Latest news with #LLNL
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Volcanic Eruptions Can Create Ice in The Sky, And We Finally Know How
Satellites soaring high above Earth have revealed exactly how wispy clouds are created by the giant plumes of ash belched upwards in a volcanic eruption. Volcanoes play a vital role in the cycles governing Earth's climate. When active volcanoes erupt, they release gases like carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, which can have a warming or cooling effect. Volcanic ash and dust are also released high in the atmosphere, injecting aerosols where clouds typically form. For some time, scientists have wondered how these aerosols affect cloud formation. In a new study, researchers from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) concluded that volcanic ash particles can trigger the formation of wispy cirrus clouds high in the atmosphere by providing a nucleus that ice particles can glom onto – a process known as "ice nucleation." "Our research helps close a significant knowledge gap about whether and how volcanic eruptions influence cloud formation," says LLNL atmospheric scientist Lin Lin. "We show that volcanic ash particles can trigger ice cloud formation by acting as sites for ice nucleation. Clouds play a vital role in regulating Earth's climate and energy balance. In addition to covering about 70 percent of the surface at any given time, reflecting sunlight and absorbing heat, they're also an integral aspect of the planet's water cycle. As such, a better understanding of cloud formation and the impact of aerosols is needed. The research of Lin and and her team is based on 10 years of data from NASA's CloudSat and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite (CALIPSO) missions. CloudSat examines the interior of clouds to determine how tropical cyclones and climate changes (related to clouds) occur. CALIPSO monitors the roles clouds and aerosols play in regulating Earth's weather, climate, and air quality. From their observations, Lin and colleagues noted consistent changes in the properties of cirrus clouds following three volcanic eruptions. Where ash-rich eruptions occurred, the researchers noted that these high-altitude clouds (largely composed of ice) became more frequent. While these clouds hosted significantly fewer ice crystals compared to cirrus clouds at other times, the crystals did have were were larger. None of this occurred with ash-poor eruptions. "At the beginning of the study, we did expect clouds affected by volcanic eruptions to look different from natural clouds, but not in the way we ultimately found," says Lin. "We anticipated that volcanic aerosols would lead to an increase in the number of ice crystals in clouds. But to our surprise, the data showed the opposite." Initially, the group expected ice to form uniformly in a process whereby water spontaneously condenses from very cold water droplets. Instead, they observed water collecting on the ash aerosols before they were cold enough to freeze spontaneously, forming larger clumps of ice. "The results completely overturned our original expectations," Lin adds. "Letting go of our initial idea and developing a new explanation based on unexpected findings was both the hardest and most rewarding part of the process." Since then, the team has transitioned to studying Arctic clouds and their role in global atmospheric models. Meanwhile, they are waiting for another major eruption, which will allow them to validate their results. This research was published in Science Advances. Infamous 'Gateway to Hell' Fire Could Finally Stop Raging After 50 Years Our Atmosphere's Growing Thirst Is a Hidden Cause of Worsening Droughts A Massive Cloud of Saharan Dust Is About to Hit The United States
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists stunned after uncovering major flaw in futuristic energy tech: 'This effect is far from negligible'
Hydrogen fuel cells are often called the clean energy solution of tomorrow — powering everything from cars to homes with just hydrogen and oxygen while leaving behind only water. But a new study has revealed a surprising flaw that could be slowing down that future: a hidden energy leak that kicks in when things heat up. Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) took a closer look at a popular fuel cell material called barium zirconate. It's commonly used in high-temperature fuel cells, which convert hydrogen into electricity with little to no pollution. These types of fuel cells are exciting because they can outperform traditional gas-powered engines — but only if they run efficiently. Here's the catch: The scientists found that when the fuel cells heat up past 600 Kelvin (about 620 degrees Fahrenheit), they start leaking energy. And not just a little. Their simulations showed that high temperatures cause tiny vibrations inside the material's atomic structure — and those vibrations push electrons out of place. When electrons wander off, they leave behind "holes," which act like little energy drains inside the system. In fact, when the team accounted for these temperature effects, it found four times as many of these energy-wasting holes compared to what traditional models predicted. "Traditionally, models don't fully account for temperature-induced vibrations," said Shenli Zhang, LLNL physicist and first author of the study. "But our calculations show that this effect is far from negligible." This breakthrough, published in the PRX Energy journal, helps explain why fuel cells don't always live up to their full potential. But more importantly, it offers a roadmap for how to fix it. The researchers