Lifeboat Foundation

A123 and SolidEnergy are collaborating on development of a new electrolyte technology that enables lithium-ion battery designs with 4 times the energy density of today’s technology.

A123 Systems Jeff Kessen, 734.772.0345 jkessen@a123systems.com

“Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a lithium-ion battery made entirely of solid material: it contains neither liquids nor gels. The battery cannot ignite, even at very high temperatures, giving it a safety advantage over conventional batteries. In addition, they allow new forms of battery design.”

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Goodyear’s BH03 concept tire looks to capture the heat generated by tires when they move, and why they absorb sunlight when stationary, to charge electric car batteries.

This is only the beginning.

Smart homes that repairs themselves. Why not since 4D-Printing enables self-assembly.

DARPA has unveiled the Engineered Living Materials program that combines living systems with traditional building materials for on-demand and self-repairing material that cuts cost and energy.

Continue reading “DARPA’s new program engineers building materials with living systems” »

They might not work, but no one will know for sure unless they’re given a chance.

That’s the general idea behind the recent selection of five aviation-related technologies for vigorous study as part of NASA’s ongoing Convergent Aeronautics Solutions project during the next two years of so, which itself is now in its second year.

Researchers will study a new kind of fuel cell, increasing electric motor output with the help of 3D printing, use of Lithium-Air batteries to store energy, new mechanisms for changing the shape of a wing in flight and basing a new antenna design on the use of lightweight aerogel.

Continue reading “Five New Ideas to be Explored by NASA Aeronautics Teams” »

The rapid growth of the world’s human population raises the issue of more efficient food production; one solution to the problem is “clean meat,” which is produced in the equivalent of meat fermenters, Bruce Friedrich, Executive Director of the Good Food Institute, told Radio Sputnik.

The world’s human population reached 7.4 billion in March 2016, having reached 7 billion in October 2011. In 2050, it is expected to reach 9.7 billion, raising the question of how to produce enough food for everybody.

Continue reading “How to Feed Ten Billion: Lab-Made ‘Clean Meat’ Burgers are Future of Food” »

A team of University of Toronto chemists has created a battery that stores energy in a biologically-derived unit, paving the way for cheaper consumer electronics that are easier on the environment.

The battery is similar to many commercially-available high-energy lithium-ion batteries with one important difference. It uses flavin from vitamin B2 as the cathode: the part that stores the electricity that is released when connected to a device.

“We’ve been looking to nature for a while to find complex molecules for use in a number of consumer electronics applications,” says Dwight Seferos, an associate professor in U of T’s department of chemistry and Canada Research Chair in Polymer Nanotechnology.

Continue reading “Chemists create vitamin-driven battery” »