Featured Research

from universities, journals, and other organizations

Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy

Date:

March 28, 2013

Source:

University of Calgary

Summary:

Researchers have developed a ground-breaking way to make new affordable and efficient catalysts for converting electricity into chemical energy. Their technology opens the door to homeowners and energy companies being able to easily store and reuse solar and wind power. Such energy is clean and renewable, but it's available only when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.

Share This

Email to a friend

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Print this page

More options

Two University of Calgary researchers have developed a ground-breaking way to make new affordable and efficient catalysts for converting electricity into chemical energy.

Their technology opens the door to homeowners and energy companies being able to easily store and reuse solar and wind power. Such energy is clean and renewable, but it's available only when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.

The research by Curtis Berlinguette and Simon Trudel, both in the chemistry department in the Faculty of Science, has just been published in the journal Science.

"This breakthrough offers a relatively cheaper method of storing and reusing electricity produced by wind turbines and solar panels," says Curtis Berlinguette, associate professor of chemistry and Canada Research Chair in Energy Conversion.

"Our work represents a critical step for realizing a large-scale, clean energy economy," adds Berlinguette, who's also director of the university's Centre for Advanced Solar Materials.

Simon Trudel, assistant professor of chemistry, says their work "opens up a whole new field of how to make catalytic materials. We now have a large new arena for discovery."

The pair have patented their technology and created from their university research a spin-off company, FireWater Fuel Corp., to commercialize their electrocatalysts for use in electrolyzers.

Electrolyzer devices use catalysts to drive a chemical reaction that converts electricity into chemical energy by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen fuels. These fuels can then be stored and re-converted to electricity for use whenever wanted.

The only byproduct from such a 'green' energy system is water, which can be recycled through the system. To store and provide renewable power to a typical house would require an electrolyzer about the size of a beer fridge, containing a few litres of water and converting hydrogen to electricity with virtually no emissions, the researchers say.

Key to their discovery is that they deviated from conventional thinking about catalysts, which typically are made from rare, expensive and toxic metals in a crystalline structure.

Instead, Berlinguette and Trudel turned to simpler production methods for catalysts. This involved using abundant metal compounds or oxides (including iron oxide or 'rust') to create mixed metal oxide catalysts having a disordered or amorphous, structure.

Laboratory tests -- reported in their Science paper -- show their new catalysts perform as well or better than expensive catalysts now on the market, yet theirs cost 1,000 times less.

Their research was supported by the university's Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy, Alberta Innovates, Mitacs and FireWater Fuel Corp.

FireWater Fuel Corp. expects to have a commercial product in the current large-scale electrolyzer market in 2014, and a prototype electrolyzer -- using their new catalysts -- ready by 2015 for testing in a home.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Calgary. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

R. D. L. Smith, M. S. Prevot, R. D. Fagan, Z. Zhang, P. A. Sedach, M. K. J. Siu, S. Trudel, C. P. Berlinguette. Photochemical Route for Accessing Amorphous Metal Oxide Materials for Water Oxidation Catalysis. Science, 2013; DOI: 10.1126/science.1233638

Cite This Page:

MLA

APA

Chicago

University of Calgary. "Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 March 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130328142356.htm>.

University of Calgary. (2013, March 28). Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 16, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130328142356.htm

University of Calgary. "Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130328142356.htm (accessed April 16, 2014).

Share This

Email to a friend

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Print this page

More options

Related Topics

Matter & Energy

Energy and Resources

Fuel Cells

Energy Technology

Solar Energy

Electricity

Wind Energy

Related Articles

Renewable energy

Wind power

Wind turbine

Hydroelectricity

Solar power

Energy development

More Matter & Energy News

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Featured Research

from universities, journals, and other organizations

Making New Materials an Atomic Layer at a Time

Apr. 16, 2014 — Researchers have shown the ability to grow high quality, single-layer materials one on top of the other using chemical vapor deposition. This highly scalable technique, often used in the ... full story

