Articles tagged with Batteries
Researchers have developed a way to generate electricity from sewage using naturally-occurring bacteria that produce electricity as they digest organic material. The microbial battery is about the size of a D-cell battery and has an efficiency comparable to commercially available solar cells.
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new wireless communication system that allows devices to interact with each other without relying on batteries or wires for power. This technology, called ambient backscatter, takes advantage of TV and cellular transmissions to enable communication between devices.
Researchers found that complex oxide films remain stable with reduced oxygen levels at the surface, contrary to expected changes. This discovery has implications for designing functional oxides in consumer products like batteries and electronic devices.
Researchers at Monash University have developed a new strategy for engineering supercapacitors, making them viable for widespread use in renewable energy storage and electric vehicles. The device achieves an unprecedented energy density of 60 Watt-hours per litre, comparable to lead-acid batteries.
GROVER successfully demonstrated autonomous operation in Greenland's harshest environment, collecting radar data and transmitting information in real-time. The robot's performance was affected by extreme polar conditions, but the results promise potential for future autonomous robotic platforms to support scientific research.
Researchers at the University of Maryland have created a nanoscale battery using wood fibers that can last over 400 charging cycles, making it a promising alternative to traditional batteries.
Researchers have created a battery made from wood coated with tin that shows promise for becoming a tiny, long-lasting and efficient energy source. The device performed successfully through 400 charge-discharge cycles, making it suitable for large-scale energy storage applications such as wind farms or solar energy installations.
A team of scientists at Harvard University and the University of Illinois successfully printed tiny lithium-ion microbatteries using 3D printing technology. The batteries have comparable electrochemical performance to commercial batteries but are much smaller in scale.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara developed a new framework to understand the behavior of charged molecules in ionic liquids. The discovery could lead to more efficient and sustainable battery technologies, with potential applications in electric vehicles.
A team of researchers at Columbia Engineering has achieved record-breaking temporal resolution in measuring individual ion-channel proteins using miniaturized electronics. This breakthrough enables new understanding of their functions and opens opportunities in biotechnology and biophysics.
Flexible batteries, powered by polymer electrolytes, are being developed to enable the creation of bendable electronics and transform transportation. These breakthroughs aim to increase battery safety and efficiency, making them suitable for electric vehicles and other applications.
The Yale Journal of Industrial Ecology examines the impact of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on e-waste recycling. Researchers assess the use of RFID technology, EPR adoption in developing countries, and producer take-back organizations to improve recyclability.
ReRAM cells exhibit battery voltage properties, violating traditional memristor theory. Researchers reveal new insights into the electrochemical components, enabling optimized design and potential new applications
Researchers have designed a low-cost, long-life battery that can regulate natural fluctuations in solar and wind energy. The new battery uses lithium and sulfur molecules and has excellent energy-storage performance through over 2,000 charges and discharges.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed microbatteries that out-power supercapacitors, offering both power and energy. The batteries can charge 1,000 times faster than competing technologies, enabling devices to be smaller and more powerful.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a new chemical process that transforms waste sulfur into a lightweight plastic, which may improve batteries for electric cars and other applications. The new plastic has great promise as something that can be produced easily and inexpensively on an industrial scale.
Chemical gardens, a school experiment, inspire origin-of-life research at hydrothermal vents. Scientist test electric currents flowing from flower-like structures in chemical gardens.
Researchers at Northwestern University have created an exotic new chemical compound that links two identical tetracationic rings together using a mechanical bond. The compound's stable organic radical properties make it useful for applications in batteries, semiconductors and electronic memory devices.
A new robotic fish, named Grace, has been designed to glide long distances through water, gathering valuable data on lake and river quality. The robot's ability to glide is achieved through a pump system that pushes water in and out of the fish, allowing it to travel indefinitely with minimal energy consumption.
A new algorithm for message dissemination in decentralized networks is faster and deterministic, guaranteeing delivery to all nodes. The algorithm's efficiency relies on the collective action of nodes performing simple local tasks, emerging into a global behavior.
A team of Penn State researchers has developed a method to improve regular battery management practices for lead-acid batteries used in electric locomotives. The new approach increases the cell capacity by 41 percent and overall battery capacity by 30 percent, rejuvenating dead cells and reducing sulfation.
