A microwave dish transmitter is pointed toward a rectifying antenna in part of the Safe and Continuous Power Beaming – Microwave (SCOPE-M) demonstration at Army Blossom Point Research Field, Maryland, Sept. 21, 2021. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory developed the rectifying antenna, “rectenna”, to convert an x-band microwave beam to 1 kilowatts of DC power at a range of 1 kilometer.
In physics, as in life, it’s always good to look at things from different perspectives.
Since the beginning of quantum physics, how light moves and interacts with matter around it has mostly been described and understood mathematically through the lens of its energy. In 1900, Max Planck used energy to explain how light is emitted by heated objects, a seminal study in the foundation of quantum mechanics. In 1905, Albert Einstein used energy when he introduced the concept of photon.
But light has another equally important quality, known as momentum. And as it turns out, when you take momentum away, light starts behaving in really interesting ways.
MIT spinoff Quaise Energy is building a drill that vaporizes rock — so that we can tap into the energy miles below our feet.
Geothermal energy: Earth’s core is as hot as the surface of the sun, but we don’t have to go too far below the surface to start feeling the heat — in the Mponeng gold mine in South Africa, which has a depth of 2.5 miles, rock temperatures can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Geothermal power generates electricity from this natural heat, and there’s enough of it to meet the energy needs of the entire world — if you can get to it.
Perovskite solar cells might revolutionize how humans generate energy from sunlight. https://brilliant.org/ElectricFuture. First 200 people get 20% off annual premium subscription.
In this video we’ll explore the world’s fastest improving new solar technology, and provide an exclusive peek inside the lab of a team working on this breakthrough material.
Imagine an inexpensive solution of perovskite crystals that can make a photovoltaic cell so thin, that just half a cup of liquid would be enough to power a house. A solar panel so lightweight, that it can be balanced atop a soap bubble. That is known as the holy grail of solar energy. So when will we see perovskite solar panels used for a solar power system for your home? Maybe sooner than you expect.
Currently, only 2% of global electricity comes from solar power. And 90% of that, comes from crystalline silicon-based solar panels, the dominant material technology.
While abundant, silicon has downsides related to efficiency, manufacturing complexity, and pollution that prevent it from being an absolute no brainer. Emerging thin films like perovskites present a bright future. Imagine solar cars like a solar tesla, solar yachts, or a solar plane.
Solar cell technologies can be classified into two categories, wafer-based or thin-film cells. Perovskites are the leading contender in emerging thin films. Topics covered in this video include applications, perovskite crystal structure, working principle of perovskite solar cells, efficiency limits, multi-junction solar cells, shockley-queisser limit, how solar works, solar simulator, band gap, manufacturing, vapor deposition, how solar panels are made, and the future of solar power.
North Virginia will make multi-billion dollar decisions this year on the region’s transportation future—decisions that are only going to induce more driving.
BHL Cryotanks have demonstrated a 75% mass reduction compared to existing state-of-the-art aerospace cryotanks (metal or composite), enabling hydrogen aircraft and eVTOL makers to store as much as 10 times more liquid hydrogen fuel without adding mass. As a result, aircraft can travel longer distances without refueling.
GTL has fabricated and tested multiple BHL Cryotanks at a range of scales and has been demonstrated to be leak-tight even after repeated cryo-thermal pressure cycles. This technology has achieved TRL 5+ and is compatible with a variety of cryogenic propellants, including liquid oxygen, liquid methane, and liquid hydrogen.
The BHL Cryotank pictured here measures 2.4 meters long with a 1.2-meter diameter and weighs 12 kilograms (roughly 26 pounds). With the addition of a skirt and vacuum dewar shell, the total system weight is 67 kilograms. This particular tank system can hold over 150 kilograms of liquid hydrogen, giving it a hydrogen storage ratio of at least 50% (the weight of stored hydrogen fuel relative to total system weight), which is as much as 10 times greater than current state-of-the-art fuel tanks. HyPoint estimated that an aircraft equipped with GTL dewar tank technology could achieve as much as four times the range of a conventional aircraft using aviation fuel, cutting aircraft operating costs by an estimated 50% on a dollar-per-passenger-mile basis.
Now, this up-and-coming entrepreneur recycles coconut waste to help prevent deadly landslides. Meet Alhaji Siraj Bah, founder of Rugsal Trading, who overcame tragedy and is using an alternative to wood for cooking fuel.