Materials Science; Graphene; Spintronics; Engineering and Construction

Global Scientific Team 'Visualizes' a New Crystallization Process

Apr. 16, 2014 — By combining a synchrotron's bright X-ray beam with high speed X-ray cameras, scientists shot a 'movie' showing how organic molecules form into crystals. This is a first. Their new techniques will ... full story

Graphene; Nature of Water; Organic Chemistry; Electronics

Relieving Electric Vehicle Range Anxiety With Improved Batteries

Apr. 16, 2014 — A new nanomaterial called a metal organic framework could extend the lifespan of lithium-sulfur batteries, which could be used to increase the driving range of electric vehicles. Researchers added ... full story

Batteries; Fuel Cells; Energy and Resources; Energy and the Environment

Scientists Achieve First Direct Observations of Excitons in Motion

Apr. 16, 2014 — A quasiparticle called an exciton -- responsible for the transfer of energy within devices such as solar cells, LEDs, and semiconductor circuits -- has been understood theoretically for decades. But ... full story

Solar Energy; Physics; Materials Science; Energy Technology

Potential Use of Google Glass in Surgical Settings

Apr. 16, 2014 — A new article shows the potential applications for Google Glass in the surgical setting, particularly in relation to training. Personal portable information technology is advancing at a breathtaking ... full story

Today's Healthcare; Medical Technology; Medical Devices; Electronics

Repeated Self-Healing Now Possible in Composite Materials

Apr. 15, 2014 — Internal damage in fiber-reinforced composites, materials used in structures of modern airplanes and automobiles, is difficult to detect and nearly impossible to repair by conventional methods. A ... full story

Materials Science; Engineering and Construction; Civil Engineering; Engineering

Lens Turns Any Smartphone Into a Portable Microscope

Apr. 15, 2014 — The Micro Phone Lens can turn any smartphone or tablet computer into a hand-held microscope. The soft, pliable lens sticks to a device's camera without any adhesive or glue and makes it possible to ... full story

Consumer Electronics; Optics; Microbiology; Mobile Computing

Tiger Beetle's Chase Highlights Mechanical Law

Apr. 15, 2014 — If an insect drew a line as it chased its next meal, the resulting pattern would be a tangled mess. But there’s method to that mess: It turns out the tiger beetle, known for its speed and agility, ... full story

Behavioral Science; Wild Animals; Animals; Insects (including Butterflies)

Targeting Cancer With a Triple Threat: New Nanoparticles Can Deliver Three Drugs at Once

Apr. 15, 2014 — Chemists have designed nanoparticles that can deliver three cancer drugs at a time. Such particles could be designed to carry even more drugs, allowing researchers to develop new treatment regimens ... full story

Pharmacology; Pharmaceuticals; Colon Cancer; Lung Cancer

Key to Easy Asthma Diagnosis Is in the Blood

Apr. 15, 2014 — Using just a single drop of blood, a team of researchers has developed a faster, cheaper and more accurate tool for diagnosing even mild cases of asthma. This handheld technology — which takes ... full story

Asthma; Allergy; Lung Cancer; Biochemistry

Making New Materials an Atomic Layer at a Time

Visualizing a New Crystallization Process

Reliable Batteries for Electric Vehicles

First Direct Observations of Excitons in Motion

Using Google Glass in Surgical Settings?

Repeated Self-Healing in Composite Materials

Lens Turns Any Smartphone Into a Microscope

Tiger Beetle's Chase Highlights Mechanical Law

Nanoparticles Can Deliver Three Drugs at Once

Key to Easy Asthma Diagnosis Is in the Blood

newer top stories  |  older top stories

Featured Videos

from AP, Reuters, AFP, and other news services

Google Patents Contact Lens Cameras; Internet Is Wary

Google Patents Contact Lens Cameras; Internet Is Wary

Newsy (Apr. 15, 2014) — Google has filed for a patent to develop contact lenses capable of taking photos. The company describes possible benefits to blind people. Video provided by Newsy

