Engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) say they have modified a conventional diesel engine to run on mostly on hydrogen which could lead to CO2 emissions being cut by up to 85 per cent. Engine Converted The UNSW Sydney engineers have reported taking an automotive-size inline single-cylinder diesel engine, and modifying it to install an additional…
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a zero-energy condenser that can harvest drinking water from the humidity in the atmosphere 24/7. Could Solve Shortage Challenges In some parts of the world, fresh drinking water is scare. Two of the main options, therefore, are: – Communities near the ocean can desalinate sea water but this requires a large amount of…
A report which shows huge sales of EVs in the US only resulted in only a 0.54 per cent fall in gasoline consumption in 2021 has led to disappointment and questions about the beneficial Impact of EVs so far. EV Sales A recent Argonne National Lab report shows that a massive 2.1 million plug-in vehicles, including 1.3 million battery…
The University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) in the US has unveiled the first 3D-printed house made entirely with bio-based materials. BioHome3D The 600-square-foot prototype ‘BioHome3D’ has 3D-printed floors, walls and roof made of wood fibres and bio-resins. The fully recyclable house also has 100 per cent wood insulation and customisable R-values. ASCC has also said…
A prototype of an award-winning robotic fish design that fish filters water to trap microplastics has now been tested in lakes as well as the lab. Gilbert Wins Eleanor Mackintosh’s design for the glow-in-the-dark, water-filtering ‘Robo-fish’ named “Gilbert” won the University of Surrey’s public competition, the Natural Robotics Contest, which resulted in Gilbert being turned into fully 3-D printed…
With sustainability credentials ever more important to stakeholders, we look at how IT buyers can ensure that the green claims made by those in their supply chain can be trusted. The Greenwashing Challenge One of the main challenges buyers face is ‘greenwashing’ whereby supply chain companies may create a false impression about how sustainable they are in order to…
Glasgow arts venue SWG3’s innovative new heating and cooling system uses the capture the body heat emitted from its victors to provide a renewable energy source. The BODYHEAT System As part of its drive to become a net zero venue, the first of its kind BODYHEAT system took 3 years to develop. The system is now active across the…
Tata Chemicals Europe has opened the UK’s largest industrial-scale carbon capture facility at its chemical plant in Cheshire to convert carbon dioxide into food and pharmaceutical-grade sodium bicarbonate. Capturing 10% Of The Carbon Dioxide Produced The £20 million Tata Chemicals Europe carbon capture unit at its chemical plant unit in Northwich will capture more than 10% of the carbon…
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a device that can desalinate water at least one thousand times faster than existing methods. A Membrane Made From Tiny Fluorine-Based Nanoscopic Rings Scientists at the Tokyo School of Engineering’s Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology constructed tiny fluorine-based nanoscopic rings that were coated with a hydrophobic surface of a dense molecular…
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have created renewable, sustainable ‘biocement’ made entirely from waste materials, making it a greener and more sustainable alternative to regular cement. How? The NTU scientists have used two common waste materials, industrial carbide sludge (the waste material from the production of acetylene gas) and urea (from the urine of mammals) to create the…
