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Archive for the ‘energy’ category: Page 107

Jan 9, 2023

5,400-Pound NASA Satellite Falls Back to Earth After Nearly 40 Years in Space

Posted by in categories: energy, satellites

The satellite had an expected two-year-service life, but it blew past that mark. “For 21 of its years in orbit, the ERBS actively investigated how the Earth absorbed and radiated energy from the Sun, and made measurements of stratospheric ozone, water vapor, nitrogen dioxide, and aerosols,” NASA said.

Spacefaring machines that come back to Earth are subject to an intense reentry process. NASA expected most of ERBS to burn up, “but for some components to survive the reentry.” The return trajectory over a body of water means anything that wasn’t toast likely fell harmlessly into the sea.

The satellite’s uneventful fall back to its home planet is a bit of good news at a time when orbital space is increasingly crowded with junk, debris and defunct satellites. ERBS went out in a blaze of glory after its distinguished service to science.

Jan 9, 2023

A powerful solar flare hit Earth causing radio blackouts

Posted by in categories: energy, space

A powerful solar flare hit Earth last week, causing a radio blackout over parts of Australia and the South Pacific last week, CNET reported. This is one of the most powerful flares seen since October last year and might be a sign of what is coming next.

A solar flare is an eruption of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun’s surface. According to the European Space Agency, flares occur when energy stored in magnetic fields on the solar surface is suddenly released.

Jan 9, 2023

Ohio-based startup’s e-bikes come with swappable batteries

Posted by in categories: energy, sustainability, transportation

They can be your power source on the go.

A startup named LAND Energy offers its customers something that most companies don’t. The option to swap the batteries on the vehicle, keeping the vehicle brand new even as technology improves over the years.

Continue reading “Ohio-based startup’s e-bikes come with swappable batteries” »

Jan 8, 2023

Glow in The Dark Highway in Australia

Posted by in categories: energy, transportation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s1JrDq2igA

The glow-in-the-dark pavement is charged by the sun during the day and emits its own light for up to 10 hours at night, eliminating the need for energy-consuming street lights. The glow-in-the-dark pavement is just the first stage of many potential projects engineers are testing to make roadways safer and more energy efficient.

Everyone is concerned when driving on a dark road if the road markers are not clearly visible or if the lighting is insufficient. Fortunately, Tarmac Linemarking, an Australian firm that works with OmniGrip and Vicroads, has made a fresh breakthrough by generating glow-in-the-dark road markings that resemble children’s toys. According to a report by News.com.au published on Thursday. The test was conducted on a one-kilometer section of the Metong Road in Victoria’s southeast and images were posted on Facebook.

Jan 8, 2023

99% Efficiency: Princeton Engineers Have Developed a New Way To Remove Microplastics From Water

Posted by in categories: energy, engineering, food

Princeton Engineering researchers have developed a cost-effective way to use breakfast foods to create a material that can remove salt and microplastics from seawater.

The researchers used egg whites to create an aerogel, a versatile material known for its light weight and porosity. It has a range of uses, including water filtration, energy storage, and sound and thermal insulation. Craig Arnold, the Susan Dod Brown Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and vice dean of innovation at Princeton, leads a lab that focuses on creating new materials, including aerogels, for engineering purposes.

One day, sitting in a faculty meeting, he had an idea.

Jan 7, 2023

Photonic flatband resonances for free-electron radiation

Posted by in category: energy

A study demonstrates full energy–momentum matching, and enhanced interaction, between free electrons and photons through a continuum of flatband resonances, realized in a silicon-on-insulator photonic crystal slab.

Jan 7, 2023

Game changer: World’s first cow-dung-powered tractor is here

Posted by in categories: economics, energy, food

During its pilot run, carbon emissions were slashed from 2,500 to 500 metric tons.

A British company has created a pioneering tractor that could be a game changer in the green energy-striving agricultural industry.

“The T7 liquid methane-fuelled tractor is a genuine world-first and another step towards decarbonizing the global agricultural industry and realizing a circular economy,” said Chris Mann, co-founder of Bennamann, a company that deals with methane energy products.

Continue reading “Game changer: World’s first cow-dung-powered tractor is here” »

Jan 7, 2023

Inside the factory making a flying car ready for take off — BBC News

Posted by in categories: energy, transportation

A flying car could be tested by the public in America as early as next year.

Jet-ski champion and over-water hoverboard inventor Franky Zapata’s latest innovation is the JetRacer, a single-seat car that can fly.

Continue reading “Inside the factory making a flying car ready for take off — BBC News” »

Jan 6, 2023

The discovery of a mural dedicated to Egyptian goddesses, buried under thick layers of bird poop

Posted by in category: energy

Forty-six representations of ancient Egyptian goddesses were found in a mural completely covered in bird dung in an ancient temple.

During ancient times, the ancient Egyptians built Esna on the west bank of the River Nile: the city that served as a center of power in Upper Egypt. While they were in office, public buildings and temples were decorated with ornate murals dedicated to gods from the sacred pantheon. Over time, the ancient ceremonial centers became covered in sand, dust, and animal feces.

Jan 5, 2023

Enabling nanoscale thermoelectrics with a novel organometallic molecular junction

Posted by in categories: energy, nanotechnology

The Seebeck effect is a thermoelectric phenomenon by which a voltage or current is generated when a temperature difference exists across a conductor. This effect is the basis of established and emerging thermoelectric applications alike, such as heat-to-electricity energy harvesters, sensing devices, and temperature control.

In line with the unrelenting demand for ever-smaller devices, scientists are looking for new ways to leverage the Seebeck effect at the nanoscale. One way to achieve this is by using molecular junctions, which are miniature devices consisting of two electrodes bridged by one or a few individual molecules. Depending on how sensitive these molecules are to temperature, it is possible to fine tune the thermoelectric properties of molecular junctions to match their intended application.

Thus far, most studies on molecular thermoelectrics have been limited to rather simple organic molecules. This has led to molecular junctions with a low Seebeck coefficient, which translates to poor temperature-to-voltage conversion and performance. There is therefore an ongoing challenge to design molecular junctions with better characteristics and, most importantly, a higher Seebeck coefficient.