Latest news with #ACSAppliedMaterials&Interfaces
Agriland
6 days ago
- Science
- Agriland
Researchers Develop Cost Effective Ammonia Sensor for Farmers
Researchers at University College Cork (UCC) have developed a groundbreaking new sensor that they say significantly advances the detection of ammonia pollution in real-time. This technology is aimed at transforming environmental monitoring, removing the cost barriers to farmers and supporting the enhancement of sustainable farming practices. Efficient detection of ammonia (NH3) is essential for reducing air and water pollution, safeguarding human health, promoting sustainable agriculture, and shaping climate and environmental policies, according to the research team. Current technologies for NH3 measurement include spectroscopic techniques and sensors that can be expensive, bulky, and impractical for widespread or field applications. The new silicon nanowire sensor developed by UCC researchers is described as a "promising alternative". This breakthrough is a result of the EU-funded RADICAL project led by UCC, with the findings published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. The team has stated that the nanowire sensor is sensitive and precise, consumes minimal power, and operates at room temperature, allowing for real-time air quality monitoring. As the sensor design is compatible with existing technology, it is said to be cost effective and simple to produce. It reportedly can also quickly and reliably detect ammonia, even in small amounts, and provide a portable solution for use in diverse environments. Ammonia pollution primarily originates from agricultural activities and poses significant environmental and health risks. In Ireland, where agriculture plays a major role, ammonia emissions are a critical concern. Urban sources such as vehicle emissions also contribute. Once in the atmosphere, ammonia reacts with acidic gases to form particulate matter (PM2.5), which is harmful to human health and can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Direct exposure can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs, the research team has said. Environmentally, excess ammonia causes water pollution, leading to algal blooms and eutrophication, which harm aquatic life. It also impacts air quality and climate. Dr. Vaishali Vardhan, lead author of the paper said: 'This new sensor is a powerful tool for both air quality monitoring and research. It is low in cost, small, and suitable for large-scale deployment. "What distinguishes our technology is the use of bare silicon nanowires - avoiding complex hybridisation techniques - which makes the sensor more affordable and scalable. "The integration of UV light further boosts its sensitivity, enabling efficient detection of ammonia at low concentrations." RADICAL project coordinator, Prof. Justin Holmes added: "This pioneering technology is set to revolutionise environmental monitoring in the agricultural sector. "It will allow farmers to make more informed decisions, benefiting both their businesses and the environment as a whole."
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Invent Device That Straps to Any Car's Tailpipe, Transforming Exhaust Into Electricity
The combustion engines in gas-powered cars can produce a lot of power by burning dead dinosaurs, but they're surprisingly inefficient at it, with most of the energy they consume — an estimated three quarters of it — getting lost as heat off the engine and through the tailpipe. That raises an obvious question: what if you could recover some of those wasted thermal emissions and put them to use, recapturing the lost power to greatly increase vehicles' efficiency? It's an idea that scientists have long been chasing, with limited progress as far as practical implementations go in vehicles, in part due to cost-effectiveness challenges. But now, a team of researchers say they've created a device that can do just that — turn exhaust heat into electricity — with a relatively simple design that can be added to an existing car's tailpipe, or even the exhaust vents of other vehicles like helicopters. As detailed in a study published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, the prototype thermoelectric generator was able to produce a maximum power output of 40 Watts, which is enough to power a lightbulb — and that's just in their limited experiments so far. Thermoelectric generators rely on temperature gradients to work. In essence, when one of these devices is placed near or on something producing waste heat, electrons are drawn from the hot side to the cold side, creating an electric current. In this case, the researchers say they used a semiconductor made of bismuth-telluride to facilitate this process. But the main challenge is maintaining that temperature difference. Without intervening, the cold part of the generator would start to heat up, too, and you'd lose the current. Some solutions, as the researchers note, use water cooling. That introduces a lot of complications, though, and makes a device more complex and bulky. What they were going for was meant to be adaptable and practical. So instead, they used a clever but relatively simple heatsink design using a cylinder with fin-like protrusions that wraps around a tailpipe, providing additional surface area to let off heat via forced convection — or in other words, moving, ambient air carrying away the heat. And in a fast vehicle, that comes naturally. When simulating high-speed environments, the researchers found that their thermoelectric system could produce up to 56 Watts of power when traveling at the speed of a car. And for helicopters, it was nearly thrice that: 146 Watts. "These results could potentially pave the way toward the integration of TE devices into complex system designs for practical applications," the authors concluded. More on energy: Energy Companies Stocks Plummet as DeepSeek Shows AI Doesn't Need Entire Coal Plants to Cheat on
