first magneto caloric heatpump for low temp small loads!

here is the story, really quite exciting, the only moving parts are a circulation pump and electric operated valves to control flow, and a smart bit of programming to take in account the various pressures, temps, and optimise the various flow rates by adjusting the magnetic flux around the heat exchanger body, a five kg piece of ......check the story, i forget now... https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/09/30/magnetocaloric-heat-pump-for-residential-applications/

The Most Important UFO Investigator On The Planet (ft. James Fox)

the director who made out of the blue, and many other famous movies on the subject of the phenomenon, here interviewd by a very sympathetic and smart guy!

LNG exports worse than coal in GHG emissions, in latest Cornell U study.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/biden-lng-coal Noting that "over 20 years, methane is a far more powerful climate villain than ever previously appreciated," Science & Environmental Health Network senior scientist Sandra Steingraber said that "methane is the Houdini of greenhouse gasses, escaping into the atmosphere from all parts of the natural gas system at a pace that far exceeds earlier estimates." "Taken together, these findings mean that the stakes for the modeling assumptions chosen for estimating the climate impacts of LNG and hydrogen fuels could not be higher," Steingraber stressed. "It's imperative that our Departments of Energy and Treasury base their climate modeling assumptions on the abundance of scientific evidence and not the distorted claims and wishful thinking of the fossil fuel industry."

how lasers got started, with help from NASA to develop alien tech!

https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOB/comments/1fgguhx/russell_targs_sri_remote_viewing_program_funded/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Dark soil is an effective greenhouse gas absorber

