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Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
MIT researchers develop high-performance power source that transform future planes and trains: 'This work suggests a pathway'
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed high-performance sodium-air fuel cells that could provide an affordable power source for electric planes and trains. According to MIT News, the prototype devices offer a significant increase in energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries, potentially capable of unlocking three times as much energy per pound as today's top-performing electric vehicle batteries. Since it can store more energy for its weight and size, it could be a viable power source for electric aviation, where weight is a major factor. The device utilizes a reaction between liquid sodium metal, a readily available resource that can be extracted from table salt, and air to generate electricity. Along with being cost-effective and efficient, the new fuel cell is also significantly safer than lithium-ion batteries, as it utilizes air as one of its reactants, which is less prone to spontaneous combustion when exposed to moisture. Yet-Ming Chiang, an MIT professor of materials science and engineering, said that the ideal energy density for regional electric planes is about 1,000 watt-hours per kilogram, but that wouldn't be nearly enough juice to power international flights. However, it would be a decent start, as MIT News reported that domestic flights are responsible for 30% of pollution from the aviation sector. The technology could be used in trains, boats, and potentially even large drones, offering a planet-friendly alternative to fossil fuels that are driving extreme weather and rising global temperatures. Humans and wildlife would benefit as well, as the burning of dirty fuels causes widespread health issues such as respiratory illnesses, cancer, and other ailments that reduce quality of life. As a bonus, the sodium air fuel cells don't produce carbon dioxide pollution and their by-products, such as sodium oxide, actually help absorb planet-warming gases in the atmosphere. In addition, "if the final product, the sodium bicarbonate, ends up in the ocean, it could help to deacidify the water, countering another of the damaging effects of greenhouse gases," reported MIT News. The device exists as a small prototype, but Propel Aero, a battery company formed by members of the MIT research team, is working to commercialize the technology. The startup plans to build a prototype fuel cell the size of a shoebox for large drones within a year. Do you think the federal government should give us tax breaks to improve our homes? Definitely Only for certain upgrades Let each state decide instead No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "We expect people to think that this is a totally crazy idea," Chiang said. "If they didn't, I'd be a bit disappointed because if people don't think something is totally crazy at first, it probably isn't going to be that revolutionary." "Combined with historical precedents for the large volume production of sodium metal, this work suggests a pathway for utilization of sodium metal as a sustainable, low-carbon energy carrier," the team noted in its paper, which was published in the journal Joule. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
‘On its last breath': MIT astronomers discover disintegrating planet
Massachusetts Institute of Technology astronomers have discovered a planet roughly 140 light-years from Earth — but it's quickly disintegrating. The planet, which scientists have tagged as BD+05 4868 Ab, is located so close to the sun that it completes a full orbit every 30.5 hours, according to MIT News. As a result, it's likely covered in magma, causing the planet to evaporate and shed the equivalent of one Mount Everest's worth of surface materials during every orbit. The astronomers estimate the planet may disintegrate fully within the next 1 to 2 million years. Debris trails behind the planet in a comet-like fashion, which is how the astronomers first detected it with NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). 'We got lucky with catching it exactly when it's really going away,' Avi Shporer, a collaborator on the discovery who is also at the TESS Science Office, told MIT News. 'It's like, on its last breath.' The recent discovery is a rare find for astronomers. Among the 6,000 planets identified thus far, only three of them are disintegrating planets beyond our solar system — and BD+05 4868 Ab has a longer tail than all of them. Marc Hon, a postdoc in MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research in Cambridge, describes the planet's tail as 'gargantuan' and told MIT News it's up to 9 million kilometers long. That's about half of the planet's orbit around the sun. However, the astronomers estimate the planet has a low mass and low gravity, which is contributing to its quick disintegration. 'This is a very tiny object, with very weak gravity, so it easily loses a lot of mass, which then further weakens its gravity, so it loses even more mass,' Shporer told MIT News. 'It's a runaway process, and it's only getting worse and worse for the planet.' Hon and graduate student Nicholas Tusay from Penn State University will continue to study BD+05 4868 Ab this summer with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, according to MIT News. The special telescope can help astronomers learn about the mineral makeup of the planet's dust trail by identifying which colors of infrared light it absorbs. 'This will be a unique opportunity to directly measure the interior composition of a rocky planet, which may tell us a lot about the diversity and potential habitability of terrestrial planets outside our solar system,' Hon said. Payton Pritchard winning NBA award shows Boston Celtics' culture at work FBI analyst calls Hadley man's small stash of plutonium 'not that big of a deal' Zack Kelly optioned to Worcester; here's what Red Sox want to see improve Worcester Mayor Petty kicks off campaign, pledges to replace old school buildings Chicago Schools leader Pedro Martinez selected for top education post in Mass. Read the original article on MassLive.
