🌞 Sun's supersonic solar wind, Hyundai's new long range EV, and China’s new perovskite cells

INTERESTING ENGINEERING SHOP

Welcome back to the eighteenth edition of Sustainability, a weekly newsletter by Interesting Engineering.

Last week, a new US study revealed that major water reservoirs across the continental US experiencing longer, more, severe, and more variable periods of low water storage compared to the past. Owing to climate change, reservoirs are becoming less reliable and more vulnerable. Plus, sediment buildup and increased water withdrawals are contributing to the water storage issue. These changes make water storage reservoirs more variable and less predictable, which has significant implications for water management and availability.

This week, scientists discovered that magnetic "switchbacks" near the Sun are the primary source of energy for the Sun's supersonic solar wind. This breakthrough finding was made by analyzing data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe and ESA's Solar Orbiter, which helped explain how the Sun's wind gains energy as it travels through the solar system.

Recently, Hyundai is launching a new EV – Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), equipped with hybrid technology. This EV will combine the output of an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. The motor can provide a long driving range, making it possible to travel up to 560 miles (900 kilometers) on a single charge.

Also, a team of researchers from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China achieved a record-breaking power conversion efficiency of 28.49% for an all-perovskite tandem solar cell. The efficiency was achieved by developing a surface reconstruction technique that has been designed to reduce defects within the wide-bandgap tin-lead (Pb-Sn) perovskite top cell. 

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NEWS BULLETIN

• 🚘 Hyundai’s new EV to offer staggering 560 miles per charge, address range anxiety This innovative vehicle combines the power of an electric motor with an internal combustion engine, delivering an impressive range of up to 1,000 kilometers on a single charge!

• ⚡️ China’s new perovskite cells retain nearly 80% efficiency even after 550 hours The optimized device achieved a power conversion efficiency of 28.80%, with an impressive open-circuit voltage of 2.13 V, short-circuit current density of 16.06 mA cm-2, and fill factor of 84.19%.

• 🔋 In a first, rail vehicle combines hydrogen, battery power for emission-free ops Rail vehicle manufacturer Stadler has introduced the RS ZERO, a model that features hydrogen and battery drives for CO2 emission-free operation.

• ♻️ Game-changing method makes green hydrogen production cheaper AI is helping to provide a faster route to making green energy practical for widespread use.

• 🌍 Vast ‘doughnut’ discovered in molten metal of Earth’s core Australian scientists hail finding as a step in unlocking secrets of planet’s protective magnetic field

• 💨 20MW: China installs ‘world’s largest single-capacity’ offshore wind turbine It is designed to withstand the harshest of conditions.

• 🏙️ 500,000 homes to benefit as UK’s Shetland wind farm gets connected to grid The Shetland Islands have been connected to the GB electricity grid for the first time through the Viking Wind Farm and a 161.6-mile subsea transmission link.

• ♨️ World’s largest air-to-water heat pump to warm 30,000 homes in Finland The heat pump will supply 200 GWh of energy annually and help save 26,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

MUST READ

☀️ Fastest solar winds are powered by magnetic "switchbacks,” scientists discovered

For decades, astronomers have been perplexed by the Sun's supersonic solar wind, a stream of energetic particles that continuously flows outward into the solar system. The scientific community found a question challenging to answer: How does this wind continue to gain energy as it travels away from the Sun?

To help scientists more precisely forecast solar activity between the Sun and Earth, NASA, with the assistance of the European Space Agency, uncovered the origin of energy for the Sun's supersonic solar wind.

This new research presents compelling evidence that the fastest solar winds are powered by magnetic "switchbacks." These are large kinks or twists in the Sun's magnetic field that have been observed near the solar surface. 

Yeimy Rivera, co-leader of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, part of Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian explained that the new study addresses a huge open question about how the solar wind is energized and helps us understand how the Sun affects its environment and, ultimately, the Earth.

“If this process happens in our local star, it’s highly likely that this powers winds from other stars across the Milky Way galaxy and beyond and could have implications for the habitability of exoplanets.”

The scientists sourced data from both Parker Solar Probe and ESA's Solar Orbiter. Parker Solar Probe was engineered to fly through the Sun's atmosphere (corona), while Solar Orbiter designed to observe the Sun from a slightly greater distance. In February 2022, a lucky alignment allowed both spacecraft to measure the same solar wind stream within two days of each other. 

Upon nalyzing this data, scientists discovered that the fastest solar wind streams, which were observed at greater distances from the Sun, had a significantly higher concentration of switchbacks. Moreover, the energy carried by these switchbacks was enough to account for the observed heating and acceleration of the solar wind.

The study also sheds light on the mechanism by which switchbacks transfer energy to the solar wind. Overall, the new research demonstrates that Alfvén waves in the form of switchbacks play a crucial role in accelerating and heating the solar wind.

The study was published on August 30, 2024, in the journal – Science.

OTHER IMPORTANT UPDATES

• 🤖 How one startup is using AI to cool a warming world

• ☢️ Fusion reactor built at home in 4 weeks, neon transformer used to achieve plasma

• 🚘 EVs prone to hacking as fast charging systems present cybersecurity threats

• 🏙️ How AI Growth is Impacting Data Center Demand

• 🔋 EV battery safety boosted with game-changing graphene foils that bend 100,000x

• 🌳 Brazil's Amazon rainforest fires in August reach 14-year high

• 🌞 US closing in on China’s energy might, clears 31 million acres for solar power

• 🦠 How to Reduce Your Exposure to Microplastics

• ☢️ Onkalo: World’s first final burial place for nuclear fuel waste getting ready

• ♨️ 150 MW geothermal energy to power Meta’s data centers in first US project

🌍 Act to shrink your carbon footprint

The United Nations 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan launched in early 2024 aims to help countries build resilience to the impacts of climate change by strengthening climate information systems, enhancing climate-resilient infrastructure, promoting climate-smart agriculture, and building climate-resilient health systems.

The plan notes comprehensive strategies as part of its climate adaptions such as: 

Strengthen climate information

By improving access to accurate and timely climate data, countries can better anticipate and prepare for extreme weather events.

Enhance climate-resilient infrastructure

UN encourages nations to Invest in infrastructure that can withstand climate shocks, such as sea-level rise and extreme weather, is essential for protecting local communities and economies.

Promote climate-smart agriculture and food security

Developing agricultural practices is advised to make vegetation resilient to climate change which can help ensure food security and livelihoods in vulnerable regions.

Build climate-resilient health systems

UN is urging countires to strengthen healthcare systems as they can help protect populations from the health risks associated with climate change, such as heatwaves and waterborne diseases.

Some steps you as individuals can take to support your nation’s climate goals are:

Reduce carbon footprint

Use energy-efficient appliances, conserving water, and reducing waste to help mitigate climate change.

Support sustainable practices

Opt for sustainable products and services, such as organic food and renewable energy, can help reduce environmental impact.

Climate activism

Raise awareness about climate change and advocate for policies that address the issue can help drive change.

Prep for climate-related risks 

Understand local climate risks and take steps to protect yourself and your community to boost resilience.

More to come in the forthcoming edition of Sustainability.