Tag Energy
Discovery of new enzyme could yield better plants for biofuel
For nearly a decade, scientists have thought that they understood how plants produce lignin - a compound that gives plant tissues their structure and sturdiness, but can limit their use as a source of biofuels.
New catalyst could cut cost of making hydrogen fuel
A discovery at the University of Wisconsin–Madison may represent a significant advance in the quest to create a "hydrogen economy" that would use this abundant element to store and transfer energy.
Future looks bright for carbon nanotube solar cells
In an approach that could challenge silicon as the predominant photovoltaic cell material, University of Wisconsin–Madison materials engineers have developed an inexpensive solar cell that exploits carbon nanotubes to absorb and convert energy from the sun.
Innovative solar cell structure stores and supplies energy simultaneously
The potential energy available via solar power might seem limitless on a sunny summer day, but all that energy has to be stored for it to be truly useful. If you see a solar panel on a rooftop, in a large-scale array, or even on a parking meter, a bulky battery or supercapacitor is hidden just out of sight, receiving energy from the panel through power lines.
New biofuel conversion process cuts costly separating step
Using a biomass-derived solvent, University of Wisconsin–Madison chemical and biological engineers have streamlined the process for converting lignocellulosic biomass into high-demand chemicals or energy-dense liquid transportation fuel.
Community forum to focus on fracking and sand mining
Fracking, the controversial technology for opening natural gas deposits, will be the focus of a three-part Community Environmental Forum series beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 5:30 p.m. in room 1106 of the Mechanical Engineering Building.