Wind energy has been rising in the ranks when it comes to renewable energy sources. In the United States alone, wind energy produces enough electricity to power roughly 18 million homes—with about 48,000 utility-scale wind turbines operating nationally. While wind energy shows promising potential, there is still room for scientists to tweak this technology in order to yield higher efficiency levels.

The latest prototype of a new wind turbine system was developed with that goal in mind. The new system from researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is set to yield 8.5 percent more electricity than current wind turbines.

Powering the Future

While wind turbines are a promising source of alternative energy, they tend to produce a decent amount of surplus energy that has not been able to be harvested and utilized. The newly developed turbine prototype examines that issue and can now store surplus energy for later use as electricity.

When comparing the new prototype and current generation wind turbines, the new turbines have the potential to yield up to an extra 16,400 kwh of electricity per month—coming in around 18 times the amount of energy a single United States household uses in a month.

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Deadline for Submitting Abstracts
December 11, 2015
Submit today!

Topic Close-up #1

SYMPOSIUM E02: Three dimensional electrodeposition and electroless deposition

FOCUSED ON efforts to extend electrochemical deposition methods to three dimensions, and to find synergies with other additive manufacturing methods, such as deposition onto 3D-printed structures.

NOTING THAT additive manufacturing methods, many of which are called “three-dimensional printing”, are undergoing rapid development due to their ability to create material forms that are not accessible to conventional machining techniques, and due to their capacity for rapid prototyping and optimization when combined with powerful new design software. Learn about all the topics!

Topic Close-up #2

SYMPOSIUM Z02: Nanotechnology General Session featuring Nanoscale Luminescent Materials 4

FOCUSED ON those characteristics of nanoscale materials that relate to their luminescent properties.

RELEVANT TOPICS INCLUDE effects of quantum confinement, the role of surface states, loss mechanisms, methods to improve luminescence efficiency, bulk vs. nanoparticle luminescence, and the role of phonons in nanomaterials.

FEATURING more than 30 invited and keynote speakers from the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

SELECTED papers on the luminescent properties of nanoscale materials may be added to the list of invited talks from among the submitted abstracts. Learn about all the topics!

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Biomedical engineers are getting closer to perfecting novel lab-on-a-chip technology. The latest breakthrough from Rutgers University shows promising results for significant cost cutbacks on life-saving tests for disorders ranging from HIV to Lyme disease.

This from Rutgers University:

The new device uses miniaturized channels and values to replace “benchtop” assays – tests that require large samples of blood or other fluids and expensive chemicals that lab technicians manually mix in trays of tubes or plastic plates with cup-like depressions.

Read the full article.

Changing Clinical Practice 

The new development builds on previous lab-on-a-chip research, such as the device from Brigham Young University to improve and simplify the speed of detection of prostate cancer and kidney disease. Researchers from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne have also propelled this novel research with their lab-on-a-chip device that can make the study of tumor cells significantly more efficient.

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A novel development from Virginia Tech aims to “significantly accelerate materials discovery,” all while combating the pressing global warming issue.

The new approach allows for efficient chemical conversions through a model that can predict novel alloy materials in a fast and accurate manner.

“This is the first example of learning from data in catalysis. We anticipate that this new research approach will have a huge impact in the future of materials design,” said Honglian Xin, lead author of the study.

Catalysts are hugely important in industry, with up to 90 percent of industrial chemicals being made from catalysts. These catalysts range from acids to nanoparticles, and even make up some enzymes in the human body.

Scientists have previously worked to improve catalysts through mixing metals with very precise atomic structures. While the results of these studies have led to metals with promising physical and chemical properties, the process has been costly and time consuming.

This from Virginia Tech:

That is why [the researchers] decided to use existing data to train computer algorithms to make predictions of new materials, a field called machine learning. The approach captures complex, nonlinear interactions of molecules on metal surfaces through artificial neural networks, thus allowing, “large scale exploration alloy materials space,” according to their article.

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The technology that was created for sci-fi movies may soon be reality. A new transparent, solar powered lithium ion battery has been developed by a team of researchers from Kogakuin University. Not only could this new battery bring transparent smartphones reminiscent of the Iron Man movies to life, but it could replace any transparent items (i.e. windows) for additional energy storage capabilities.

Since a team of researchers at Stanford University developed the first nearly transparent battery about four years ago, the team at Kogakuin University has been hard at work on their transparent battery that combines clarity with self-charging abilities.

Other researchers have been focusing on the qualities and potential of transparent materials. A team from Michigan State University began exploring this field last year to develop a transparent luminescent solar concentrator that can be used on buildings, cell phones, and other clear surfaces. However, this development did not have the functionality that the new transparent battery from Kogakuin University does.

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An interdisciplinary team has set a new record for direct solar water splitting efficiency. Surpassing the 17 year old record of 12.4 percent, the new achieved efficiency level of 14 percent guarantees a promising future for solar hydrogen production.

