mit Archives – The Green Optimistic

Hybrid Cathode Boosts Energy Density of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Mila Luleva — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 17:00:40 +0000

MIT researchers developed a technology that can give a major boost to lithium-sulfur batteries. Energy storage technology is still struggling to keep up with the advances in electronics, renewable energy generation, electric vehicles, and all gadgets that require wireless power or delay in power usage. Lithium-ion batteries are still the leaders in the industry, although […]

The post Hybrid Cathode Boosts Energy Density of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT’s New Invention Harvests Energy from Changes in Ambient Temperature

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 19:49:11 +0000

When two different materials have different temperatures, the temperature gradient causes the charge carriers to move from the hotter material to the cooler material. This conversion of temperature gradient into electricity and vice versa is called thermoelectric effect. In this era of renewable energy sources, researchers have been developing thermoelectric devices which tap energy from […]

The post MIT’s New Invention Harvests Energy from Changes in Ambient Temperature appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT’s New Lithium-Ion Battery Could Be The Future of Electric Cars

Courtney Lepping — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 19:44:44 +0000

Qichao Hu, the CEO at MIT’s SolidEnergy Systems, invented a lithium-ion battery that will last twice as long but smaller by half. This battery is a big deal in that it uses lithium-metal foil as the anode material, as opposed to the standard graphite, carbon, or silicone, and can be used in things like wearables, […]

The post MIT’s New Lithium-Ion Battery Could Be The Future of Electric Cars appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Breaks Theoretical Efficiency Limit of Solar Cells

Courtney Lepping — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 07:14:07 +0000

An MIT demonstration revealed the ability to top the theoretical upper limit of solar cell efficiency which is currently 32 percent. It was a silicon solar cell that showed that the Shockley-Quiesser Limit could be bypassed, suggesting a silicon alternative to perovskites and other solar cell types. An efficiency of 32 percent is considered high, […]

The post MIT Breaks Theoretical Efficiency Limit of Solar Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Molten Salt Batteries, the next level to Solar and Wind Power Industry

Guest Contributor — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:44:36 +0000

A novel innovation of battery made out of molten metal was developed by MIT. Its vision is to cater the expanding solar and wind generation. The said battery is designed to store energy on the electric grid. The basic set up or configuration of this high-capacity battery is composed of two dissimilar molten metals as […]

The post Molten Salt Batteries, the next level to Solar and Wind Power Industry appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Researchers Make Perovskite Solar Cells from Old Car Batteries

Mila Luleva — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 14:30:43 +0000

Lead from recycled car batteries can be used to make perovskite solar cells. MIT researchers have the recipe. The past decade has seen such development in technologies, that I doubt anyone was able to predict it at the start. What is more, the world became more aware of climate change, and what we see now is […]

The post MIT Researchers Make Perovskite Solar Cells from Old Car Batteries appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Researchers Test Raindrops’ Ability to Clean the Atmosphere

Mila Luleva — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 18:35:21 +0000

Raindrops might be the key to cleaning Earth’s atmosphere from pollutants, according to MIT researchers. Atmospheric pollution is a serious problem, having irreversible effects on human health and the global climate. The increasing number of diesel cars on the streets, coupled with coal-burning power plants and industries, release enormous amounts of pollutants and tiny particles […]

The post MIT Researchers Test Raindrops’ Ability to Clean the Atmosphere appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Study: Solar Panels are Now Capable of Powering The World

Mila Luleva — Fri, 29 May 2015 19:23:35 +0000

Researchers from the MIT claim that current solar power technologies are sophisticated and efficient enough to power the future- what lacks is a financial support from the governments. A major study, conducted by scientists from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, concludes that further development in the field of solar, and investments in new technologies, are […]

The post MIT Study: Solar Panels are Now Capable of Powering The World appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT’s New Solar-Powered Desalination Tech Wins USAID Award

