A group of researchers at the Duke University have managed to devise a novel water splitting system that can produce storable hydrogen fuel. The system uses copper nanowires, fused in a see-through film, which can split water molecules using the power of sunlight. These nanowires offer an efficient and low cost method for solar energy… »
Researchers at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL), a collaborative research partnership of the University of the West of England and the University of Bristol, have developed a novel way to charge mobile phones by using urine as the power source which generates electricity. The system generates enough power to enable SMS messaging, web browsing and… »
Collaboration between researchers in South Korea, Case Western Reserve University and University of North Texas resulted with a discovery of an inexpensive and easily produced catalyst that performs better than platinum in oxygen-reduction reactions. The finding is a step toward eliminating what industry regards as the largest obstacle to large-scale commercialization of fuel cell technology…. »
Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) broke the endurance record for small electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) by developing a vehicle powered by liquid hydrogen fuel and a fuel cell. This flight shatters their previous record of 26 hours and 2 minutes set in 2009 using the same vehicle, but with gaseous hydrogen… »
Inspired by structures found in the nature’s own fuel cells and solar cells (mitochondria and chloroplasts), researchers at the University of Reading have patented a new method to create electrode coatings with a thousand-fold increase in surface area compared to a flat electrode. The increased contact surface could lead to more efficient and greener vehicles,… »
Aside the technology being used to generate the energy from the sun, the efficiency of solar panels also depends on the cleanliness of the panels. Moisture and dust debris piled up on their surface require time consuming and costly maintenance, however, a group of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania used bio-inspiration to develop a… »
MIT engineers have developed a fuel cell that runs on the same sugar that powers human cells – glucose. Although the technology has been around since 1970s, MIT fuel cell is fabricated from silicon, using the same technology used to make semiconductor electronic chips. This feature allows it to be integrated with other circuits that… »
Osaka Gas, Aisin Seiki, Kyocera Corporation, Chofu Seisakusho and Toyota Motor Corporation announced that they have completed co-development of a residential-use solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) co-generation system named ENE-FARM Type S. The system achieves power generation efficiency of 46.5% – currently highest level in the world when it comes to fuel cells for residential… »
