Innovation Timeline
Clean Energy
Solar cells, wind turbines, battery technology — the patent story of the energy transition.
Landmark patents
45
Total citations
1,623
Span
1851 – 2024
Milestones
9
1880s
How Charles Hall Invented Modern Aluminum Production
This 1889 patent describes the Hall-Héroult process, which uses electricity to extract pure aluminum from its ore, making the metal affordable for everyone.
18 citations
William Stanley Jr.'s Early Alternating Current Transformer System
An 1886 patent describing an early design for an electrical transformer that helped make alternating current power distribution practical for homes and businesses.
12 citations
How Nikola Tesla Invented the Modern AC Electric Motor
Nikola Tesla's 1888 patent for an induction motor that uses rotating magnetic fields to convert electricity into mechanical motion without needing physical brushes.
1 citation
1890s
Nikola Tesla's Early System for Electric Lighting
A 19th-century patent by Nikola Tesla describing an early method for distributing and regulating electric light using high-frequency alternating current.
13 citations
How Rudolf Diesel's Engine Works
Rudolf Diesel's 1898 patent describes a highly efficient engine that ignites fuel using the heat generated by compressing air rather than using a spark plug.
10 citations
1900s
How Willis Carrier Invented the Modern Air Conditioner
Willis Carrier's 1906 patent for an apparatus to control humidity and temperature, forming the technical foundation for modern air conditioning systems.
19 citations
John Holland's Design for an Early Submarine Boat
This 1906 patent by John P. Holland describes an early design for a submarine, a vessel capable of traveling underwater, laying the groundwork for modern naval technology.
1910s
How William Burton Invented Modern Gasoline Refining
A 1913 patent by William Burton that describes a thermal cracking process to turn heavy crude oil into usable gasoline for automobiles.
2 citations
How William Coolidge Invented the Modern X-Ray Tube
A 1916 patent by William Coolidge for a high-vacuum X-ray tube that used a heated tungsten filament to control electron flow, replacing older, unreliable gas-filled tubes.
32 citations
1920s
How Early Electromagnetic Pumps Moved Liquid Metal Using Magnetic Fields
A 1927 patent for a pump that uses electromagnetic forces to move conductive liquids without needing moving mechanical parts like pistons or impellers.
7 citations
How Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard Designed a Silent Refrigerator
A 1930 patent by Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard for a refrigerator that uses electromagnetic pumps instead of moving mechanical parts to circulate coolant.
22 citations
1940s
How the First Nuclear Reactor Works
The foundational 1955 patent by Enrico Fermi and Leo Szilard describing the design of the first nuclear reactor capable of a self-sustaining chain reaction.
232 citations
How the Geiger Counter Detects Invisible Radiation
A 1947 patent for a radiation detection device that uses a gas-filled tube to identify and count high-energy particles.
6 citations
1950s
How Eugene Houdry Invented the Modern Catalytic Converter
A 1952 patent for a durable, thin-film catalyst structure that allows gases to flow freely over reactive surfaces, forming the foundation for modern vehicle exhaust systems.
55 citations
How the First Practical Silicon Solar Cell Works
A 1954 invention by Bell Labs researchers that created the first silicon-based solar cell capable of converting sunlight into enough electricity to power everyday devices.
59 citations
How the Modern Alkaline Battery Was Invented
A 1957 patent from Union Carbide that defined the construction of the long-lasting alkaline battery, replacing older zinc-carbon designs.
25 citations
1970s
How a Single Coil Powers Multiple Motor Armatures Simultaneously
A 1973 design for an electric motor that uses a single central coil to power several separate armatures arranged in a circle.
22 citations
How Scientists Created Bacteria That Eat Oil Spills
A 1981 patent for genetically engineered bacteria capable of breaking down multiple types of oil, which became the first living organism ever patented.
28 citations
Early Lithium-Ion Battery Design Using Chalcogenides
This 1977 patent describes an early rechargeable battery design using lithium as one electrode and titanium disulfide as the other, a key step towards modern lithium-ion technology.
