• Japan to begin releasing wastewater from Fukushima power plant

    Over 12 years after a massive earthquake and resulting tsunami wrecked the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Japanese authorities have set a date to begin releasing the plant’s treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.  Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has ordered operator Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) “to swiftly prepare for the water discharge”, which will take place on Thursday “weather and ocean conditions permitting”. The project has received the approval of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which stated the impact it would have on people and the environment was “ negligible ” . Every day, the plant produces 100m³ of contaminated water, which is a mixture of groundwater, seawater and water used to keep the reactors cool since the meltdown. Since March 2011, the plant…

  • AI system predicts lithium-ion battery failures to increase EV performance

    Lithium-ion batteries are commonly found in electric vehicles (EVs) and portable consumer electronics. They consist of two electrodes divided by a separator that allows charged particles to flow through a solvent from one to the other. But if materials degrade and the electrodes make direct contact with each other, the charged particles can explode. Accure’s new predictive platform uses AI, field data and modelling to detect irregular battery cell behaviour and provide an understanding of battery health in EVs. The firm said its technology could give operators of EV fleets – as well as energy storage providers – more lead time to address critical issues before major damage can occur. It has already led to the prevention of more than 50 battery incidents and increased the performance of…

  • Astronauts regain red blood cells and bone density lost during space travel – study

    “We found that astronauts had significantly less fat in their bone marrow about a month after returning to Earth,” said senior study author Dr Guy Trudel. “We think the body is using this fat to help replace red blood cells and rebuild bone that has been lost during space travel.” Previous research from the same team showed that in space astronauts’ bodies destroyed on average 54 per cent more red blood cells than they normally would on Earth, resulting in what is known as “space anaemia.” “Thankfully, anaemia isn’t a problem in space when your body is weightless, but when landing on Earth and potentially on other planets or moons with gravity, anaemia would affect energy, endurance and strength and could threaten mission objectives,” Trudel added. The new study involved MRI scans of…

  • Microsoft could sell Activision’s streaming rights to secure UK regulatory approval

    Microsoft has offered to sell Activision’s non-European streaming rights to Ubisoft Entertainment as a way to placate regulator concerns over the £55bn acquisition of the video game maker.  The proposal was announced on the same day that the CMA confirmed it is standing by its final decision to block the deal, claiming it  would  result in higher prices, fewer choices and less innovation for the video game market. “The CMA has today confirmed that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision, as originally proposed, cannot proceed,” said Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s chief executive.  The regulator has now opened a phase 1 investigation into Microsoft's latest proposal, but stressed that the decision “ is not a green light ”. “We will carefully and objectively assess the details of the restructured…

  • ‘Superfast’ charging battery shows promise for EVs

    The new battery, named Shexing, is expected to be mass-produced from the end of the year and reach market in the first quarter of 2024, according to the Chinese firm. It currently supplies batteries for Tesla, Toyota and VW.  The company said the battery will “open a new era of electric vehicle (EV) superfast charging ” .  The lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery is reportedly capable of running 400km (248 miles) on a 10-minute charge. It is also said to have a range of over 700km (435 miles) on a single full charge.  This would allow EV users to go 60 per cent further than the average EV in 2023. “We hope through continuous efforts to improve technology and reduce costs, Shenxing will become a standard product available for every EV,” said Gao Huan, CTO of CATL’s China e-car business…

  • Final turbine installed on UK’s ‘most productive’ onshore wind farm

    Just over three years since breaking ground on the project and six months since turbine installation commenced, SSE Renewables confirmed last week that the installation of the wind farm’s 103rd and final 4.3MW wind turbine had been completed. The final turbine installation was completed well ahead of schedule, as the original installation programme had been due to be completed in autumn 2023. The project remains on track for completion in summer 2024, with commissioning works set to continue over the next year.  When fully operational, Viking’s 103 Vestas turbines will be capable of generating up to 1.8TWh of renewable electricity annually – enough to power almost half a million typical British homes. Ironically, windy conditions during construction proved to be one of the biggest challenges…

