article thumbnail

Researchers from Caltech and UC San Diego report very high performance catalysts to convert seed oils to olefins

Green Car Congress

Researchers from Caltech and UC San Diego have developed a family of ruthenium-based metathesis catalysts that have shown exceptional activity in the conversion of seed oils to linear-chain olefins. The ethanolysis of fatty acids derived from seed oils could provide a renewable source of LAOs. —Marx et al. Sullivan, A.

San Diego 150
article thumbnail

Materials science as key enabler for clean energy transition

Green Car Congress

If you don’t change direction, you will end up where you are heading,” said Lao Tzu, the father of Taoism. Better catalysts and photoelectrochemical devices allow a more efficient generation of hydrogen and oxygen (g), and CO 2 conversion to fuels and chemicals (h). Where are we heading? Illustration courtesy of Paloma Liu. Chen et al.

Clean 150
article thumbnail

A Skeptic’s Take on Beaming Power to Earth from Space

Cars That Think

Mankins, former NASA physicist Features: Thin-film reflectors (conical array) track the sun and concentrate sunlight onto an Earth-facing energy-conversion array that has photovoltaic (PV) panels on one side, microwave antennas on the other, and power distribution and control electronics in the middle. SPS-ALPHA Mark-III Proposed by: John C.

Powered 144
article thumbnail

Ukraine Is Riddled With Land Mines. Drones and AI Can Help

Cars That Think

In light of those conversations, we developed a user-friendly Web application called SpotlightAI. Maybe we’ll eventually have separate models for places such as Angola, Iraq, and Laos. Our current model is optimized for Ukraine and the types of EO found there, but many other countries are still dealing with contamination.

Ukraine 144