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UT El Paso-led team designs cactus-inspired low-cost, efficient water-splitting catalyst

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Researchers led by engineers at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have proposed a low-cost, cactus-inspired nickel-based material to help split water more cheaply and efficiently. —Navid Attarzadeh Attarzadeh wondered what if they designed a 3D nickel-based catalyst in the shape of the prickly pear cactus?

El Paso 459
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SDSU-led project to design bacteria that extract rare earth elements in DARPA EMBER project

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—principal investigator Marina Kalyuzhnaya To do this, the researchers will tap into the natural propensity of methane-consuming bacteria living in extreme conditions to capture REEs from the environment. The bacteria require rare earth elements to make one of the key enzymatic reactions in their metabolic pathways, said Kalyuzhnaya.

Design 225
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NASA to fly payload with SpinLaunch’s mass accelerator to test low-cost, high-cadence kinetic launch system

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After full review, NASA and SpinLaunch will publish all non-proprietary launch environment information from the test flight. SpinLaunch satellite buses, and qualified subsystems, are designed to be compatible with any launch system without compromising cost, performance, or mass.??.

Low Cost 259
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Fraunhofer researchers develop new low-cost dry-film electrode production process

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In order to protect operators and the environment, elaborate precautions for occupational safety and reprocessing are necessary. In the DryProTex project material, process and equipment developments are conducted with the aim of realizing process design for industrial scale dry cathode production. 2019.05.033.

Low Cost 339
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Students Use Their Tech Know-How to Protect the Environment

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Some teams are working on their projects as part of an engineering curriculum or a senior design project. The sensors are designed to transmit data in real time to a secure, online gateway. and its environs. Delaine Access to fresh produce is challenging in many low-income neighborhoods.

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SwRI, UTSA researchers show biochar is low-cost, effective method to treat fracking water

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It is made from materials such as wood chips, paper, leaves, soybean oil, corn oil and other forms of agricultural waste heated to high temperatures in an oxygen-deprived environment. The adsorption capacity data is very useful for designing of large scale adsorption beds for flowback water treatment. —Maoqi Feng, SwRI.

Water 257
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Researchers demonstrate use of 3D printing to produce and operate light-weight, low-cost electrolyzers

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The use of 3D printing allows construction of light-weight, low-cost electrolyzers and the rapid prototyping of flow field design. Design of a PEM electrolysis cell. Principal components of an electrolyzer cell are: The membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Each of these materials has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Low Cost 261