Articles tagged with Energy Infrastructure
The integration of ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems with energy piles offers a promising solution to address the growing urban heat island effect and reduce electricity consumption in smart cities. This technology provides efficient heating and cooling, reduces carbon emissions, and promotes sustainable urban development.
Southwest Research Institute has launched a joint industry project to develop technologies for hydrogen-powered heavy-duty refueling operations. The four-year program aims to strengthen existing refueling station equipment and procedures, exploring alternatives to address supply chain issues and technical challenges.
The university's refurbishment project uses waste heat to provide heating to the Joseph Priestly Building and district heating system, reducing fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The initiative is expected to yield substantial energy cost savings and enhance the data center's capacity for high-performance computing.
A new deep learning model enhances railroad condition monitoring by combining Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, achieving 97% accuracy in detecting train positions and conditions. The model's real-time processing capabilities enable swift intervention and mitigation of potential hazards.
A study by University of Copenhagen researchers highlights the challenges in investing in green hydrogen projects, citing market risks, regulatory uncertainty, and high costs. Oil and gas companies are better positioned to finance large-scale hydrogen projects due to their expertise and infrastructure.
A $13 million initiative led by PNNL has created an AI-ready searchable database of 28,212 documents, reducing the time to conduct environmental reviews from 2-4 years to minutes. The PolicyAI toolkit is currently beta testing with federal NEPA reviewers, aiming to deliver time and cost savings.
Liu's InertiaMeter tool enables real-time estimation of power grid inertia, allowing operators to prevent outages with increasing renewable energy reliance. The technology utilizes signals from pumped storage hydropower projects and low-cost grid sensors for accurate monitoring.
A novel data-fusion-model method accurately estimates the state of health (SOH) of Li-ion battery packs based on partial charging curve. The proposed method capitalizes on charging data to track degradation trends, achieving accurate SOH estimation with maximum errors less than 1.5%.
A new method for efficiently utilizing energy users' flexibility in distribution and transmission networks has been introduced. Consumers can provide flexibility services, benefiting both the system operators and themselves financially. The dissertation highlights the need for improvements and investments to deploy these methods globally.
NCSA launches Harbor, a fast storage service for global home and software directories, boosting Delta system performance by 400%. Consolidating file systems to VAST namespace improved uptime, load times, and user experience. With Harbor and VAST Data Platform, NCSA achieves scalable and efficient AI infrastructure.
A new study warns that climate change's impact on water resources will significantly increase the cost of achieving zero-emission grids by 2050. The required investments in generation and transmission infrastructure are expected to be massive, with up to 139 gigawatts of power capacity needed in the Western United States.
Researchers at the University of Surrey have developed a strategy to improve both the performance and stability of perovskite-based solar cells. By introducing an iodine-reducing agent, they increased the efficiency and extended the lifespan of the devices.
A study by Cornell University researchers recommends that the costs of new power lines be borne by those who benefit from them, resolving disagreements over cost allocation. The 'beneficiary pays' approach encourages investment in the grid without disputes over cost-sharing.
Households who purchase private substitutes still pay for the electric grid, benefiting some lower-income households with bill savings over lost reliability. Private substitute ownership has increased over time, changing public grid reliability.
Research shows that power systems with higher weather-dependent renewable energy sources (WD-RESs) tend to have reduced blackout intensities in the US. High WD-RES penetration does not worsen the weather vulnerability of power systems, even during extreme weather events.
Researchers explored using electric bus depots to generate solar energy and stabilize the grid. The study found that these depots could net out to be energy producers, further stabilizing the grid.
A Cornell University research team found that strategically placing a mix of medium-speed and fast-charging stations in urban areas increases driver usage and improves investor profitability by 50-100%. The team used Bayesian optimization to analyze data from Atlanta, taking into account factors like traffic and road characteristics.
A new study from Virginia Tech shows large language models can assess human-made environments using street-view images, similar to traditional methods. LLM-based performance offers a more accessible tool for users in small to medium-sized cities, making it easier to manage smart urban infrastructure.
The Department of Energy awarded nearly $1 million to researchers at the University of Arkansas to develop a prototype for high-voltage power modules that can handle higher voltages and temperatures. The goal is to create smaller, more efficient, and more reliable fast-charging stations for electric vehicles.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new surface that prevents 100% of frost formation on flat areas for up to 160 hours. The hybrid surface combines a textured macrotexture with a thin layer of graphene oxide, offering a promising solution for various applications.
