The Energy Transformation Collection

Waste heat recovery technology seeks to capture the excess heat emitted by data centers and use it for other useful purposes. Find out what you know about waste heat reuse with this ASME quiz.

This nuclear engineer is working to develop a powerful new nuclear reactor. That’s why she’s on Mechanical Engineering’s Watch List 2025.

At the global level, solar power is growing by leaps and bounds. Even so, nearly two-fifths of world solar generation occurs in China.

According to some experts, we are partway through a global energy transition. But how much has changed with regards to where the world gets its electricity?

Actions from Washington seem to be aimed at scuttling the clean energy revolution. But the technologies are still being embraced around the world.

A new system creates and releases heat by mechanically deforming thin wires and sheets of nickel-titanium alloy. Researchers in Germany have developed a unique air conditioning system that outperforms the standard AC technology being used today.

Despite the challenge, payback is high for processes that recover rare earth minerals from end-of-life devices. Researchers are also examining other, less straightforward solutions.

A research team in Korea has discovered a process that uses microwaves to reduce the temperature and improve the efficiency of hydrogen production.

Researchers at Case Western have increased the performance of zinc-sulfur batteries by adding propylene glycol methyl ether and zinc-iodide, which control corrosion and dendrite growth and enhance energy capacity by 20 percent.

Hydrogen gas is too voluminous—even when compressed—to be a successful replacement for liquid fuels. New research suggests biofuels could be used as an energy-dense hydrogen storage medium.

The International Energy Agency released a massive study on the deep connection between artificial intelligence and the energy sector. We provide five takeaways.

The costs of direct-air carbon capture may be underestimated, MIT researchers report, which could lead to a misrepresentation of the contribution the technology could make in fighting climate change.

A compact, scalable technology generates usable electricity from vibrations. Its developers believe it could one day use small body motions to generate power.

Electrically conductive ceramics can stand up to extremely high temperatures without destructive oxidation. That makes them a viable alternative to tungsten heating elements.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have repurposed an automobile engine to convert otherwise leaked methane into liquid fuels.

The cross-border feuding between the U.S. and Canada raised the profile of North American energy flows.

Some entrepreneurs believe lifting and lower large weights can be an efficient energy storage system. A team of Purdue engineering students tested the concept for home use.

A new desalination process tested by an MIT working in New Mexico removes salt from water at a pace that follows natural changes in solar energy, including changing cloud patterns.

An Inauguration Day executive order set aside many Federal regulations to increase energy supply and reduce prices. But evidence of conditions in need of urgency is difficult to find.

Innovators are devising new processes to decarbonize the crucial alloy humanity can’t live without.

The U.S. Department of Energy is funding 19 projects that target foundational fusion materials, nuclear science, magnet technology, blankets, fuel cycles, and first wall research.

Study points to the benefits of switching away from gas heat to clothes dryers, water heaters, and HVAC systems that use heat pumps.

The job was simple: Drill down to get at the source of a persistent oil seep. But the well drilled in Titusville, Pa., changed the course of history.

The Under Secretary for Science and Innovation identifies the areas in need of further investment and the opportunity of STEM careers for young people.

A new generation of startups is developing the drilling technology needed to reach rocks hot enough to provide clean, sustainable power whenever we need it.

Coal and gas dominate worldwide, though solar and wind power have made large gains in the past 23 years.

Solar power is booming almost everywhere, but the details can be surprising.

Forooza Samadi, assistant director of the Alabama Industrial Training and Assessment Center, discusses heating and cooling costs for small and medium-size manufacturers and the potential for savings.

Twenty years ago, forecasts predicted solar power would be a marginal energy source for generations. A new report suggests solar domination of the energy market is now inevitable.

Industry is looking for a way to wipe away its carbon emissions. Researchers at Cornell believe they’ve found a cheap and easy method.

Heat pumps can save energy and reduce carbon emissions, but without other household improvements, homeowners could see higher bills.

Industry accounts for around 30 percent of carbon emissions, mostly due to energy needed to provide heat to perform industrial processes.

How much do you know about the renewable energy source that can turn the high temperature of the Earth’s core into power?

Improved solar cell converts 44 percent of infrared light to electricity. The breakthrough could advance energy storage and nuclear power.

The largest geothermal power facility in the United States taps the heat of a blob of magma to produce carbon-free electricity.

The Atomic Age promised endless power. Test your knowledge of some of the first reactors in this quiz.

Artificial intelligence platforms may need gigawatts of electricity. But AI could offset that by unlocking new means for saving energy or producing clean power.

Amogy is one of several new companies looking to tempt the slow-moving shipping industry with carbon-free ammonia power.

The nation is a net-exporter of energy. For the first three months of 2024, net energy exports are on an annual pace of 9.3 quadrillion Btus.

Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have created a new iron flow battery design offering the potential for a safe, scalable renewable energy storage system.

The shipping industry is set to save literally tons of fuel day for any cargo ship outfitted with a new rigid sail.

Collaborating with stakeholders across the entire value chain while advancing industry capabilities can unlock tomorrow’s hydrogen economies.