Satya Sivani — Fri, 08 May 2015 19:45:32 +0000

A new solar-powered desalination technology called “photovoltaic-powered electrodialysis reversal system”, which had been developed by the MIT, has won the top $140,000 Desal prize from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). As there are so many causes like irregular monsoons, drought, global warming etc., for the water scarcity, the world is continuously searching for permanent solutions. […]

The post MIT’s New Solar-Powered Desalination Tech Wins USAID Award appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Smart Traffic Light System Reduces Traffic Jams and Pollution, Boosts Fuel Efficiency

Mila Luleva — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 07:43:14 +0000

Researchers at MIT have found a way to drastically reduce urban air pollution, traffic jams and even boost fuel economy. The solution is an algorithm for better traffic light control. Urban pollution has been a subject of heated discussions for quite some time now, and this is the case purely because there was no single […]

The post Smart Traffic Light System Reduces Traffic Jams and Pollution, Boosts Fuel Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Energy-Efficient Air Conditioning System from MIT Knows Where You Are

Mila Luleva — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 13:31:30 +0000

MIT researchers are working on the ultimate energy-efficient air conditioning system that follows you around like a puppy, making sure that the space around you is as cool as you want it to be. We all know that air-conditioning (AC) systems are huge energy and water wasters. Yet, the moment temperature gets a bit higher than we […]

The post Energy-Efficient Air Conditioning System from MIT Knows Where You Are appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Researchers Develop The Perfect Solar Absorber

Mila Luleva — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 08:20:49 +0000

Advances in the field of solar emerge every day, with new technologies popping up on the market all the time. Arguably, one of the main reasons for this is that engineers and scientists have been trying to get closer to creating the perfect material that absorbs all incoming solar light, without radiating energy. But now […]

The post MIT Researchers Develop The Perfect Solar Absorber appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Researchers Cook Up Eco-Friendly Cement

Mila Luleva — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 10:39:21 +0000

Researchers from the MIT claim to have found the way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from one of the most polluting processes- that of making cement. The team did not introduce any new ingredients. Instead, they only tweaked the ratio between calcium and silica-rich clay. Cement is one of the core ingredients in the making […]

The post MIT Researchers Cook Up Eco-Friendly Cement appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Researchers Develop Cheap Material to Convert Solar into Steam

Mila Luleva — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 14:07:14 +0000

Scarcity of water, greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, raising electricity bills, all these factors that send an alarming message to our brain, triggering that guilty feeling inside, every time we go for a relaxing steam room time. But this might soon be over, as MIT researchers developed a new material that generates steam only […]

The post MIT Researchers Develop Cheap Material to Convert Solar into Steam appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

World’s Smallest Laptop Adapter Could Increase Energy Efficiency

Danny Harper — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 07:33:39 +0000

The move to digital has been a win for the environment in many ways, but even with all the benefits that come with a reduction in many forms of traditional waste, electricity output per individual actually increasing. This makes the need for greater energy efficiency one of our most pressing concerns. The great minds at MIT are on […]

The post World’s Smallest Laptop Adapter Could Increase Energy Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Copenhagen Wheel Converts ANY Bike to an E-Bike

Benji Jerew — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 13:47:23 +0000

The case for riding a bike is pretty strong, such as enhanced physical fitness, fuel savings, less traffic congestion, and reduced emissions. Still, depending on the weather and the distance, you could end up at the office soaked in sweat, which is why e-bikes are becoming more popular. E-bikes, that is, bicycles with electric motors, […]

The post Copenhagen Wheel Converts ANY Bike to an E-Bike appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Research Finds Gas Prices Unaffected by Ethanol

Adele Hall — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:44:04 +0000

New research from MIT has found the use of ethanol in gasoline does not significantly lower the price of gasoline. Former research had suggested a significant decrease in the price of gasoline due to ethanol, but it was found to be “a correlation being interpreted as a causal relationship.” The research had suggested the use […]

The post Research Finds Gas Prices Unaffected by Ethanol appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Researchers Develop Solar Cells 1000 More Powerful than Traditional Photovoltaics

Leigh Hutchens — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 03:22:39 +0000