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adh8499 Intentional creation of carbon-rich dark earth soils in the Amazon The Terra Preta do Mangabal (TPM) archaeological site is located on a high forested bluff on the left bank of the Upper Tapajós River within the traditionally occupied territory of riverine (beiradeiro) communities (fig. S4). Much of the dark earth at the TPM site is concentrated on the edge of the bluff and in the most elevated area. The site was used as a homestead in the recent past and a small area on the edge of the bluff is currently being cultivated with bananas. It appears that cultivation covered a small part of the site along the bluff edge in the recent past. The northern half of the site consists of old-growth forest with canopy emergent trees, resulting in the high organic carbon levels near the surface in the middle of the soil transect due to the thick forest litter layer. We excavated 70 auger holes at distance intervals of 25 to 50 m to delimit the archaeological deposits at the site. Our excavations indicate a reduction of artifacts northward as the landscape transitions to grassland, indicating an estimated area of at least 20 ha. The TPM site contains a large quantity of ceramic and lithic remains, as well as wood charcoal, carbonized seeds, and faunal remains. The average depth of dark earth at the site is 50 cm, although areas of middens and mounded deposits contain deeper dark earth horizons (57, 58). Available radiocarbon ages range from 1260 to 940 cal BP (fig. S28 and table S7) (57, 58), while available OSL dates range between 1572 ± 188 before present (BP) and 1135 ± 81 BP (table S8). These dates are interpreted to be from a single, continuous occupation that has been related to Tupian speakers ancestral to the Munduruku people (59). The Mangangá archaeological site is a forested site in a valley in the Carajás Mountains located along the Sossego River (a mountain stream with headwaters on the nearby plateau) near the confluence of a small tributary (fig. S5) (60). The riverbank is a few meters high with a narrow floodplain, 20 to 30 m wide, on the southeast and south side of the site and an upper terrace where most of the archaeological deposits were found. The transect presented here is 100 m long with sampled profiles every 10 m. It begins at the river’s edge, crosses the narrow floodplain (20 m), and traverses the slope and upper terrace through archaeological deposits with dark earth (61, 62). Radiocarbon dates on and near the transect range from 3700 to 500 BP, but the lower levels of excavations in other areas of the site were dated to as early as 11,800 BP, including early Holocene soil enrichment (fig. S29 and table S7) (60). Mapping Mapping of archaeological features and excavations in the Upper Xingu was carried out with a Trimble XRS Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver with real-time correction (41, 42). Mapped features include ditches, plazas, roads, and water access locations. Plazas and roads are bordered by linear mounds up to 1 m high. These features were mapped by collecting points at intervals of several meters in the approximate center of the mound or ditch. Additional sample locations were recorded with a Garmin hand-held GPS. At the TPM site, sample locations were mapped with a total station and georeferenced with a Garmin hand-held GPS. Contours were derived from the Multi-Error-Removed Improved-Terrain (MERIT) digital elevation model (63). At Mangangá, the topography and sample locations were mapped with a total station and georeferenced with a Garmin hand-held GPS. Soil sample collection Soil samples were collected during archaeological excavations or in transects using a bucket auger. Excavations included 1-m-wide trenches that bisect archaeological features, 1-m2 excavation units (including block excavations), or 50 × 50 cm test pits. Samples were collected from excavation walls with a trowel in a vertical column in 5- or 10-cm increments. Additional samples were collected at 1-m intervals in transects within or outside excavations using an 8-cm bucket auger to extract a core in 5- or 10-cm depth intervals up to 2-m deep. At Kuikuro II, samples were collected from four test pits along a 60-m transect beginning in a backyard refuse disposal area and ending in a manioc field outside of the village (Fig. 1B). Additional samples were collected at 1-m intervals on transects within village zones (plaza, house, backyard, and refuse middens) and activity areas (hearths and manioc processing) (27). Samples were collected from a transect in the center of and parallel to an old midden that was formerly on the edge of a backyard at the Ipatse village site (occupied ca. 1920–1940). At the historic village site Kuikuro I (occupied ca. 1973–1983), samples were collected in the former plaza, domestic areas, middens, and trails (27). One 52-m transect, with samples at 1-m intervals to a depth of 30 cm, began in the plaza, passed through a former house and backyard, and lastly over a mounded midden (fig. S3). At Seku, a transect with seven test pits begins in the mound surrounding the plaza and extends for 970 m between two major roads (Fig. 1C). At Akagahütü, we sampled a transect traversing the site from the edge of the floodplain, adjacent to a probable excavated pond, to the peripheral earthwork (ditch), and four additional test pits were excavated beginning on the outside of the ditch and leading away from the site between two major roads (fig. S1A). At Ngokugu, a 100-m transect, with cores every 5 m, begins on the outer edge of the circular central