Amazon announced significant investments in nuclear energy on Wednesday, joining other tech giants in aiming to meet the high electric power demands of artificial intelligence using atomic energy. As companies including Microsoft, Amazon, and Google rapidly expand their global data center capabilities, they are actively seeking new electricity sources. Amazon has signed three agreements to […]
Metals Tech
Researchers develop and patent a high-capacity cathode material for lithium-ion batteries
A research team from the Skoltech Energy Center, led by Distinguished Professor and director of the center Artem Abakumov, secured a patent for high-capacity cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries made from layered nickel-rich transition metal oxides, as well as a new hydrothermal microwave-assisted approach for their production. The new method is faster and cheaper, and […]
New research reveals how large-scale adoption of electric vehicles can improve air quality and human health
A new study from the University of Toronto’s Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering suggests that large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to significant population-level health benefits. The research team used computer simulations to show that aggressive electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet, coupled with an ambitious rollout of renewable electricity generation, could result in […]
Super-light materials that help suppress EV battery fires just got a big boost
A company making fire-suppressing battery materials just got a $670.6 million loan commitment from the US Department of Energy. Aspen Aerogels makes insulating materials that can be layered inside an EV’s battery to prevent or slow heat and fires from spreading within the pack. The company is building a new factory in Georgia to produce […]
Nevada is getting the world’s first lithium-sulfur battery gigafactory
Supermaterials trailblazer Lyten will invest over $1 billion to build the world’s first lithium-sulfur battery gigafactory in Reno, Nevada. The new factory will be capable of producing up to 10 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of batteries annually once it’s fully online. Phase 1 (rendering pictured above) is set to go live in 2027. The new gigafactory will […]
A quick and easy way to produce anode materials for sodium-ion batteries using microwaves
A research team has developed a process technology that enables ultrafast, 30-second preparation of hard carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries using microwave induction heating. One of the next-generation secondary batteries, the sodium-ion battery uses sodium (Na) in lieu of the current mainstay, lithium (Li). Sodium, the main component of salt, is more than a thousand […]
Integer addition algorithm could reduce energy needs of AI by 95%
A team of engineers at AI inference technology company BitEnergy AI reports a method to reduce the energy needs of AI applications by 95%. The group has published a paper describing their new technique on the arXiv preprint server. As AI applications have gone mainstream, their use has risen dramatically, leading to a notable rise […]
Scientists develop a new electrolyte synthesis method for next-generation fuel cells
A research team has developed a new synthesis method that can significantly reduce the sintering temperature required for the densification process of electrolytes in next-generation high-efficiency protonic ceramic cells. Their work is published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials. Existing solid oxide cells (SOC) can produce electricity in fuel cell operation and hydrogen in electrolysis […]
Streamlining solar cell structure and fabrication for more affordable energy
A new fabrication technique for substantially enhancing the prospects of commercializing perovskite solar cells through improved stability, reliability, efficiency and affordability is underway at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK). Published in Science, the research is significant because the simple device structure that the CityUHK team has built can facilitate future industrial production and enhance confidence in the […]
Engineers develop a way to streamline solar cell testing, accelerating a process that can be slow and costly
The process of testing new solar cell technologies has traditionally been slow and costly, requiring multiple steps. Led by a fifth-year Ph.D. student, a Johns Hopkins team has developed a machine learning method that promises to dramatically speed up this process, paving the way for more efficient and affordable renewable energy solutions. “Our work shows […]