View video in new page

Powered by NewsLook.com

The Walking, Talking Oil-Drigging Rig

The Walking, Talking Oil-Drigging Rig

Reuters - Business Video Online (Apr. 15, 2014) — Pennsylvania-based Schramm is incorporating modern technology in its next generation oil-drigging rigs, making them smaller, safer and smarter. Ernest Scheyder reports. Video provided by Reuters

View video in new page

Powered by NewsLook.com

Dutch Highway Introduces Glow-In-The-Dark Paint

Dutch Highway Introduces Glow-In-The-Dark Paint

Newsy (Apr. 14, 2014) — A Dutch highway has become the first lit by glow-in-the-dark paint — a project aimed at reducing street light use. Video provided by Newsy

View video in new page

Powered by NewsLook.com

Google Buys Drone Maker, Hopes to Connect Rural World

Google Buys Drone Maker, Hopes to Connect Rural World

Newsy (Apr. 14, 2014) — Formerly courted by Facebook, Titan Aerospace will become a part of Google's quest to blanket the world in Internet connectivity. Video provided by Newsy

View video in new page

Powered by NewsLook.com

Search ScienceDaily

Number of stories in archives: 140,361

Find with keyword(s):

Enter a keyword or phrase to search ScienceDaily for related topics and research stories.

Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy

Date:

March 28, 2013

Source:

University of Calgary

Two University of Calgary researchers have developed a ground-breaking way to make new affordable and efficient catalysts for converting electricity into chemical energy.

Their technology opens the door to homeowners and energy companies being able to easily store and reuse solar and wind power. Such energy is clean and renewable, but it's available only when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.

The research by Curtis Berlinguette and Simon Trudel, both in the chemistry department in the Faculty of Science, has just been published in the journal Science.

"This breakthrough offers a relatively cheaper method of storing and reusing electricity produced by wind turbines and solar panels," says Curtis Berlinguette, associate professor of chemistry and Canada Research Chair in Energy Conversion.

"Our work represents a critical step for realizing a large-scale, clean energy economy," adds Berlinguette, who's also director of the university's Centre for Advanced Solar Materials.

Simon Trudel, assistant professor of chemistry, says their work "opens up a whole new field of how to make catalytic materials. We now have a large new arena for discovery."

The pair have patented their technology and created from their university research a spin-off company, FireWater Fuel Corp., to commercialize their electrocatalysts for use in electrolyzers.

Electrolyzer devices use catalysts to drive a chemical reaction that converts electricity into chemical energy by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen fuels. These fuels can then be stored and re-converted to electricity for use whenever wanted.

The only byproduct from such a 'green' energy system is water, which can be recycled through the system. To store and provide renewable power to a typical house would require an electrolyzer about the size of a beer fridge, containing a few litres of water and converting hydrogen to electricity with virtually no emissions, the researchers say.

Key to their discovery is that they deviated from conventional thinking about catalysts, which typically are made from rare, expensive and toxic metals in a crystalline structure.

Instead, Berlinguette and Trudel turned to simpler production methods for catalysts. This involved using abundant metal compounds or oxides (including iron oxide or 'rust') to create mixed metal oxide catalysts having a disordered or amorphous, structure.

Laboratory tests -- reported in their Science paper -- show their new catalysts perform as well or better than expensive catalysts now on the market, yet theirs cost 1,000 times less.

Their research was supported by the university's Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy, Alberta Innovates, Mitacs and FireWater Fuel Corp.

FireWater Fuel Corp. expects to have a commercial product in the current large-scale electrolyzer market in 2014, and a prototype electrolyzer -- using their new catalysts -- ready by 2015 for testing in a home.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Calgary. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

R. D. L. Smith, M. S. Prevot, R. D. Fagan, Z. Zhang, P. A. Sedach, M. K. J. Siu, S. Trudel, C. P. Berlinguette. Photochemical Route for Accessing Amorphous Metal Oxide Materials for Water Oxidation Catalysis. Science, 2013; DOI: 10.1126/science.1233638

Cite This Page:

MLA

APA

Chicago

University of Calgary. "Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 March 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130328142356.htm>.