While the potential for renewable energy is available across the globe, the ability to harvest and store this energy is not. One solution to achieving global renewable energy is through artificial photosynthesis.

How to Power the Future

Much like organic photosynthesis, artificial photosynthesis coverts sunlight into chemical energy. This highly-researched concept also has the ability to be carried into semiconductor technology.

Essentially, researchers can take the sun’s electrical power and split water into oxygen and hydrogen with high energy density levels. This type of development has the potential to replace current fossil fuels and create a type of energy that does not emit harmful carbon dioxide.

The concept has not been utilized on a commercial level due to the high cost. However, this new development could raise the efficiency levels to a high enough percentage to make the process economically viable.

This from the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres:

Lead author Matthias May … processed and surveyed about one hundred samples in his excellent doctoral dissertation to achieve this. The fundamental components are tandem solar cells of what are known as III-V semiconductors. Using a now patented photo-electrochemical process, May could modify certain surfaces of these semiconductor systems in such a way that they functioned better in water splitting.

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Members of the Indiana University ECS Student Chapter stand with invited seminar speaker, Prof. Keith Stevenson at the post-seminar reception. From left, Prof. Stevenson, Caitlyn McGuire, Lauren Strawsine, Erin Martin, Anna Weber, Kirstin Morton, Lushan Zhou, Wenqing Shi, Yi Zhou, and Prof. Dennis Peters.

Congratulations to Indiana University Student Chapter for being named ECS’s Outstanding Student Chapter for 2015.

The ECS Outstanding Student Chapter Award was established in 2012 to recognize distinguished student chapters that demonstrate active participation in The Electrochemical Society’s technical activities, establish community and outreach activities in the areas of electrochemical and solid state science and engineering education, and create and maintain a robust membership base.

With a competitive applicant pool this year, the student chapter at Indiana University truly demonstrated how they live out the mission of ECS within their community. As highlighted in their application, “Indiana University’s ECS Student Chapter is dedicated to the promotion of electrochemical and solid state science among three demographics: the general community, the general undergraduate and graduate student body at Indiana University, and the student ECS members.”

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Madhivanan Muthuvel from the Center for Electrochemical Engineering Research at
Ohio University doing a demonstration on Urea Electrolysis or Pee to Power as part of Edison Theatre.

We have created a special opportunity for student members at the 228^th ECS Meeting in Phoenix.

In the exhibit hall we have a booth which we are calling the Edison Theatre. Here we would like to give you the chance to:

• demonstrate a portion of the research you have been working on
• share projects you are taking to elementary and middle schools or community events
• share projects you are working on with peers or cohorts within your academic setting

This is meant to be a “show and tell.” Your presentation can be anywhere from 10-15 minutes long. You can do it once or multiple times during exhibit hours. We’ll be happy to help you with your demonstration.

Mike Zach demonstrating a new electrochemical nanomanufacturing method that’s simple and robust enough to perform on the trade show floor in the Edison Theatre.

Here’s a piece of a video that takes a quick look at Mike Zach at the Edison Theatre from the 227th ECS Meeting in Chicago:

We are scheduling slots in the Theatre on a first come first served basis. We would like to book them as soon as possible so we can start promoting them.

We hope you want to take this opportunity to show off you and your chapter’s hard work.

Contact Rob.Gerth@electrochem.org if you’re interested.

One of the more common issues with solar cell efficiency is their inability to move with the sun as it crosses the sky. While large scale solar panels can be fitted with bulky motorized trackers, those with rooftop solar panels do not have that luxury. In an effort to solve this issues, researchers are drawing some inspiration from art in their mission toward higher solar efficiency.

Scientists are applying some of the shapes and designs from the ancient art of kirigami—the Japanese art of paper cutting—to develop a solar cell that can capture up to 36 percent more energy due to the design’s ability to grab more sun.

“The design takes what a large tracking solar panel does and condenses it into something that is essentially flat,” said Aaron Lamoureux, a doctoral student in materials science and engineering and first author on the paper.

In the United States alone, there are currently over 20,000 MW of operational solar capacity. Nearly 640,000 U.S. homes have opted to rely on solar power. However, if the home panels were able to follow the sun’s movement on a daily basis, we could see a dramatic increase in efficiency and usage.

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Scientists working in the field of synthetic photosynthesis have recently developed an artificial “leaf” the can produce natural gas from carbon dioxide. This marks a major step toward producing renewable fuels.

Through a combination of semiconducting nanowires and bacteria, the researchers were able to design an artificial plant that can make natural gases using only sunlight—making the likelihood of a cleaner future more tangible.

From Organic to Synthetic

The roots of this development stem for the natural process of photosynthesis. Instead of the natural byproduct of organic photosynthesis (sugar), these scientists have produced methane.

“We’re good at generating electrons from light efficiently, but chemical synthesis always limited our systems in the past,” said Peidong Yang, head researcher in the study. “One purpose of this experiment was to show we could integrate bacterial catalysts with semiconductor technology. This lets us understand and optimize a truly synthetic photosynthesis system.”

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