Tag:energy

Dec 13, 2012

NC State Study Offers Insight Into Converting Wood to Bio-Oil

New research from North Carolina State University provides molecular-level insights into how cellulose – the most common organic compound on Earth and the main structural component of plant cell walls – breaks down in wood to create “bio-oils” which can be refined into any number of useful products, including liquid transportation fuels to powera…

2012年10月8日

Researchers Develop New Way to Determine Amount of Charge Remaining in Battery

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique that allows users to better determine the amount of charge remaining in a battery in real time. That’s good news for electric vehicle drivers, since it gives them a better idea of when their car may run out ofjuice.

Oct 4, 2012

Researchers Reveal How Solvent Mixtures Affect Organic Solar Cell Structure

Controlling “mixing” between acceptor and donor layers, or solar cell domains, in polymer-based solar cells could increase their efficiency, according to a team of researchers that included physicists from North Carolina State University. Their findings shed light on the inner workings of these solar cells, and could lead to further improvements in efficiency. Polymer-basedsolar…

Jun 27, 2012

Research Grants Fuel Biofuels Effort

Several NC State research projects received funding from the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, which gave more than $1.4 million to projects statewide in an effort to accelerate the production of commercial-scale renewablefuels.

Jun 25, 2012

Nano-Sandwich Technique Slims Down Solar Cells, Improves Efficiency

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found a way to create much slimmer thin-film solar cells without sacrificing the cells’ ability to absorb solar energy. Making the cells thinner should significantly decrease manufacturing costs for thetechnology.

May 15, 2012

Getting in Tune: Researchers Solve Tuning Problem for Wireless Power Transfer Systems

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new way to fine-tune wireless power transfer (WPT) receivers, making the systems more efficient and functional. WPT systems hold promise for charging electric vehicles, electronic devices and othertechnologies.

Apr 19, 2012

Dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t

以下是想st post by Dr. Clinton Jenkins, an NC State biologist whose research focuses on conservation science. Jenkins is co-author of a new study in PLoS ONE about the possible impact of hydroelectric dams on the Andean Amazon. Dr. Matt Finer, a researcher affiliated with Save America’s Forests and the Center forInternational…

Apr 16, 2012

Diesel Technologies Drastically Cut Emissions in Real-World Conditions

New research from North Carolina State University shows that federal requirements governing diesel engines of new tractor trailer trucks have resulted in major cuts in emissions of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) – pollutants that have significant human health and environmentalimpacts.

Apr 15, 2012

New X-ray Technique Reveals Structure of Printable Electronics

一个创新的x射线技术给了北卡罗lina State University researchers and their collaborators new insight into how organic polymers can be used in printable electronics such as transistors and solar cells. Their discoveries may lead to cheaper, more efficient printable electronic devices. Printable electronics are created by spraying or printing inks containing conductiveorganic…

Apr 12, 2012

A Map For Navigating Sustainable Energy Incentives

“Renewable energy” and “energy efficiency” have become key terms in the home-owner’s lexicon – whether you’re buying a new house or renovating an old one. And the bewildering array of local, state and federal policies make it difficult to know whether you could be getting a rebate or tax incentive to install those solarpanels…

Feb 23, 2012

Mechanism Behind Capacitor’s High-Speed Energy Storage Discovered

Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered the means by which a polymer known as PVDF enables capacitors to store and release large amounts of energy quickly. Their findings could lead to much more powerful and efficient electric cars. Capacitors are like batteries in that they store and release energy. However, capacitors useseparated…

Jan 5, 2012

Smart Grid: Coordinating Efforts For the Road Ahead

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Aranya Chakrabortty, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State. The concept of a “smart grid” for power utilities is drawing significant interest from researchers, practitioners and governments around the globe. The benefits of making the grid smart would be immense, including improved security,reliability,…

Dec 16, 2011

From Superbugs To Supernovas: Research Highlights From 2011

From research in antibiotic use and superbugs, which could help us address a global medical challenge, to a supernova finding that solved a millennia-old stellar mystery, 2011 was an exciting year for research at North Carolina State University. As we prepare for 2012, we’re taking a look back at some of the interesting researchstories…

Nov 22, 2011

How Does Faster-Than-Light Quantum Communication Work?

Every so often, I ask readers to submit their sci/tech questions, so that I can go pester people until I have some answers that I can share with the rest of the class. One recent question was: “How does faster-than-light quantum communication work?” Short answer: it doesn’t. But of course there’s more to itthan…

Oct 27, 2011

Researchers Use New Approach To Overcome Key Hurdle For Next-Generation Superconductors

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new computational approach to improve the utility of superconductive materials for specific design applications – and have used the approach to solve a key research obstacle for the next-generation superconductor material yttrium barium copper oxide(YBCO).