The University of Kansas and Avium will develop new catalysts and technologies to improve the efficiency and reliability of green hydrogen production. The goal is to make clean hydrogen more affordable and support the transition to a clean-energy future.
The Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC) will develop new research projects, infrastructure, and educational programs using the funding. Lehigh University will lead two research projects focused on tidal turbine blades and real-time stable marine energy microgrid power management.
Researchers analyzed a thermophotovoltaic system paired with phase-change materials for energy storage and found slight reductions in costs. The study identified key factors affecting TPV system costs, highlighting the need for future research to improve adoption and efficiency.
Researchers developed an AI model that addresses uncertainties in renewable energy generation and electric vehicle demand, making power grids more reliable. The model uses multi-fidelity graph neural networks to optimize solutions within seconds, improving grid performance even under unpredictable conditions.
A novel data-driven joint model enhances infrastructure planning and smart charging of shared electric vehicles by optimizing charging strategies and predicting user behavior. The model aims to reduce charging costs and improve grid integration, with potential savings of up to 34.97%.
A new method uses principal components-based feature generation and optimized Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to estimate the State of Charge (SoC) in LiFePO4 batteries. This approach improves the accuracy and robustness of existing SoC estimation methods, enabling real-time implementation.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed a polymer film infused with a special chalcogenide perovskite compound that produces electricity when squeezed or stressed. The material has shown promising results, including powering LED lights and potentially being used in machines, infrastructure, and biomedical applications.
Building a renewable energy system for the AtLAST telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert could cover 66% of nearby San Pedro de Atacama's electricity demand. The system would reduce local reliance on fossil fuels and provide affordable renewable energy, contributing to a more sustainable future.
The University of Houston-led project aims to provide training and resources for jobs in the new hydrogen economy, prioritizing underserved communities. The team will create a publicly available online toolkit to facilitate community engagement and equitable access to emerging jobs.
A group of scientists and economists warn that green subsidies can have negative spillover effects and diminish overall effectiveness if not implemented cautiously. They suggest imposing time limits on subsidies to ensure they do not perpetuate harmful practices over the long term.
Researchers at KAUST have developed a new cooling system that extracts water from the air using gravity, eliminating the need for electricity. The system can double the rate of water collection compared to alternative technologies and offers significant energy savings.
Researchers developed a framework to measure how water systems can adjust their energy use to balance power grid supply and demand. They found that water systems could shift up to 30% of their energy use during peak demand times, leading to significant cost savings.
A new study has identified key factors to build food resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa, including diversifying suppliers, empowering local farmers, and promoting sustainable practices. The proposed blueprint aims to enhance self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on external sources.
Researchers have identified Ukraine's renewable potential as exceeding the generation capacity destroyed during the war. The study recommends developing a distributed power supply system and investing in solar and wind energy, particularly in the south and east of the country.
The RECHARGE project aims to evaluate EV charging station resiliency in extreme weather events and develop technologies to provide reinforcement. The researchers will analyze real outage data from multiple locations to assign resilience scores to each charging station, helping determine which ones need reinforcement.
A new study suggests that urban heating and cooling systems will significantly impact future energy demand due to climate change, with smaller-scale city-level waste heat contributing to local microclimates. The research emphasizes the need for comprehensive climate impact assessment and science-based policymaking to address this issue.
A study by Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology found that installing EVCS boosted spending at nearby establishments by 1.4% in 2019, leading to an overall increase of USD 6.7 million. Strategically placed EVCS also stimulated consumer spending in underprivileged areas, creating potential catalysts for economic growth.
A new study by University of Maryland researchers found that village size plays a crucial role in determining the economic impact of electrification. Villages with populations over 2,000 people experience significant benefits, including doubled household expenditure and growth in microenterprises. In contrast, smaller villages see litt...
The article examines three scenarios for Norway's hydrogen export market development, including techno-economic viability and spatial considerations. The results suggest that Norway may be cost-competitive in blue hydrogen exports but faces sustainability limitations due to natural gas reliance.
Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology are working on a new fault detection technology that can handle the unique challenges of solar and wind-powered grids. The project aims to create a perturbation-based signal for the circuit to recognize, enabling more accurate detection of faults in these systems.
A recent study by UT Arlington scientist Nathan D. Brown shows Alaskan land is eroding faster than it can be replaced due to climate change. The team mapped and dated floodplain deposits, determining permafrost extent, to model how permafrost formation varies with air temperature.
