Oak Ridge National Laboratory Archives – The Green Optimistic

High-Performance Superconductors Developed, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Benji Jerew — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 21:29:41 +0000

Superconductors typically find their way into power generation and transmission applications, where losses are unacceptable or great amounts of current are needed to flow. When cooled to a critical temperature, superconductors offer near zero resistance to electrical flow, eliminating heat generation. Additionally, superconductors don’t need to be nearly as robust as standard ambient-temperature conductors. For […]

The post High-Performance Superconductors Developed, Oak Ridge National Laboratory appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Solid Battery Electrolyte Prevents Fire, Increases Capacity Five Fold

Mila Luleva — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 22:02:32 +0000

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) developed an electrolyte, which has the potential to boost the energy storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries, while being safer than these on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. Although the reason for the fire on the Boeing is not yet determined, if they used a safer electrolyte, the risk of fire […]

The post New Solid Battery Electrolyte Prevents Fire, Increases Capacity Five Fold appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Way of Recycling Plastic Discovered by ORNL Scientists

Mike Sandru — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:20:58 +0000

For the recycling fans but not only, there’s a new way of recycling plastic. Actually, just the plastic bags, but it’s a start! Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have come a long way – they now take the polyethylene out and turn it into carbon fibers, universally useful. According to the researchers, the […]

The post New Way of Recycling Plastic Discovered by ORNL Scientists appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Pyroelectric Device Transforms Heat into Electricity With 30% Efficiency

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:19:05 +0000

Thermoelectric devices transform waste heat into electricity and can one day provide increased efficiency for everything from small gadgets to power plants. Scott Hunter, working at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) hopes his new heat-recovering invention will scavenge lost heat with an efficiency of up to 30 percent.

The post New Pyroelectric Device Transforms Heat into Electricity With 30% Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

3D Nanocone Solar Cells Improve Efficiency by 80% in Lab Experiments

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:31:01 +0000

Jun Xu and his team from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have just created a three-dimensional "nanocone-based solar cell platform," which is able to increase the light conversion efficiency by almost 80 percent by eliminating the issue of poor charge transport due to bulk material defects.

The post 3D Nanocone Solar Cells Improve Efficiency by 80% in Lab Experiments appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Drinkable Water Extracted From Diesel Fuel Now Possible

Mike Sandru — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:52:55 +0000

Apparently, necessity teaches us better than any ecological drive, or at least this seems to be the case for the U.S. military. Missions can't do without water, but the amounts they need are very hard to transport. So the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has found a way to ease the pain of carrying large water supplies.

The post Drinkable Water Extracted From Diesel Fuel Now Possible appeared first on The Green Optimistic.