Nature energy
Volume 6 Issue 3, March 2021
Standing in the wind
Climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events putting energy infrastructure at risk. Bennett et al. develop a methodology to incorporate increasing extreme event risk into energy systems modelling and planning, and estimate the impact of improving grid resilience on the electricity cost for Puerto Rico.
See Bennett et al.
Image: FEMA / Alamy Stock Photo Cover Design: Thomas Phillips.
News & Views
News & Views | 22 February 2021
Composition effects come to the surface
Metal oxide photoanodes are promising for solar-driven water oxidation, but a greater understanding of surfaces is required to minimize efficiency losses. New research shows that controlling terminal compositions of otherwise identical facets of complex oxides has a profound impact on photoelectrochemical function.
- Ian D. Sharp
News & Views | 25 February 2021
Leaving the old behind
Efforts to replace traditional energy sources with modern ones in developing countries have met with limited success. A new study sheds light on some of the contextual factors that inhibit this shift as well as opportunities for nudging poor households in the desired direction.
- Temilade Sesan
News & Views | 05 March 2021
Mapping design trade-offs
Widespread adoption of thermal storage systems is limited by their complex transient response, which is dependent on material properties, module geometry and thermal load. Now, an approach to evaluate energy and power density adapted from electrochemical storage reveals design trade-offs in thermal storage modules.
- Patrick J. Shamberger
News & Views | 08 March 2021
Make ion–solvent interactions weaker
Low-temperature operation of lithium batteries is notoriously challenging. However, tailoring the electrolyte structure may provide a pathway toward uniform lithium deposition and reversible operation of lithium metal anodes at low temperatures.
- Kelsey B. Hatzell
News & Views | 17 March 2021
Soft and liquid metals
Alkali metal electrodes paired with solid electrolyte separators show great promise in improving the energy density, safety and cost of batteries. Now, a deeper understanding of the effect of metal mechanical properties on a key failure mode creates opportunities for improved cycling performance.
- Paul Albertus
Reviews
Review Article | 01 February 2021
Processing thin but robust electrolytes for solid-state batteries
High-performance solid-state electrolytes are key to enabling solid-state batteries that hold great promise for future energy storage. The authors survey the fabrication process of thin-film versus thick oxide-based solid-state electrolytes and discuss their material design and processing options.
- Moran Balaish
- , Juan Carlos Gonzalez-Rosillo
- Jennifer L. M. Rupp
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Pulp solutions to plastic pollution
Bioplastic film developed from engineered bacteria and pulp may help reduce plastic pollution.
Research
Article | 11 January 2021
Extending energy system modelling to include extreme weather risks and application to hurricane events in Puerto Rico
In order to assess the impact of climate change on energy systems, models need to incorporate the increased risk of extreme weather events. Here, Bennett et al. provide a framework to integrate increasing extreme event risk in grid expansion planning models and apply the method to hurricane risks in Puerto Rico.
- Jeffrey A. Bennett
- Claire N. Trevisan
- Andres F. Clarens
Article | 04 March 2021
A systemic approach to mapping participation with low-carbon energy transitions
Chilvers et al. present a systemic approach to participation that combines mapping diverse public engagements across a national energy system with a distributed deliberative mapping process involving citizens and specialists, which shows support for more distributed and inclusive energy system futures.
- Jason Chilvers
- Rob Bellamy
- Tom Hargreaves
Article | 28 January 2021
Elastocaloric heat pump with specific cooling power of 20.9 W g–1 exploiting snap-through instability and strain-induced crystallization
Solid-state caloric cooling is a promising alternative to vapour compression, yet only a few prototypes have been shown. Greibich et al. now report an elastocaloric cooling device based on natural rubber with a cooling power of over 20 W g–1 that exploits snap-through instability and strain-induced crystallization.
- F. Greibich
- R. Schwödiauer
- M. Kaltenbrunner
Article | 25 January 2021
A global assessment of extreme wind speeds for wind energy applications
With the increasing growth in wind power installations, turbine deployment locations now include areas for which there is only limited data about wind speeds. Here, Pryor and Barthelmie present a global-scale investigation of extreme wind speeds, comparing different statistical approaches.
- Sara C. Pryor
- Rebecca J. Barthelmie
Article | 18 February 2021
Understanding Co roles towards developing Co-free Ni-rich cathodes for rechargeable batteries
Reduction on cobalt reliance is an urgent requirement in the development of sustainable cathode materials for Li-ion batteries. Here the authors analyse the roles of cobalt and its interplay with other ions in high-nickel layered oxides, and deduce a material formula for promising cobalt-free cathodes.
- Tongchao Liu
- , Lei Yu
- Khalil Amine
Article | 18 February 2021
The impact of surface composition on the interfacial energetics and photoelectrochemical properties of BiVO4
Surface facets are known to influence the behaviour of photoelectrodes for solar fuel production; however, the role of surface composition, which can vary even for the same facet, is less well understood. Here the authors find that the surface Bi:V ratio is a key factor that affects properties of BiVO4 photoanodes.
- Dongho Lee
- , Wennie Wang
- Kyoung-Shin Choi
Article | 11 February 2021
Rate capability and Ragone plots for phase change thermal energy storage
Phase change materials are promising for thermal energy storage yet their practical potential is challenging to assess. Here, using an analogy with batteries, Woods et al. use the thermal rate capability and Ragone plots to evaluate trade-offs in energy storage density and power density in thermal storage devices.
- Jason Woods
- , Allison Mahvi
- Roderick Jackson
Article | 25 February 2021
Tailoring electrolyte solvation for Li metal batteries cycled at ultra-low temperature
Charging and discharging Li-metal batteries (LMBs) at low temperatures is problematic due to the sluggish charge-transfer process. Here the authors discuss the roles of solvation structures of Li-ions in the charge-transfer kinetics and design an electrolyte to enable low-temperature operations of LMBs.
- John Holoubek
- , Haodong Liu
- Ping Liu
Article | 15 March 2021
Semi-solid alkali metal electrodes enabling high critical current densities in solid electrolyte batteries
A challenge with the use of metal anodes in batteries is their inability to sustain structural stability, especially at high currents. Here the authors examine electrochemomechanical properties of metal anodes and demonstrate an effective semi-solid electrode approach at practically relevant conditions.
- Richard J.-Y. Park
- Christopher M. Eschler
- Yet-Ming Chiang
Tales of Invention
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Tales of Invention | 22 March 2021
Layered lithium cobalt oxide cathodes
Lithium cobalt oxide was the first commercially successful cathode for the lithium-ion battery mass market. Its success directly led to the development of various layered-oxide compositions that dominate today’s automobile batteries.
- Arumugam Manthiram
- John B. Goodenough
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