  • UK to invest £100m into chip production for AI tools

    The public funds, sourced through taxpayer money, will be used to build a national AI resource in Britain, and be ordered through major chipmaking companies such as Intel, AMD and Nvidia, according to reports.  The government is already in the advanced stages of an order of up to 5,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) from Nvidia, reported The Telegraph.  The GPUs, also known as graphics cards, play a crucial part in a chip’s capacity for processing and are vital for performing complex actions such as those required by AI tools. One of the most famous of these, ChatGPT-4,  was trained on as many as 25,000 Nvidia chips. However, the amount pledged might not be enough to meet the government’s ambitions to transform the UK into an AI leader, particularly in comparison with investments in…

  • Russia's first lunar mission of the century crashes into the Moon

    Russia’s first lunar mission in 47 years has ended in failure, after an unmanned spacecraft crashed into the Moon’s surface.  The crash took place after Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, lost touch with Luna-25 on Saturday around 2.57pm Moscow time. The landing was scheduled to take place today, Monday August 21.  “Due to the deviation of the actual pulse parameters from the calculated ones, the automatic station switched to an off-design orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface,” the agency said.  Roscosmos added it has formed a special interdepartmental commission to investigate the mission’s failure. Luna-25 was designed to become the first spacecraft to land on the Moon’s south pole, an area believed to hold frozen water as well as valuable elements…

  • Cargo ship fitted with massive sails in bid to cut emissions

    Mitsubishi’s Pyxis Ocean, chartered by Cargill, is the first vessel to be retrofitted with two WindWings – large wing sails measuring up to 37.5m in height that can be fitted to the deck of cargo ships to harness the power of the wind. The sails, which are developed by BAR Technologies, are expected to generate average fuel savings of up to 30 per cent on new build vessels. This could be even higher if used in combination with alternative fuels, Cargill said. As wind power is not only zero emissions but is also non-depleting and hugely predictable, it offers significant efficiency gains in vessel operating costs. On an average global route, WindWings can save 1.5 tonnes of fuel per WindWing per day – with the possibility of saving more on trans-ocean routes. This also translates into…

  • MPs warn that UK military capabilities could be eroded without climate adaptation

    In a new report, the Defence Committee said the Armed Forces would need to improve its ability to adapt to operate across increasingly demanding climatic conditions. For example, military vehicles usually designed for temperatures up to 45°C have had to operate in Iraq and Afghanistan at well over 50°C. Warships, which have traditionally used the cooling effect of the seas to ensure engines operate effectively, are finding that the thermal blanketing effect of rising sea temperatures in the Persian Gulf is eroding the efficiency of existing naval engines. According to the report, retrofitting existing ships to operate in disruptive ice would be expensive, and it is probably too late to fit strengthened bows to the yet-to-be-built Type 26 Batch 2 City-class frigates. However, the design…

  • New type of star could solve cosmic magnet mystery

    Astronomers have discovered a new type of astronomical object – massive magnetic helium stars – that could shed light on the origin of magnetars. The discovery was possible because of observations of  the mysterious HD 45166 star, which has been found to have an extraordinarily powerful magnetic field, stronger than that of any other star of its size that has been measured. HD 45166 is located in a binary system about 3,000 light years away. It is a Wolf-Rayet or  helium star because it has blown away its outer layers of hydrogen to reveal the underlying helium. Scientists have long wondered about the particular qualities of this star.  “This star was known to be weird for about 100 years,” said Tomer Shenar at the University of Amsterdam. “It didn’t make any sense – it really contradicted…

  • Banks to ensure access to cash within three miles for all UK citizens under new rules

    The new rules, imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), also stipulate that cash users can expect to make withdrawals without any fees. A 2021 study suggested that the UK could become an entirely cashless society by 2026 if trends of declining usage continued.  That same year, the number of payments made with cash plummeted by around 50 per cent as consumers were encouraged to use contactless in the wake of the pandemic. But cash remains vital for many people, particularly vulnerable groups including the elderly and domestic abuse victims who may not have access to other payment methods. “While the growing choice and convenience of digital payments is great, cash has an important and continuing role to play,” said Andrew Griffith, economic secretary to the Treasury. “People…

