Energy
press releases.

Energy9 Jan 2024

PNNL kicks off multi-year energy storage, scientific discovery collaboration with Microsoft

The urgent need to meet global clean energy goals has world leaders searching for faster solutions. To meet that call, the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has teamed with Microsoft to use high-performance computing in the cloud and advanced artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific discovery on a scale not previously demonstrated. The initial focus of the partnership is chemistry and materials science—two scientific fields that underpin solutions to global energy challenges. “The intersection of AI, cloud and high-performance computing, along with human scientists, we believe is key to accelerating the path to meaningful scientific ...

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Energy9 Jan 2024

Unique framework of tin bimetal organic compound facilitates stable lithium-ion storage

Battery capacity is one of the primary bottlenecks in efficient renewable energy storage and significant reductions in carbon emissions. As a battery anode that releases electrons in a lithium-ion battery (LIB), tin (Sn) and Sn-mixture alloys could theoretically store more energy at a higher density than more common carbon-based anodes. Pairing a Sn-Ti bimetal element with inexpensive ethylene glycol (Sn-Ti-EG) mitigated many of the challenges of using Sn as an anode material and produced an inexpensive LIB with excellent storage and performance characteristics. Sn and Sn alloys, or mixture of another metal with Sn, could outperform other anode materials ...

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Energy8 Jan 2024

Solid state battery design charges in minutes, lasts for thousands of cycles

Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a new lithium metal battery that can be charged and discharged at least 6,000 times — more than any other pouch battery cell — and can be recharged in a matter of minutes. The research not only describes a new way to make solid state batteries with a lithium metal anode but also offers new understanding into the materials used for these potentially revolutionary batteries. The research is published in Nature Materials. “Lithium metal anode batteries are considered the holy grail ...

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Energy8 Jan 2024

Revolutionizing stable and efficient catalysts with Turing structures for hydrogen production

Hydrogen energy has emerged as a promising alternative to fossil fuels, offering a clean and sustainable energy source. However, the development of low-cost and efficient catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction remains a crucial challenge. A research team led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has recently developed a novel strategy to engineer stable and efficient ultrathin nanosheet catalysts by forming Turing structures with multiple nanotwin crystals. This innovative discovery paves the way for enhanced catalyst performance for green hydrogen production. Producing hydrogen through the process of ...

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Energy3 Jan 2024

US Department of Energy issues request for proposals for contractor to manage and operate Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the competitive selection of a management and operating contractor for Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). FNAL is a single-purpose laboratory that leads the nation in the construction and operation of world-leading accelerator and detector facilities and in the development of the underlying technology for particle physics research. Its mission is centered on delivering breakthrough science and technology ...

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Energy3 Jan 2024

Seismic and infrasonic signals used to characterize Nord Stream pipeline events

Seismic events that coincided with sudden drops in pressure within the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines in September 2022 alerted the world to the rupture of pipelines in the western Baltic Sea. The suspected act of sabotage, which reportedly used explosive charges to rupture the pipelines, is still under investigation by multiple countries. A new study published in The Seismic Record provides further evidence that the Nord Stream seismic signals came from a complex source. The signals lasted longer than would be expected from a single explosive source, the ...

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Energy2 Jan 2024

Using electricity, scientists find promising new method of boosting chemical reactions

As the world moves away from gas towards electricity as a greener power source, the to-do list goes beyond cars. The vast global manufacturing network that makes everything from our batteries to our fertilizers needs to flip the switch, too. A study from UChicago chemists found a way to use electricity to boost a type of chemical reaction often used in synthesizing new candidates for pharmaceutical drugs. Published Jan. 2 in Nature Catalysis, the research is an advance in the field of electrochemistry and shows a path forward to designing ...

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Energy26 Dec 2023

In situ characterization reveals different dehydrogenation pathways in MgH2

They published their work on Dec. 20 in Energy Material Advances. "Economic, efficient, and safe hydrogen storage methods play a crucial role in exploiting hydrogen energy, reducing carbon emissions, and improving the utilization efficiency of renewable clean energies," said paper author Jianxin Zou, professor in National Engineering Research Center of Light Alloys Net Forming & State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites. "Solid-state hydrogen storage in hydrides has been considered as a promising hydrogen storage technology. Although the industrial ...

