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Categories: Energy: Technology, Environmental: Wildfires
Published Cheap and efficient catalyst could boost renewable energy storage
(via sciencedaily.com) Storing renewable energy as hydrogen could soon become much easier thanks to a new catalyst based on single atoms of platinum.
Published Engineers grow full wafers of high-performing 2D semiconductor that integrates with state-of-the-art chips
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have grown a high-performing 2D semiconductor to a full-size, industrial-scale wafer. In addition, the semiconductor material, indium selenide (InSe), can be deposited at temperatures low enough to integrate with a silicon chip.
Published How wind turbines react to turbulence
(via sciencedaily.com) The output of wind turbines can rise or fall by 50 per cent in a matter of seconds. Such fluctuations in the megawatt range put a strain on both power grids and the turbines themselves. A new study presents a new stochastic method that could help to mitigate these sudden swings and achieve a more consistent electricity production.
Published Predictive model could improve hydrogen station availability
(via sciencedaily.com) 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 researchers.
Published Almost half of koala habitats will be under high bushfire threat by 2070
(via sciencedaily.com) The research team generated a series of fire susceptibility maps. These show the proportion of Australia experiencing 'high' or 'very high' fire susceptibility increasing from 14.9% now to 15.66% by 2070 -- while fire susceptibility of areas suitable for the plants that koalas depend on is tipped to jump from 39.56% to 44.61% by 2070.
Published Golden future for thermoelectrics
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers discover excellent thermoelectric properties of nickel-gold alloys. These can be used to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy.
Published Researchers make strides in harnessing low-grade heat for efficient energy conversion
(via sciencedaily.com) A research team has achieved significant breakthroughs in harnessing low-grade heat sources (<100 °C) for efficient energy conversion.
Published Battery-free robots use origami to change shape in mid-air
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed small robotic devices that can change how they move through the air by 'snapping' into a folded position during their descent. Each device has an onboard battery-free actuator, a solar power-harvesting circuit and controller to trigger these shape changes in mid-air.
Published Electrifying vehicles in Chicago would save lives, reduce pollution inequities
(via sciencedaily.com) If the Chicago region replaced 30% of all on-road combustion-engine vehicles -- including motorcycles, passenger cars and trucks, buses, refuse trucks and short- and long-haul trucks -- with electric versions, it would annually save more than 1,000 lives and over $10 billion, according to a new study.
Published Largest historic fire death toll belongs to aftermath of 1923 Japan Earthquake
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fires that raged in the days following the 1 September 1923 magnitude 7.9 Kant earthquake killed roughly 90% of the 105,000 people who perished in and around Tokyo, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in history -- comparable to the number of people killed in the World War II atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The story of the conflagration, not well-known outside of Japan, holds important lessons for earthquake scientists, emergency response teams and city planners, according to a new article.
Published New methodology reveals health, climate impacts of reducing buildings' energy use
(via sciencedaily.com) 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 benefits of reducing buildings' energy consumption are rarely quantified. Now, researchers have developed a new method for calculating the health and climate impacts of these energy savings.
Published Bacteria generate electricity from wastewater
(via sciencedaily.com) In a breakthrough for the field of bioelectronics, researchers have enhanced the ability of E. coli bacteria to generate electricity. The innovative approach only offers a sustainable solution for organic waste processing while outperforming previous state-of-the-art technologies, opening new horizons for versatile microbial electricity production.
Published New study highlights feasibility and optimization of ammonia-based power generation for carbon neutrality
(via sciencedaily.com) A research team has evaluated the feasibility of ammonia-based power generation through techno-economic and carbon footprint analyses.
Published New study reveals the power of railroads to buffer coal plants from a carbon emissions tax
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study suggests that railroads are likely to cut transportation prices to prop up coal-fired plants if U.S. climate policies further disadvantage coal in favor of less carbon-intensive energy sources.
Published Scientists develop new method to recover high-purity silicon from expired solar panels for upcycling into lithium-ion batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have devised an efficient method of recovering high-purity silicon from expired solar panels to produce lithium-ion batteries that could help meet the increasing global demand to power electric vehicles.
Published New research highlights opportunities to protect carbon and communities from forest fires
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As the climate and wildfire crises have intensified, so too have concerns regarding the loss of carbon captured and stored in forests from decades to centuries of tree growth. A new study describes where to optimize ongoing wildfire mitigation efforts and reduce carbon loss due to wildfire, benefitting communities and climate at the same time. The study evaluated where living trees and the carbon they store are at risk of burning in the future. They then compared these areas to communities that are vulnerable to wildfire as identified in the Forest Service's Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Areas of overlap highlight 'opportunity hot spots' where action can reduce the risk from wildfire to both carbon and communities.
Published Devices offers long-distance, low-power underwater communication
(via sciencedaily.com) A new underwater communication and networking technique can achieve kilometer-scale ranges while consuming about one-millionth the power required by current communication methods.
Published New material offers more durable, sustainable multi-level non-volatile phase change memory
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers scientists have unlocked a new realm of possibilities for non-volatile phase change memory, a type of electronic memory capable of retaining data even without power. Traditionally, researchers have relied on chalcogenides, materials with reversible electrical properties during transitions between crystalline and amorphous states. But an exciting alternative has emerged in the form of layered nickelates, complex oxide materials composed of nickel ions. These nickelates, with their unique layered structure and thermally reversible switching of room-temperature electrical resistivity, offer superior performance and sustainability potential.
Published Electrifying heavy-duty vehicles could reduce environmental inequalities
(via sciencedaily.com) If the region surrounding Chicago -- North America's largest freight hub -- shifted just 30% of its current on-road heavy-duty vehicles to electric versions, it would substantially reduce pollution and save hundreds of lives per year, with the benefits largely concentrated in disadvantaged communities, according to a new study. The study authors highlight that neighborhoods with predominantly Black, Hispanic and Latinx residents would benefit the most -- potentially reducing disproportionate pollution and health burdens in historically marginalized areas.
Published Scientists develop an energy-efficient wireless power and information transfer system
(via sciencedaily.com) Simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT)-aided nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system, used for communication in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoTs), suffers from significant energy loss with transmission distance. Now, researchers have developed an energy-efficient framework by applying SWIPT-NOMA to a distributed antenna system. This technology is expected to pave the way for more efficient and optimized IoT environments.