plaza, traverses the plaza mound, and crosses a residential area before terminating near the inner ditch (fig. S1B). Additional test pit transects traverse residential areas within the inner ditch and between the inner and outer ditches (27). Test pit transects at Heulugihütü pass through residential areas outside of the central plaza (fig. S1C) (27). At TPM, the 400-m transect begins on the upper slope of a steep bluff overlooking the Tapajós River, heads inland (north-northwest) crossing the relatively flat central area of the site until it leaves the forest and enters an adjacent savannah (fig. S4). The 100-m transect at Mangangá begins at the river’s edge, crosses a narrow floodplain, goes up a low slope with deposited dark earth, crosses a flat area devoid of dark earth, and then passes through a second deposit of dark earth before lastly entering an area of decreased enrichment beyond the second deposit (fig. S5) (61, 62). Soil laboratory analysis We analyzed 3532 soil samples from 1176 individual locations (dataset S1). Each sample corresponds to a discrete depth range (e.g., 10 to 20 cm) from the excavation, test pit, or auger core. Laboratory analyses of soil samples were carried out at EMBRAPA Soils in Rio de Janeiro, EMBRAPA Amazonia Oriental in Belém, the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ)/University of São Paulo in Piracicaba, the Department of Ecology at the Emilio Goeldi Museum (MPEG) in Belém, and the environmental laboratory of Eletronorte in Belém. Samples were air-dried and screened through 2-mm mesh in preparation for chemical and physical analyses. For selected samples, particle-size analysis was performed on the <2 mm fraction. The sand fraction was measured by wet sieving, and the pipette method was used with 20 g of soil in 100 ml of distilled water plus 10 ml of 1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for measuring clay and silt fractions. Physical analyses included measurement of magnetic susceptibility (MS) and apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) using a Terraplus (Canada) model KT10 SC instrument. To standardize the samples for analysis of MS and ECa, samples were placed in petri dishes 9 cm in diameter and 1.7 cm deep, holding approximately 150 g of soil. All samples were analyzed for SOC using the modified Walkley-Black method, and soil pH was determined in distilled water (1:2.5 soil:solution) (64). A total of 193 samples were analyzed for fertility including measurements of pH in potassium chloride (KCl), exchangeable Al, Ca, and Mg by 1 M KCl extraction, and available P, K, Na, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn extracted with the Mehlich-1 solution [0.05 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) and 0.0125 M sulfuric acid, (H2SO4)] method (64, 65). For 3339 samples, a standard hydrofluoric acid (HF) digestion was used in a closed-vessel microwave system to extract total elements from 0.1 g of sample (27, 66). The mass concentration Cm of Al, Ba, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, Ti, V, and Zn was measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (Varian Vista Pro simultaneous) with axial viewing, a radio frequency of 40 MHz, and charge-coupled device detection. Soil data analysis Fence diagrams of SOC, pH, and elemental mass concentration (Fig. 2 and figs. S2, S3, and S6 to S15) were generated by linearly interpolating along transects between sampled test pits. We assumed that each sample is representative of its associated depth range and that quantities are uniform across that range. For one missing sample (Seku, 970 m along transect, 30- to 40-cm depth), we estimated values by averaging the samples immediately above and below in the same test pit. PCA was performed separately for each site using soil data normalized to a common mean and variance. PCA of the Kuikuro II, Seku, Mangangá, and TPM transects included pH, SOC, and available or extractable elemental concentrations. PCA of Akagahütü, Ngokugu, and Kuikuro I transects included pH, SOC, and total element concentrations. We plot fence diagrams of the first principal component as described above and give the weighting coefficients in tables S1 and S2. To estimate SOC and phosphorous inventories, we used the average concentration in the upper 1 m of soil at each site. To compute this average, we used a depth-integrated approach. At each depth horizon between 0 and 1 m, we computed the average of all samples whose depth range includes this horizon. We combined these averages to estimate an average depth-concentration curve for each site (figs. S16 to S26), which we integrated to a depth of 1 m to compute the average concentration. Because of the nature of the sampling, this approach typically results in fewer samples representing deeper levels than shallower levels. We performed a similar calculation for samples collected outside dark earth sites to compute background soil properties. This calculation yields the average mass concentration Cm (M/M, dimensionless) in the upper 1 m of the soil. We report these values in tables S3 and S4. We convert the mass fraction Cm to a volumetric concentration Cv (M/L3) by multiplying by the bulk density rb (M/L3), Cv = rbCm, assuming a soil bulk density of 1100 kg/m3 (67). This expression gives the average mass per unit volume of a soil quantity (e.g., SOC or P). By multiplying by a depth of 1 m, we calculate the areal density (M/L2); this is the average mass per unit area contained within the upper 1 m. To estimate the total mass (M) contained within an archaeological site, we then multiplied this average