Renewables, Environment, and Sustainability

Wave energy could power millions of homes, but to make a splash in the industry, the tech must balance engineering, socio-economic and environmental trade-offs.

The post Unlocking ocean power: $3.6M for community-centric wave energy converters appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The system produces ethylene, an important ingredient of many plastics, with much higher efficiency, yield and longevity than competing systems.

The post In step toward solar fuels, durable artificial photosynthesis setup chains two carbons together appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Researchers will advance battery technologies going beyond current lithium ion capabilities.

The post U-M engineers to partner in new DOE-backed research hub for clean energy storage appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

A shift in Antarctica’s melting trends and slushy Arctic ice pushes warming from changing sea ice toward the upper limits of climate model estimates.

The post Sea ice’s cooling power is waning faster than its area of extent  appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Borrowing methods from biology, a team of scientists and engineers designed and tested an electrolyte that keeps battery power delivery high, cycle after cycle.

The post Electric aviation: Batteries that stay strong for the flight duration appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

A $2.6M project will fine tune an advanced manufacturing approach that opens doors to more power-dense and sustainable magnetic materials.

The post Making electric motors more efficient, affordable by 3D-printing magnets  appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Thermophotovoltaics developed at U-M can recover significantly more energy stored in heat batteries.

The post Renewable grid: Recovering electricity from heat storage hits 44% efficiency appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

New study offers a pathway for fossil fuel-burning operations to capture emissions.

The post Costly gas separation may not be needed to recycle CO2  from air and industrial plants appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Michigan Engineering researchers lead a collaboration with the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping.

The post Zero-carbon maritime shipping by 2050: U-M joins partnership to advance sustainability goal  appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

With oil production dropping, a process using natural gas is needed to avert a shortage of a workhorse chemical used for automotive parts, cleaning products and more.

The post New reactor could save millions when making ingredients for plastics and rubber from natural gas appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

U-M involved in Great Lakes consortium to support sustainable economic growth

The post Urine-to-fertilizer effort part of NSF Regional Innovation Engine  appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The findings could help engineers methodically find the best molecules to increase the lifespan of perovskite solar cells, rather than relying on time-consuming trial and error.

The post Bulky additives could make cheaper solar cells last longer appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Once derided as “forever 30 years away,” fusion energy has a new swagger. Will it last?

The post New
energy appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Richard Laine is the academic category winner in a national EPA contest.

The post Green chemistry award: Professor recognized for sustainable silicon metal production method appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

An effort led by U-M could enable industrial competitors to collectively build a predictive model that speeds the development of advanced solar cells.

The post $3M to boost state-of-the-art solar manufacturing appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

In a partnership with Ecoworks, Pecan Street, and Jefferson East, Prof. Johanna Mathieu is helping create a better process for Detroit homes to benefit from decarbonization, electrification, and renewable energy integration.

As part of the U-M Engineering Global Leadership (EGL) Honors Program, Electrical Engineering undergrad Nora Desmond traveled There and Back Again to experience the sustainability culture of New Zealand.

Navid is exploiting III-Nitride nanostructures for artificial photosynthesis and next generation nanoscale optoelectronics.

PhD students Joshua Brooks, Xavier Farrell, and Madeline Miller are part of an NSF Smart and Connected Communities project that partners with local Detroit organizations to reduce household energy insecurity.

Mathieu is a national leader on research to reduce the environmental impact, cost, and inefficiency of electric power systems.

Testing Semi-Transparent Solar Cell Technology at U-M’s Campus Farm.

With next gen solar cell technology, Prof. Zetian Mi leads a DoE project to develop high efficiency, low cost, and ultrastable production of green hydrogen fuels directly from sunlight and water.

Led by Prof. Johanna Mathieu, the project utilizes strategic control of air conditioners to improve the overall efficiency and reliability of the power grid.

The Global Hydrogen Production Technologies (HyPT) Center seeks to create a viable pathway to decarbonize energy-intensive industries such as ammonia, steel, cement, aluminum, transportation, and more.

Researchers in the Walter E. Lay Automotive Engineering Laboratory are investigating engine efficiency, alternative and low carbon fuels, connected and autonomous vehicles and vehicle electrification.

The post Reimagining the auto lab appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The Institute for Energy Solutions will continue U-M’s 75-year legacy of leadership in energy research.

