News tagged with electric grids

Satellite proposed to send solar power to Earth

(Phys.org) -- Artemis Innovation Management Solutions has been given some seed money by NASA to look deeper into a project the company first proposed last summer; namely, building a satellite that could collect ...

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Apr 11, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (54) | comments 75 | with audio podcast report

'Amplified' nanotubes may power the future

Rice University scientists have achieved a pivotal breakthrough in the development of a cable that will make an efficient electric grid of the future possible.

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created Jul 14, 2011 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (15) | comments 8 | with audio podcast

How to choose a catalyst: Predicting which materials will perform best in fuel cells and metal air batteries

MIT researchers have found a new way to predict which materials will perform best as catalysts for oxygen reduction, a core process in metal air batteries and fuel cells, opening up the possibility of faster ...

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Jun 14, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

The heat is on for sodium-manganese oxide rechargeable batteries

(PhysOrg.com) -- By adding the right amount of heat, researchers have developed a method that improves the electrical capacity and recharging lifetime of sodium ion rechargeable batteries, which could be a ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created Jun 07, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 4 | with audio podcast

Upgrading the vanadium redox battery

Though considered a promising large-scale energy storage device, the vanadium redox battery's use has been limited by its inability to work well in a wide range of temperatures and its high cost. But new research ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created Mar 17, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Nano parfait a treat for scientists

In two new papers, Rice University researchers report using ultracentrifugation (UCF) to create highly purified samples of carbon nanotube species.

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created May 10, 2010 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

The Smarter Electric Grid Of The Future

The smart grid idea aims to save money, reduce pollution, lower costs, and create new "green" jobs. Smart grid is a phrase that refers to a number of things at the same time. It refers to the modernization ...

Technology / Engineering

created Apr 12, 2010 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (22) | comments 14 | with audio podcast

Going For Exawatts: Building the most powerful laser in the world

Producing a laser with a power of a terawatt -- equal to one trillion watts -- used to be impressive, but now the forefront of optical research power is measured in 1 quadrillion-watt units known as petawatts. ...

Physics / General Physics

created Jan 25, 2010 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (22) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

Solar Roadways Awarded DOT Contract to Pave Roads with Solar Cells

(PhysOrg.com) -- In a first step toward turning highways into energy-generating solar panels, the Sagle, Idaho-based startup Solar Roadways has recently received a $100,000 grant from the US Department of ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created Sep 07, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (57) | comments 68 weblog

Improving Plug-In Electric Cars

One of the issues that comes with plug-in autos, whether they are hybrid or straight-up electric, is the ability to charge the battery. It can be difficult to charge batteries on the go, and it can take hour ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created Jun 04, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (13) | comments 8 weblog

Scientists create metal that pumps liquid uphill

(PhysOrg.com) -- In nature, trees pull vast amounts of water from their roots up to their leaves hundreds of feet above the ground through capillary action, but now scientists at the University of Rochester ...

Physics / General Physics

created Jun 02, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (27) | comments 22

Smart Charger Controller simplifies electric vehicle recharging (w/Video)

Electric vehicle owners can plug in their cars and forget about them, knowing they'll get the cheapest electricity available and won't crash the grid - using a new technology called the Smart Charger Controller. ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created Apr 30, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (8) | comments 3

Tesla unveils groundbreaking electric car

US automaker Tesla Motors unveiled Thursday its state-of-the-art five-seat sedan, billed as the world's first mass-produced, highway-capable electric car.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created Mar 26, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (40) | comments 25

Liquid Battery Offers Promising Solar Energy Storage Technique

(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the biggest challenges currently facing large-scale solar energy technology is finding an effective way to store the energy, which is essential for using the electricity at night or ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created Mar 06, 2009 | popularity 3.9 / 5 (46) | comments 13 weblog

Tilting at wind farms

A way to make wind power smoother and more efficient that exploits the inertia of a wind turbine rotor could help solve the problem of wind speed variation, according to research published in the International Journal of ...

Technology / Engineering

created Jan 07, 2009 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (10) | comments 4