by the area of the site (L2), which we estimated using a combination of field mapping, test pits, earthworks, and vegetation patterns in satellite imagery (tables S3 and S4). For the modern Kuikuro II village, we calculated carbon and phosphorus inventories from measured concentrations and mapped areas of middens in 2002 (27). In the historic Kuikuro I village, we used measured concentrations and mapped areas of middens in 1993 (41). We report the areal densities, the mapped areas, and the total inventories in tables S3 and S4. Upper Xingu sites differ in forest cover and recent land use history, as many of the ancient dark earth sites have been used for cultivating crops within living memory. Each site was designated as forested or deforested; in this case, only Seku was designated as a forested site. To account for the lower naturally occurring SOC and nutrient concentrations in deforested settings, we computed background concentrations separately for forested and deforested samples away from archaeological sites (9.2 g/kg SOC and 856 mg/kg total P in forested areas; 6.8 g/kg SOC and 277 mg/kg total P in deforested areas). We subtracted the appropriate value from each dark earth sample to estimate the anthropogenic contribution (tables S3 and S4). Mass concentration data in the supplementary table were standardized to mg kg−1. Results that were reported in cmolc or mmolc were converted to mg by multiplying mmolc by the atomic weight of the appropriate element. For results reported in volumetric units (dm3) (Mangangá samples), a pedofunction was used that estimates the fine earth density (<2-mm grain size) based on the quantity of organic carbon (68). Geochronological analysis We collected samples for radiocarbon dating from charcoal in situ in archaeological test pits and excavations at Akagahütü, Seku, and areas between archaeological sites (table S7). Samples were measured by accelerator mass spectrometer at Beta Analytic in Miami, Florida. We converted radiocarbon dates to calibrated ages with the SHCal20 calibration curve (69) using OxCal 4.4 (70). We also compiled previously published radiocarbon dates from Ngokugu, Heulugihütü, Kuhikugu (9), Mangabal (57), and Mangangá (60) and recalibrated these dates with the updated calibration curve. We report all radiocarbon dates and calibrated ages in figures S27 and S29 and table S7. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating (table S8) was performed at the Laboratory of Gamma Spectrometry and Luminescence at the Institute of Geosciences, University of São Paulo. The dose rate was estimated by gamma spectrometry with a high-purity germanium detector using ultralow background shielding. The dose equivalent was determined by single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocols with multigrain aliquots of quartz. The OSL measurements were carried out with a Lexsyg Smart detector equipped with a beta radiation source (Sr/Y) with a dose rate of 0.116 Gy/s. The preparation of quartz aliquots included the following steps: First, detrital grains in the size range of 180 to 250 μm and 125 to 250 μm (sample 5522) fractions were recovered by wet sieving; second, the target fraction was treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 27%) to eliminate organic matter and hydrochloric acid (HCl, 10%) to remove carbonate minerals; third, a heavy liquid separation with lithium metatungstate (LMT) was used to separate heavy and light minerals (LMT = 2.75 g/cm3) and quartz (LMT = 2.62 g/cm3); fourth, the samples were etched in HF (30%) for 40 min to eliminate the external layer of quartz grains and feldspar remnants. Equivalent doses of samples were calculated using the Central Age Model, Minimum Age Model (overdispersion > 30%), and simple mean average (aliquots with dose saturation) (sample 5522). Only aliquots with a recycling ratio between 0.9 and 1.1, a recuperation <5%, and no contamination of feldspar (IR signal) were considered for the calculation of equivalent dose. A dose recovery test was made on sample 5024 (preheating to 220°C, administering doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 Gy). Ethnographic research Ethnographic and ethnoarchaeological research consisted of observations, mapping, sampling, and recording interviews carried out over 12 months of fieldwork between 2002 and 2019 in collaboration with the Kuikuro community. Informed consent was obtained from all study participants. Observations were used to determine the spatial distribution of activities in the village, which were then mapped using GPS. Soil cores were collected and analyzed in the different activity areas. Interviews were carried out with elder agricultural specialists in the community in the native Kuikuro language. Video recordings of nine interviews were translated into Portuguese by experienced Kuikuro translators and then translated to English (text S2). Portuguese text received minor edits to improve readability but was otherwise left in the translator’s words. We analyzed the interview texts by excerpting and tabulating interviewee responses related to two topics: soil management (table S5) and dark earth fertility and cultivation (table S6). We scored each response related to soil management according to whether it supports the hypothesis of intentional dark earth creation, contradicts intentionality, or neither supports nor contradicts intentionality (table S5). Text S2 provides additional information on the interviews, a glossary of key terms in the Kuikuro language, and the complete translations of the interviews in Portuguese and English. Acknowledgments W