The post Equity in the energy technology transition is new Institute’s goal appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

A Ph.D. student shares his remarkable path from Cuba to chemical engineering at U-M.

The post ‘I’m supposed to be here’ appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Withstanding high temperatures and the light of 160 suns, a new catalyst is ten times more efficient than previous sun-powered water-splitting devices of its kind.

The post Cheap, sustainable hydrogen through solar power appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

A mathematical model linking these vortices with more pedestrian types, like smoke rings, could help engineers control their behavior in power generation and more.

The post Demystifying vortex rings in nuclear fusion, supernovae appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Rather than contributing to emissions, the production of an essential fertilizer could consume carbon dioxide, and a U-M team will explore such a method.

The post $1.3M to improve urea fertilizer production and reduce CO2 emissions appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The Michigan Initiative for Sustainable Aviation assembled reps from aircraft and engine manufacturers, the airline industry, airport operations, sustainable aviation startups and more.

The post Experts across the aviation industry discussed routes to a sustainable future at U-M symposium appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The sensors will provide real-time data for smart decision-making by allowing the natural environment and the built environment to communicate seamlessly.

As the auto industry expands beyond transportation, university collaborations are more important than ever.

The post Toyota Research Institute and Michigan Engineering discuss importance of long-standing partnership appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

‘Here, we have industry and expertise. Take that and combine it with belief—and magic happens.’

The post Electric aviation: Battery experts, aero entrepreneurs, state leaders and venture capitalists converge appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The world needs better tools to protect people during floods. A new machine learning method could help.

The post Outsmarting floodwaters appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

A new fabrication process greatly improves the reliability of highly-efficient semi-transparent solar cells, which can be applied to windows to generate solar power.

Deep learning models that power giants like TikTok and Amazon, as well as tools like ChatGPT, could save energy without new hardware or infrastructure.

The post Optimization could cut the carbon footprint of AI training by up to 75% appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Xiao has been working on several projects in Prof. Zetian’s Mi’s group, including micro LED technology and renewable energy.

Navid’s research is focused on artificial photosynthesis and optoelectronics using III-Nitride based semiconductor materials.

Experiments with custom-made biologging devices offer new insight into dolphin swimming and energy requirements.

The post New activity trackers for dolphin conservation appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

It turns out cerium flow batteries lose voltage when electrolyte molecules siphon off energy to form different complexes around the metal.

The post Understanding a cerium quirk could help advance grid-scale energy storage appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The award recognizes Mathieu’s outstanding teaching, research, and service in the area of power and energy.

Mathieu will develop optimization and control methods to leverage the flexibility available from distributed energy resources.

Prof. Johanna Mathieu of EECS and Prof. Catherine Hausman of Public Policy are heading a new project to explore the social costs and benefits of battery energy storage on the electrical grid.

Take a look at some of the exciting new projects that will help define the next evolution of sustainable power and energy.

Prof. Stephen Forrest is developing an automated high-yield roll-to-roll process to manufacture organic LEDs for lighting.

Prof. Stephen Forrest is co-chair of U-M’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality as part of U-M’s commitment to combat climate change and craft a sustainable future for all.

A new project funded by ARPA-E partners Achates Power and the University of Michigan in the development of a novel hybrid electric engine.

From Long Beach, CA, to a Nepalese national park and world heritage site, undergrads Ashley Gee and Camille Burke came away with unforgettable experiences and a greater appreciation for how engineering can change the world for the better.

Willingale’s research in plasma physics advances many research areas from spectacular astrophysical phenomena to cancer treatment to fusion power.

Mostafa Zaky has built an award-winning model that helps estimate the amount of water stored in snowpacks, which could improve climate change and flood forecasting, as well as overall water resource management.

The symposium brings together 82 young engineers from different technical areas from around the country.

The research impacts development of high-efficiency, micro LEDs, used in a variety of applications.

Predicting future disasters is an important goal of those participating in the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium

Finally, proof that organic photovoltaics can be as reliable as inorganic, with real-life desert testing

An update on the work done by U-M’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality, co-chaired by Prof. Stephen Forrest.

Prof. Stephen Forrest, who serves as co-chair of the commission, attended the forum to address concerns and give updates on the plan of action.

