Petroleum News

December 2, 2023

Top Headlines

A Single Bitcoin Transaction Could Cost as Much Water as a Backyard Swimming Pool

Nov. 29, 2023 — Cryptocurrency mining uses a significant amount of water amid the global water crisis, and its water demand may grow further. Researchers provides the first comprehensive estimate of Bitcoin's water ...

Network of Robots Can Successfully Monitor Pipes Using Acoustic Wave Sensors

Nov. 29, 2023 — An inspection design method and procedure by which mobile robots can inspect large pipe structures has been demonstrated with the successful inspection of multiple defects on a three-meter long steel ...

New Method Verifies Carbon Capture in Concrete

Nov. 27, 2023 — Carbon capture is essential to reduce the impact of human carbon dioxide emissions on our climate. Researchers have developed a method to confirm whether carbon in concrete originates from the raw materials, or from carbon in the air which has been ...

New Percussion Method to Detect Pipeline Elbow Erosion

Nov. 20, 2023 — An engineering research team is pioneering a new method, based on percussion, to detect pipeline elbow erosion to prevent economic losses, environmental pollution and other safety issues. ...

Latest Headlines

updated 4:06pm EST

Wave Devouring Propulsion: A Revolutionary Green Technology for Maritime Sustainability

Nov. 27, 2023 — A new form of wave devouring propulsion (WDP) could power ships and help to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime ...

Hydrogen Fuel Can Be a Competitive Alternative to Gasoline and Diesel Today

Nov. 16, 2023 — Energy researchers posit hydrogen fuel can potentially be a cost-competitive and environmentally friendly alternative to gasoline and diesel, and that supplying hydrogen for transportation in the ...

Water Splitting Reaction for Green Hydrogen Gas Production Improved

Nov. 15, 2023 — Electrochemical catalysts used in water splitting often show poor performance due to low electrical conductance of (oxy)hydroxide species produced in situ. To overcome this challenge, researchers ...

Ammonia for Fertilizers Without the Giant Carbon Footprint

Nov. 13, 2023 — Green ammonia has the potential to drastically reduce the carbon footprint needed to produce fertilizer vital for ...

Ammonia Fuel Offers Great Benefits but Demands Careful Action

Nov. 13, 2023 — Researchers have identified the potential environmental risks of using ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel in order to develop an engineering roadmap to a sustainable ammonia ...

Liquid Metals Shake Up Century-Old Chemical Engineering Processes

Nov. 9, 2023 — Liquid metals could be the long-awaited solution to 'greening' the chemical industry, according to researchers who tested a new technique they hope can replace energy-intensive chemical engineering ...

Electric Vehicles Are Driven Less Than Gas Cars

Nov. 6, 2023 — One of the largest studies to date finds the current generation of EV owners drive far fewer miles than owners of gas vehicles, translating to lower emissions savings from ...

Deep Decarbonization Scenarios Reveal Importance of Accelerating Zero-Emission Vehicle Adoption

Nov. 7, 2023 — The rapid adoption of zero-emission electric vehicles will move the nation close to an 80% or more drop in transportation greenhouse gas emissions by ...

Efficient Biohybrid Batteries

Oct. 31, 2023 — Formic acid, which can be produced electrochemically from carbon dioxide, is a promising energy carrier. A research team has now developed a fast-charging hybrid battery system that combines the ...

Endangered Whales Live in Area Earmarked for Gas Exploration

Oct. 26, 2023 — Endangered whales and dolphins live year-round in an area of the Mediterranean earmarked for oil and gas exploration, new research ...

Earlier Headlines

Summaries
Headlines

Decarbonizing Light-Duty Transportation in the United States: Study Reveals Strategies to Achieve Goal

Nov. 6, 2023 — Researchers found that meeting greenhouse gas emissions goals for light-duty vehicles, which are passenger vehicles such as cars and trucks, is possible, but not just by increasing electric vehicle ...

Bitcoin Mining Has 'Very Worrying' Impacts on Land and Water, Not Only Carbon

Oct. 24, 2023 — As bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have grown in market share, they've been criticized for their heavy carbon footprint: Cryptocurrency mining is an energy-intensive endeavor. Mining has ...

New Polymer Membranes, AI Predictions Could Dramatically Reduce Energy, Water Use in Oil Refining

Oct. 16, 2023 — Researchers describe a new kind of polymer membrane they created that could reshape how refineries process crude oil, dramatically reducing the energy and water required while extracting even more ...