University of Calgary. (2013, March 28). Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 16, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130328142356.htm

University of Calgary. "Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130328142356.htm (accessed April 16, 2014).

Save/Print:

Share:

Breaking News:

Reliable Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Software: Looks On Faces Predict Test Scores

First Direct Observations of Excitons in Motion

U.S.: Warm West, Cold East: 4,000-Year Pattern

Brain Imaging: Recovery from Vegetative State?

'Water World' Theory of Life's Origins Outlined

Brain Changes Linked to Casual Marijuana Use

Astronomers: 'Tilt-a-Worlds' Could Harbor Life

SSRI Use During Pregnancy Linked to Autism

Hunter-Gatherers: Tale of Bacteria Co-Evolution

Brain Imaging: Recovery from Vegetative State?

Related Stories

Technology Could Lead to More Reliable Renewable Energy Systems

Dec. 3, 2013 — Renewable energy sources such as wind-powered generators can be more reliable and efficient by better controlling the process of getting electricity onto the power grid, according to new ... full story

Wind and Solar Power Paired With Storage Could Power Grid 99.9 Percent of the Time

Dec. 10, 2012 — Renewable energy could fully power a large electric grid 99.9 percent of the time by 2030 at costs comparable to today's electricity expenses, according to new research. A well-designed ... full story

Metal Particle Generates New Hope for Hydrogen Energy

June 28, 2011 — Tiny metallic particles produced by Australian chemistry researchers are bringing new hope for the production of cheap, efficient and clean hydrogen ... full story

World Can Be Powered by Alternative Energy, Using Today's Technology, in 20-40 Years, Experts Say

Jan. 26, 2011 — A new study analyzing what is needed to convert the world's energy supplies to clean and sustainable sources says that it can be done with today's technology at costs roughly comparable to ... full story

Storing Green Electricity as Natural Gas

May 5, 2010 — Renewable electricity can be transformed into a substitute for natural gas. Until now, electricity was generated from gas. Now, a German-Austrian cooperation wants to go in the opposite direction. In ... full story

more related stories

Trending Topics

from the past week

Space & Time

NASA

Extrasolar Planets

Space Station

Space Telescopes

Pluto

Stars

Space Missions

Space Probes

Matter & Energy

Optics

Construction

Engineering and Construction

Technology

Organic Chemistry

Materials Science

Inorganic Chemistry

Nature of Water

Computers & Math

Encryption

Computer Programming

Hacking

Information Technology

Mobile Computing

Robotics

Artificial Intelligence

Distributed Computing

In Other News

... from NewsDaily.com

Science News

SpaceX will try again Fri. to launch station cargo

Storm surge risks get their own graphics, warnings

U.S. agencies back DigitalGlobe bid to sell sharper images

T. rex gets new home in Smithsonian dinosaur hall

Full lunar eclipse delights Americas, 1st of year

Health News

Casual pot use causes brain abnormalities in the young: study

Bill signed allowing surprise inspections of Arizona abortion clinics

Brain scan shows which vegetative patients have hope

Goat to be cloned to treat rare genetic disorder

New Cover Oregon director reins in spending

Environment News

3 rescued from ship taking on water in New Orleans

Protector of vast African park shot and wounded

Suzuki joins fuel efficiency race with simplified hybrid system

AP PHOTOS: Hikers take to mountains for winter fix

Beijing says one third of its pollution comes from outside the city

Technology News

Alibaba steals Yahoo's thunder ahead of IPO

Twitter rules out Turkey office amid tax row

New US-Spanish firm says targets rich mobile ad market

Court rejects bankruptcy protection for Mt. Gox

Tencent launches Candy Crush game in China

Save/Print:

Share:

Free Subscriptions

Get the latest science news with ScienceDaily's free email newsletters, updated daily and weekly. Or view hourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader:

Email Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Get Social & Mobile

Keep up to date with the latest news from ScienceDaily via social networks and mobile apps:

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

iPhone

Android

Web

Have Feedback?

Tell us what you think of ScienceDaily -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. Have any problems using the site? Questions?