Prof. Ahmadi will investigate promising new materials needed for an increasingly electrified world

The ARC works to solve a broad set of issues pertaining to the modeling and simulation of ground vehicle systems.

A professor of electrical engineering and computer science is awarded one of engineering’s top honors.

The College of Engineering honors ECE PhD candidate Tianlin Wang for his excellent research in remote sensing as well as his leadership and service to the community.

Guo is working to boost the visibility of autonomous cars for improved safety, and Mi is building a prototype solar hydrogen production system that could out-compete electric cars.

Prof. Yogesh Gianchandani and Dr. Yutao Qin received an “Outstanding Paper Award” for their fully electronic micro gas chromatography system.

In S1E1, Prof. Zetian Mi talks unlocking quantum properties to close the loop on carbon emissions.

Research led by Prof. Stephen Rand, Director of the Center for Dynamic Magneto-optics (DYNAMO), has important potential for energy conversion, ultrafast switching, nanophotonics, and nonlinear optics.

Roberts works to improve remote sensing of soil moisture, which is important for environmental conservation, natural resource management, and agriculture.

Electrical Engineering undergrad Madeline Evans is a key researcher on a project that uses NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System to monitor microplastic pollution that harms marine ecosystems.

In partnership with Detroit-based community organizations, Prof. Johanna Mathieu co-leads a team of researchers working to reduce disparities in household energy insecurity for low and moderate income households.

PhD student Anna Stuhlmacher researches how the water distribution network can better provide services to the power network, which can allow for greater integration of renewable energy sources into the grid, reduce costs, and improve system resiliency.

Using retired electric vehicle batteries, the project plans to enable widespread and equitable access to sustainable power and energy through sustainable energy storage.

Stuhlmacher is working to optimize the interaction between the power distribution network and the drinking water distribution network to improve the sustainability, flexibility, and resiliency of both systems.

Ramyar’s research focuses on how power and energy can be transformed, extracted from clean power generation, and stored effectively and sustainably.

The rapid growth of renewable energy led to an international task force to study its impact on the stability of worldwide power systems.

PhD student Trevor Odelberg is looking to enable long range, highly reliable, and low-power cellular IoT devices that one day can run entirely on harvested energy, reducing battery waste and empowering devices to last for decades.

The post Batteryless next-generation cellular devices could empower a more sustainable future appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Transparent solar panels on windows could take a bite out of a building’s electricity needs.

The post Urban solar energy: Solar panels for windows hit record 8% efficiency appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Plasma science has the potential to speed advances in medicine, energy, electronics and more—including helping us deal with pandemics.

Cold-weather-friendly formula foils snow/ice accumulation in Alaska test.

The post Spray-on coating could make solar panels snow-resistant appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

In an approach that won’t disrupt consumers, researchers will tackle two of the biggest issues in the energy industry.

The post How air conditioners could advance a renewable power grid appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

A Q&A with Rachel Goldman

The post The “Magic Ratio” that could power tomorrow’s solar cells appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

A catalyst on a solar panel can make methane, the main component of natural gas, with carbon dioxide, water and sunlight.

The post ‘Green methane’ from artificial photosynthesis could recycle CO2 appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The researcher-entrepreneur who helped bring OLED displays to the masses envisions a future of efficient lighting and next-gen solar power.

The post Russel Lecture: Fighting climate change with organic electronics appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Johanna Mathieu is one of four principal investigators on a project to improve home energy efficiency and to lower monthly utility bills.

The post U-M, community partners tackle energy insecurity in three Detroit neighborhoods appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The property that makes fluorescent lights buzz could power a new generation of computing devices.

The post Harnessing the hum appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

‘The trends we see in the making and consuming of single-use goods, particularly plastic, could have lasting negative effects on the circular economy.’

The post COVID-19 is laying waste to many US recycling programs appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

By reflecting nearly all the light they can’t turn into electricity, they help pave the way for storing renewable energy as heat.

The post Mirror-like photovoltaics get more electricity out of heat appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The nanofibers recycled from Kevlar vests are harnessed in a biomimetic design to help solve a battery’s longevity problem.

The post 1,000-cycle lithium-sulfur battery could quintuple electric vehicle ranges appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

New study is the first in-depth analysis of the environmental performance and benefits of large-scale urine recycling relative to conventional wastewater treatment and fertilizer production.

The post ‘Peecycling’ payoff: Urine diversion shows multiple environmental benefits when used at city scale appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Systems featuring a ‘membrane-aerated biofilm reactor’ can also remove more nitrogen from treatment plant discharges.

The post Wastewater treatment at one-third the size and cost appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

In The Conversation, experts break down what’s needed to make CO2 in concrete work on a wide scale to curb global emissions.

The post Bendable concrete and other CO2-infused cement mixes could dramatically cut global emissions appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

University of Michigan’s mobility research center has been realigned under Michigan Engineering.

The post Q&A with Henry Liu, Mcity’s new director appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Take a multimedia trip to the Amazon and meet the researchers who are working to understand how the future of the rainforest could affect us all.

The post Spotlight: Data is life appeared first on Engineering Research News.

By zeroing in on different high-latitude regions around the globe, researchers reveal what global averages mask.

The post North American cold-climate forests are already absorbing less carbon, study shows appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Study sheds light on the future of the massive Thwaites Glacier.

The post ‘Doomsday Glacier’ may be more stable than initially feared appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

In The Conversation, Chris Ruf explains how CYGNSS can find the source ocean microplastics and aid in future clean up.

The post The ocean is full of tiny plastic particles – we found a way to track them with satellites appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

In a perspective piece for Washington Post, Richard Rood says response to climate change requires an adaption mindset in addition to mitigation efforts.

The post Opinion: After a summer of weather horrors, adapting to climate change is an imperative appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Rising temperatures, increased CO2 will drive trees, grasses, weeds to produce more pollen.

The post Longer, more intense allergy seasons could result from climate change appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The upside is that simple fixes will have a big impact

The post Flaring allows more methane into the atmosphere than we thought appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Society for Risk Analysis recognizes Michigan researchers for work predicting storm damage.

The post U-M team’s power grid work earn kudos at national conference appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

A game-theory approach identifies which policy could support autonomous vehicles’ market penetration—and environmental benefits

The post How self-driving car subsidies could carry us through the ‘dark age’ of deployment appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Highlights include Vox and the New York Times.

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 21-25 appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The new approach could enable farmers to produce ammonia on-site, and also reduce CO2 emissions from fertilizer production.

The post $2M to replace fossil fuels with solar power in fertilizer production appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Improved heat-trapping materials for solar thermal energy could help the U.S. meet its goal of cutting solar energy costs in half by 2030.

The post $3.4M to turn up the heat at solar-thermal plants appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

System developed at the University of Michigan saves time and money in the race to create better batteries for the electric vehicle revolution

The post New approach reduces EV battery testing time by 75% appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Concrete and construction aggregates could be carbon negative and dollar positive while sustainable aviation fuel and methanol could also turn a profit.

The post Carbon capture, utilization and storage roadmap reveals technologies that are ready to go appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Satellites give new insights on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, plus sources and flows of ocean microplastic.

The post Tracking ocean microplastics from space appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

In The Conversation, NAME Chair Jing Sun explains some of the fuels and technology that could improve shipping sustainability in the future.

The post Shipping is tough on the climate and hard to clean up – these innovations can help cut emissions appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Highlights include Newsweek and The Conversation.

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 7-11 appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Researchers have shown that a technique often used to identify chemicals at a distance could help sniff out illicit nuclear activities from as far as a couple miles away.

The post Lasers can detect weapons-grade uranium from afar appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

A coating of polyurethane keeps plasma problems in check during magnetic compression.

The post How a spray from the hardware store could improve nuclear fusion appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Nuclear energy and nuclear nonproliferation would both benefit from a faster, easier way to measure what proportion of uranium atoms can split.

The post Using lasers to measure uranium enrichment appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

University of Michigan researchers are developing better plasma technology that can destroy PFAS compounds

The post Treating PFAS water contamination with cold plasma appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Three Michigan Engineering experts offer insights following the summit in Glasgow.

The post Key takeaways from the COP26 Summit appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Work for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy will develop a policy roadmap to safe, low cost water services.

The post University of Michigan partners on multi-institution planning effort for state’s water future appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Producing synthesis gas, a precursor of a variety of fuels and chemicals, no longer requires natural gas, coal or biomass.