Electricity

Featured Topics in Energy: Nuclear Energy | Fuel Cells | Chemistry | Semiconductor | Natural Gas | all topics

Filter by: News | Articles | New to Market | Tools & Technology | Videos | Podcasts | Journal Articles | White Papers

Cotton threads: As good as a metal wire to conduct electricity?

A Cornell Univ. team has developed cotton threads that can conduct electric current as well as a metal wire can, yet remain light and comfortable enough to give a whole new meaning to multi-use garments.

Fiber nanogenerators could lead to electric clothing

Fiber nanogenerators could lead to electric clothing

In research that gives literal meaning to the term "power suit," Univ. of California, Berkeley, engineers have created energy-scavenging nanofibers that could one day be woven into clothing and textiles.

Call for collaboration

Call for collaboration

The world of R&D is full of collaboration. R&D Magazine has seen this directly through some of the winners of the R&D 100 awards in the past. However, not only is collaboration important to the world of R&D, but it is essentially important to all aspects of life. For the Army, it is not different.

Mismatched alloys are a good match for future development of thermoelectrics

Mismatched alloys are a good match for future development of thermoelectrics

Employing some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have shown that mismatched alloys are a good match for the future development of high performance thermoelectric devices. Thermoelectrics hold enormous potential for green energy production because of their ability to convert heat into electricity.

Rock-breathing bacteria could generate electricity

A discovery by scientists at the University of East Anglia could contribute to the development of systems that use domestic or agricultural waste to generate clean electricity. The researchers have demonstrated for the first time the mechanism by which some bacteria survive by "breathing rocks". The findings could be applied to help in the development of new microbe-based technologies such as fuel cells, or ‘bio-batteries’, powered by animal or human waste.  

A greener way to get electricity from natural gas

A new type of natural-gas electric power plant proposed by MIT researchers could provide electricity with zero carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere, at costs comparable to or less than conventional natural-gas plants, and even to coal-burning plants. But that can only come about if and when a price is set on the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Better way to harness waste heat

New MIT research points the way to a technology that might make it possible to harvest much of the wasted heat produced by everything from computer processor chips to car engines to electric powerplants, and turn it into usable electricity. More than half of the energy consumed worldwide is wasted, most of it in the form of excess heat. This new technology would allow conversion of waste heat into electricity with an efficiency several times greater than existing devices.  

Customizing electric cars for cost-effective urban commuting

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon Univ.'s Robotics Institute have converted a 2001 Scion xB into an electric commuter vehicle that will serve as a test bed for a new community-based approach to electric vehicle design, conversion and operations. The vehicle is part of a new research project, ChargeCar, headed by Illah Nourbakhsh, associate professor of robotics.  

Nissan LEAF and e-Focus take charge at Beyond Oil

Nissan LEAF and e-Focus take charge at Beyond Oil

More than 300 people converged on Microsoft’s Redmond campus near Seattle to hear from more than 50 experts about innovative transportation strategies. Much of the discussion, of which co-sponsor Idaho National Lab was a major part, centered around solutions for the transportation infrastructure that will need be built in order to support new electric vehicles.

Harvesting energy from nature's motions

By taking advantage of the vagaries of the natural world, Duke Univ. engineers have developed a novel approach that they believe can more efficiently harvest electricity from the motions of everyday life. Energy harvesting is the process of converting one form of energy, such as motion, into another form of energy, in this case electricity. Strategies range from the development of massive wind farms to produce large amounts of electricity to using the vibrations of walking to power small electronic devices.  

 1  2  > 

Blogs

more

Much ado about next to nothing

Much ado about next to nothing

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

Multimedia

more

NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.

New To Market

more

Submersible FlowCAM catches particle images and data in-situ and real-time
Submersible FlowCAM catches particle images and data in-situ and real-time

Fluid Imaging Technologies recently introduced its Submersible FlowCAM particle and cell imaging and analysis system at Ocean Sciences 2010 in Portland, Ore. The remote sensing platform can be used for continuous, unattended monitoring tethered to research vessels or autonomous submersibles.

Daytime running light has just two LEDs

The new OSTAR Compact LED from OSRAM has been developed specifically for use in vehicle headlights. Despite drawing just 5 W, the device provides 300 lumens of power and meets ECE/SAE color binning requirements for use on motor vehicles.

Tools & Technology

more

Benchtop NMR analyzer
Benchtop NMR analyzer

Oxford Instruments America, Inc.’s Magnetic Resonance Group released the second generation of its MQC analyzers.

Software solution for microarray image analysis

BioDiscovery Inc. released ImaGene 9.0 for microarray image analysis. The new features include improved memory performance for the latest high density arrays, streamlined processing pipeline focused on image quantification and intensity extraction, and new modular design with options to add modules for analysis of gene/miRNA expression or CGH data.

Advertisement

Advertisement