According to researchers at MIT, developing solar energy technology that focuses on lightweight, thin solar cells has the potential to transform the industry. These thin solar cells can be produced by stacking sheets of single molecule-thick graphene or molybdenum disulfide. Why is this important? Because the researchers have demonstrated that it is possible to create […]

The post MIT Researchers Develop Solar Cells 1000 More Powerful than Traditional Photovoltaics appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Ford and MIT Developing Ultra-Efficient EV Cabin Heater/Cooler

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:48:08 +0000

Cooling or heating an electric car’s cabin can prove a difficult task from an energy efficiency standpoint. To tackle this issue, MIT researchers and Ford have developed a “thermal battery” system that’s far more advanced than what car makers use today. For example, a Tesla Model S driven by a NY Times reporter, John Broder, […]

The post Ford and MIT Developing Ultra-Efficient EV Cabin Heater/Cooler appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Study: Pavement Deflections Account for Increased Fuel Consumption by 3%

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 29 May 2012 18:06:16 +0000

Civil engineers at MIT could have a powerful word in the realm of fuel saving. They recently found out by computer simulations that huge amounts of CO2 and fuel could be saved in a year if the road pavements would be stiffer. As much as 3 percent could save 237 million barrels of crude per […]

The post MIT Study: Pavement Deflections Account for Increased Fuel Consumption by 3% appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Researchers Increase Ultracapacitor Performance by 45 Percent

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:55:41 +0000

Yi Cui and Zhenan Bao from the University of Stanford have developed an electrode manufacturing technique that could improve the capacity of ultra-capacitors by 20 to 45 percent and make them compete with much more expensive batteries currently used in electric cars. The two researchers and the team they led used managanese oxide electrodes (MnO), […]

The post MIT Researchers Increase Ultracapacitor Performance by 45 Percent appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

If Not Grown Wisely, Biofuels Can Emit 55 Times More CO2 Than Fossil Fuels

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 11 May 2011 19:46:32 +0000

An interesting MIT study reveals that biofuels can in some circumstances generate on average 10 times more carbon dioxide than fossil fuels, depending on how they're produced. The study involved a life-cycle analysis of 14 biofuel sources.

The post If Not Grown Wisely, Biofuels Can Emit 55 Times More CO2 Than Fossil Fuels appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Toyota Invests in WiTricity's Wireless Charging Technology, Probably Seeking to Embed It

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:59:37 +0000

WiTricity, one of the first promoters of wireless chargers, have recently signed a deal with Toyota. The Japanese car maker is now investing in the U.S.-based technology and will probably embed the 3.3 kilowatt-hour charger within future plug-in electric and hybrid models (such as the well-known Prius).

The post Toyota Invests in WiTricity's Wireless Charging Technology, Probably Seeking to Embed It appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Engineered Virus Could Make Solar Cells More Efficient

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:52:42 +0000

Viruses are mostly seen as the bad side of nature, the fallen creation or just that unwanted flu during those sunny days when you were supposed to go play outside. For Angela Belcher viruses are working tools, since she and her MIT colleagues have just found a way to guide some of them so they make solar cells more efficient, by as much as a third.

The post MIT Engineered Virus Could Make Solar Cells More Efficient appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Researcher Michael Strano Reports News About Storing Energy In Carbon Nanotubes

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 20:53:59 +0000

We've been talking a while ago about Michael Strano and his thin carbon nanotubes that can transform fuel poured onto them into electricity. A chemical reaction is set up by heating the nanotubes, triggering the transformation at a speed of 10 meters per second.

The post MIT Researcher Michael Strano Reports News About Storing Energy In Carbon Nanotubes appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Designs Fuel-Efficient Airplanes That Emit Less NOx for NASA

Mike Sandru — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:23:53 +0000

A team of engineers from MIT have designed fuel-efficient aircraft that are expected to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides and unlike conventional models, to consume 70 percent less fuel.