  • Up to 26m Americans face drinking water contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’

    After collecting data on drinking water from cities across the country, the EPA found that up to 26 million citizens were affected by water with high levels of PFAS – or ‘forever chemicals’ – and lithium. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are a group of around 12,000 different chemicals commonly found in non-stick cookware, waterproof cosmetics, firefighting foams and products that resist grease and oil. Despite their utility, PFAS have been associated with dangerous health effects in humans, livestock and the environment, leading to health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues and cancer. “PFAS are an urgent public health issue facing people and communities across the nation. The latest science is clear: exposure to certain PFAS, also known…

  • Scientists design tougher flash memory device for space missions

    The researchers have been able to build a flash memory device that can withstand the hazards encountered by space probes, including exposure to radiation and huge temperature swings, which can be challenging for traditional electronic circuits. Although semiconductors are usually made from silicon, gallium oxide allows scientists to build devices that can support high currents and voltages with low energy losses.  In addition to space missions, the flash memory device could potentially be used in locations with risk of radiation or extreme conditions on Earth.  Gallium oxide is an ultra-wide band gap semiconductor material. It is usually a poor conductor of electricity, but incorporating certain impurities can enable it to carry an electrical current. “Gallium oxide-based devices have…

  • UK could be left behind in green energy transition, study warns

    Researchers have predicted British growth in low-carbon electricity output to reach 2.9 per cent by the end of the decade, lagging France (3.1 per cent) and Japan (3.2 per cent).  The nations with the largest growth in the sector were the US (6.4 per cent), China (7.2 per cent) and India (10.6 per cent). European nations also made the top five, with Spain predicted to reach 6.0 per cent and Germany 5.8 per cent.   “Of the world's largest eight economies, the UK is forecast to have the slowest growth in low-carbon electricity generation between now and 2030,” said Oxford Economics, which published the report for Energy UK.  This slowdown can be attributed to “low levels of expected investment”, with tax incentives from the US and European Union also increasing competition, according to…

  • Intel cancels $5.4bn Tower Semiconductor acquisition

    Intel’s decision to scrap a $5.4bn (£4.2bn) international chip deal to acquire Tower Semiconductor has been considered a result of deteriorating relations between Beijing and Washington.  The two companies said the decision was mutual and had been made after Chinese regulators failed to approve the deal by a deadline, despite Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger’s trips to the Asian country to get the deal greenlighted.  Intel said that the deal was terminated “due to the inability to obtain in a timely manner the regulatory approvals required under the merger agreement”. “Our foundry efforts are critical to unlocking the full potential of IDM 2.0, and we continue to drive forward on all facets of our strategy,” Gelsinger said. “We are executing well on our roadmap to regain transistor performance…

  • Simple wood dust filter removes 99 per cent of microplastics from water solution

    Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have found that adding natural plant compounds, known as tannins, to a layer of wood dust creates a filter that traps virtually all microplastic particles present in water. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic debris resulting from the breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste, and keeping them out of water supplies is a huge challenge. They are typically present in both tap water and bottled water. US studies have shown that an average of 325 plastic particles can be found in a litre of bottled water, and around 5.5 plastic particles per litre of tap water. Their long-term health impact on the human body is still largely understood. While the experiment is confined to the laboratory at this stage, the team says this…

  • India’s first mission to the Sun could uncover flaring mysteries

    Aditya L1 will be the first Indian mission to visit our nearest star. The spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun, which is about 1.5m km from the Earth. A satellite placed in the halo orbit around this point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any eclipses, which will enable it to observe solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time. The spacecraft has already arrived at its launch site on the island of Sriharikota on India’s east coast in preparation for the launch. It carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors. From its vantage point, four payloads will directly…

