Nano-Sized Solar Cells Inspired by Coaxial Cables Developed by Boston College Researchers
To make thin film solar cells have a higher efficiency than any of the previously experimented models, some Boston College researchers propose using nano-scale solar cells inspired by the working principle of coaxial cables. There's a so-called "thick & thin" issue in making thin solar cells, which states that a solar cell has to be thick enough to collect light in sufficient amounts, and at the same time it needs to be thin enough to extract current from it.
Transparent Copper Nanowires Proving Best for Solar Cells and Other Flexible Gadgets
To make the best solar cells flexible, researchers have to find the best conductive materials. Such conductors are silver and indium tin oxide (ITO) nanowires, but they have several drawbacks. The copper nanowires made using a method invented by Duke University chemists, on the other hand, are cheaper than silver and better (read more conductive) than carbon nanotubes.
IBM Patenting Traffic Lights That Stop Your Engine to Save Fuel
I have always been the geek type and liked high-tech, but IBM's recent patent on file has made me raise an eyebrow. They filed a patent application for a traffic light system that can control the vehicles' engine, remotely turn them off or signaling the drivers if it's safe to do so in the interest of reducing fuel consumption.
Optical Fibers Mounted Upright on Organic Solar Cells Doubling Their Efficiency
Right now organic solar cells, although cheap, are too inefficient to compete with silicon-based ones. A team of researchers from Wake Forest University in North Carolina have developed a practical method of doubling the efficiency of organic (or dye-sensitized) solar cells by adding a layer of upright optical fibers acting as sunlight traps.
Paper-Printed Solar Cells Invented in MIT's New Solar Research Center
For the first time in history, scientists at the MIT have coated paper with a solar cell at the newly opened Eni-MIT Solar Frontiers Research Center. The coating technique is similar to that of an inkjet printer - the big difference is that the coating is this time a semiconductor, not ink.
Microbial Fuel Cell Could Propel Navy Ships for Years, Feeding on Sea Microorganisms
The microbial fuel cell is meant to use naturally occurring fuels and oxidants in the sea to power ships, replacing batteries and fossil fuels.
NREL Researchers Using Solar Cell Technology for More Efficient White LEDs
Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have demonstrated they can produce white light by first making a yellow-green LED, and then combining it with other colored LEDs.
Hopes for Solar-Powered Hydrogen by New Virus-Based Artificial Photosynthesis System
A team of researchers from the MIT, led by Professor Angela Belcher, used a modified virus as a biological scaffold for assembling the nanoscale components needed to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The bacterial virus is called "M13", and it's said to be harmless.
New SOLO-TREC Thermal Engine Powers Ship Indefinitely by Using Ocean Energy
The Office of Naval Research is funding a project called "SOLO-TREC" (Sounding Oceanographic Lagrangian Observer -- Thermal RECharging), that uses the temperature difference in layers of the ocean to generate electricity and propel a ship theoretically indefinitely.
Chemically-Etched Black Silicon Proves Efficient Solar Cells Can Be Cheaper
While SiOnyx, a MA-based startup, uses lasers to create black silicon and improve the efficiency and price of solar cells, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) discovered a simple chemical treatment that could replace the otherwise expensive antireflective solar cell coatings currently used in the industry.
