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THE ORIGINAL COLLECTION · SINCE 2010

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Research announcements from universities, hospitals and scientific institutions. Explore the stories, people and discoveries behind the headlines.

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Towards smart cities: Integrating ground source heat pump systems with energy piles
Energy

Towards smart cities: Integrating ground source heat pump systems with energy piles

Human civilization is currently evolving at an unprecedented rate, with new breakthroughs every single day. This has become possible due to never-tapped-before levels of energy resources. However, the unsustainable development has recently raised concerns about adverse effects on the environment, resulting in a growing urgency to address issues pertaining to energy efficiency and climate change, especially in urban environments. Notably, rapid urbanization has worsened the urban heat island effect, a phenomenon where a city experiences significantly warmer temperatures than ...

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Energy

It’s worth mixing it up: what combination of policies will lead to a clean energy future?

How can we ensure that as many households as possible adopt not only solar panels, but also their own battery to store solar energy, a heat pump, and an electric car? Researchers at the Universities of Basel and Geneva have looked into just this question. Climate protection and the energy revolution must continue to make progress, and private households could make a significant contribution to this goal if they would use environmentally friendly technologies such as solar panels, electric vehicles, and heat pumps. Dr. Mart van der Kam and Professor Ulf Hahnel at the University of Basel, Switzerland, conducted research into the political measures that would be necessary to fully realize ...

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Enhancing transverse thermoelectric conversion performance in magnetic materials with tilted structural design
Energy

Enhancing transverse thermoelectric conversion performance in magnetic materials with tilted structural design

1. A research team from NIMS and UTokyo has proposed and demonstrated that the transverse magneto-thermoelectric conversion in magnetic materials can be utilized with much higher performance than previously by developing artificial materials comprising alternately and obliquely stacked multilayers of a magnetic metal and semiconductor. 2. When a temperature gradient is applied to a magnetic conductor, a charge current is generated in a direction orthogonal to directions of both temperature gradient and magnetization of the magnetic conductor. This transverse magneto-thermoelectric phenomenon, ...

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University of Houston students address energy poverty, shine in global competition
Energy

University of Houston students address energy poverty, shine in global competition

HOUSTON, Dec. 12 2024 – A group of ambitious students from the University of Houston and Texas A&M University, identifying as the “Dream Team,” secured third place in the prestigious global Switch Competition. This annual virtual event, sponsored by the Switch Energy Alliance, challenges university students to develop innovative solutions for addressing energy poverty worldwide — a critical issue affecting millions. The team is comprised of Sarah Grace Kimberly and Pranjal Sheth, both senior finance majors at UH, and Nathan Hazlett, a finance graduate student at A&M who previously earned a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering. Competing ...

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Powering the future together – Public-Private Collaboration for the energy transition in Finland
Energy

Powering the future together – Public-Private Collaboration for the energy transition in Finland

Advancing the energy transition requires more than just technological innovation – it demands a joint effort between public and private actors. Giovanna Pinilla De La Cruz’s doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa, Finland, explores the mechanisms that foster collaboration in the energy sector, highlighting the Vaasa region’s energy cluster as a successful example. The transition to sustainable energy systems is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Successfully navigating this transition requires coordinated ...

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Energy

Department of Energy announces $36 million for student traineeships

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced 29 projects totaling $36 million to 42 institutions in 16 states for traineeships for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The funding, through the DOE Office of Science’s RENEW initiative, will support hands-on research experience, professional development activities to build or reinforce STEM identity, and mentorship to support personal and professional growth of trainees. “The RENEW program provides new entry points to science for ...

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Observation of new electric field signals strong potential for assorted devices: new research at City University of Hong Kong
Energy

Observation of new electric field signals strong potential for assorted devices: new research at City University of Hong Kong

HONG KONG (8 December 2024)—A new vortex electric field with the potential to enhance future electronic, magnetic and optical devices has been observed by researchers from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and local partners. The research, published in Science, is highly valuable as it can upgrade the operation of many devices, including strengthening memory stability and computing speed. With further research, the discovery of the vortex electric field can even later impact the fields of quantum computing, spintronics, and nanotechnology. “Previously, generating a vortex electric field required expensive thin film deposition techniques and complex procedures. However, our ...

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New facility for evaluating hydrogen-compatible materials now complete
Energy

New facility for evaluating hydrogen-compatible materials now complete

1. NIMS has established and begun operating a new testing facility to evaluate the mechanical properties of materials exposed to low-temperature hydrogen environments. This facility can create hydrogen conditions across a broader range of temperatures and pressures than any other facility of its kind in the world. It is designed to assess the properties of materials when in contact with low-temperature gaseous or liquefied hydrogen, with the goal of developing cost-effective materials for hydrogen supply chains. This approach is expected to reduce the cost of producing and operating ...

