Emerging technologies are those that are brand-new and in the process of developing quickly. They have the potential to have a big impact on many facets of society, including the economy, the environment, and how people live and go about their daily lives.
These technologies are frequently characterised by how quickly they are evolving and how disruptive they are.
A wide range of fields can be included in emerging technologies, such as:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a broad term that refers to a group of technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics, that are intended to let robots carry out tasks that ordinarily require human intelligence.
Biotechnology
This category comprises tools that allow for the manipulation and modification of biological systems, such as gene editing, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of interconnected devices and systems that is made possible by technologies that allow common objects to connect to the internet and share data.
Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology with potential use cases in the fields of banking, healthcare, and supply chain management. It enables safe and open transactions.
Advanced Manufacturing: This category comprises tools for streamlining and improving the manufacturing process, such as 3D printing, robotics, and automation.
The Role of Emerging Technology
Emerging technologies have the potential to lead to innovation and change in a variety of industries and fields, leading to the development of new business models, goods, and services that can enhance people’s lives and solve some of the most important issues facing the planet.
Emerging technologies have the potential to upend established industries, opening up fresh chances for companies and entrepreneurs to innovate and expand.
By automating jobs and procedures, they can also help businesses streamline their operations, cut costs, and increase efficiency.
Lowering Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Reducing
Emerging technologies have the ability to solve some of the world’s most critical issues, including climate change, healthcare, and food security, in addition to spurring innovation and growth.
Examples of technology that can assist in lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the effects of climate change include renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, and sustainable agriculture.
With the ability to enhance diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes, emerging technologies have the power to completely transform the way we approach healthcare.
Doctors and other healthcare workers may be able to deliver more individualised and effective care with the help of technologies like telemedicine, wearables, and artificial intelligence.
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Solar Cell Manufacturing and Commercialization Technology
Producing solar cells—devices that transform sunlight into electricity—involves a process known as solar cell manufacturing and commercialization technology. Solar panels, which are used to produce clean and sustainable energy, need solar cells as a key component.
There are multiple steps involved in the manufacture of solar cells, including:
Purifying the silicon that will be used to create the solar cells is the first stage. A chemical procedure is usually used to do this, removing impurities and producing high-purity silicon material.
Wafer production: After being purified, silicon is next shaped into the thin wafers that are used to construct solar cells. This is accomplished by cutting the silicon into uniformly thin wafers.
Production of the actual solar cells is the following phase. In order to construct a p-n junction, which is the key to the solar cell’s capacity to produce energy, dopants are added to silicon wafers in this process.
Cells Together and Covering the Panel’s Front
Solar cells are tested to make sure they fulfil the necessary performance and efficiency standards after they have been manufactured.
Last but not least, the solar cells are put together into the modules that make up solar panels. This entails joining the cells together and covering the panel’s front with a shield to shield the cells from harm.
The marketing and distribution of solar panels and other solar products to consumers and businesses is a function of solar cell commercialisation technology.
Significant Source of Clean and Renewable Energy
This entails creating and putting into practise marketing plans to highlight the advantages of solar energy as well as creating distribution networks to make solar products available to customers.
The cost of solar energy has significantly decreased in recent years due to advancements in solar cell manufacturing technology, making it more and more competitive with other types of electricity generation.
With solar energy becoming a more significant source of clean and renewable energy globally, the market for solar panels and other solar products has expanded quickly.
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Overcoming the Heat Barrier in the Development of Electronic Devices
Heat Barrier Our computers and other electronic devices are getting quicker and more powerful as technology develops. The heat produced by the information-carrying electrons as they flow through semiconductors, however, is an obvious physical constraint that they are now getting closer to.
“Generating heat is a vital barrier to the advancement of electronic devices. Our computers are now far faster than they were 20 years ago.
Therefore we are essentially at a bottleneck, according to Ran Cheng, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at UCR (University of California, Riverside).
The energy and water-intensive cooling systems at Google’s and other large tech companies’ warehouse-sized data centres are one example of a current workaround for this problem.
Electrons Travelling Through Semiconductors
They can only go so far as artificial intelligence, machine learning, video streaming, and other applications demand ever-faster computer processing and memory retrievals.
The developing subject of antiferromagnetic spintronics, which has the promise of going beyond today’s world of electrons travelling through semiconductors, was the focus of a recent study by a research team led by Cheng.
Instead, information will move in the future in the form of magnons, which are fundamental quantum units of spinning magnetic moments, without producing much heat.
The quantum excitations (magnons) of magnetic moments, which can spin in different directions along anchoring axes, could be utilised to encode and transmit data in the binary language that serves as the basis for modern computers.
Energy Efficiency and Quantum Operation
Antiferromagnetic spintronics also offers a significant speed advantage over silicon devices in addition to energy efficiency and quantum operation.
By using this technique, it may be possible to process data or store and retrieve memories on computers at speeds a hundred times faster than those of electrons travelling through semiconductors.
The massive amount of heat produced when electrons reach the same level of performance by moving very quickly through semiconductors will cause your mobile phone, laptop, or desktop computer to instantly melt, according to Cheng.
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Researchers assess biomass’s ability to reduce carbon emissions and conserve energy
Biomass Due to its carbon-neutral properties, biomass has been developed as a sustainable and clean alternative to fossil fuels to minimise greenhouse gas emissions. It is a type of solar energy that plants use to store energy during photosynthesis.
In order to expand its clean energy and achieve carbon neutrality, China has been looking into the rational development and use of bioenergy. Its biomass resources are substantial.
Biomass resources have been highlighted in earlier research as potential sources of energy in China. The multi-source and multi-path energy conversion of biomass has not, however, been thoroughly examined in terms of energy conservation and carbon reduction.
Prof. XI Fengming’s group from the Institute of Applied Ecology
An extensive bioenergy accounting model with a multi-dimensional analysis that integrates spatial analysis, life-cycle analysis, and multi-path analysis was created by a Chinese research team.
The team consists of Prof. WANG Feng’s group from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Dalian Institute of Chemistry and Physics, Prof. XI Fengming’s group from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Prof. FU Jingying’s group from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The researchers assessed China’s potential for producing bioenergy and cutting carbon emissions using the accounting model.
They discovered that China has 49.09 EJ yr1 of recoverable biomass resources, the majority of which comes from energy facilities on marginal land (35.64%) and organic waste (63.465%).
The potential energy consumption of biomass, excluding losses and other uses, is around 29.73 EJ.
Clean bioenergy production is 23.30 EJ, or around 19% of China’s total primary energy production, through effective energy conversion.
Saves Energy and Reduces Emissions
A quarter of China’s carbon emissions, or 2535.32 Mt CO2-eq, correspond to this carbon reduction potential. To maximise the development of biomass, it could be wise to give provinces with abundant biomass resources, such as Guangxi, Sichuan, and Jiangsu, priority.
In addition, consideration should be given to bioelectricity, which can replace conventional counterparts in a way that saves energy and reduces emissions.
This study provides crucial data support for constructing China’s clean energy structural system and achieving carbon neutrality targets by outlining the benefits of energy conservation and carbon reduction associated with multiple approaches to biomass energy utilisation.
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