The Great Simplification | Film on Energy, Environment, and Our Future |...

This 32 minute animation - in 4 Acts - describes the backdrop for The Great Simplification - an economic/cultural transition beginning in the not-too-distant future. We made this movie, originally as a framing 'teaser' for the new podcast thegreatsimplification.com, but the project....expanded over time. Part 1 describes how our species got to this point, and the role of energy in our economies Part 2 gives an overview of the relationship between energy, technology, money and the environment and how global human society is (currently) akin to a metabolic heat engine Part 3 gives an overview of individual (and aggregate) human behavior tendencies in a novel modern environment and why these dynamics are relevant to our current challenges Part 4 describes how people look at the future wearing different popular lenses, but when wearing a 'systems' lens, it becomes clear that a Great Simplification is soon approaching. There are show notes pinned in the comments and also at thegreatsimplification.com Please subscribe to this channel or the podcast for more content and context about what we can do to meet the future halfway.

gravity for energy storage makes sense, via bloomberg

Rather than relying on lithium-ion or other types of chemical batteries, SOM and Energy Vault plan to use gravity. Energy Vault’s systems use electric motors to elevate massive blocks, creating potential energy that can be converted into electricity when they’re lowered to the ground. A rendering of a building designed to store energy. Photographer: SOM The concept is similar to widely used pumped hydroelectric plants. The company completed its first major project this month near Shanghai, a stand-alone storage system that can supply as much as 25 megawatts of power for four hours. Other new types of gravity storage systems are also in the early stages of testing, including ones using abandoned oil wells and mines. Building owners and designers have a growing number of tools to limit carbon emissions from day-to-day operations, from better insulation to heat pumps. However, there are no substitutes for the steel and concrete that are critical components of modern buildings, which together account for more than 10% of the world’s emissions. There are efforts to decarbonize those materials, but they remain far from reaching a meaningful scale. For building owners looking to zero out emissions, turning a skyscraper into a massive battery is one avenue, according to Bill Baker, a consulting partner at Chicago-based SOM. SOM has come up with four prototypes for storage systems based on this concept. Three are standalone storage systems that use either heavy blocks or water, with two that are built into hillsides and a third that’s a tall, cylindrical tower. The last is intended for urban areas, a towering skyscraper that could include residential, retail and office spaces as well as energy storage. Energy Vault’s Shanghai project is about 150 meters (490 feet) high, but SOM’s skyscraper batteries may be much higher, starting at 300 meters. Tall buildings are SOM’s specialty. Baker was the lead designer for the Burj Khalifa, the 828-meter tower in Dubai that’s the world’s tallest building, and he sees significant potential for incorporating energy storage into skyscrapers. That’s because the higher the weights are lifted when there’s a surplus of cheap electricity, the more potential energy they will hold that can be released when electricity is needed. “If I store it twice as high, twice the energy,” said Baker. “High is better.” Once a building gets above about 200 meters, a gravity-storage system could supply more than enough power to cover its operations. That’s when building operators can start to offset the carbon footprint of construction materials, with some of SOM’s designs expected to see that payback in two to four years. Still, Energy Vault has faced hurdles, including fundamentally redesigning its gravity system and offering chemical battery storage systems to customers as a way to generate revenue now. While completing the Shanghai project was an important milestone, and partners in that venture are now planning additional storage systems in China, Energy Vault’s shares have tumbled more than 85% since it went public in 2022 in a deal with a special purpose acquisition company. The idea of adding storage to a major skyscraper is fundamentally sound, according to Thomas Boyes, an analyst with TD Cowen. Planning, permitting and financing for these kinds of developments take years, however. Boyes said it’s more likely that mixed-use towers with Energy Vault technology could appear sometime in the 2030s. “It makes sense on paper,” he said. “There are underlying reasons why buildings will want this technology, but it’s a market that takes a long time.”

hydronic slab heat with low temp mixing valve, video from heatinghelp

In this excerpt from his Classic Hydronics seminar, Dan Holohan shares his knowledge about mixing low-temperature radiant heating with a higher-temperature hot water heating system. He talks about how mixing valves work, using diverter valves, and more. Want to learn more? Read Dan Holohan’s book Classic Hydronics: How to Get the Most From Those Older Hot-Water Heating Systems. https://heatinghelp.com/systems-help-center/using-mixing-valves-for-radiant-heating/

