Category Technology/Electronics

The new carbon-based material for sodium-ion batteries can be extracted from apples. Credit: KIT/HIU

A carbon-based active material produced from apple leftovers and a material of layered oxides might help reduce the costs of future energy storage systems. Both were found to have excellent electrochemical properties and stand for the environmentally compatible and sustainable use of resources. Sodium-ion batteries are not only far more powerful than nickel-metal hydride or lead acid accumulators, but also represent an alternative to lithium-ion technology, as the initial materials needed are highly abundant, accessible, and low cost. Hence, sodium-ion batteries are a very promising technology for stationary energy storage systems.

Schematic structure of the layered oxides produced...

Bat flight inspired design for Micro Air Vehicle

Researchers from the Uni of Southampton have designed innovative membrane wings inspired by bats, paving the way for a new breed of unmanned Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) that have improved aerodynamic properties, can fly over long distances and are more economical to run. The wings work like artificial muscles, changing shape in response to the forces they experience and have no mechanical parts, making MAVs incorporating them easier to maintain.

The unique design of the wings incorporates electro-active polymers that makes the wings stiffen and relax in response to an applied voltage and further enhances their performance...

Doped lithium titanate (LTO) nanoparticles could be incorporated into Li-ion batteries used in, for example, electric or hybrid automotive applications. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Eastern Finland

Lithium-ion batteries are a rapidly growing energy storage method due to their high energy density, especially in mobile applications such as personal electronics and electric cars. However, the materials currently used in Li-ion batteries are expensive, many of them, like lithium cobalt oxide (belonging to the EU Critical Raw Materials, CRMs), are difficult to handle and dispose of. Additionally, batteries using these materials have relatively short lifetimes.

New novel materials are being developed for next generation Li-ion batteries...

A) Classical configuration where the two rotating magnets (shown in rotation in red, green and blue arrows) share the same rotation axis (gray arrows). A similar setup is used in modern milk frothers and food mixers, as well as magnetic stirrers in chemistry labs. B) One configuration studied in this research with the rotating magnets having their rotation axes (gray arrows) perpendicular to each other. Credit: Image courtesy of Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University – OIST

The new milk frother you are using to prepare your cappuccino is likely using magnetic gears. Magnetic gears transmit rotary motion like mechanical gears but instead of teeth they use magnetic attraction and repulsion between rotating magnets...