Lifeboat Foundation

In recent years, engineers and scientists worldwide have been working on new technologies for generating electricity from renewable energy sources, including photovoltaics (PVs), wind turbines and hydro-power generators. An alternative solution for mitigating the impact of climate change could be to convert the excess or waste heat generated by industries, households and hot natural environments into electricity.

This approach, known as thermoelectric power generation, relies on the use of materials with valuable thermoelectric properties. Specifically, when these materials are exposed to particularly high temperatures on one side and colder ones on the other, electrons within them start to flow from the hot side to the cooler one, which generates electrical potential

While recent works have identified some promising thermoelectric materials, the module performance is unsatisfactory due to the challenges associated with designing and fabricating optimum module structures. This significantly limits their potential real-world integration in thermoelectric modules.

The “super premium” segment here implies a driving range of around 600 miles per charge. In addition, Samsung will be introducing high-nickel NCS products for the premium segment.

Samsung’s oxide solid-state battery technology boasts an energy density of 500 Wh/kg, nearly double the 270 Wh/kg density of mainstream EV batteries.

Continue reading “Samsung’s 20-year-life EV battery runs 600 miles on 9-minute charge” »

One of NASA’s key priorities is understanding the potential for life elsewhere in the universe. NASA has not found any credible evidence of extraterrestrial life—but NASA is exploring the solar system and beyond to help us answer fundamental questions, including whether we are alone in the universe.

Silicon wafers produced by the Czochralski process with micrometer-scale pyramidal structural elements on their surfaces are significantly cheaper.

These microtextures capture more light because they are less reflective than a smooth surface. However, coating these wafers with perovskite results in many defects in the crystal lattice, which affect the electronic properties.

However, the team of researchers has developed a strategy for surface passivation that allows the surface defects of the perovskite layer to be smoothed out.

The transport sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong, accounting for 19% of total emissions. Supporting the development of green transport can help reduce air pollutant emissions. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to promoting research into green technologies to support Hong Kong’s goal of reducing the City’s total carbon emissions from the 2005 level by half before 2035 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2050.

A research team led by Prof. Eric Cheng, Professor of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at PolyU, received support from the “Innovation and Technology Support Program (Mid-stream, theme-based)” last June for the research project “Smart Refrigeration Truck Development Program—Power, Solar and Intelligence Method for Logistics and Storage.” The project is aimed at promoting the transformation of freezer trucks from traditional fuel driven freezer system to smart electric driven and strengthening the wider adoption of solar energy.

After one year, the PolyU team has successfully developed a novel freezer truck that supports a solar-powered freezer system and features vehicle-connected power storage and sharing technology. The project has received staunch support from the government, academia and industry, including from Sunlight Eco-tech Limited, Advanced Sunlight Pty Limited from Australia, and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.

A city in Southern California has become the first in the nation to replace its police patrol cars with electric vehicles, officials announced Monday, unveiling a fleet of 20 new Teslas.

South Pasadena on the edge of Los Angeles will replace its gas-guzzling police cruisers with the Teslas to help protect public health and fight climate change through reducing emissions. The Teslas will use new electric vehicle chargers installed at City Hall, officials said.

An astronaut’s photo from the International Space Station showcases Siberia and Lake Baikal at night, with snow and ice brightening the landscape.

Lake Baikal is the largest and deepest freshwater lake, known for its significant age and biodiversity. The image also highlights bright city lights, oil fields, and parts of the Trans-Siberian Railway. UNESCO has designated Lake Baikal a World Heritage site due to its unique fauna.

Siberia and lake baikal at night.

An electric air taxi startup is developing an aircraft powered by tomorrow’s fuel: hydrogen. The concept is a hydrogen-powered version of its vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. This fueling power could enable longer routes between cities.

The electric air taxi startup Joby is known for its electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVOTL) or an air taxi. The company is testing sustainable fuel instead of a battery to power this vehicle. Hydrogen fuel cells are already used in cars, trucks, and industrial equipment. However, using the fuel in aircraft is a game changer. For example, the aviation industry faces much pressure due to its greenhouse gas emissions. Google even added an emissions tracker when looking for a flight.

The company announced that it successfully flew a 523-mile demonstration flight using its one-of-a-kind hydrogen air taxi. The aircraft was tested last month in California and involved a converted prototype of one of its eVOTL aircraft already in development. It’s equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen-electric propulsion. And get this: the only emission is a trail of water vapor.

Brandon Wang is vice president of Synopsys.

The rapid development of AI has led to significant growth across the computing industry. But it is also causing a huge increase in energy consumption, which is leading us into an energy crisis. Current AI models, especially large language models (LLMs), need huge amounts of power to train and run. AI queries require much more energy than traditional searches; for example, asking ChatGPT a question consumes up to 25 times as much energy as a Google search. At current rates of growth, AI is expected to account for up to 3.5% of global electricity demand by 2030, twice as much as the country of France.

We need to address this issue urgently before it becomes unsustainable. If we don’t, the impact could threaten sustainable growth and the widespread adoption of AI technologies themselves. Fortunately, there are a number of pathways toward more energy-efficient AI systems and computing architectures.