Energy

The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending October 18, 2024, closed at 4.022.95 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was down -0.66% (or -26.77 basis points). Thirteen RDWI members gained value last week from 0.21% (Pfizer) to 4.63% (Cisco).  Twelve RDWI members lost value the previous week from -0.05% (Sanofi…

Every year, thousands of groundbreaking ideas emerge from research labs and universities, brimming with the potential to reshape industries. Yet, a significant number of these innovations never see the light of day. They fall into the abyss ominously termed the “Valley of Death,” which, as a paper in Science Direct puts it, “is an unfavorable…

Argonne National Laboratory has developed a new technology that could significantly impact the aviation industry and the environment by turning waste streams into cost-competitive sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This novel invention, dubbed “membrane-assisted anaerobic digestion” (MAAD), converts high-strength organic wastewater from sources like breweries and dairy farms into volatile fatty acids, which can be further…

An analysis of 45 years of R&D 100 Awards reveals a clear leader: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), with more than two hundred winning products. National labs dominate the top ranks, demonstrating the staying power of consistent government investment in R&D. All of the top 10 organizations since 2010 are federally-backed entities. ORNL Frequently featured…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending October 4, 2024, closed at 4.005.40 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was up 0.62% (or 24.71 basis points). Eight RDWI members gained value last week from 1.07% (Eli Lilly & Co.) to 6.71% (Alibaba).  Seventeen RDWI members lost value the previous week…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending September 27, 2024, closed at 3,980.69 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was down -0.66% (or -26.26 basis points). Thirteen RDWI members gained value last week from 0.03% (Sanofi SA) to 20.30% (Alibaba). Twelve RDWI members lost value the previous week from -0.21%…

AI is changing the dynamics of industrial work. But while many people, whether in the industrial sector or outside of it, fear that one of the main thrusts of AI will be job replacement, that’s not the view of Honeywell executive Jason Urso. With a wave of retirements looming in industrial sectors, Urso believes the…

It’s no wonder that a team of scientists at General Atomics won the “Team of the Year” R&D 100 Professional Award for their development of the 4Pi System. This metrology tool played a pivotal role in the historic achievement of fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in December 2022. Scientists demonstrated for the…

At its Honeywell Users Group event in Dallas, Honeywell and Chevron revealed a strategic alliance that would use AI to streamline operator decision-making in refining processes, aiming to enhance both efficiency and safety. “The focus of the partnership is to use AI to build real, impactful solutions that will set new standards for operational efficiency,”…

Physicists at MIT have directly imaged the frictionless flow of atoms along the edges of a material, confirming long-held theories about electron behavior in the quantum Hall effect. By recreating the effect’s conditions with ultracold atoms, the team observed these particles effortlessly navigating around obstacles, defying everyday experience with friction. In the everyday world, friction is…

[Adobe Stock] Updated on October 20, 2024 with new details The current Biden-Harris administration and potential Republican approaches offer different visions for the future of American science. While the Biden-Harris team emphasizes investments in climate change mitigation and clean energy, conservative approaches have historically focused on deregulation and achieving energy independence through traditional energy sources.…

The 2011 Fukushima disaster sent shockwaves through the nuclear industry, sparking a global quest for safer reactor designs. At Argonne National Laboratory, scientists are tackling this challenge head-on by exploring the extreme behavior of nuclear fuels at unimaginable temperatures. Researchers at Argonne successfully measured and analyzed the structure of molten plutonium oxide (PuO2) at temperatures…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending August 30, 2024 closed at 3,969.84 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was up 0.57% (or 22.41 basis points). Seventeen RDWI members gained value last week from 0.08% (Microsoft) to 7.30% (Intel). Eight RDWI members lost value last week from -0.12% (Stellantis NV)…

A recent study focused on polymer binders could point to future breakthroughs in solid-state batteries, enabling safer, more powerful, and longer-lasting energy storage. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered that the molecular weight of these often-overlooked components plays a crucial role in the performance and durability of sulfide solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), a key…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending August 23, 2024, closed at 3,947.43 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was up 1.78% (or 68.94 basis points). Twenty-two RDWI members gained value last week from 0.11% (Meta Platforms) to 7.23% (Ford Motor). Three RDWI members lost value the previous week from…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) was up 2.91% with Cisco leading at 8.78%, in spite of its lay-off announcement. In the week ending August 16, the index closed at 3878.49 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was up 2.91% (or 109.53 basis points). Twenty-one RDWI members gained value last week from 0.95%…

The R&D World Index (RDWI) climbed 2.57% this week, with Eli Lilly leading the charge at a 10.84% gain, while tech giants ramp up AI investments amidst regulatory challenges. In the week ending August 9, 2024, the index closed at 3768.96 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The index was up 2.57% (or 94.45…

For six decades, the R&D 100 Awards have been a benchmark of achievement in science and technology, often referred to informally as “The Oscars of Innovation.” This year, we’re offering a new interactive experience, allowing you to explore the remarkable work of both winners and finalists across diverse fields. From advances in mechanical and material…

R&D World has announced the winners of the 2024 R&D 100 Professional Awards. The honorees were selected by a panel of 56 prestigious industry experts from around the globe. The list of 2024 winners follows, along with highlights from their nomination letters. These winners will be formally awarded at the R&D 100 Awards Banquet at…

NTT Research is playing the long game, tackling challenges that others shy away from. While many R&D labs focus on a relatively near-term ROI for research, NTT is more patient, taking a page from storied labs like Bell Labs and Xerox PARC that prioritize bigger, riskier but potentially more transformative bets. Its website declares: “Our…

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Santa Clara, California, announced last week that its data-center revenue more than doubled year over year, exceeding Wall Street analyst’s estimates. The company also raised its forecast for this year’s sale of AI chips to more than $4.5 billion, an increase of 13% from its forecast three months ago. While this…

Two teams of scientists have announced a breakthrough in fusion energy research, demonstrating for the first time the ability to simultaneously achieve high plasma density and confinement in a tokamak reactor. Derived from a Russian acronym, a tokamak is a donut-shaped experimental device that uses magnetic fields to make use of the energy of nuclear…

Advent Diamond, a diamond semiconductor technology, has announced the release of the ClearXCam 2304, a novel X-ray beam monitoring technology. Traditionally, diamond has been employed for X-ray beam monitoring with four-quadrant monitors. The new ClearXCam 2304, however, delivers 2304-pixel images of X-ray beams in real-time, thanks to video-rate imaging. According to Advent Diamond, the new…

The global automation firm Emerson (NYSE: EMR) had announced a major update to its Ovation automation platform. Ovation 4.0 introduces a software-defined architecture designed to empower utilities in the power and water industries to tap data, new technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI) for enhanced operational excellence, reliability, affordability, and sustainability. Ovation 4.0 integrates and delivers…

First Solar, Tempe, Arizona, recently commissioned what it dubs ‘the largest thin-film R&D center in the Western Hemisphere.’ The company — the U.S.’s largest solar panel manufacturer — has sited its Jim Nolan Center for Solar Innovation in Lake Township, Ohio, which is just south of Akron. The 1.3-million-ft² facility includes a pilot manufacturing line…