Researchers at Penn State University have developed a new type of optical fiber with integrated solar-cell capabilities that can be scaled to long lengths and woven into flexible fabrics. This technology has the potential to revolutionize portable electronics, offering lightweight, foldable, and wearable power sources.
The Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) will combine the R&D firepower of five DOE national laboratories, universities, and private firms to achieve revolutionary advances in battery performance. The project aims to reduce America's reliance on foreign oil and lower energy costs.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University aim to increase the power density of their iron flow battery, enabling greater energy storage capacity while maintaining a lower cost. The new design could replace traditional storage technologies like pumped hydro and compressed air systems, offering flexibility for grid-scale energy supply.
A team of Harvard engineers and chemists are working on a one-year, $600,000 grant from ARPA-E to develop a new type of storage battery that uses eco-friendly small organic molecules. The technology aims to make stationary energy storage cost-effective, enabling wind and solar power to displace fossil fuels more widely.
Researchers developed an energy-harvesting device that uses piezoelectricity to convert heartbeat-induced vibrations into electricity. The device can generate enough power to continuously operate a pacemaker without the need for battery replacements.
A team of engineers at Stanford University has demonstrated the feasibility of a super-small, implantable cardiac device that gets its power from radio waves transmitted from outside the body. The device is contained in a cube just eight-tenths of a millimeter in radius and can receive up to 50 microwatts of power.
A University of Utah study found that judges consider a psychopath's biology when sentencing. If given biological explanations for the disorder, they reduce the sentence by about a year on average. However, this doesn't necessarily mean judges let defendants off easy, but rather show major changes in their reasoning.
Researchers have designed an ultracapacitor that maintains a near-constant voltage, enabling its use in low-voltage electric vehicle circuits and handheld electronics. The device achieves this through an electromechanical system that slowly lifts the core out of the electrolyte solution as charge is released.
Researchers at Helmholtz Association confirm the existence of Tayler instability, a magnetic phenomenon that reduces rotation rates and creates powerful fluid flows. This discovery has significant implications for the development of liquid metal batteries and their potential use in renewable energy storage.
Four Argonne National Laboratory-developed technologies have been awarded R dashD 100 honors, including Globus Online for big data research and three battery materials for plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles.
Researchers at Purdue University have proposed a method to detect 'no-sleep energy bugs' that can completely drain smartphone batteries. The bugs occur when apps continue to run background operations despite the phone being idle, consuming battery life.
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory Enterprise for Multiscale Modeling of Materials has received funding for designing new materials with a holistic perspective. Researchers will develop materials for extreme dynamic environments and lighter-weight electronic devices.
A new study found that the annual number of battery-related emergency department visits among children younger than 18 years of age more than doubled from 2,591 in 1990 to 5,525 in 2009. The majority of cases involved products not intended for young children, such as watches and remote controls.
The TDRS-4 satellite completed its nearly 23-year operational life support and successfully executed end-of-mission de-orbit and decommissioning activities. The satellite's retirement was necessitated by the loss of a battery and reduced storage capacity.
A five-year grant from the US Army will support research on multiscale modeling of electronic materials. The University of Utah-led consortium aims to design new materials that can reduce the weight and increase the energy efficiency of devices, enabling soldiers to carry more equipment without excessive battery weight.
Researchers develop data logger to analyze and harness energy from vibrations, enabling wearable devices, IoT systems, and industrial applications. The technology replaces traditional battery-powered devices with sustainable energy harvesting.
Concordia physicists have modified a battery-like enzyme to store energy for hours, not seconds. This breakthrough uses natural systems to develop sustainable, carbon-neutral energy converting systems that could lead to new medical applications.
Researchers at Purdue University found that popular free apps spend up to 75% of their energy tracking user location, sending info to advertisers and downloading ads. A new tool called eprof analyzes app energy consumption, revealing a way to improve energy efficiency by reducing power drain in interactive programs.
Researchers at Linköping University have developed a new type of battery using brown liquor as a raw material, which could provide an inexpensive and sustainable solution for storing renewable energy. The breakthrough uses organic solar cells based on conductive plastic, achieving high performance levels that make them competitive.