The post MIT Designs Fuel-Efficient Airplanes That Emit Less NOx for NASA appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Metallic Catalysts Could Increase the Efficiency of Li-Air Batteries Three Fold

Cristi — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:20:11 +0000

The MIT researchers could easily change the balance towards Li-air batteries in the near future just by changing the actual electrode materials. In the paper published in the journal Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, the researchers showed that by changing the carbon electrodes with gold or platinum electrodes as a catalyst, the efficiency of the battery will increase.

The post Metallic Catalysts Could Increase the Efficiency of Li-Air Batteries Three Fold appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Thermopower Waves: MIT's Invention That Could Change Batteries and Devices Forever

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:10:02 +0000

Thermopower waves are a phenomenon that happens when powerful waves of energy shoot through carbon nanotube wires, creating electricity. The researchers from MIT are responsible for this discovery, thus opening a new area of rare energy research.

The post Thermopower Waves: MIT's Invention That Could Change Batteries and Devices Forever appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Artificial Photosynthesis Could Power Homes on a Bottle of Water

Mike Sandru — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:25:40 +0000

MIT chemist Dan Nocera claims that with just one bottle of drinking water and four hours of sunlight, he can generate 30 KWh of electric energy, being enough to power an entire home. This process consist in a a cobalt-based catalyst that uses solar energy to split water and produce hydrogen.

The post Artificial Photosynthesis Could Power Homes on a Bottle of Water appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Solexant's Single Layer Thin Film Solar Cell Proves Both Efficient and Cheap

Cristi — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:53:46 +0000

A San Jose, California based company called Solexant has started the development of a thin film solar cell which is cheap and very efficient. Solexant is very confident that their serial production thin film solar cell will have and efficiency increase of 10% compared to silicon based cells.

The post Solexant's Single Layer Thin Film Solar Cell Proves Both Efficient and Cheap appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Thermeleon: Roof Turning from Black to White as Temperature Changes

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:44:30 +0000

While attending a competition for teams of MIT students, Making and Designing Materials Engineering Contest (MADMEC), a team of students and fresh-graduates have shown an invention that could turn the old roof tiles into chameleon-like tiles, turning from black to white and vice-versa as temperatures get low, respectively high.

The post Thermeleon: Roof Turning from Black to White as Temperature Changes appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Biodiesel Developed Safely from Rhodococcus Bacteria

Cristi — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:40:05 +0000

Using synthetic biology, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are trying to develop a new bacteria similar to the tuberculosis root to produce biofuel.

The post Biodiesel Developed Safely from Rhodococcus Bacteria appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Geothermal Efficiency Boosted Up to 30% by Newly Discovered Liquid

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:12:06 +0000

Scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA, announce they developed a new type of heat extracting liquid that could absorb much better the heat coming from the hot water in the geothermal wells.

The post Geothermal Efficiency Boosted Up to 30% by Newly Discovered Liquid appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MIT Seeks Federal Funds for Developing Possibly Hazardous Virus Battery

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:12:07 +0000

Viruses seemed like a frightened enemy that kept standing in our way for the past... million years. Although they have their qualification and role in the ecosystem, we seem to hate viruses and only associate them will our colds, hepatitis, and other illnesses. Not for a moment we could think of them as of a power source.

The post MIT Seeks Federal Funds for Developing Possibly Hazardous Virus Battery appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Cheaper Fuel Cell Material Discovered: 50% more power

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:34:46 +0000

Several researchers from the MIT succeeded in making a new kind of fuel cell. This one is a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC), and it doesn’t need the prior extraction of hydrogen from methanol, but instead, as the name suggests, it extracts and uses it directly. Until now, methanol fuel cells have had a great […]

The post Cheaper Fuel Cell Material Discovered: 50% more power appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Geothermal power – hot energy right under our feet

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:59:53 +0000

Converting geothermal heat into electricity by pouring water onto hot rocks underground and using the steam to turn turbines is arguably the most promising - and renewable - source of "green" energy on the planet. So concludes the MIT experts' report, released on Monday, which examines what geothermal energy could do for the US in the 21st century.

The post Geothermal power – hot energy right under our feet appeared first on The Green Optimistic.