2022 Create the Future Design Contest: Automotive/Transportation Category Winner — Betterfrost Ultra-Low Energy Defrost & Defog System

Betterfrost’s solution defrosts and defogs electric vehicles’ windshields with 20 times less power than current technology and extends the range of an EV by 38 km on an average commute in winter.

Wearable Gas Sensor for Health and Environmental Monitoring

Applications include detection of chemical and biological agents as well as dangerous gases from vehicle emissions.

Thermochromic Photovoltaic Windows

The windows reduce the need for air conditioning and simultaneously generate electricity.

“Cold Tube” Cools Without Air Conditioning

Chilled panels use less energy than conventional A/C and work in open spaces.

Organic Material for Next-Generation HVAC Technologies

An enhanced polymer could be used for more energy-efficient systems with a smaller carbon footprint.

Autonomous Sensor Technology for Real-Time Feedback About Refrigeration and Heating

The sensor monitors the oil circulation ratio in real time for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems.

Autonomous HVAC System Measures Facial Temperature

The system turns faces into thermostats, providing more comfort with less energy.

Electricity-Free Radiative Cooling System

The system is effective in urban environments where there are tall buildings on all sides.

Wearable Cooling and Heating Patch

The patch could serve as a personal thermostat and save energy.

Wearable Air Conditioning

This on-skin electronic device provides a personal air conditioner without electricity.

Transport Method Boosts Capacity of Heat Exchangers

A simple modification can improve the capability of turbulent heat exchangers by 500%.

Avoiding Electrical Damage with Conductive Lubrication

While most cars today run on 12-volt DC batteries, cars in the future will run on 48 volts. This increased voltage could affect ball bearing performance.

See-Through Film Rejects 70 Percent of Incoming Solar Heat

A heat-rejecting film was developed that could be applied to a building’s windows to reflect up to 70 percent of the Sun’s incoming heat. The film remains highly transparent...

Water-Based Battery Stores Solar and Wind Energy

Wind and solar energy generation creates challenges, since the Sun only shines by day, and sometimes the wind doesn't blow. Another variability is surges of demand on the grid. On a hot...

Naval Research Laboratory

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) began operations in 1923 as the United States Navy's first modern research institution, and it continues today as one of the Navy's premier R&D resources. NRL's early 20th...

2017 Create the Future Design Contest: Aerospace & Defense Category Winner

Airfoil Performance Monitor (APM) John Maris, Puthy Soupin, Ludovic Laberge, and Marie-Hélène Larose
Marinvent Corporation
Saint-bruno, Quebec, Canada...

Sandia Cooler

Heat exchangers are used for the transfer of heat between two or more media. The media may be separated by a solid wall so that they never mix, or they may be in direct contact. Heat exchangers may be used in HVAC systems,...

Personal Annunciation Device (PAD)

Many industrial and commercial plants, government and private research facilities, and industrial facilities perform potentially dangerous processes. Automated warning and alarm systems alert personnel to...

PLCs Improve Control of Radio Broadcasts

Broadcasting employs the latest technology in many areas, but controlling the broadcast hardware connected to the antenna and the related transmission power, source, and facilities is usually still a...

Mechanical Carbon Materials for Aircraft Seal Applications

Modern mechanical carbon materials are being used in a wide variety of applications, including aircraft gear boxes, air turbine motor starters, and main shaft seals for both aircraft...

Considerations for Choosing Temperature Measurement Devices

There are a variety of reasons we need to know the temperature of an object or a process — to prevent product damage, ensure sterilization, determine biological health, ensure...

Integrating Functional Pneumatic Safety Devices into Control Systems

Over the past several years, controls engineers have become adept at applying control systems to machine safety applications. The issue is that safety is a moving target....

New Control Possibilities for Wireless Switches

Wireless controls have been widely accepted and embraced in the industrial community. Widespread use of monitoring devices in the process industry, the deployment of RFID components in a...

Creating a Unique Solution to Test Indoor Climate Systems

In the past, controlling the indoor climate in homes consisted of a thermostat regulating the heat, and ventilating the homes by opening the windows. New energy performance...

Energy Efficiency in Machine Tools

Discussions of the efficient use of energy have become more frequent in many sectors of industry. Machine tools comprise numerous motors and auxiliary components whose energy consumption can vary strongly...

A Portable, Projection Focusing Schlieren System

A new type of projection schlieren camera system (schlierenscope) is more portable, easier to align, and more versatile than existing systems. The schlierenscope is a projection focusing...