Solar Design Would Harness 40% of the Sun's Heat to Produce Clean Hydrogen Fuel

Oct. 16, 2023 — Engineers have designed a system that can efficiently produce 'solar thermochemical hydrogen.' It harnesses the sun's heat to split water and generate hydrogen -- a clean fuel that ...

Plastic Production Via Advanced Recycling Lowers GHG Emissions

Oct. 12, 2023 — Research reveals that recycling post-use plastic through pyrolysis can reduce GHG emissions by 18-23%. Approach can potentially enhance sustainability by minimizing waste and fossil resource ...

The Effects of Preheating on Vehicle Fuel Consumption and Emissions Appear Minimal

Oct. 12, 2023 — A new study found that the benefits of car preheating for both fuel economy and emissions are minimal. The researchers focused on vehicle fuel consumption and emissions under cold winter conditions. ...

Discovery Made About Fischer Tropsch Process Could Help Improve Fuel Production

Oct. 5, 2023 — A fundamental discovery about the Fischer Tropsch process, a catalytic reaction used in industry to convert coal, natural gas or biomass to liquid fuels, could someday allow for more efficient fuel ...

Scientists Unveil Fire-Safe Fuel

Sep. 28, 2023 — Chemical engineers have designed a fuel that ignites only with the application of electric current. Since it doesn't react to flames and cannot start accidental fires during storage or ...

Powering the Quantum Revolution: Quantum Engines on the Horizon

Sep. 27, 2023 — Scientists unveil exciting possibilities for the development of highly efficient quantum ...

Predicting the Sustainability of a Future Hydrogen Economy

Sep. 21, 2023 — As renewable energy sources like wind and solar ramp up, they can be used to sustainably generate hydrogen fuel. But implementing such a strategy on a large scale requires land and water dedicated to ...

No Shortcuts: New Approach May Help Extract More Heat from Geothermal Reservoirs

Sep. 21, 2023 — Geothermal heat offers a promising source of renewable energy with almost zero emissions, but it remains a relatively expensive option to generate electricity. A new technique may help prevent ...

New Recycling Method Fights Plastic Waste

Sep. 21, 2023 — Almost 80% of plastic in the waste stream ends up in landfills or accumulates in the environment. Scientists have now developed a technology that converts a conventionally unrecyclable mixture of ...

Sustainable Energy for Aviation: What Are Our Options?

Sep. 20, 2023 — Scientists and industry leaders worldwide are looking for answers on how to make aviation sustainable by 2050 and choosing a viable sustainable fuel is a major sticking point. Aerospace engineers ...

Upgrading Iron and Steel Plants Could Save Equivalent of Two Years of Global Carbon Emissions

Sep. 20, 2023 — Upgrading, or retrofitting, the world's iron and steel processing plants early could reduce carbon emissions by up to 70 gigatonnes by 2050, roughly equivalent to two years' worth of net ...

Cheap and Efficient Catalyst Could Boost Renewable Energy Storage

Sep. 19, 2023 — Storing renewable energy as hydrogen could soon become much easier thanks to a new catalyst based on single atoms of ...

Predictive Model Could Improve Hydrogen Station Availability

Sep. 19, 2023 — Consumer confidence in driving hydrogen-fueled vehicles could be improved by having station operators adopt a predictive model that helps them anticipate maintenance needs, according to ...

Making Hydrogen from Waste Plastic Could Pay for Itself

Sep. 14, 2023 — Researchers have found a way to harvest hydrogen from plastic waste using a low-emissions method that generates graphene as a by-product, which could help offset production ...

Scientists Invent a Bright Way to Upcycle Plastics Into Liquids That Can Store Hydrogen Energy

Sep. 13, 2023 — Scientists have created a process that can upcycle most plastics into chemicals useful for energy storage, using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a commercially available catalyst, all at room ...

Chemist Uses Nature as Inspiration for a Sustainable, Affordable Adhesive System

Sep. 13, 2023 — A chemist drew inspiration from the natural world, from his experiences scuba diving to studying shellfish in his lab. He has developed a sustainable adhesive system -- an alternative to toxic, ...

New Methodology Reveals Health, Climate Impacts of Reducing Buildings' Energy Use

Sep. 11, 2023 — Increasing energy efficiency in buildings can save money -- and it can also decrease the carbon emissions and air pollution that lead to climate change and health harms. But the climate and health ...

Monday, November 6, 2023