93 citations
How Amorphous Silicon Changed Solar Power
This 1976 patent describes using a specific form of non-crystalline silicon to create cheap, thin semiconductor devices like solar cells.
197 citations
1980s
How Lithium-Cobalt Battery Cathodes Were Invented
This 1981 patent details the chemistry behind the lithium-cobalt oxide cathodes that power almost every modern smartphone, laptop, and electric vehicle.
90 citations
How Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes Are Made
A foundational 1982 method for creating the materials used in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries by removing ions at low temperatures.
41 citations
1990s
Boosting Fuel Cell Power for Vehicles Using Oxygen Injection
A system that boosts a vehicle's fuel cell power by injecting pure oxygen into the air supply when the engine needs extra energy.
90 citations
How Nichia Created the First Practical Blue LED Electrodes
A foundational patent describing the specific metal contacts needed to make gallium nitride LEDs efficient and commercially viable.
251 citations
2000s
How Car Battery Modules Combine High and Low Voltage Systems
A self-contained battery module that houses both high and low voltage batteries, a power converter, and safety switches in a single unit designed for efficient heat management.
46 citations
How Enzymes Help Turn Corn Into Ethanol More Efficiently
A process for making ethanol from starch by using specific enzymes to break down proteins, which helps the fermentation process run more smoothly.
How to Measure Stability in Complex Power Grids Using D-Q Impedance
A method for testing how electrical components in a power grid react to disturbances to ensure the grid remains stable and doesn't crash.
7 citations
2010s
How Electric Cars Safely Pause Charging When You Want to Unplug
A system for electric vehicles that safely pauses power flow when a driver signals they want to disconnect the charging cable, preventing electrical arcing or damage.
1 citation
How Smart Home Devices Automatically Connect to Utility Energy Programs
A system that lets smart home devices like thermostats enroll in energy-saving programs without the user needing to manually provide their utility account number.
7 citations
How Smart Light Networks Coordinate Without a Central Controller
A system where individual smart lights talk to each other to make lighting decisions based on sensors, rather than relying on a single master computer.
How Printers Manage Power States and Sleep Timers
A method for printers to intelligently decide whether to reset their sleep timer based on the type of network activity they encounter.
Electric or Natural Gas Blending and Pumping for Oil Wells
This patent describes a compact, modular system for mixing and pumping fluids used in oil and gas wells, powered by electricity or natural gas, using gravity to feed materials into a main blender.
34 citations
How Mobile Cranes Power Their Upper Parts Using The Lower Base
A design for mobile construction cranes that moves the power generator to the base while keeping the control electronics separate and protected.
2020s
How a Battery Automatically Disconnects Itself During Overheating
A safety system for battery packs that uses a heat-sensitive material to physically break the electrical connection between cells if they get too hot, preventing thermal runaway.
How Drones Use Temperature Maps to Safely Start Controlled Fires
A system for drones to drop ignition balls for controlled burns while using thermal sensors to navigate away from dangerous heat and optimize fire patterns.
How to Make Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Last Longer Using Polymer Coatings
A new way to coat sulfur battery cores with a special polymer to prevent them from degrading, helping them hold a charge for more cycles.
How Medium Voltage Power Switches Safely Direct Electricity
A mechanical system for medium voltage power grids that uses a rotating contact and a series of levers to safely switch electricity between lines and ground.
How Oil Wells Send Acoustic Signals Using Mechanical Hammers
A device that uses pressure differences to slam a piston against a metal surface, creating a specific sound vibration that acts as a signal for deep-well operations.
How to Adapt Existing Motors to Power New Equipment
A mechanical adapter system that lets you connect an existing motor's spinning shaft to a new, secondary machine like a generator or pump.
How Rondo Energy Stores Electricity as High-Temperature Industrial Heat
A system that converts cheap renewable electricity into continuous, high-temperature heat for factories by using two stages of thermal storage units that can charge and discharge independently.