The energy of today and tomorrow

Insects or butterflies can fly by perfectly optimising their use of energy. By adapting the shape and beating of their wings to wind turbines, we can generate wind power even in urban areas.

Alors que les piles à hydrogène se répandent de plus en plus dans le secteur de l'énergie et des transports, de nombreux travaux sont menés pour les rendre plus performantes et compétitives. Ceux de Daniel Hissel, professeur à l'université de Franche-Comté et membre du laboratoire FEMTO-ST, font référence. Son objectif : intégrer ces convertisseurs d'énergie dans de nouvelles applications et concevoir des outils pour leur diagnostic en temps réel. « Nos…

Could it be that water contains an almost inexhaustible source of energy, and above all, that it is within everyone's reach? And what if hydrogen would redefine the contours of our future? Faced with global climate change, the quantities of CO2 from industry and transportation that are released into the atmosphere are widely blamed. In order for humanity and the planet to imagine a viable future by 2100, it is urgent to find a sustainable alternative to our fossil fuels. And in this quest for…

A l'occasion de sa deuxième participation à VivaTech, le rendez-vous européen consacré à l'innovation technologique, le CNRS présente un échantillon de son savoir-faire dans la deeptech à travers différentes start-up issues de ses laboratoires. Trois défis principaux se présentent pour la filière hydrogène : produire de l'hydrogène sans utiliser d'énergie fossile, le stocker en grands et petits volumes et le convertir en énergie. Deux start-up tentent de relever les défis :…

The solar furnace at Odeillo in the Pyrénées Orientales is the most powerful apparatus of its kind constructed to date (1000 kw). It is a part of CNRS' Institut de science et de génie des matériaux et procédés (IMP). The sun's rays are collected by a wall of 63 flat mirrors called heliostats, able to move on two axes in order to follow the course of the sun. The solar rays are reflected onto a large parabolic mirror (height 40 m, width 54 m) and concentrated in a focusing tower 20 m high. The…

Flexible solar cells that are a thousand times thinner than commercial silicon cells, and have the same efficiency: this is the accomplishment of two CNRS researchers who have developed a trap to "capture" light. Applying this technology to mobile objects could change our daily lives, as explained in this report.

What if we could power our vehicles with powdered metals? Aluminum and magnesium have the same energy density as fossil fuels and the waste - metal oxydes - can be recycled with concentrated solar energy.

The morpho butterfly is poised to become a major player in the energy transition thanks to the astonishing structure of its wings which inspires physicists like Serge Berthier, professor at the Institute of Nanosciences in Paris. When the temperature rises above 40°C, the wings create infrared radiation, which lowers their temperature... and incidentally gives the butterfly its magnificent blue colour. A phenomenon, studied in photonics, which could be reproduced to maintain…

Ce nouvel épisode d'Un zeste pour la planète nous parle d'éoliennes... Mais surtout d'une machine extraordinaire, qui permet de simuler la rotation de la Terre et ses écoulements atmosphériques pour réaliser des expériences inédites. Un instrument précieux lorsqu'il s'agit d'implanter au mieux des parcs éoliens en haute mer, là où ils sont soumis à diverses forces terrestres...

With the short-term depletion of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, etc...) and the deterioration of our environment looming, the use of renewable power sources is becoming essential. The energy transition has thus become one of the major technological and scientific challenges of the 21st century, with non-carbon renewable power sources representing a major alternative to fossil fuels. However, their exceptional potential is strongly offset by the storage problems caused by the intermittent…