
“Green technology” is becoming a trend
Solar energy, hydrogen, plastic replacement, “super batteries” and e-mobility are shaping more and more industries.
In view of advancing climate change and rising energy prices, cheap and sustainable energy sources will take on a high priority in 2022. Under the slogan “green technology” not only new approaches were presented that deal with solar power or hydrogen. Rather, it represents a broad trend that has affected the entire tech industry and deals with a wide variety of topics such as reducing plastic waste or improving e-mobility.
Exciting “green” ideas
When it comes to the search for new, environmentally friendly energy sources, researchers from a wide range of areas have presented a number of exciting approaches. Whether bacteria , air humidity , human sweat or waste heat – electricity can in principle be generated in many ways. At the moment this mostly only works in the laboratory, but there are plenty of innovative ideas with promising application potential.
Solar energy and hydrogen
Developments in the area of solar power are much more advanced. Technologies are becoming more efficient and can therefore increasingly be used as real alternatives in practice. New research projects show where the journey could go. Chinese researchers reported a new world record in the performance of flexible solar cells based on thin layers. Colleagues from the USA increased their efficiency to up to 82 percent film solar energy can even be generated at night using infrared light
Another great source of hope for a “green” energy future is hydrogen. Here too, scientists have presented numerous interesting concepts that should enable simpler, cheaper and more efficient production and use of this element. For example, its production rate can be increased 14 times sound waves But the use of modified aluminum nanoparticles or light can also accelerate the production of hydrogen. To make this cheaper, some experts use specially coated electrodes , others use a copper-iron catalyst .
Plastic replacement and reduction
High on the priority list are also ideas that aim to reduce or perhaps even completely abandon the use of plastics. Indian researchers presented transparent wood . This is made by replacing the lignin, which holds the fibers together like glue, with transparent plastic molecules. In the packaging sector and other areas, plastic could be replaced by largely natural materials in the future, as researchers at Aalto University emphasize. They have created strong and flexible cellulose films that are still incredibly stable even when wet.
Microplastics, which pollute people and the environment in various ways, will also soon be targeted. As part of a joint project between MIT and BASF, a new process was developed with which microplastics can be replaced with silk , which breaks down in an environmentally neutral way after the work is done. US researchers in Princeton want to free seawater from tiny plastic particles using a special protein-based airgel The British engineer Adam Root has also “Gulp” , a device that filters out microplastics from the wastewater streams of washing machines.
Batteries of the future
The search for new technologies for storing electricity that will continue to satisfy society's enormous hunger for energy continues to be very popular. Here too, “green” concepts are becoming increasingly important, as researchers from Maryland have shown. They proved that they could build an environmentally friendly battery based on chitin - a substance found in the shells of crustaceans such as crabs - to store electricity from wind and solar generators. Colleagues from Singapore, on the other hand, use waste paper as a raw material to produce anodes for lithium-ion batteries.
An alternative to lithium-ion batteries may be calcium-sulfur batteries , the development of which is being advanced in the “CaSino” joint project coordinated by the German Aerospace Center. Calcium is much cheaper than lithium and enables a more stable materials supply chain, the researchers said. However, progress has also been made with other materials, for example with sodium-metal , lithium-sulfur or zinc-ion batteries , which are designed to be free of toxic materials.
More modern electric cars
New, more efficient electricity storage devices are not only needed for numerous electronic gadgets, but are also intended to advance the energy transition in mobility. To shake up the electromobile world, the Swiss company Morand eTechnology has developed a “super battery” that can be fully charged in just two and a half minutes. It is sufficient for around 70 kilometers and is intended for city and hybrid cars that are equipped with electric and combustion engines.
Scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy (DOE) also promise a charging time of just 15 minutes for electric cars. They rely on a molybdenum-tungsten-niobate alloy as a powerful replacement for the cathode material graphite commonly used in lithium-ion batteries. Researchers in Australia want to increase the range with a new permanent magnet synchronous motor . According to the experts, this is more compact and lighter than comparable drives, has higher efficiency and reaches up to 100,000 revolutions per minute. Engineers from Florida even want to hide the power storage directly in the body . This would make electric cars significantly lighter, which could increase their range by 25 percent, according to the basic idea.
Source:
Press release
Also read our fact checks:
Zillertalbahn electric bus charged with a diesel engine?
Yes, as a test! Climate science with quantum technology is an old insult
. Did Joe Biden really grab President Zelensky's ass?
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication
.
The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual articles (not fact checks) were created using machine help and
were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )
With your help, you support one of the most important independent sources of information on the subject of fake news and consumer protection in German-speaking countries
Are you concerned about misinformation online? Mimikama is committed to a fact-based and safe internet. Your support allows us to continue to ensure quality and authenticity online. Please support and help us create a trustworthy digital environment. Your support counts! You too can become an ambassador for Mimikama