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Energy22 Dec 2023

Controlling thermoelectric conversion in magnetic materials by magnetization direction

1. NIMS has succeeded in directly observing the "anisotropic magneto-Thomson effect," a phenomenon in which the heat absorption/release proportional to an applied temperature difference and charge current (i.e., Thomson effect) changes anisotropically depending on the magnetization direction in magnetic materials. This research is expected to lead to further development of basic physics and materials science related to the fusion area of thermoelectrics and spintronics, as well as to development of new functionalities to control thermal energy with magnetism. 2. The Thomson effect has long been known as one of the fundamental ...

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Energy19 Dec 2023

SLAC and its partners release a free, easy-to-use platform for understanding and managing electric grids

The Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and its partners at Hitachi America Energy Solutions Laboratory have released a new open-source software platform for simulating how all the parts of an electric grid work together, along with a graphic interface that makes it much easier for users to understand and apply the results. Together, these two tools can help utilities harden their distribution systems against extreme weather and wildfires, integrate renewable energy sources like wind and solar into electric grids and set the rates they charge customers, among other things. The grid ...

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Energy15 Dec 2023

Department of Defense grant boosts study of pressure, humidity on thermal energy storage

Under the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program, Dr. Patrick Shamberger and a research team from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering received a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to acquire instrumentation for thermal energy storage research. The grant, administered through the Office of Naval Research, will support the acquisition of a high-sensitivity multi-modal calorimeter for advanced research and education on tunable energy storage materials. This equipment will allow cutting-edge research to study the capability of pressure and humidity to control how well these materials can store ...

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Energy14 Dec 2023

Newly developed material gulps down hydrogen, spits it out, protects fusion reactor walls

MADISON – University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers have used a spray coating technology to produce a new workhorse material that can withstand the harsh conditions inside a fusion reactor. The advance, detailed in a paper published recently in the journal Physica Scripta, could enable more efficient compact fusion reactors that are easier to repair and maintain. “The fusion community is urgently looking for new manufacturing approaches to economically produce large plasma-facing components in fusion reactors,” says Mykola Ialovega, a postdoctoral researcher in nuclear engineering and engineering physics at ...

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Energy14 Dec 2023

A novel low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle platform for electrical transmission line inspection

Electricity is an indispensable resource for our daily lives; it powers our homes, industries, and agriculture, among other things. Electricity is generated in power plants that are often located in remote areas due to safety and environmental concerns. The generated electricity is then transported to residential and industrial areas through transmission lines. However, these remote locations pose challenges in terms of harsh environments that can easily damage the transmission lines. Therefore, regular inspection and maintenance of these lines are ...

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Energy14 Dec 2023

Guest pre-intercalation: an effective strategy to boost multivalent ion storage

Due to the merits of low cost, low installation requirements, and high-level safety, aqueous rechargeable batteries (ARBs) offer an ideal option for dealing with future energy-demand pressure. Traditional aqueous batteries are mostly concentrated on mono-valent metal-ion, such as Li+, Na+, and K+. Compared to mono-valent carriers, multivalent cations have the capability to transfer more than one electron, and thereby to potentially provide better energy storage. To date, aqueous multivalent ion batteries based on Zn2+ have received a lot of attention. However, the investigations on aqueous ...

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Energy13 Dec 2023

Stuart Parkin to receive American Physical Society’s highest award for contributions to spintronics and data storage

The American Physical Society (APS) has awarded Stuart Parkin of the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics the 2024 APS Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research. Parkin will be recognized “for major discoveries in spintronics leading to a revolution in data storage and memory” at a ceremony during the APS Annual Leadership Meeting in January 2024. “Stuart Parkin is a luminary whose incisive experiments and major discoveries in spintronics led to a revolution in data storage and memory,” said APS President-Elect Young-Kee Kim, who chaired the medal’s selection committee. “His indomitable ...

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Energy13 Dec 2023

Extracting uranium from seawater as another source of nuclear fuel

Oceans cover most of Earth’s surface and support a staggering number of lifeforms, but they’re also home to a dilute population of uranium ions. And — if we can get these particular ions out of the water — they could be a sustainable fuel source to generate nuclear power. Researchers publishing in ACS Central Science have now developed a material to use with electrochemical extraction that attracts hard-to-get uranium ions from seawater more efficiently than existing methods. Nuclear power reactors release ...

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Energy11 Dec 2023

Conference indicates surging interest in superhot, superdeep geothermal energy

Conference indicates surging interest in superhot, superdeep geothermal energy --Renewable resource has potential to revolutionize our energy system For Immediate Release: December 11, 2023 By Elizabeth A. Thomson for Quaise Energy For more information, including technical papers and graphic, please contact Elizabeth Thomson, 22elizabeththomson@gmail.com. CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--In an indication of growing interest in the holy grail of geothermal energy—tapping ...

