Fossil Fuels News

December 21, 2024

Top Headlines

From Chip Shop to Pit Stop -- Scientists Make Old Cooking Oil Biofuel as Efficient as Diesel

Dec. 6, 2024 — A new way to produce fuels made from leftover fat can create biofuel as effective as diesel and 1000-times more efficiently than current methods a new study has ...

Novel Electro-Biodiesel a More Efficient, Cleaner Alternative to Existing Alternatives

Nov. 14, 2024 — Scientists create biodiesel with electrocatalysis and ...

Fueling Greener Aviation With Hydrogen

Nov. 1, 2024 — Despite ongoing efforts to curb CO2 emissions with electric and hybrid vehicles, other forms of transportation remain significant contributors of greenhouse gases. To address this issue, old technologies are being revamped to make them greener, such ...

Engineers Unveil Breakthrough in Ultra-Clean Biofuel Technology

Oct. 17, 2024 — Researchers have unveiled a pioneering method for the efficient combustion of biofuels, using a revolutionary Swirl Burst (SB) injector to burn glycerol/methanol blends with near-zero emissions. This new technology enables ultra-clean combustion for ...

Latest Headlines

updated 9:07am EST

New Concept for Sustainable Fuel Cell Polymer Electrolytes Overcomes Barriers in High-Temperature, Low-Humidity Use, Advancing Net-Zero Carbon Goals

Dec. 10, 2024 — A research group has developed a new design for the electrolytes used in fuel cells. The material complies with environmental regulations and ...

New Research Reveals How Large-Scale Adoption of Electric Vehicles Can Improve Air Quality and Human Health

Oct. 15, 2024 — A new study suggests that large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to significant population-level health benefits. The research ...

Liquefied Natural Gas Carbon Footprint Is Worse Than Coal

Oct. 3, 2024 — Liquefied natural gas leaves a greenhouse gas footprint that is 33% worse than coal, when processing and shipping are taken into account, according to a new ...

New Continuous Reaction Process Can Help Turn Plant Waste Into Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Sep. 26, 2024 — Scientists successfully tested a new way to produce sustainable jet fuel from lignin-based agricultural waste. The team's research demonstrated a ...

Synthetic Mini-Motor With Enormous Power Developed

Sep. 17, 2024 — Researchers developed an artificial motor at the supramolecular level that can develop impressive power. This wind-up motor is a tiny ribbon made of special molecules. When energy is applied, this ...

Methane Emissions Are Rising Faster Than Ever

Sep. 10, 2024 — Methane concentrations in Earth's atmosphere increased at record speed over the past five years. At least two-thirds of annual methane emissions now come from human activities, including fossil fuel ...

Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Study Fuel Chemistry

Aug. 28, 2024 — Researchers have developed new analytical methods to rapidly analyze fuels and complex petroleum products by using high-resolution mass ...

A Method That Paves the Way for Improved Fuel Cell Vehicles

Aug. 14, 2024 — More efficient and longer-lasting fuel cells are essential for fuel cell-powered heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles to be an alternative to combustion fuelled counterparts. Researchers have developed an ...

Win-Win Potential of Grass-Powered Energy Production

July 26, 2024 — Researchers modeled the impact of using anaerobic digestion to produce renewable natural gas from grassy biomass in different settings and from varying perspectives, analysis that helps flesh out the ...

Study Shows New Efficiency Standards for Heavy Trucks Could Boost Energy Use

July 18, 2024 — A new study suggests that the U.S. government's push to increase heavy-duty trucks' energy efficiency could encourage more shipping by truck instead ...

Despite Progress, China Remains Tethered to Coal as Climate Change Pressures Mount

Oct. 8, 2024 — A new paper details how China faces numerous political, economic and technological obstacles as it tries to transition away from coal while balancing the need to combat climate change with the need ...

Hydrogen Flight Looks Ready for Take-Off With New Advances

July 11, 2024 — The possibility of hydrogen-powered flight means greater opportunities for fossil-free travel, and the technological advances to make this happen are moving fast. New studies show that almost all air ...