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Energy

Milestone in defining electrical units

The precise measurement of electrical resistance is essential in industrial production or electronics – for example, in the manufacture of high-tech sensors, microchips and flight controls. “Very precise measurements are essential here, as even the smallest deviations can significantly affect these complex systems”, explains Professor Charles Gould, a physicist at the Institute for Topological Insulators at the University of Würzburg (JMU). The scientist now for the first time have experimentally implemented a so-called quantum resistance standard that can operate without an externally applied magnetic field. “In physics, ...

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A breakthrough in battery capacity degradation analysis and knee point prediction
Energy

A breakthrough in battery capacity degradation analysis and knee point prediction

Analyzing capacity degradation characteristics and accurately predicting the knee point of capacity are crucial for the safety management of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). A recent breakthrough study presented by researchers from Shandong University introduces a knee point prediction method based on neural network. This advanced method can help us clarify the degradation mechanism and predict the knee point. The study focuses on battery life, which is the result of multiple coupling aging mechanisms affected by multiple factors. It is significantly necessary to clarify the mechanism for the capacity degradation at each stage and possess the ability to detect the knee point. It can not only ...

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Earning money while making the power grid more stable – energy consumers have a key role in supporting grid flexibility
Energy

Earning money while making the power grid more stable – energy consumers have a key role in supporting grid flexibility

By providing flexibility services to renewable energy systems, consumers can both help in balancing power grids and receive financial benefits. Hosna Khajeh’s doctoral dissertation from the University of Vaasa, Finland, introduces new methods that enable the efficient utilisation of energy users’ flexibility resources in distribution and transmission networks. As the use of weather-dependent renewable energy sources increases, power systems need to become more flexible to guarantee energy supply at all times. One of the necessary steps for the future is making it possible for consumers to support both national and local power grids with ...

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Breakthrough in clean energy: Scientists pioneer novel heat-to-electricity conversion
Energy

Breakthrough in clean energy: Scientists pioneer novel heat-to-electricity conversion

Thermoelectric materials, which convert heat into electricity, are valuable tools for capturing waste heat and turning it into usable electricity. These materials are especially useful in industries and vehicles where engines produce a lot of waste heat, improving energy efficiency by converting it into additional power. They also exhibit potential for portable power generation, in remote sensors and satellites where traditional power sources may be impractical. Traditional thermoelectric devices, known as parallel thermoelectric devices, generate a voltage in the same direction as the heat ...

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Plasma-derived atomic hydrogen advances low-temperature CO2 methanation at high yield
Energy

Plasma-derived atomic hydrogen advances low-temperature CO2 methanation at high yield

Plasma-derived atomic hydrogen (PDAH) enables low-temperature carbon dioxide methanation reaction through the Eley−Rideal-type reaction channel, improving methane yield at low temperatures, as shown by scientists at Science Tokyo. The findings underscore the potential of PDAH in advancing sustainable carbon dioxide recycling methods and optimizing other catalytic hydrogenation reactions, providing a promising avenue for improved efficiency in various energy and environmental technologies. Despite declining reserves and significant carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions contributing to ...

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Highly selective pathway for propyne semihydrogenation achieved via CoSb intermetallic catalyst
Energy

Highly selective pathway for propyne semihydrogenation achieved via CoSb intermetallic catalyst

Researchers delved deep into the regulation of cobalt active sites to enhance the selectivity of propylene to improve scalability and affordability of the production of this important chemical. Chemical reactions are not always naturally optimized to yield the products in the quantities needed, especially on the scale needed for the amount of industry in the world today. Researchers from East China University of Science and Technology explored the options available to develop a more cost-effective, scalable and straightforward ...

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New ion speed record holds potential for faster battery charging, biosensing
Energy

New ion speed record holds potential for faster battery charging, biosensing

PULLMAN, Wash. – A speed record has been broken using nanoscience, which could lead to a host of new advances, including improved battery charging, biosensing, soft robotics and neuromorphic computing. Scientists at Washington State University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered a way to make ions move more than ten times faster in mixed organic ion-electronic conductors. These conductors combine the advantages of the ion signaling used by many biological systems, including the human body, with the electron signaling used by computers. The new development, detailed in the journal ...

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Energy

Keeping the lights on and the pantry stocked: Ensuring water for energy and food production

A new study, focused on a remote region of the Peruvian Andes where the waters of the Amazon originate, carries lessons for hydropower operators and farming communities worldwide: collaborating on sustainable land management is the best decision they can make for the long-term viability of their businesses and livelihoods. It also opens opportunities for restoration of degraded ecosystems. Research from the Stanford-based Natural Capital Project (NatCap) in Communications - Earth & the Environment integrates hydropower operations with ...

