Zinc-solar energy. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

Zinc-solar energy

29.08.2009

A way to decompose zinc oxide using sunlight is being investigated by Chilean scientists in Switzerland.

Since 2006, students from the University of Valparaiso, led by Dr. Robert Polumbo, have been conducting experiments every summer in Switzerland, at the Paul Scherrer Institute. And they are studying the possibility of using the energy of the Sun in order to obtain another energy carrier for the energy of the future - zinc.

It turns out that if you heat zinc oxide to 1700-3000 degrees Fahrenheit, it will melt and decompose into zinc and oxygen under the influence of an electric current. And then the zinc in the fuel cell will again turn into oxide, giving the stored energy, say, to the operation of the car's electric motor.

“This summer, we hope to learn more about the processes taking place in the reactor and eventually show that high-temperature solar electrolysis is quite possible and can someday become economically profitable,” said Derek Lettsov, a participant in the work.

<< Back: Spanish Robot Surgeon 30.08.2009

>> Forward: Ion will feel the power 28.08.2009

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

New method for creating powerful batteries 08.05.2024

With the development of technology and the expanding use of electronics, the issue of creating efficient and safe energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled a new approach to creating high-power zinc-based batteries that could change the landscape of the energy industry. One of the main problems with traditional water-based rechargeable batteries was their low voltage, which limited their use in modern devices. But thanks to a new method developed by scientists, this drawback has been successfully overcome. As part of their research, scientists turned to a special organic compound - catechol. It turned out to be an important component that can improve battery stability and increase its efficiency. This approach has led to a significant increase in the voltage of zinc-ion batteries, making them more competitive. According to scientists, such batteries have several advantages. They have b ... >>

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Data transfer speed will double 09.11.2013

American engineers have learned to receive and transmit data on the same radio frequency - to do what seemed impossible for the last 100 years. The introduction of technology will help to double the speed of data transmission over wireless networks.

Startup Kumu Networks, created in 2012 by Stanford University employees (with an investment of $ 10 million), claims to solve a long-standing problem that it is impossible to send and receive data on the same radio frequency at the same time.

Receiving and transmitting data on the same frequency has a number of advantages, and one of the most important is more efficient use of the frequency spectrum. A breakthrough could double the speed of data transfer over wireless networks, writes Technology Review.

To solve the problem, engineers had to eliminate an effect known as "self-interference". During operation, the radio system sends and receives radio signals, while the power of the sent signals is billions of times greater than the power of the signals it receives. Any attempt at reception is hampered by the fact that the receiver also creates an outgoing signal, causing interference (superposition of radio waves). For this reason, most radio systems - including smartphones, cell phone base stations and Wi-Fi routers that serve them - send information on one frequency and receive on another, or use the same frequency, switching back and forth quickly from transmit to receive.

To eliminate self-interference, engineers from Kumu Networks built an electronic circuit that pre-calculates the amount of interference that the transmitter will create in the next instant and generates a compensation signal to eliminate the interference. The circuit generates a compensating signal during the transmission of each packet of information, which makes it possible to use it in mobile devices in which the elimination of interference is complicated by the fact that devices move in space (due to which the waves are constantly reflected from different objects).

"For the past 100 years, it seemed impossible," commented Sachin Katti, senior lecturer in electrical and computer science at Stanford University and co-founder and CEO of Kumu Networks.

Previously, the compensation method was used by other companies, including Comtech, in order to increase the capacity of satellite communication channels. However, until Kumu Networks, no one has demonstrated the applicability of the method in networks such as LTE and Wi-Fi, in which it is necessary to compensate for signals with five orders of magnitude higher power. That's what the Stanford startup did.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews