Latest in Power

The NASA Perseverance Rover: Recapping the Events and the Engineering That Proved Perseverance Pays Off

On February 18th 2021, the most advanced robot ever sent to Mars landed safely, following the spacecraft’s ‘seven minutes of terror’ touchdown on an especially dangerous Martian terrain. We recap the events and discuss the engineering that helped NASA prove that perseverance really does pay off.

14 hours ago by Lianne Frith

Three UK Green Aviation Projects Receive a Total of £84 Million in Funding

The UK’s minister for London, Paul Scully, has recently announced that £84 million of government funding has been invested in the aerospace industry to help achieve the country’s ambition of realising zero-emissions flights. The money will be used to aid three major UK aviation projects.

4 days ago by Luke James

The EU Has Pushed for a ‘Battery Passport’ to Support Its Green Energy Goals — But Is This Enough?

Policymakers require comprehensive, circular sustainability in devices’ battery life cycles. They must ensure that batteries are given a second (if not, a third) life. We discuss the EU’s potential answer to this, namely its Battery Passport, and ask how viable such a passport could be.

one week ago by Biljana Ognenova

UK to Host World’s First ‘Urban Air Port’ for Electric Aircraft

Coventry, a city in the UK, has been chosen as the location for the first airport for electric aircraft (such as drones and air taxis). Referred to as an ‘Urban Air Port’, the upcoming site will be carbon-neutral and is planned for late 2021.

one week ago by Luke James

Will Micromobility Ever Become Fully Popularised in Europe’s Cities?

Micromobility is technically illegal on some of Europe’s streets, but its increasing public demand and eco-friendliness suggest that it should be pushed forward. We look at some of the many companies that are helping to bolster electric micro vehicle uptake, and ask: could it ever be considered as practical as driving a car?

about 3 weeks ago by Lianne Frith

How a Novel LED Chip Has Minimised a Common Chip Problem: ‘Efficiency Droop’

LEDs may be a leading light source, but their traditional chip architectures are subject to a form of inefficiency known as ‘efficiency droop’. We look at how a new chip architecture developed by IBM, NIST (the National Institute of Standards), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Maryland, has minimised such inefficiency.

3 weeks ago by Emmanuel Ikimi

Elon Musk is Offering a $100 Million Prize for the Best Carbon Capture Technology

Elon Musk is offering a prize worth $100 million to any participant who can suggest the best solution to achieving carbon capture technology. The tech billionaire and Tesla founder tweeted the announcement with further details promised to follow.

about 4 weeks ago by Lianne Frith

KAUST Researchers Utilise Herbicide to Boost Organic Solar Cell Efficiency

Despite the proven potential of solar energy, experts still must search for more efficient ways to develop solar-friendly technologies. This has led many scientists to move away from inorganic materials for solar energy harnessing, and accordingly, researchers from KAUST have recently developed a cost-effective organic solar cell solution.

4 weeks ago by Luke James

UK Launches First Coordinated System for Renewable Energy

The United Kingdom’s first-of-its-kind energy transmission system, which went live in mid-December 2020, has been introduced by National Grid ESO and other major UK energy organisations. This will enable more renewable energy to connect to the electricity system with enhanced efficiency.

one month ago by Luke James

Britain’s First EV Battery Gigaplant Planned for Northumberland, UK

Lithium-ion battery technology company Britishvolt has recently announced that it has settled on a site for the UK’s first EV (electric vehicle) battery gigaplant. The news follows the manufacturer’s acquisition of its full and exclusive rights to an almost 235-acre site in the UK’s unitary authority: Northumberland.

one month ago by Luke James

Is the UK Rushing the Electric Vehicle Revolution?

In 2020, the UK government announced its plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030—an admirable, but incredibly ambitious, aim. Given the infrastructure and charging network required, the question arises: is the UK’s target viable, or is it rushing the electric vehicle revolution?

one month ago by Lianne Frith

Is Vehicle-to-Grid Technology Sustainable?

We reportedly leave our cars parked up to 95% of the time, and on top of this, electrical grids currently have limited storage facilities. Points such as these have inspired a potential solution: vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. We consider the extent to which this promising power innovation may be sustainable.

one month ago by Emmanuel Ikimi

Scotland Plans for a ‘World First’ 1.8 MWh Flow Battery Energy Storage System

Scotland’s European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney has announced its plans to produce continuous green hydrogen from tidal power as part of a new flow battery installation. The project will involve vanadium flow batteries to ensure the energy storage system has high efficiency and endurance.

one month ago by Luke James

Glasgow Engineers Create Solar-Powered Electronic Skin

Researchers at the University of Glasgow have developed a new type of solar-powered e-skin that uses light to mimic the human sense of touch. The scientists claim that the ‘skin’ could hold the potential to truly revolutionise the field of affordable prosthetics by using its light-capturing cells to mimic touch.

2 months ago by Luke James

Will Gallium Nitride Soon Be Charging All Our Devices?

With the average household containing at least five connected electronic devices, there are huge expectations around charging capabilities and performance. While silicon has battled with delivering fast charging through small devices, gallium nitride (GaN) technology is uniquely positioned to provide a solution to the challenge.

2 months ago by Lianne Frith

Following the UK’s 2030 Petrol Ban Announcement: What Can the Country Do for a Better EV Infrastructure?

The large-scale production of EVs (electric vehicles) is already well underway in the UK and may well revolutionise its automotive industry, particularly after the government’s recent petrol ban announcement. Nevertheless, for the UK to accommodate its number of EVs on the road, further technological and infrastructural considerations are required.

2 months ago by Misha Khan

Technical Ceramics and What They Could Mean for the Electronics Industry

Electronic devices we use daily, including smartphones, computers, and portable cameras, owe much of their functionality to the unique properties of semiconductors and ceramic materials. We look at technical ceramics, which are emerging as one of the electronics industry’s materials of choice due to their unique physical properties.

2 months ago by Emmanuel Ikimi

Combining 3D Printing, Robotics, and Other Innovation in Smart Building Construction

Additive manufacturing, already an innovative electrical design approach, is now crossing over to the field of construction—making it possible to manufacture 3D-printed buildings. Now, the next step for electrical engineers (EEs) is becoming clear: the development of embedded devices for the robotics-based construction of 3D-printed automated smart homes.

2 months ago by Kristijan Nelkovski

The Progress and Current State of UK Renewable Energy

Following the UK government’s interests in going ‘net zero’ by 2050, we look at some of its major options for renewable energy generation and discuss the country’s growing interests in sustainable solutions. This is particularly in view of the country’s reduced emissions, owing much to its COVID-19 lockdowns.

2 months ago by Asma Arooj

BMW Electric Vehicle Batteries Given Second Life

BMW has unveiled its new plans, which are in partnership with UK clean energy provider Off Grid Energy and will see BMW’s used electric vehicle batteries put to work in new applications—rather than disposed of as electronic waste.

2 months ago by Luke James

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