created a new simulation protocol that lets them calculate exactly how much energy is lost at different temperatures — and which materials might hold up better. That could be a game-changer as we race to build cleaner, more affordable energy systems. Hydrogen fuel cells have the potential to replace dirtier technologies in transportation, power generation, and even home energy systems. But every bit of lost energy means more cost, more fuel used, and less efficiency overall. Plugging these leaks could lead to better-performing fuel cells that save money and reduce pollution at the same time. And the best part? This isn't a far-off fantasy. The team created a new method to predict how heat causes energy loss in fuel cell materials like barium zirconate. This approach can now be used to test and improve other materials too, helping scientists design better fuel cells that work efficiently at high temperatures. "These insights help us quantify just how much electrical leakage is tied to temperature, and they give us a better handle on designing materials or operating conditions to minimize those losses," said co-author Joel Varley, LLNL scientist and project lead. Should the government continue to give tax incentives for energy-efficient home upgrades? Absolutely No Depends on the upgrade I don't know Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. It's a key step toward making hydrogen power more reliable and ready for real-world use. And while scientists are working on the tech behind the scenes, there are things that can be done on the individual level to take advantage of clean energy at home. Installing rooftop solar panels — or joining a local community solar program — can slash your monthly electricity bill and help transition your home to cleaner power. Services like EnergySage make it easy to compare quotes from trusted local installers and save up to $10,000 on installation. Cleaner, smarter energy is getting closer every day — and discoveries like this are certainly helping speed things up. 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
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Focused Energy, Livermore Lab Join in Support of Fusion Research
Focused Energy and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California have announced the signing of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop a model simulating the behavior of low-density foams wetted with liquid deuterium and tritium during implosion. The agreement supports the U.S. Dept. of Energy's INFUSE project. Focused, based in the San Francisco Bay Area and Darmstadt, Germany, and LLNL were previously awarded competitive grant funding for the project through the DOE's Office of Science's Innovation Network for Fusion Energy, or INFUSE, program, which aims to accelerate fusion energy development through public-private research partnerships. 'The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory demonstrated the fundamental physics of laser fusion when it achieved ignition in 2022,' said Scott Mercer, CEO of Focused Energy. 'Now, we are evolving the targets, lasers, and facility design to move from scientific proof to continuous laser-driven fusion energy generation as we build off NIF's approach. This partnership will advance Focused Energy's research into how to optimize target design, underscoring the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing commercial fusion.' Mercer told POWER, 'A core factor in our decision to move our U.S. headquarters to the Bay Area was to be in close proximity to the physics community here, including institutions like Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where a team of world-class scientists used a laser-driven approach to achieve ignition for the first time. Now, many of the scientists who led that team are working at Focused to optimize the targets, lasers, and facilities necessary to build a future fusion power plant. Public-private partnerships such as this one are critical to accelerating our work to make fusion a commercial reality.' In order for fusion to be commercially viable, the process for creating fusion fuel targets needs to be more efficient to scale with the high-repetition rate necessary for high-energy gain. A fusion power plant capable of sending power to the grid will require 10 fusion fuel targets per second. Wetted foams offer a viable path to reduce the time it takes to make a deuterium-tritium layer within a fusion fuel target. However, there are uncertainties in the hydrodynamic behavior of the foam material during the implosion process. The simulation model developed under the CRADA will be used to set specifications on the foam properties required for a future laser fusion power plant. If successful, wetted foams could require less tritium for target production while decreasing costs and speeding up production. Focused is building upon LLNL's groundbreaking work by pursuing direct drive laser fusion. The company will develop low-cost, millimeter-scale deuterium-tritium fuel targets capable of being produced at commercial scale at its fuel targetry lab located in Darmstadt. It will also test and optimize its laser systems at its new $65 million Laser Development Facility in the Bay Area located in close proximity to LLNL. Ultimately, Focused will combine its laser technology and fuel targets into an integrated engineering facility and then in a commercial-scale fusion power plant capable of net energy gain. The company benefits from four additional DOE INFUSE Awards and has raised more than $200 million in private capital and public grant funding. —Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
