By: Bob Marcotte, University of Rochester  In order to power entire communities with clean energy, such as solar and wind power, a reliable backup storage system is needed to provide energy when the sun isn’t shining and the wind doesn’t blow. One possibility is to use any excess solar- and wind-based energy to charge solutions of chemicals that can subsequently be stored for use when sunshine and wind are scarce. At that time, the chemical solutions of opposite charge can…
Continue reading

A collaborative team of researchers from Shinshu University in Japan have found a new way to curb some of the potential dangers posed by lithium ion batteries. The team was led by Susumu Arai, a professor of the department of materials chemistry and head of Division for Application of Carbon Materials at the Institute of Carbon Science and Technology at Shinshu University. These batteries, typically used in electric vehicles and smart grids, could help society realize a low-carbon future, according…
Continue reading

ECS is pleased to announce that, thanks to a $20,000 donation, the 2018 volume of the Journal of The Electrochemical Society has been named in honor of ECS fellow Chung Chiun Liu. The Chung Chiun Liu Leadership Collection will contain all of the content published in JES volume 165. Liu is the Wallace R. Persons Professor of Sensor Technology & Control at Case Western Reserve University. He has been an ECS member for over 50 years. During this time, he has…
Continue reading

Engineers have, for the first time, come up with a way to safely charge a smartphone wirelessly using a laser. A narrow, invisible beam from a laser emitter can deliver charge to a smartphone sitting across a room—and potentially charge the phone’s battery as quickly as a standard USB cable. To accomplish this, the researchers mounted a thin power cell to the back of a smartphone, which charges the smartphone using power from the laser.

Dates and time subject to change. For a full listing of both social and technical events: Click Here Abbreviation Key WSCC = Washington State Convention Center SS = Seattle Sheraton Registration 6th Floor Lobby (WSCC) Sunday.................................................................... Monday................................................................... Tuesday................................................................... Wednesday.............................................................. Thursday................................................................. Note: Registration will not be open on Saturday. . . 0700-1900h 0700-1900h 0700-1730h 0700-1600h 0700-1200h Opening Reception (new & improved) Sunday 1900-2100h 4th Floor Atrium Lobby (WSCC) Come get a taste for Seattle and help kick-off an exciting week! All...
Continue reading

Deadline for Submitting Abstracts March 16, 2018 Submit today! Topic Close-up #3 Symposium A02: Challenges in Novel Electrolytes, Organic Materials, and Innovative Chemistries for Batteries – in Honor of Michel Armand Symposium Focus: On polymer electrolytes, ionic liquid electrolytes, new electrolyte salts, conductive layer-coated electrode materials, electrode materials for organic batteries, metal/electrolyte interfaces, fuel cells made with previous materials and/or electrolytes, anode metal based rechargeable batteries, and any innovative cell design and chemistry. Both theoretical and experimental papers are accepted,…
Continue reading

A small metallic tab that, when attached to the body, is capable of generating electricity from bending a finger and other simple movements could one day power our electronic devices. “No one likes being tethered to a power outlet or lugging around a portable charger. The human body is an abundant source of energy. We thought: ‘Why not harness it to produce our own power?’” says Qiaoqiang Gan, associate professor of electrical engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied…
Continue reading

Researchers have proposed three different methods for providing consistent power in 139 countries using 100 percent renewable energy. The inconsistencies of power produced by wind, water, and sunlight and the continuously fluctuating demand for energy often hinder renewable energy solutions. In a new paper, which appears in Renewable Energy, the researchers outline several solutions to making clean power reliable enough for all energy sectors—transportation; heating and cooling; industry; and agriculture, forestry, and fishing—in 20 world regions after all sectors have…
Continue reading

Take the time to honor and support your friends and colleagues, be sure to add the division award winners’ talks to your calendar, they are scheduled in various symposia throughout the week. Electronics and Photonics Division Award Monday, May 14 | 0800h Washington State Convention Center, Room 213 Technological Issues and Design Rules of Electrodes for High-Efficiency GaN-Based Light-Emitting Diodes By Tae-Yeon Seong Tae-Yeon Seong received his PhD degree in materials science from the University of Oxford in 1992. After...
Continue reading

By: Naga Srujana Goteti, Rochester Institute of Technology; Eric Hittinger, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Eric Williams, Rochester Institute of Technology Carbon-free energy: Is the answer blowing in the wind? Perhaps, but the wind doesn’t always blow, nor does the sun always shine. The energy generated by wind and solar power is intermittent, meaning that the generated electricity goes up and down according to the weather. But the output from the electricity grid must be controllable to match the second-by-second…
Continue reading