Pinpointing Coal Plants to Convert to Nuclear Energy, Considering Both Practicality and Community Support

July 9, 2024 — An assessment ranks the feasibility of converting 245 operational coal power plants in the U.S. into advanced nuclear reactors, providing valuable insights for policymakers and utilities to meet ...

A 'Liquid Battery' Advance

June 12, 2024 — A team aims to improve options for renewable energy storage through work on an emerging technology -- liquids for hydrogen ...

Innovative Demand Strategies for Clean Energy

June 4, 2024 — A perspective piece describes innovative strategies that significantly reduce both resource consumption and fossil fuel ...

Controlling Water, Transforming Greenhouse Gases

May 24, 2024 — Researchers have outlined a way to manipulate water molecules to make CO2R more efficient, with the ultimate goal of creating a clean energy loop. Through their new method, the team was able to ...

Can Coal Mines Be Tapped for Rare Earth Elements?

May 20, 2024 — A team of geologists analyzed 3,500 samples taken in and around coal mines in Utah and Colorado. Their findings open the possibility that these mines could see a secondary resource stream in the form ...

Studying Bubbles Can Lead to More Efficient Biofuel Motors

May 15, 2024 — By studying how bubbles form in a drop of biodiesel, researchers can help future engines get the most energy out of the ...

The Price Tag of Phasing-out Coal

May 13, 2024 — Coal phase-out is necessary to solve climate change, but can have negative impacts on workers and local communities dependent on coal for their livelihoods. Researchers have studied government plans ...

Methane Emissions from Landfill Could Be Turned Into Sustainable Jet Fuel in Plasma Chemistry Leap

Apr. 30, 2024 — Researchers have developed a chemical process using plasma that could create sustainable jet fuel from methane gas emitted from landfills, potentially creating a low-carbon aviation ...

Coal Train Pollution Increases Health Risks and Disparities

Apr. 18, 2024 — The first health impact study of coal train pollution centers on the San Francisco Bay Area, with scientists finding communities near passing coal trains suffer worse health ...

Researchers Can Help Shipowners Achieve Ambitious Climate Targets

Apr. 16, 2024 — International shipping does not want to be a climate bad guy and is aiming to be emission-free by 2050. A new tool can help shipowners who are searching for green ...

Subterranean Storage of Hydrogen

Apr. 9, 2024 — Scientists are using computer simulations and laboratory experiments to see if depleted oil and natural gas reservoirs can be used for storing carbon-free hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen is an important ...

Magnetic Fields Boost Clean Energy

Apr. 3, 2024 — Researchers show that using magnetic fields can boost electrocatalysis for sustainable fuel production by enhancing the movement of the reactants, which improves the efficiency of energy-related ...

Recyclable Reagent and Sunlight Convert Carbon Monoxide Into Methanol

Mar. 20, 2024 — Scientists have demonstrated the selective conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into methanol using a cascade reaction strategy. The two-part process is powered by sunlight, occurs at room temperature ...

The Atlas of Unburnable Oil in the World

Mar. 15, 2024 — In order to limit the increase in global average temperature to 1.5 C, it is essential to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. This would mean not exploiting most of the ...

Greenhouse Gas Repurposed

Feb. 8, 2024 — Cutting-edge research converted waste carbon dioxide into a potential precursor for chemicals and carbon-free ...

Inexpensive, Carbon-Neutral Biofuels Are Finally Possible

Feb. 7, 2024 — When it comes to making fuel from plants, the first step has always been the hardest -- breaking down the plant matter. A new study finds that introducing a simple, renewable chemical to the ...

Japan's Electric Vehicle Transition by 2035 May Be Insufficient to Combat the Climate Crisis, but There Are Solutions

Feb. 7, 2024 — Researchers report that Japan's policy of banning the sale of new gas vehicles by 2035 may be insufficient to reduce the country's CO2 emissions. The team's analysis showed that to ...

Improving Fuel Cell Durability With Fatigue-Resistant Membranes

Feb. 6, 2024 — In hydrogen fuel cells, electrolyte membranes frequently undergo deformation and develop cracks during operation. A research team has recently introduced a fatigue-resistant polymer electrolyte ...