Energy

A new system by MIT researchers improves the efficiency of high-speed operations in data centers by better assigning time-sensitive data processing across CPU cores and ensuring hardware runs productively.

Achieving greater efficiency for fast data center operations

System better allocates time-sensitive data processing across cores to maintain quick user-response times.

February 21, 2019

“Having representation from women, especially black women, in the [nuclear science and engineering] department was a huge factor in me wanting to come back,” says PhD candidate Raspberry Simpson.

From summer research program to PhD dissertation

Graduate student Raspberry Simpson’s scientific journey approaches fruition.

February 15, 2019

Seaside desalination plants like this typically discharge large volumes of concentrated brine back into the sea. MIT researchers have shown that instead, much of this waste could be turned into useful chemicals.

Turning desalination waste into a useful resource

Process developed at MIT could turn concentrated brine into useful chemicals, making desalination more efficient.

February 13, 2019

Solar cells made of perovskite have great promise, in part because they can easily be made on flexible substrates, like this experimental cell.

Unleashing perovskites’ potential for solar cells

New results show how varying the recipe could bring these materials closer to commercialization.

February 7, 2019

Team Asteroid Atomics is developing a nuclear reactor tailored for unpiloted space missions.

Pitching transformative design

Undergraduates put their ideas on the line in a competition showcasing novel, consequential applications of nuclear science and engineering.

February 5, 2019

Study evaluates China’s progress in establishing accounting measures to reinforce its Paris pledge

Firms learn from experience in the measurement, reporting, and verification of carbon emissions under China’s emissions trading systems.

February 1, 2019

“It's useful to peek over someone’s shoulder," says Kevin Woller of the students he mentors. "The accelerator is a large machine. It’s not easy to put someone in front of it and say ‘OK, operate it!’"

Kevin Woller: From student to mentor

Research scientist gives back by passing along the nuts and bolts of plasma research.

January 25, 2019

Dennis Whyte, director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

MIT continues progress toward practical fusion energy

In series of talks, researchers describe major effort to address climate change through carbon-free power.

January 24, 2019

Professor Reinhart (left) and architecture graduate student Hellen Rose Anyango Awino discuss a class assignment on measuring thermal comfort.

Applying physics to energy-efficient building design

Christoph Reinhart is internationally known for using natural light to illuminate interiors and his lab's design tools are used by architects and urban planners worldwide.

January 16, 2019

A microfluidic technique quickly sorts bacteria based on their capability to generate electricity.

Technique identifies electricity-producing bacteria

Microbes screened with a new microfluidic process might be used in power generation or environmental cleanup.

January 11, 2019

MIT graduate student Caroline Sorensen earned a master’s degree at MIT in a MechE lab but is based at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center for doctorate work. “People are super excited about the future of fusion, and there is this vibe of positivity and hopefulness that what we’re doing is really going to make a difference," she says.

Tapping the MIT talent pool for the future of fusion

Excitement is rising in the push to get zero-carbon energy on the grid.

January 11, 2019

Associate Professor Asegun Henry is researching how to use superheated metals like molten tin to store heat from a concentrated solar power system, so it can be used to generate electricity as needed.

Tackling greenhouse gases

Faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering are developing technologies that store, capture, convert, and minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

January 7, 2019

A fusion power plant could provide clean, carbon-free energy with an essentially unlimited fuel supply. From the point of view of electrical power generation, the fusion device is just another heat source that could be used in a conventional thermal conversion cycle.

On the right path to fusion energy

National Academies study recommends a pilot fusion energy program that aligns with MIT's fusion approach and SPARC project.

December 21, 2018

Left to right: Graduate student Cédric Viry, Professor Jeffrey Grossman, and postdoc Grace Han, along with their collaborators, are using specially designed “photoswitching” molecules to control the release of heat from materials used to store thermal energy in devices ranging from solar concentrators and solar cookers to heated seats in vehicles.

Saving heat until you need it

A new concept for thermal energy storage involves a material that absorbs heat as it melts and releases it as it resolidifies — but only when triggered by light.

December 19, 2018

Erik Landry (center) of MIT’s Office of the Vice President for Research spoke with British Columbia’s climate minister George Heyman (far right) at the COP24 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland. Joining the conversation were (left to right): Claude Nahon of EDF, Sergey Paltsev of MIT, and Sir Philip Lowe of the World Energy Council.

“Climate change will not wait for us”

At UN Climate Change Conference, MIT researchers share knowledge and tools to help nations meet Paris Agreement targets.

December 13, 2018

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