Yale engineer to build 'hot' solar cells

Associate professor of electrical engineering Minjoo Larry Lee has been awarded $2,540,000 to develop dual-junction solar cells that can operate efficiently at extreme temperatures above 750 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition ...

Clean power from waste heat

Siemens has developed a technology to use waste heat, which previously had gone unused, to generate electricity. The solution employs silicone oils, which have a lower enthalpy of vaporization than water, and is needed because ...

Software shortens maintenance for Steam Turbines

Siemens developed a software that cools steam turbines more rapidly. This shortens the maintenance phase. An operator can bring a power plant back on line sooner. A revision interrupts the generation of electricity. Depending ...

Virtual plant planning, retrofitting and maintenance

Process plants have useful lives of thirty to fifty years, during which time they are routinely retrofitted. Virtual reality software simplifies and helps keep track of retrofit planning and testing. Fraunhofer researchers ...

New materials turn heat into electricity

Most of today's power plants--from some of the largest solar arrays to nuclear energy facilities--rely on the boiling and condensing of water to produce energy.

Efficiency record of combined cycle power plant

A new Siemens gas turbine operated in a combined cycle with a steam turbine in Irsching, Bavaria, has set a world record for efficiency, making it an outstanding example of green technology. The net efficiency of 60.75 percent ...