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Energy8 Dec 2023

Texas A&M Institute part of national effort to harness nuclear laser fusion for limitless energy

Nuclear fusion, the process that powers the sun, is the ultimate source of energy for all life on Earth. On the sun, deuterium and tritium nuclei combine to produce an alpha particle (the nucleus of a helium atom) and a neutron. The dream is to do the same down here, on Earth, in a controlled manner. It’s for good reason that harnessing fusion energy is one of the greatest scientific and technological challenges of the 21st century. Fusion requires the fuel to be heated to more than 100 million degrees (10 times hotter than the core of the sun). Practical fusion energy also requires that the burning fuel is kept at these hot temperatures long enough so that energy ...

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Energy8 Dec 2023

First hints of nuclear fission in cosmos revealed by models, observations

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Dec. 7, 2023 — The elements above iron on the periodic table are thought to be created in cataclysmic explosions like the merger of two neutron stars or in rare classes of supernovae. New research suggests fission may operate in the cosmos during the creation of the heavy elements. Combing through data on a variety of elements that reside in very old stars, researchers have found a potential signature of fission, indicating that nature is likely to produce superheavy nuclei beyond the heaviest elements on the periodic table. “People have thought fission was happening in the cosmos, but ...

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Energy7 Dec 2023

SLAC brings rapid-fire laser and target expertise to national fusion energy research hubs

The U.S. Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University will partner with Colorado State University (CSU), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and other institutions in the creation of two inertial fusion science and technology hubs that were announced today by the DOE. Following on last year’s fusion ignition breakthrough at LLNL’s National Ignition Facility, the hubs aim to accelerate foundational inertial fusion research and technology development toward a potential clean and abundant energy source. In total, $42 million was awarded to collaborations between universities, ...

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Energy4 Dec 2023

Argonne and Idaho National Laboratories partner with CMBlu Energy for innovative long-duration energy storage project

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, along with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), was chosen by the agency for a demonstration project to validate an innovative long-duration energy storage system developed by battery manufacturer CMBlu Energy. The collaborative project aims to improve microgrids in cold climates and make fast charging of electric vehicles more affordable in underserved communities. Over the course of the project, Argonne and INL will deploy and evaluate CMBlu Energy’s Organic SolidFlow™ ...

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Energy1 Dec 2023

Arizona State, Idaho National Laboratory team to boost clean energy research

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Arizona State University (ASU) have agreed to expand their joint efforts in clean energy research for the next five years. An agreement signed in October establishes a framework for both institutions to develop low-carbon processes for the energy and manufacturing sectors. One joint project works to improve and decarbonize methods to extract critical minerals needed for renewable energy generation, energy storage and high-tech electronics. Another effort will develop solutions to electrify process heating, a major pathway to decarbonizing heavy manufacturing. Researchers from INL and ASU have previously ...

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Energy1 Dec 2023

New bottlenose dolphin sense discovered: they feel electricity

Born tail first, bottlenose dolphin calves emerge equipped with two slender rows of whiskers along their beak-like snouts – much like the touch-sensitive whiskers of seals. But the whiskers fall out soon after birth, leaving the youngster with a series of dimples, known as vibrissal pits. Recently Tim Hüttner and Guido Dehnhardt, from University of Rostock, Germany, began to suspect that the dimples may be more than just a relic. Could they allow adult bottlenose dolphins to sense weak electric fields? Taking an initial close look, they realised that the remnant pits resemble ...

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Energy30 Nov 2023

Smart microgrids can restore power more efficiently and reliably in an outage

It’s a story that’s become all too familiar — high winds knock out a power line, and a community can go without power for hours to days, an inconvenience at best and a dangerous situation at worst. UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Yu Zhang and his lab are leveraging tools to improve the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of power systems, and have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) -based approach for the smart control of microgrids for power ...

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Energy28 Nov 2023

No significant link between industry 4.0 and energy consumption or energy intensity

To what extent does the digitalisation of industrial and manufacturing processes (Industry 4.0) improve energy efficiency and thus reduce energy intensity? A team from the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) analysed developments across ten industrial manufacturing sectors in China between 2006 and 2019. Their findings show that contrary to the claims of many policymakers and industry associations, digitalisation may not automatically lead to anticipated energy savings in manufacturing and industry in China. China accounts for 30% of global manufacturing value added and the largest share of global manufacturing ...

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