Researchers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in Livermore, California have reproduced a crucial fusion ignition experiment that saw more energy produced from a hydrogen fusion reaction than what was used to start the reaction in the first place. Although the research team is still crunching the numbers, they sayread more
Taking Nikola Tesla’s dream of transmitting electrical power wirelessly over long distances one step further, an engineering team at the California Institute of Technology has successfully transmitted microwave energy across open space between the experimental components of an orbiting satellite—including sending a portion of this power as a signal to a groundread more
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin was recently awarded a patent for a novel design of compact nuclear fusion reactor, a device presumably small enough to be housed in a standard shipping container. According to earlier promotional material released by the company, the reactor’s compact design could be used not only for commercial energy-generating applications, but also incorporated into ocean-going ships and aircraft to vastly extend the vehicles’ ranges. In terms of generating electricity for commercial use, the device could also be used to replace not only nuclear waste-producing fission reactors, but also fossil fuel-based electrical generators, dramatically reducing the carbon footprint of our civilization’s thirst for energy.
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An engineering research team in Japan has developed a new solar cell that may be able to raise the efficiency of photovoltaic cells above 50 percent, and theoretically as high as 63 percent under certain conditions. This is important as consumer-grade cells are hindered by a lower maximum efficiency of around 26 percent, with most cells on the market only boasting an efficiency of 12 to 18 percent. If that value can be improved, it will make for greater accessibility for consumers looking toward renewable energy sources, and drastically improve the output of commercial solar farms.
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