different directions. Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723171551.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724064840.htm Converting livestock manure into a domestic renewable fuel source could generate enough electricity to meet up to three percent of North America's entire consumption needs and lead to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, according to U.S. research. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724064840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724143900.htm In science fiction stories it is either the inexhaustible energy source of the future or a superweapon of galactic magnitude: antimatter. In fact, antimatter can neither be found naturally in any abundance on Earth nor in space, is extremely complex to produce and thus difficult to study. In order to track down the origin of matter and antimatter in the universe, scientists are measuring the power of the electrical dipole moment of neutrons, which represents a measure for the different physical properties of matter and antimatter. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724143900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724150340.htm Researchers have invented a new material that will make cars even more efficient, by converting heat wasted through engine exhaust into electricity. In the journal Science, they describe a material with twice the efficiency of anything currently on the market. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724150340.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717145054.htm Researchers have discovered a new technique for growing single-crystal nanorods and controlling their shape using biomolecules. The research could enable the development of smaller, more powerful heat pumps and devices that harvest electricity from heat. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717145054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722152609.htm A researcher has proposed a microgrid-based power plant with its own local power sources and independent control as a more dependable, efficient, and cost effective system than traditional telecom power systems. Microgrids would also be a quick and inexpensive way to include renewable energy sources for both existing and developing systems. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722152609.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717134601.htm Researchers have overcome a major obstacle in reducing the cost of "solid state lighting," a technology that could cut electricity consumption by 10 percent if widely adopted. The technology, called light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, is about four times more efficient than conventional incandescent lights and more environmentally friendly than compact fluorescent bulbs. The LEDs also are expected to be far longer lasting than conventional lighting, lasting perhaps as long as 15 years before burning out. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717134601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714151427.htm Scientists have developed an environmentally friendly cooling technology that does not harm the ozone layer. This is achieved by using solar energy and therefore reducing the use of greenhouse gases. Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714151427.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715092602.htm A greener, less expensive method to produce hydrogen for fuel may eventually be possible with the help of water, solar energy and nanotube diodes that use the entire spectrum of the sun's energy. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715092602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715165441.htm Rock Port Missouri, with a population of just over 1,300 residents, has announced that it is the first 100% wind powered community in the United States. Four wind turbines supply all the electricity for the small town. Rock Port's 100% wind power status is due to four wind turbines located on agricultural lands within the city limits of Rock Port (Atchison County). The city of Rock Port uses approximately 13 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year. It is predicted that these four turbines will produce 16 million kilowatt hours each year. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715165441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715114140.htm The latest bright idea in energy-efficient lighting for homes and offices uses big science in nano-small packages to dim the future Edison's light bulb. A new discovery pushes more appealing white light from organic light-emitting devices. More white light is the holy grail of the next generation of lighting. The innovation describes a way to deliver significantly more bright light from a watt than incandescent bulbs. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715114140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714151525.htm Closing coal-fired power plants can have a direct, positive impact on children's cognitive development and health according to a new study. The study allowed researchers to compare the development of two groups of children born in Tongliang, China -- one in utero while a coal-fired power plant was operating in the city and one in utero after the Chinese government had closed the plant. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714151525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080710142927.htm Imagine windows that not only provide a clear view and illuminate rooms, but also use sunlight to efficiently help power the building they are part of. Engineers report a new approach to harnessing the sun's energy that could allow just that. The work, reported in Science, involves the creation of a novel solar concentrator. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080710142927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080703101329.htm A device consisting of a giant rubber tube may hold the key to producing affordable electricity from the energy in sea waves. Named after the snake of the same name because of its long thin shape, the Anaconda is closed at both ends and filled completely with water. It is designed to be anchored just below the sea's surface, with one end facing the oncoming waves. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080703101329.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630120117.htm With market analysts predicting a ten fold increase in the value of the organic light emitting display industry it is no wonder that scientists and governments alike are keen to advance research into "plastic electronics". For a long time, plastic was thought of as an insulating material that could not conduct electricity, but ground-breaking research in the 1970s proved that some plastics could do so. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630120117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080627163219.htm Seeking to understand a new fuel cell material, a research team has uncovered a novel structure that moves oxygen ions through the cell at substantially lower temperatures than previously thought possible. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080627163219.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080627163215.htm Scientists have developed the first two standards for solid-state lighting in the United States. This new generation lighting technology uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) instead of incandescent filaments or fluorescent tubes to produce illumination that cuts energy consumption significantly. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080627163215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080624122835.htm An electric voltage can be used to propel DNA molecules through a channel a few nanometers deep, or to stop them in their tracks. In a strong electric field the molecules judder along the channel, while in weaker fields they move more smoothly. This enables DNA fragments to be 'captured' on a chip and separated for analysis. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080624122835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080624152423.htm Dramatic progress in renewable energy technology is needed if the United States desires to produce 25 percent of its electricity and motor vehicle fuel from renewable sources by 2025 without significantly increasing consumer costs, according to a new study. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080624152423.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080623113722.htm Biofuels can be a sustainable part of the world's energy future, especially if bioenergy agriculture is developed on currently abandoned or degraded agricultural lands. Using these lands for energy crops, instead of converting existing croplands or clearing new land, avoids competition with food production and preserves carbon-storing forests needed to mitigate climate change. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080623113722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617114723.htm Expert in the integration of solar cell technology in architecture are creating designs for flexible photovoltaic materials that may change the way buildings receive and distribute energy. Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617114723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616204649.htm Researchers have developed a technology for a plastic ferro-electric diode which they believe will achieve a breakthrough in the development of ultra low-cost plastic memory material. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616204649.htm