Researchers have developed a low-cost, origami-inspired paper sensor that can test for diseases like malaria and HIV. The sensor is easy to produce, assemble, and use, making it suitable for point-of-care testing in resource-constrained areas.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have designed a device that converts heartbeat vibrations into electricity to power pacemakers and defibrillators. The new energy harvester could save patients from repeated surgeries by reducing or eliminating the need for battery replacements.
Stanford engineers developed a tiny, self-propelled medical device that can travel through the bloodstream using wireless power. The device has an antenna small enough to fit in the bloodstream and can propel itself at speeds of over half-a-centimeter per second.
Scientists have developed a new form of buckypaper, which eliminates a major drawback of these sheets of carbon nanotubes by introducing a 'shish kebab' structure that controls pore size and conductivity. This innovation has potential applications in body armor, batteries, and electronics.
The US Department of Energy is launching a new energy innovation hub focused on advanced battery research. The hub aims to accelerate the development of electrochemical energy storage technologies for transportation and the electric grid, with the goal of reducing the nation's dependence on foreign oil.
A Kansas State University researcher has developed a new method to create ceramic carbon nanotube material, which improves laser detector performance. The material also addresses four key areas for improving rechargeable batteries: capacity, life, recharging speed, and power output.
A study found that consumers generally prefer more precise or granular information when making decisions. In product descriptions, choosing fine-grained units like '28 minutes' instead of coarse terms like 'half an hour' influences consumer perceptions.
A devastating neurodegenerative disease called Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) has been linked to defective mitochondria in neurons. The research reveals an important common link with other neurodegenerative diseases, offering renewed hope for those affected.
A devastating neurodegenerative disease has been traced to defects in mitochondria, the energy-producing power plants of cells. The study found that mutations causing ARSACS are linked to mitochondrial dysfunction in neurons.
The Ground Renewable Expeditionary ENergy System (GREENS) provides continuous power to Marines in the field, reducing the need for fuel transport and minimizing logistics expenses. Developed by ONR, GREENS is a portable, lightweight, and modular system that uses solar power to generate electricity.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a self-healing system that can restore electrical conductivity to cracked circuits in less time than it takes to blink, allowing devices to work longer and reducing waste. The system uses microcapsules that break open and release liquid metal to fill in gaps in the circuit.
The Materials Project, a Google-like search engine for materials research, uses supercomputers to characterize material properties and organize them into a database. This accelerates the discovery process, enabling researchers to develop novel materials for industries such as energy, transportation, and food packaging.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a new power management approach called E-MiLi, which can reduce energy consumption by up to 44% in real-world wireless networks. The technology works by slowing down the WiFi card's clock and detecting incoming messages using a new firmware modification.
Researchers at MIT have designed a tiny energy harvester that can generate 100 times the power of similar devices, making it a potential solution to the power constraint in wireless sensors. The device uses a single layer of PZT and responds to a wide range of low-frequency vibrations.
A new study by University of Tennessee, Knoxville engineers finds that the solar industry can release up to 2.4 million tons of lead pollution in China and India due to reliance on lead batteries. The researchers recommend investments in environmental controls and battery take-back policies to mitigate this impact.
A study by Elaine M. Wong and colleagues found that CEOs with wider faces relative to their face height had significantly better firm financial performance. However, the effect was mitigated when top management teams took a simplistic view of the world. Companies where managers saw complexity, the CEO's face shape was less important.
A new energy-harvesting technology, reverse electrowetting, converts human motion into electrical power to power mobile electronic devices. This technology could enable footwear-embedded energy harvesters that capture energy produced by humans during walking and convert it into up to 20 watts of electrical power.
Rice University scientists have developed a solid-state, nanotube-based supercapacitor that combines the benefits of batteries and capacitors. The new device is stable, scalable, and suitable for extreme environments, with potential applications in electronics, sensors, and renewable energy systems.
A study reports that children living near lead battery manufacturing and recycling operations in developing countries have significantly higher blood lead levels, associated with lifelong health problems. The industry is expected to nearly double in size over the next five to 10 years, posing significant risks to workers and communities.
The Office of Naval Research's TechSolutions Program has developed a lightweight, plug-and-play portable power system to charge specialized equipment, reducing the EOD team's burden by up to 50 pounds. The Power Management Kit provides real-time awareness of power usage and availability.