Will this Turn Out to Be the Battery Breakthrough We've Been Waiting For?
It's still too early to tell if this lithium-air battery technology will perform well enough to make its way to real-world products, but the lab results that have been publicized so far are very promising. With current battery chemistry, "energy storage is limited by the lithium cobalt oxide electrode (0.5 Li/Co, 130 mAhg-1). The University of St Andrews design replaces the lithium cobalt oxide electrode with a porous carbon electrode and allows Li+ and e- in the cell to react with oxygen from the air." This could allow up an increase in storage capacity by up to 10x. Read on for more details.
Scientists a Step Closer to Super Magnets for Energy-Efficient Refrigerators
Using magnetism for energy efficient cooling is one option for more eco-friendly refrigeration and air conditioning, but the ideal material to accomplish this hasn't been uncovered yet. However, scientists have gotten one step closer to figuring out how we'll be able to get refrigeration using 20-30% less energy.
Science Daily reports on a new study in Applied Materials showing researchers at the Imperial College London have figured out that the heart of the matter is in the pattern of crystals inside different alloys. Knowing this can help them understand which alloy will be best for the job of running a magnetic refrigeration system, rather than the energy-intensive gas-compression fridges and air conditioners.