[Images above] Credit: NIST
ENERGY
Mitigating shading in PV modules with new reconfiguration technique
Researchers at the Vellore Institute of Technology in India proposed a technique for mitigating partial shading in photovoltaic systems. The method is based on the Lo Shu nine-square grid of ancient Chinese mathematical tradition, which is today the basis of popular sudoku puzzles.
Double-sided solar panels that follow the sun prove most cost effective
Researchers report that solar power systems with double-sided (bifacial) solar panels, which collect sunlight from two sides instead of one, and single-axis tracking technology, which tilts the panels so they can follow the sun, are the most cost effective to date.
PV systems could provide up to 60% of output during hurricanes
Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory used simulations to demonstrate that PV system generation can range from 18–60% of clear-sky potential during hurricanes, provided the arrays do not suffer damage. Thus, they say solar installations could continue to provide back-up power when grids are down.
Breaking the mold: An unusual choice of material yields incredibly long-lasting batteries
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology researchers developed a novel silica-based cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries that enabled the realization of batteries that can last for over 2,000 charge/discharge cycles.
Precision spray coating could enable solar cells with better performance and stability
Researchers developed a new precision spray-coating method, called sequential spray deposition, that enables more complex perovskite solar cell designs and could be scaled up for mass production.
ENVIRONMENT
Scientists discover new forms of feldspars
In high-pressure experiments, scientists discovered new forms of the common mineral feldspar. At moderate temperatures, these hitherto unknown variants are stable at pressures of Earth’s upper mantle, where common feldspar normally cannot exist.
New research leads to lighter and greener bridges
Technical University of Denmark and COWI researchers studied how to optimize structures to reduce the weight of a bridge deck, in particular increasing the span. Their bridge girder design can be converted into a weight and CO2 reduction up to 20% for the entire bridge.
Volcanic glass spray shows promise in controlling mosquitoes
Researchers at North Carolina State University, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and Imerys Filtration Minerals Inc. found an indoor residual spray made by combining a type of volcanic glass with water showed effective control of mosquitoes that carry malaria.
MANUFACTURING
Selecting the right crucible for glass production
An AZoM article takes a look at several common crucible compositions and describes in which situations it is best to use each one.
Lower cost and durable smart window technology
University of Colorado at Boulder researchers developed an improved method for controlling smart tinting on windows using a reversible metal electrodeposition process that could make them cheaper, more effective, and more durable than current options on the market.
OTHER STORIES
Molecular circuitry: International team breaks one diode-one resistor electronics
An international team of scientists and engineers created a new type of molecular switch that works as both a diode and a memory element. The device is 2 nanometers thick and only requires a low drive voltage of less than 1 V.
Orbital ordering triggers nucleation-growth behavior of electrons in an inorganic solid
Researchers from Waseda University and the University of Tokyo found that orbital ordering in the vanadate compound BaV10O15 exhibits a clear nucleation-growth behavior, making it the first inorganic solid found to do so.
The nature of glass-forming liquids is more clear
Researchers from University of Tokyo looked to understand how a liquid becomes more viscous on cooling and can form a glass. They found no clear relationship between particle-level potential energy and relaxation time, which suggests that slow glassy dynamics is fundamentally controlled by structural order formed by interparticle interactions.
Physicists create quantum-inspired optical sensor
Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and Argonne National Laboratory implemented an advanced quantum algorithm for measuring physical quantities using simple optical tools.
Metasurface design methods can make LED light act more like lasers
Researchers at University of California, Santa Barbara, designed an array of gallium nitride nanorods on a sapphire substrate, in which quantum wells of indium gallium nitride were embedded, to confine electrons and holes and thus emit light. In addition to allowing more light to leave the semiconductor structure, the process polarizes the light.
Metasurface opens world of polarization
Researchers at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences designed a metasurface that can be continuously tuned from linear to elliptical birefringence, opening up the entire space of polarization control with just one device.