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Pinpointing hydrogen isotopes in titanium hydride nanofilms
Energy

Pinpointing hydrogen isotopes in titanium hydride nanofilms

Tokyo, Japan – Although it is the smallest and lightest atom, hydrogen can have a big impact by infiltrating other materials and affecting their properties, such as superconductivity and metal-insulator-transitions. Now, researchers from Japan have focused on finding an easy way to locate it in nanofilms. In a study published recently in Nature Communications, researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have reported a method for determining the location of hydrogen in nanofilms. Because they are very small, hydrogen atoms can easily migrate into the framework of other materials. Titanium absorbs hydrogen to give titanium hydrides, making ...

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'Grow Your Own' teacher prep pipeline at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette funded by US Department of Education
Energy

'Grow Your Own' teacher prep pipeline at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette funded by US Department of Education

A new teacher prep initiative from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s College of Education & Human Development received a $3.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Quality Partnership grant program to establish and strengthen a Grow Your Own Network across Acadiana. This initiative, designed to address teacher shortages in the south-central region of Louisiana, will build a regional network connecting local school districts with higher education institutions ...

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Energy

The public implications of private substitutes for electric grid reliability

Climate change events have, in recent years, placed increasing strain on public electrical grids in the United States. In response to this vulnerability, some consumers are turning to private alternatives to the electric utility, like generators and batteries. A new paper in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists studies who adopts these private alternatives and how adoption responds to grid failures. The paper also studies how public electric grid reliability may change due to this proliferation and how these changes will affect the wellbeing of all households. In ...

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UC Santa Cruz chemists discover new process to make biodiesel production easier, less energy intensive
Energy

UC Santa Cruz chemists discover new process to make biodiesel production easier, less energy intensive

UC Santa Cruz chemists have discovered a new way to produce biodiesel from waste oil that both simplifies the process and requires relatively mild heat. This discovery has the potential to make the alternative fuel source much more appealing to the massive industrial sectors that are the backbone of the nation’s economy. In 2022, the U.S. transportation sector alone used about 3 million barrels of diesel per day, accounting for about 75% of total consumption of the fuel in this country. That same year, ...

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Decoding 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13: A multifaceted perspective on its role in hepatic steatosis and associated disorders
Energy

Decoding 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13: A multifaceted perspective on its role in hepatic steatosis and associated disorders

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a growing global health challenge, accounting for millions of deaths each year. Its major contributors include metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and hepatitis C virus infection. These conditions are closely tied to hepatic steatosis, a condition characterized by the abnormal accumulation of fat in the liver. Recent genome-wide association studies have identified the 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) gene and its loss-of-function variant ...

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Stabilizing lithium-ion batteries: The vanadium touch
Energy

Stabilizing lithium-ion batteries: The vanadium touch

As demand surges for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, lithium-ion batteries need to deliver higher energy densities at lower costs. While conventional cathode materials like LiFePO4 and Li-Ni-Co-Mn-O are widely used, they often fail to balance performance with affordability. Lithium-rich manganese oxides (LRMOs) have emerged as a potential alternative due to their high capacity and cobalt-free composition. However, their low initial Coulombic efficiency and rapid voltage decay have limited their broader application. Addressing these challenges requires deeper research to stabilize LRMOs for widespread commercial use. In September, 2024, a team from Guangdong University of Technology, ...

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Imaging nuclear shapes by smashing them to smithereens
Energy

Imaging nuclear shapes by smashing them to smithereens

UPTON, N.Y. — Scientists have demonstrated a new way to use high-energy particle smashups at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) — a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility for nuclear physics research at DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory — to reveal subtle details about the shapes of atomic nuclei. The method, described in a paper just published in Nature, is complementary to lower energy techniques for determining nuclear structure. It will add depth to scientists’ understanding of the nuclei that make up the ...

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Breakthrough in energy-efficient avalanche-based amorphization could revolutionize data storage
Energy

Breakthrough in energy-efficient avalanche-based amorphization could revolutionize data storage

The atoms of amorphous solids like glass have no ordered structure; they arrange themselves randomly, like scattered grains of sand on a beach. Normally, making materials amorphous — a process known as amorphization — requires considerable amounts of energy. The most common technique is the melt-quench process, which involves heating a material until it liquifies, then rapidly cooling it so the atoms don’t have time to order themselves in a crystal lattice. Now, researchers ...

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Towards a hydrogen-powered future: highly sensitive hydrogen detection system
Energy

Towards a hydrogen-powered future: highly sensitive hydrogen detection system

Hydrogen gas is a promising energy source with several advantages - it is lightweight, storable, energy-dense, and environmentally friendly compared to fossil fuels, producing no pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions. As such, it has extensive applications across different fields, including transportation, architecture, power generation, and industries. However, hydrogen is highly flammable, and therefore its safe and widespread use requires reliable methods for detecting leaks and ensuring its purity. The need for reliable detection methods has necessitated the development of trace-gas sensing techniques. While several methods have been developed for hydrogen sensing, ...

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