A mathematical model developed by Chris Zobel and colleagues optimizes resource allocation in urban infrastructure while considering social vulnerabilities and projected sea level rise impacts. The approach prioritizes investments that enhance resilience and mitigate socio-economic disparities, enabling informed decision-making that ba...
Researchers developed a crystalline solid that can adsorb and release ammonia, making it easy to recover. The material's high density and ease of desorption make it a promising solution for efficient hydrogen storage.
The Pacific Northwest is launching a clean hydrogen economy with a $27.5 million Department of Energy funding award. The project aims to develop and market economical clean hydrogen power solutions to meet the United States' clean energy goal while ensuring at least 40% of the benefits flow to disadvantaged communities.
A study published in Science Advances investigated the formation of cracks in a nickel-base alloy. The researchers found that one widely-held hypothesis does not apply to this alloy and discovered new information about crack initiation. This breakthrough helps lay the groundwork for better predictions of hydrogen embrittlement.
Researchers at TU Delft developed an insect-inspired navigation strategy for tiny, lightweight robots, allowing them to return home after long trajectories while requiring minimal computation and memory. The strategy combines visual breadcrumbs and step counting to enable autonomous navigation in cluttered environments.
Silicon photonics enables frequency-entangled qubits, allowing secure quantum information distribution across a five-user quantum network. The breakthrough promotes advancements in quantum computing and ultra-secure communications networks.
Scientists discovered that interplanetary shocks striking Earth's magnetic field head-on cause more powerful geomagnetically induced currents, posing a threat to critical infrastructure. The study found that the angle of impact is key to predicting current strength, allowing for protections to be set in place before severe shocks strike.
Researchers estimate the expected outcomes in long-term expenses as those hydrogen production pathways evolve. The study concludes that experience from deploying blue hydrogen projects will help lower future costs, while extended tax incentives for carbon sequestration can significantly reduce costs further.
A recent study by Prof. Martin Bichler suggests that dividing Germany into several price zones may not reduce total power costs as expected. In contrast, nodal pricing shows promise in reducing costs by up to 9% due to efficient resource allocation and reduced re-dispatch measures.
A £800,000 project aims to optimise a flexible floating offshore wind platform for applications in the Celtic Sea. The initiative will support local supply chains and increase the use of local steel in fabrication, with the goal of reducing costs and environmental impact.
Researchers at Tohoku University have created a simple and environmentally friendly material that records past mechanical loading histories. The Pr-doped Li0.12Na0.88NbO3 (LNNO) material stores stress information for extended periods, enabling stress visualization and crack detection.
A study from IIASA researchers highlights the potential of demand-side measures to reduce energy and resource consumption without restricting fossil fuel use. These strategies include improving resource efficiency, promoting shared mobility, reusing materials, and thermal refurbishment of buildings.
A new study finds that urban office buildings continuously release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the outdoors, similar to traffic emissions. The research team measured VOC concentrations in a high-performance office building and found indoor levels 2-15 times higher than outdoors.
A team of researchers at Nagoya University has developed a novel method to seal cracks and fractures in rocks using a concretion-forming resin. The resin holds its shape and seals flow-paths rapidly, withstanding six earthquakes in a test period, making it more durable than conventional cement-based materials.
Researchers identified three types of behaviour around refuelling, including the event-triggered model, which is best for optimum electric vehicle usage. The study suggests that a change in mindset can reduce range anxiety and encourage more people to opt for EVs.
A recent study published in Environmental Science and Technology found that wind farms only use a small fraction of the land they are built on. The research also showed that wind turbines sited near existing roads can produce energy seven times more efficiently than those developed from scratch.
A new study analyzing building footprints in US metropolitan areas identifies five distinct neighborhood types associated with varying socioeconomic and demographic traits. These neighborhoods differ in footprint size, shape, and placement, reflecting differences in population density, homeownership rates, and commuting habits.
A recent analysis by DOE/Argonne National Laboratory and NREL suggests that renewable energy could reduce carbon footprint at the South Pole. The study found that using solar energy during the austral summer could save approximately $57 million over 15 years.
Researchers from the University of Houston used spaceborne-monitoring to detect movements and deformations in the Kakhovka Dam years before its collapse. The study highlights the importance of proactive monitoring and remote sensing in ensuring infrastructure safety and integrity.