A team of engineers has designed a solar panel that can absorb energy from sunlight without blocking the light, making it ideal for placing on the roof of a greenhouse. Tests revealed that plants grown under the new panels actually outperformed those in a conventional greenhouse. Solar panels can take up significant space and are often difficult to scale. This has led to the … [Read more...] about UCLA engineers design solar roofs for greenhouses
Sustainability
Engineered wood grows stronger while trapping carbon dioxide
Scientists at Rice University in Texas have figured out a way to engineer wood to trap carbon dioxide through a potentially scalable, energy-efficient process that also makes the material stronger for use in construction. Structural materials such as steel and cement come at a high cost both in money and carbon dioxide emissions; building construction and use accounts for an … [Read more...] about Engineered wood grows stronger while trapping carbon dioxide
New 3D-printed superalloy could reduce power plant emissions
Researchers from the US government’s Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico have shown that a new 3D-printed superalloy could help power plants generate more electricity while producing less carbon. Sandia scientists, working together with researchers at Ames National Laboratory, Iowa State University and Bruker Corporation, used a 3D printer to create a high-performance … [Read more...] about New 3D-printed superalloy could reduce power plant emissions
Samsung Heavy Industries receives approval for floating offshore nuclear power plant
South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries has announced that it has received approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping for a conceptual design of a floating offshore nuclear power plant. The so-called CMSR Power Barge is a new concept for a power-generation facility that supplies electricity and thermal energy produced by a compact molten salt … [Read more...] about Samsung Heavy Industries receives approval for floating offshore nuclear power plant
Shark skin and dragonfly wings inspire nanotech studies
Nanotechnology researchers at Flinders University in South Australia are looking closely, extremely closely, at shark skin and dragonfly wings in the hope of finding solutions to a number of maritime and medical mysteries. According to the researchers, the microscopic makeup of these natural surfaces may hold the key to better applications in human technologies. ‘Our study … [Read more...] about Shark skin and dragonfly wings inspire nanotech studies
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