Tailan Energy announces highest energy density battery, of 720 Wh/kg

Part of the Tailan science includes a "lithium-rich manganese-based material" in the cathode, along with a wide, thin lithium composite anode. A proprietary, high-performance electrolyte also boosts its capabilities. "It has comprehensively improved the … performance of the battery and is expected to fundamentally solve the problems of battery life and safety anxiety of traditional lithium-ion batteries," the Tailan press release states. Tailan was founded in 2018. Its "latest deal amount" was worth $13.9 million, according to data collector PitchBook. They list this on their page: Researcher and developer of emerging energy technology focus on new solid-state lithium batteries and key lithium battery materials. The company develops technology of electronic special materials and resource recycling, enabling users with battery sales, battery leasing, graphite and carbon products sales and other services. Contact Information Website www.ctlne.com Ownership Status Privately Held (backing) Financing Status Venture Capital-Backed Primary Industry Electrical Equipment Corporate Office Heater production workshop, No. 225 Yuguan Avenue Yuzui Town, Liangjiang New District Chongqing China And this is how Electrec described it: Tailan unveils 120 Ah solid-state battery cell Per a press release from the battery developer posted to WeChat this week, it has achieved several technological breakthroughs in all-solid-state lithium batteries, enabling a new prototype cell that offers ultra-high energy density that could very soon power passenger EVs longer distances on a single charge. According to Tailan, those breakthroughs pertain specifically to ultra-thin and dense composite oxide solid electrolytes, high-capacity advanced positive and negative electrode materials, and an integrated molding process that culminates into an impressive 120 Ah solid-state lithium metal cell. Based on its specs, Tailan New Energy states its solid-state battery cell sets industry records in both energy density and storage capacity. In what Talian is calling a “world’s first,” the prototype cells house an energy density of 720 Wh/kg – more than double other cells currently being integrated into passenger EVs in China, like WeLion’s batteries for NIO, for example. Those 360 Wh/kg WeLion cells are expected to propel NIO EVs over 1,000km (620 miles) on a single charge later this year, so the potential of Talian New Energy’s technology to double that density in a similarly sized architectural footprint could reshape the mobility landscape. Breaking down its new prototype cell, the battery developer shared its potentially record-setting numbers stem from high-gram capacity, lithium-rich manganese-based material in the positive electrode, an ultra-wide and thin lithium composite in the negative electrode enabling high cycle stability, and a proprietary high-performance oxide composite solid-state electrolyte, which it says addresses the solid-solid interface impedance problem plaguing current solid-state lithium cells. The release goes on: Tailan New Energy improves the migration ability of charged particles inside the cathode by building an efficient ion and electron transmission network, and uses self-developed interface flexible layer materials to effectively reduce the interface impedance while also improving the interface stability, achieving It has comprehensively improved the comprehensive performance of the battery and is expected to fundamentally solve the problems of battery life and safety anxiety of traditional lithium-ion batteries. Tailan did not mention any specific plans for passenger vehicle integration yet, but did state its latest generation of all-solid-state battery cells are vehicle grade. If the company is able to scale this technology large enough for consumer vehicles while keeping prices down, it could easily double the range of the farthest-driving EVs on the road today.

How This Fusion Tech is Solving the Geothermal Energy Problem

A deep dive on the irrational expectations of small nuclear plants

https://cleantechnica.com/2023/11/30/what-drives-this-madness-on-small-modular-nuclear-reactors/

CCS Redux: Global Spend On Carbon Capture Since 1970 Would Have Avoided More CO2 If Spent on Wind & Solar

Carbon capture and sequestration in all of its various ineffective, inefficient and expensive forms is having another run up the hype cycle. Nothing has really changed. The problems still exist. The alternatives are still better. The potential for use is still minuscule. And so, the CCS Redux series, republishing old CCS articles with minor edits. Recently [in 2019], a firm called Carbon Engineering received $68 million in investment from a trio of fossil fuel majors for its air carbon capture solution. This triggered a five-part CleanTechnica series on Carbon Engineering, its approach, and why it is not a serious answer to global warming. The process of researching the series and discussions around it raised the question of what the total global investment in carbon capture and sequestration has gained us. The answer is grim, but there’s a great news story that emerges from the sooty ashes of carbon capture. read the whole story here; https://cleantechnica.com/2024/02/09/ccs-redux-global-spend-on-carbon-capture-since-1970-would-have-avoided-more-co2-if-spent-on-wind-solar/

Electricity storage has a new low cost contender!

