Energy

Energy Storage

Browse the latest developments, applications, and technical briefs covering all types of energy storage systems, renewable energy storage methods, and energy accumulators.

INSIDER: Energy
Potassium Metal Battery Emerges as a Rival to Lithium-Ion Technology
INSIDER: Power
Solid State Batteries With Ten Times More Current Density
INSIDER: Energy
Scavenger Technology Allows Robots to ‘Eat’ Metal for Energy
Blog: Energy
Is Water Vapor the Next Energy Source? Lightning Researchers Test the Idea
Briefs: Energy
Scavenger Technology Allows Robots to “Eat” Metal for Energy
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Top Stories

Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition

'HEAT' Uses Cameras to Detect Facial Temperatures and Keep the Room Cool

Briefs: Materials

Carbon Nanostructure is Stronger Than Diamonds

Videos: Aerospace

'Mini Rover' Can Wiggle Out of Martian Sand Traps

Videos: Automotive

Design Contest Winner Jon Sumroy Shares Success Story

Blog: Test & Measurement

Answering Your Questions: Will the 2020 Mars Rover Have Back-Up Features?

Videos: Power

Hyper-Efficient 'SlothBot' Uses Innovative Power Management Technology

Latest Briefs & News

Question of the Week: Energy
Will We Ever See Humidity Panels Alongside Solar Panels?

Our lead INSIDER story featured an experiment from Tel Aviv University that supports the idea of water vapor as an alternative energy source.

What do you think? Will We Ever See Humidity Panels Alongside Solar Panels?

Share your questions and comments.

Question of the Week: Transportation
Will On-Demand Octane Improve Fuel Economy?

A video on Tech Briefs TV this month demonstrated a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory technology that enables on-demand octane by portioning ethanol from gasoline. PNNL researchers believe their invention could increase fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Do you agree? Watch the video...

Facility Focus: Imaging
Facility Focus: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Engineering focuses on solving the “grand challenges” facing humanity.
Briefs: Materials
'Artificial Leaf' Produces Clean Gas
This method of producing clean syngas could be used to develop a sustainable liquid fuel alternative to gasoline.
Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing
Method Turns Trash Into Graphene
This green process produces pristine graphene in bulk using waste food, plastic, and other materials.
Briefs: Materials
Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Composites with Electrical and Thermal Characteristics
These composites could improve how unmanned vehicles dissipate energy.
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Ultrasonic System to Assess Compartment Syndrome
Applications include emergency medicine, combat casualty care, and sports injuries.
Briefs: AR/AI
Machine Learning Method for Battery Development
The method slashes battery testing times — a key barrier to longer-lasting, faster-charging batteries for electric vehicles.
Briefs: Energy
Leaf-Inspired Surface Prevents Frost Formation
This new design could conserve energy used for defrosting airplanes, appliances, and more.
Briefs: Energy
Open-Source Software Analyzes Economics of Biofuels and Bioproducts
This fast, flexible tool allows researchers to quickly compare and prioritize strategies for converting biomass to fuels and products.
Blog: Transportation
Super-Porous Material Gives Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles a Boost
A team at Northwestern University is developing a material so porous that if you were able to unfold a gram of it, you could go farther than a football field.
Briefs: Energy
Relaxor Piezoelectric Single-Crystal Multilayer Stacks for Energy Harvesting Transducers (RPSEHT)
Applications include powering portable electronic devices and sensors, and harvesting waste mechanical energy for aircraft, automobile, and other transportation equipment.
Q&A: Energy
Q&A: Simple Solar-Powered Desalination
Lenan Zhang and his team at MIT developed a small, economical, highly efficient device to provide fresh drinking water using only the Sun for its energy input.
Articles: Photonics/Optics
Products of Tomorrow: April 2020
A wildfire-preventing gel; NASA's 3D tissue models, and more.
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Device Harvests Energy from Low-Frequency Vibrations
A wearable energy harvesting device could generate energy from the swing of an arm while walking or jogging.
Briefs: Materials
Producing Cadmium Telluride Material for Solar Cells
A new method provides a more efficient, safer, and cost-effective way to produce cadmium telluride material for solar cells or other applications.
INSIDER: Automotive
Used Nissan LEAF Batteries Given “Second Life”

When electric vehicles end their life, the remaining storage capacity of the lithium battery is expected to be higher than 70%. After this, they can be reused for less demanding...

INSIDER: Power
Fast-Charging Supercapacitor is an Energy Storage Breakthrough

A new bendable supercapacitor made from graphene, which charges quickly and safely stores a record-high level of energy for use over a long period, has been developed and...

Question of the Week: Energy
Will We Ever Recharge Electric Batteries As Quickly As We Get Gas?

Stanford University researchers have developed a machine learning-based method that cuts battery testing times by 98 percent. The team says that their A.I. technique could lead to a future where an electric battery is recharged in the time it takes to stop at a gas station. Watch...

Briefs: Energy
Green Jet Fuel Additive Made from Acetone Plus Light
The additive creates fuel from biomass while improving engine performance.
Briefs: Energy
High-Performance, Piezoelectric, Hybrid Synthetic Jet Actuators
These actuators provide active flow control for airfoil surfaces and supersonic inlets of wing-borne vehicles.
Products: Test & Measurement
New on the Market: March 2020
Thermal cameras, testing software, an ion air knife, and more.
Question of the Week: Energy
Will Rain Become a Viable Energy Source?

Our lead INSIDER story today demonstrated the power of a droplet energy generator – specifically the system’s ability to light up 100 LEDs with just a small amount of water.

Blog: Energy
Rain Power: Droplet-Based Energy Generator Lights Up 100 LEDs
An energy breakthrough from the City University of Hong Kong finds power in a single drop of water – up to 140 volts, in fact.
Briefs: Energy
Robot Circulating Liquid Stores Energy and Provides Power
This robot “blood” stores energy, transmits force, operates appendages, and provides structure, all in an integrated design.
Briefs: Energy
Catalysis Approach Reduces Carbon Dioxide to Methane
This approach is a cost-effective way to convert carbon dioxide gas into methane.
Briefs: Energy
Power System for Hybrid Heavy-Duty Trucks
Electric motors and gas-alcohol engines could slash pollution levels and greenhouse gases from long-haul trucks.
Briefs: Automotive
Ruthenium-Doped Thermoelectric Materials
These robust materials convert excess heat energy into electricity.
Briefs: Medical
In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU): Methylotrophic Microorganisms Expressing Soluble Methane Monooxygenase Proteins
This technology enables methane metabolism by yeast.

Webcasts

Upcoming Webinars: Aerospace

Understanding O-ring Complexity in the Aerospace Industry

Upcoming Webinars: Robotics, Automation & Control

The Path to High-Level Autonomy for Commercial Vehicles

Upcoming Webinars: Medical

COVID-19: The New Design Paradigm and Emerging Technologies

Upcoming Webinars: Robotics, Automation & Control

Why Multiple Sensing Modalities Are Required to Achieve Level 3...

Upcoming Webinars: Aerospace

Aviation Electrification: Choosing Your Motor Topology and...

Upcoming Webinars: Robotics, Automation & Control

Collaborative Robotics: Sharing the Workspace

Trending Stories

Products: Sensors/Data Acquisition

New Products: March 2019 Sensor Technology

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Carbon Nanostructure is Stronger Than Diamonds

Articles: Motion Control

The Basics of Encoder Selection

Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition

AI-Based Machine Vision & the Future of Automotive In-Cabin Technologies

Question of the Week: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Do You See Yourself Someday Printing in 4D?

Videos