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Archive for the ‘energy’ category: Page 150

May 12, 2022

Check out the first hi-res images from NOAA’s new satellite

Posted by in category: energy

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has shared the first images from its recently deployed GOES-18 weather satellite.

The stunning captures (below) were obtained by the satellite’s Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument as it orbited about 22,000 miles above Earth.

The ABI observes Earth via sixteen different channels. Each one detects energy at different wavelengths along the electromagnetic spectrum, enabling it to gather data on Earth’s atmosphere, land, and oceans. According to NOAA, data from ABI’s channels can be combined to create imagery known as GeoColor, which looks similar to what the human eye would see from space. Analyzing the data in different ways enables meteorologists to highlight and examine various features of interest.

May 12, 2022

Photosynthesis used to power a microprocessor for over six months

Posted by in categories: chemistry, energy

System represents a breakthrough in the real-life applicability of biophotovotaic devices.


Microprocessors can be powered using photosynthetic microorganisms in ambient light without the need for an external power source, new research shows. Led by Emre Ozer from Arm and Christopher Howe from the University of Cambridge, researchers in the UK, Italy and Norway introduced cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 into an aluminium–air battery to create a biophotovoltaic device. The device is a similar size to an AA battery, is made from durable and mainly recyclable materials and does not require a dedicated light source to function. It is the first reported bioelectrochemical system capable of continuously powering a microprocessor outside of laboratory-controlled conditions.

‘We decided that we didn’t want to operate the system with a dedicated source of energy. We needed to prove that we can operate under ambient light, and we were able to do it,’ comments Paolo Bombelli, one of the lead researchers from the University of Cambridge.

Continue reading “Photosynthesis used to power a microprocessor for over six months” »

May 11, 2022

Chipmaker NXP considers Austin for $2.6 billion expansion, up to 800 new jobs

Posted by in categories: employment, energy

In a move that could add even more fuel to the booming Central Texas high-tech sector, chipmaker NXP Semiconductors is considering a $2.6 billion expansion in Austin that would create up to 800 jobs.

The potential expansion is the latest big project for which the Austin area is in the running. Tech firm Applied Materials said in March that it’s considering Hutto for a $2.4 billion research and development center, while chipmaker Infineon Technologies said in February that it’s considering Austin for a $700 million expansion.

NXP Semiconductors, which is based in the Netherlands and has two fabrication plants in Austin, is seeking tax breaks from the Austin Independent School District under the state’s Chapter 313 incentive program for proposed expansion. An initial presentation to the district’s board Tuesday night didn’t specify the amount, but previous incentives agreements from Texas school districts for similar Chapter 313 deals have been for tens of millions of dollars.

May 8, 2022

Using Sound To Control Enzymatic Reactions

Posted by in categories: chemistry, energy, physics

Unhackneyed compartmentalization generated by audible sound allows the enzyme reactions to be controlled spatiotemporally.

Spatiotemporal regulation of multistep enzyme reactions through compartmentalization is essential in studies that mimic natural systems such as cells and organelles. Until now, scientists have used liposomes, vesicles, or polymersomes to physically separate the different enzymes in compartments, which function as ‘artificial organelles’. But now, a team of researchers led by Director KIM Kimoon at the Center for Self-assembly and Complexity within the Institute for Basic Science in Pohang, South Korea successfully demonstrated the same spatiotemporal regulation of chemical reactions by only using audible sound, which is completely different from the previous methods mentioned above.

Although sound has been widely used in physics, materials science, and other fields, it has rarely been used in chemistry. In particular, audible sound (in the range of 20–20,000 Hz) has not been used in chemical reactions so far because of its low energy. However, for the first time, the same group from the IBS had previously successfully demonstrated the spatiotemporal regulation of chemical reactions through a selective dissolution of atmospheric gases via standing waves generated by audible sound back in 2020.

May 6, 2022

Powering the moon: Sandia researchers design microgrid for future lunar base

Posted by in categories: energy, space

In partnership with NASA, Sandia researchers design reliable and resilient microgrids that could sustain astronauts, mining and fuel processing on the moon.

May 6, 2022

Tesla releases its 2021 Impact Report, shows strides toward full sustainability

Posted by in categories: energy, sustainability

Tesla has released its 2021 Impact Report, and it revealed that the company is making huge strides in its efforts to help accelerate the world’s shift to sustainable energy.

From the people it employs to its supply chain and products, Tesla is transforming itself into an entity that is cleaner, more efficient, and more responsible than ever before.

Tesla’s website focused on four notable portions of its 2021 Impact Report, namely the company’s people, environment, supply chain, and products. In each of these topics, Tesla highlighted the steps it took to better itself while setting a standard for the automotive industry as a whole.

May 4, 2022

Major advance in microwave power beaming

Posted by in category: energy

Researchers from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have demonstrated the feasibility of terrestrial microwave power beaming by transmitting 1.6 kilowatts (kW) over a distance of 1 kilometre (km) – the most significant advance for this technology in nearly 50 years.

May 4, 2022

A 62-minute orbital period black widow binary in a wide hierarchical triple

Posted by in categories: energy, space

May 4, 2022

A new type of battery provides low-cost, long-term energy storage

Posted by in categories: energy, sustainability

Providing a new means for storing excess renewable energy.

May 3, 2022

California is on the threshold of using 100 percent renewable power

Posted by in categories: energy, sustainability