Hot rocks or actually blocks of graphite, with liquid tin as the transfer fluid, and the heat is converted into electricity with newly developed TVP's. thermal and photovoltaic receivers! https://open.substack.com/pub/davidroberts/p/another-hot-rocks-company-gets-in?r=50mik&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Sodium batteries edging out lithium, good study inside!

https://www.mining.com/sodium-ion-batteries-prove-to-be-resource-efficient/ Researchers at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology have demonstrated that sodium-ion batteries have an equivalent climate impact as their lithium-ion counterparts – but there isn’t a risk of running out of raw materials. “Lithium-ion batteries are becoming a dominant technology in the world and they are better for the climate than fossil-based technology, especially when it comes to transport. But lithium poses a bottleneck. You can’t produce lithium-based batteries at the same rate as you want to produce electric cars, and the deposits risk being depleted in the long term,” Rickard Arvidsson, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, said in a media statement. SIGN UP FOR THE BATTERY METALS DIGEST Arvidsson pointed out that in addition to their limited natural availability, critical battery materials, such as lithium and cobalt, are largely mined in just a few places in the world, posing a risk to the supply. In his view, this is why sodium-ion batteries offer promising technology and why his team decided to look deeper into them. In detail, they carried out a life cycle assessment of the batteries, where they examined their total environmental and resource impact during raw material extraction and manufacturing. “We came to the conclusion that sodium-ion batteries are much better than lithium-ion batteries in terms of impact on mineral resource scarcity, and equivalent in terms of climate impact,” Arvidsson said. “Depending on which scenario you look at, they end up at between 60 and just over 100 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide equivalents per kilowatt hour theoretical electricity storage capacity, which is lower than previously reported for this type of sodium-ion battery. It’s clearly a promising technology.” The researchers also identified several measures with the potential to reduce climate impact further, such as developing an environmentally better electrolyte, as it accounted for a large part of the battery’s total impact. Energy storage Today’s sodium-ion batteries are already expected to be used for stationary energy storage in the electricity grid, and with continued development, they will probably also be used in electric vehicles in the future. 
”Energy storage is a prerequisite for the expansion of wind and solar power. Given that the storage is done predominantly with batteries, the question is what those batteries will be made from? Increased demand for lithium and cobalt could be an obstacle to this development,” Arvidsson noted. The major advantage of the technology is that the materials in the sodium-ion batteries are abundant and can be found all over the world. One electrode in the batteries – the cathode – has sodium ions as a charge carrier, and the other electrode – the anode – consists of hard carbon, which in one of the examples the Chalmers researchers have investigated can be produced from biomass from the forest industry. “Batteries based on abundant raw materials could reduce geopolitical risks and dependencies on specific regions, both for battery manufacturers and countries,” Arvidsson said. Life cycle assessment The study is a prospective life cycle assessment of two different sodium-ion battery cells where the environmental and resource impact is calculated from raw material extraction to the manufacture of a battery cell. The functional unit of the study is 1 kWh theoretical electricity storage capacity at the cell level. Both types of battery cells are mainly based on abundant raw materials. The anode is made up of hard carbon from either bio-based lignin or fossil raw materials, and the cathode is made up of so-called “Prussian white” (consisting of sodium, iron, carbon and nitrogen). The electrolyte contains a sodium salt. The production is modelled to correspond to a future, large-scale production. For example, the actual production of the battery cell is based on today’s large-scale production of lithium-ion batteries in gigafactories. Two different electricity mixes were tested, as well as two different types of so-called allocation methods – that is, allocation of resources and emissions. One where the climate and resource impact is distributed between coproducts based on mass, and one method where all impact is allocated to the main product (the sodium-ion battery and its components and materials).