  • Treasury wind farm rules could cost UK billpayers £1.5bn a year

    The non-profit’s latest report has criticised the rules surrounding the financing of offshore wind farm projects, claiming the government could cause taxpayers to miss out of savings of more than £1.5bn a year from  cheaper renewable energy.  Constraints on bidding for wind power – due to be completed in September – could secure as little as 2GW of offshore wind, compared with around 7GW that could have been secured without government red tape, ECIU has said.  A similar scenario took place last year, when the government  contracted 1GW less than it could have. ECIU figures showed the round could have been worth up to £225m in savings each year, under forecast wholesale prices of £100/MWh. “The government seems to be focused on North Sea gas licences and tax breaks for oil companies that…

  • BAE Systems proposes £4.4bn takeover of spacecraft maker Ball Aerospace

    Ball Aerospace has manufactured spacecraft including contracts with Nasa, while also producing components and instruments for national defence projects. It previously worked on optics and mirror systems for Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope , which entered service last year. BAE, which is one of the UK’s largest arms producers, said the purchase was “aligned with the US Intelligence Community and Department of Defense’s highest priorities”. It has enjoyed bumper profits in recent months due to a raft of new orders in the wake of the Ukraine war. Ball Aerospace is headquartered in Colorado, with more than 5,200 employees, of whom over 60 per cent hold US security clearances. It has built defence technologies including laser communication systems to link infantry and drones via satellite…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Cheaper green hydrogen production made possible with ‘thermochemical’ method

    Green h ydrogen is a versatile, storable, potentially zero-carbon fuel source that has been hailed as a solution for countries to reach their net zero targets. It produces just heat and water as by-products when burned or used in fuel cells, making it a highly attractive alternative to fossil fuels. Traditionally, green hydrogen is produced through gas electrolysis, using electricity to split molecules of water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. In contrast, the Colorado team’s ‘thermochemical’ approach uses heat generated by solar rays to complete those same chemical reactions. In the new study , the researchers demonstrated that they can leverage iron-aluminate materials to conduct these reactions at elevated pressures, allowing the team to more than double its production of hydrogen. The…

  • EDF launches consultation on 400MW onshore wind farm in Scottish Borders

    Liddesdale wind farm will be located within Wauchope Forest and Newcastleton Forest and could consist of up to 80 wind turbines, with a battery storage system and solar development on the site. The site is expected to power up to 231,000 homes. EDF has said it will deliver a community benefit fund of £5,000 per megawatt of installed capacity annually to local communities. Residents have been invited to meet the project team and discuss the proposals while it is still in the initial stages of development. Government policies over the last decade have hampered the roll-out of onshore wind power in the UK. In 2016, David Cameron instituted an effective ban on the infrastructure after pressure from Conservative MPs, who worried about the impact of wind turbine damage on rural communities…

  • Catalyst-coated lampshades could serve as indoor air purifiers, researchers find

    The lampshades target volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which account for most indoor airborne pollutants, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. These compounds are released by paints, cleaners, air fresheners, plastics, furniture and cooking. The invention works with halogen and incandescent light bulbs, and the team is extending the technology so it will also be compatible with LEDs, the researchers said.  “Although the concentration of VOCs in a home or office is low, people spend more than 90 per cent of their time indoors, so the exposure adds up over time,” said Hyoung-il Kim, the project’s principal investigator. In the past, co nventional methods to remove VOCs from indoor air have relied on activated carbon or other filters, which have to be replaced periodically. Other…

  • High-gain antenna brings superior data rates to Nasa’s Europa Clipper probe

    Once at its destination, Europa will use the antenna to continue communicating with Nasa, which will be roughly 444 million miles away. The spacecraft is designed to seek out conditions suitable for life on an ice-covered moon of Jupiter. Europa has the smoothest surface of any known solid object in the solar system, which has led scientists to hypothesise that a water ocean exists beneath the icy surface, conceivably harbouring extraterrestrial life. The massive, dish-shaped high-gain antenna stretches 3m across the spacecraft’s body and is the largest and most prominent of its suite of antennas. Once the spacecraft reaches Jupiter, the antenna’s radio beam will be narrowly directed towards Earth. High-gain antennas are designed to create narrow beams by focusing their power, allowing…

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