Solar cells convert three-quarters of the energy contained in the Sun‘s spectrum into electricity – yet the infrared spectrum is entirely lost in standard solar cells. In contrast, black silicon solar cells are specifi cally designed to absorb this part of the Sun‘s spectrum – and researchers have recently succeeded in doubling their overall efficiency. […]
Power Electronic Tips
September 2012 Supplement: Power
Check it out here.
September 2012: Power
In this issue of ECN, Associate Editor Kasey Panetta writes about the steady proliferation of electric vehicle charging stations, Jon Titus discusses brushless DC motors, and Executive Editor Chris Warner sounds the alarm about the encroaching reality of sci-fi dystopias. See it here.
New sophisticated control algorithms poised to revolutionize electric battery technology
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have developed sophisticated estimation algorithms that allow lithium-ion batteries to run more efficiently, potentially reducing their cost by 25 percent and allowing the batteries to charge twice as fast as is currently possible. In one instance, electric batteries could be charged in just 15 minutes. The researchers […]
Making moves and harvesting energy
Engineers are tossing the batteries and making advances to save wasted energy in more effective and realistic ways Today’s technology offers the OEM more cultivated and feasible power options for wireless networks and devices. Also known as “power harvesting” or “energy scavenging”, energy harvesting is when energy originates elsewhere, from an external source. The amount […]
UQM Announces Strategic Alliance In China
(BUSINESS WIRE) UQM Technologies, Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding with a major Chinese company for the development and marketing of UQM electric propulsion systems for New Energy Vehicles in China. , and represents an initial step to penetrate the Chinese market. UQM provides its customers with both custom electric propulsion solutions and automotive-qualified […]
ASU researchers will explore feasibility of large-scale deployment of perennial biomass energy crops
TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State University (ASU) researchers will embark on a novel renewable energy project with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through its Water Sustainability and Climate program (WSC). NSF is providing $1.5 million to ASU to identify suitable locations across the United States where perennial biomass energy crops (e.g., miscanthus and […]
Solar cell consisting of a single molecule
Individual protein complex generates electric current A team of scientists, led by Joachim Reichert, Johannes Barth, and Alexander Holleitner (Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Clusters of Excellence MAP and NIM), and Itai Carmeli (Tel Aviv University) developed a method to measure photocurrents of a single functionalized photosynthetic protein system. The scientists could demonstrate that such a system […]
Longest fiber-optic sensor network developed
Montserrat Fernández-Vallejo, a telecommunications engineer and graduate of the UPNA-Public University of Navarre, has experimentally developed various fibre-optic sensor networks for the remote monitoring of large infrastructures. Specifically, she has managed to develop the largest network so far in existence —measuring 250 km—, which is equipped with a multiplexing capability, (which enables two or more […]
Amsterdam goes green with electric scooter taxis
(Reuters) – Six years ago Dutchman Ruben Beugels was on an Amsterdam tram that broke down, leaving him stuck in an out-of-the way place, and late for an appointment when he couldn’t quickly find another means of transport. “I was very frustrated at being late, and it was then that I thought, hey a scooter […]