When weather turns real cold, wind turbines get shut down.

https://pipelineonline.ca/alta-wind-shutdown-due-to-cold/ UPDATE: By 7:28 a.m., wind output fell to less than 1 per cent of capacity One of the first lessons any new engineering student learns in their materials class is “cold brittle behaviour” of materials. When it gets really cold, like -30 C or colder, many materials lose much of their strength and are prone to shattering. This applies to wind turbines as much as it applies to car bumpers. And as a result, most wind turbines are shut down when the ambient temperatures reaches around -30 C, lest their continued operation cause them to shatter. And such shutdowns were plainly evident the evening of Jan. 11, on both the Alberta Electric System Operator website and on Dispatcho.app. That’s a website that logs the minute-by-minute data published by the AESO regarding the Alberta electrical grid. The screenshot above was captured at approximately 11 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 11. Temperatures were in the -28 to -30 C range for most of the areas of southern Alberta where the province’s 45 wind farms are located, according to Windy.com. That website is also very useful in showing windspeed and direction. And Windy.com showed that it wasn’t for lack of wind those farms were shutting down. Nearly every location still had 7 to 9 knots of wind. That’s not a lot, but it’s not nothing, either. This screenshot from Windy.com at 11 p.m., Jan. 11, showed wind vectors and temperatures in southern Alberta, where nearly all of the province’s grid-scale wind generation is located. Windy.com That was clearly indicated by Blackspring Ridge, which all by itself was providing roughly half of the roughly 400 megawatts of wind power in Alberta at the time. Located near Lethbridge, it was producing roughly two-thirds of its nameplate capacity, despite wind speeds of 7 knots and gusts up to 16 knots at Lethbridge, while the temperature was -28 C. Stirling Wind, on the other side of Lethbridge, was producing 47 megawatts just a few hours earlier, before dropping to 2 megawatts at 9 p.m. In the hour that followed, Blackspring Ridge, too, appeared to be spinning down in a linear fashion, producing 79 megawatts at 12:15 a.m. And at 7:28 a.m., it was at one megawatt. As all of this was taking place, the pool price for Alberta flowed around the $450 to $667 range. There was a sharp uptick in prices at 5 p.m., as demand was peaking and wind assets were increasingly going offline. Wind output continued to fall throughout the night. As the workforce was warming up its morning breakfast and coffee, wind power generation had fallen to 37 megawatts out of an installed capacity of 4,481 megawatts. That’s 0.8 per cent, or eight one-thousandths of nameplate capacity, on one of the coldest days of the year, produced by hundreds of wind turbines across 45 wind farms costing billions of dollars. By this point, temperatures across southern Alberta had fallen to -31 C in most locations, but wind was still 7-9 knots in most wind-producing locations, according to Windy.com. And since the sun had yet to rise, solar output was zero, out of 1,650 megawatts. And power pool prices were expected to spike throughout the day, according to X bot account @ReliableAB. It also turns out Alberta set a record for peak demand on Jan. 11, according to the AESO: White knight There may soon be a white knight to the rescue, however, in terms of a massive new power combined cycle natural gas-fired station with two 450 megawatt generating units coming online for a total of 900 megawatts that will be both baseload and dispatchable. The Globe and Mail wrote about it here. As described by Dispatcho.app, “Cascade 1 (CAS1) is a 450 MW natural gas combined cycle generator located in Yellowhead County, approximately 12 KM southwest of Edson, AB. This asset is located at the same facility as Cascade 2, which together cost ~$1.5B to build, and was connected to the grid in 2023. The facility is comprised of two Siemens SCC6-8000H gas turbines for a combined generation capacity of 900 MW. These turbines are designed for short start-up and ramp times which will help ensure a stable power grid in Alberta. This asset is owned by Kineticor.” Cascade Unit 1 is still in startup phase, as Kineticor announced on LinkedIn on Jan. 10, “We are thrilled to announce that the Cascade Power Project has successfully delivered its first megawatt onto the Alberta Power Grid!” However, the evening of Jan. 11, the AESO was showing Cascade Units 1 and 2 were not providing power at that time. Meanwhile in Saskatchewan In Saskatchewan, it was getting pretty cold as well, and it showed up in SaskPower’s grid demand webpage. At 7 p.m., that monitor showed SaskPower’s hourly average usage was 3,760 megawatts, just 150 megawatts shy of the all-time record established two years earlier, on Dec. 30, 2021. That, too, was a very cold night.