Leave Feedback

Contact Us

About ScienceDaily  |  Editorial Staff  |  Awards & Reviews  |  Contribute News  |  Advertise with Us  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
Copyright 2014 by ScienceDaily, LLC or by third-party sources, where indicated. All rights controlled by their respective owners.
Content on this website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical or other professional advice.
Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners.

Mobile:  iPhone Android Web

Follow:  Facebook Twitter Google+

Subscribe:  RSS Feeds Email Newsletters

​

ScienceDaily features breaking news and videos about the latest discoveries in health, technology, the environment, and more -- from major news services and leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.

Quick Links

Latest Headlines

All Top News

Top Science News

Health News

Physical & Tech News

Environment News

Society & Education

Search Archives

RSS Newsfeeds

Email Newsletters

Site Information

About ScienceDaily

Editorial Staff

Awards & Reviews

Contribute News

Advertise With Us

Privacy Policy

Terms of Use

Copyright Policy

Contact Us

Health

Read ScienceDaily's top medical sciences and health stories, or browse by topic:

Health & Medicine

Allergy

Alternative Medicine

Birth Control

Cancer

Diabetes

Diseases

Heart Disease

HIV and AIDS

Obesity

Stem Cells

... more topics

Mind & Brain

ADD and ADHD

Addiction

Alzheimer's

Autism

Depression

Headaches

Intelligence

Psychology

Relationships

Schizophrenia

... more topics

Living Well

Parenting

Pregnancy

Sexual Health

Skin Care

Men's Health

Women's Health

Nutrition

Diet and Weight Loss

Fitness

Healthy Aging

... more topics

Physical/Tech

Read ScienceDaily's top physical sciences and technology stories, or browse by topic:

Space & Time

Astronomy

Black Holes

Dark Matter

Extrasolar Planets

Mars

Moon

Solar System

Space Telescopes

Stars

Sun

... more topics

Matter & Energy

Aviation

Chemistry

Electronics

Fossil Fuels

Nanotechnology

Physics

Quantum Physics

Solar Energy

Technology

Wind Energy

... more topics

Computers & Math

Artificial Intelligence

Communications

Computer Science

Hacking

Mathematics

Quantum Computers

Robotics

Software

Video Games

Virtual Reality

... more topics

Environment

Read ScienceDaily's top biological sciences and environment stories, or browse by topic:

Plants & Animals

Agriculture and Food

Animals

Biology

Biotechnology

Endangered Animals

Extinction

Genetically Modified

Microbes and More

New Species

Zoology

... more topics

Earth & Climate

Climate

Earthquakes

Environment

Geography

Geology

Global Warming

Hurricanes

Ozone Holes

Pollution

Weather

... more topics

Fossils & Ruins

Ancient Civilizations

Anthropology

Archaeology

Dinosaurs

Early Humans

Early Mammals

Evolution

Lost Treasures

Origin of Life

Paleontology

... more topics

Search

Quirky

Read ScienceDaily's strange and offbeat stories, or browse by topic:

Human Quirks

Health & Medicine

Mind & Brain

Living Well

Bizarre Things

Space & Time

Matter & Energy

Computers & Math

Odd Creatures

Plants & Animals

Earth & Climate

Fossils & Ruins

Weird World

Science & Society

Business & Industry

Education & Learning

Society/Education

Read ScienceDaily's top society and education stories, or browse by topic:

Science & Society

Arts & Culture

Consumerism

Economics

Political Science

Privacy Issues

Public Health

Racial Disparity

Religion

Sports

World Development

... more topics

Business & Industry

Biotechnology & Bioengineering

Computers & Internet

Energy & Resources

Engineering

Medical Technology

Pharmaceuticals

Transportation

... more topics

Education & Learning

Animal Learning & Intelligence

Creativity

Educational Psychology

Educational Technology

Infant & Preschool Learning

Learning Disorders

STEM Education

... more topics

Latest Headlines Health & Medicine Mind & Brain Space & Time Matter & Energy Computers & Math Plants & Animals Earth & Climate Fossils & Ruins