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Category: sustainability – Page 143

Fusion Breakthrough: 6 Minutes of Plasma Sets New Reactor Record

A fusion reactor in southern France, called WEST, just achieved an important milestone that brings us one step closer to clean, sustainable, nearly limitless energy.

Scientists at New Jersey’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, who collaborated on the project, announced today that the device created a super-hot material called a plasma that reached 90 million degrees Fahrenheit (50 million degrees Celsius) for 6 straight minutes.

The ultimate goal is to sustain a super-hot plasma for many hours, but 6 minutes is a new world record for a device like WEST. Other nuclear reactors similar to WEST have created hotter plasmas, but they haven’t lasted as long.

China’s new water-based battery can revolutionize EVs

Researchers in China have developed a water-based battery, which is claimed to be much safer and energy-efficient than “highly flammable” non-aqueous lithium batteries.

Interestingly, the researchers say that these new batteries will be twice as energy-dense as traditional lithium-ion options. This holds the potential to revolutionize the electric vehicle industry.

Moreover, aqueous batteries use water as the solvent for electrolytes, enhancing their safety. Traditional non-aqueous lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density, but their safety is compromised due to the flammable organic electrolytes, a component that allows the battery to charge and discharge, they utilize.

Unleashing Disordered Rocksalt Oxides as Cathodes for Rechargeable Magnesium Batteries

Researchers at Tohoku University have made a groundbreaking advancement in battery technology, developing a novel cathode material for rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) that enables efficient charging and discharging even at low temperatures. This innovative material, leveraging an enhanced rock-salt structure, promises to usher in a new era of energy storage solutions that are more affordable, safer, and higher in capacity.

Details of the findings were published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A on March 15, 2024.

The study showcases a considerable improvement in magnesium (Mg) diffusion within a rock-salt structure, a critical advancement since the denseness of atoms in this configuration had previously impeded Mg migration.

Geoengineering Test Quietly Launches Salt Crystals into Atmosphere

A solar geoengineering experiment in San Francisco could lead to brighter clouds that reflect sunlight. The risks are numerous.

By Corbin Hiar & E&E News

CLIMATEWIRE | The nation’s first outdoor test to limit global warming by increasing cloud cover launched Tuesday from the deck of a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the San Francisco Bay.

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