Black Metal Could Give a Heavy Boost to Solar Power Generation

In the quest for energy independence, researchers have studied solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) as a promising source of solar electricity generation. Unlike the...

Scalable Supercapacitor Technology Made from Graphene

Supercapacitors are siblings of batteries. Both technologies store electrical energy. Batteries have a high energy density but a low power density. In other words, they can store a lot...

How Much Do You Know About Wind Turbines?

Wind turbines are imperative in our search for renewable energy as we aim to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. How much do you know about wind turbines? Find out with this quiz.

Flexible Silicon Photovoltaics: A Breakthrough in Space-Grade Solar Power

In-space manufacturing is expected to become a core part of future space economy by using assets in orbits or beyond Earth orbit for use in space. Tech Briefs interviewed space-focused solar energy startup Solestial’s CTO Stanislau Herasimenka about the key technology developments leading to this increased momentum for space-based manufacturing and the role solar power will play in it. Read on for the full interview with Herasimenka, edited for length and clarity.

A Technological Breakthrough for Ultra-Fast and Greener AI

AI systems like ChatGPT are notorious for being power-hungry. To tackle this challenge, a team from the Centre for Optics, Photonics and Lasers has come up with an optical chip that can transfer massive amounts of data at ultra-high speed. As thin as a strand of hair, this technology offers unrivaled energy efficiency. Read on to learn more.

How ISS Will Be Evaluating Photovoltaic Materials

Solar cells account for approximately six percent of the electricity used on Earth; however, in space, they play a significantly larger role, with nearly all satellites relying on advanced solar cells for their power. That’s why Georgia Tech researchers will soon be sending 18 photovoltaic cells to the International Space Station (ISS) for a study of how space conditions affect the devices’ operation over time. Read on to learn more.

New Physics-Based Simulation Tool Accelerates Battery Development

For years, researchers have been developing tools to accelerate the materials discovery and development of new energy storage technologies, including those that can predict the performance of the batteries systems for long-term grid services. With a new physics-based simulation tool, EZBattery Model, it now takes less than a second to predict the performance of redox flow batteries and its variants. Read on to learn more.

How Much Do You Know About Pneumatic Valves?

Determining how much and in which direction air passes through, pneumatic valves play an important role in any pneumatic system. How much do you know about pneumatic valves? Find out with this quiz.

From Mine to Battery: The Growing Importance of Graphite Purity and Provenance

Collaborating across sectors and keeping up with developments in analysis tools will be crucial as the transition to a more sustainable energy landscape occurs in the future. Read on to learn more.

Laying the Building Blocks for the EV Smart Grid

This article introduces the fundamental concepts behind EV load management, which allows fleet operators to fit more EV chargers on the utility service that they currently have. Read on to learn more.

How Battery Simulation Is Taking High-Performance EV Development to New Heights

What was once a specialized capability is now becoming a cornerstone of modern EV development. Simulation delivers speed, accuracy, and flexibility — qualities that are essential to staying competitive in advanced electrification. Read on to learn more.

Why Accurate SoC and SoH Estimation Is Critical for Battery Longevity and Business Success

The modern world runs on battery power. The world’s most critical industries are widely adopting battery-powered systems to achieve decarbonization goals, energy independence, and mobility. Still, like any technology, battery performance and business success depend on how well they’re managed. Read on to learn what this means.

Making Hydrogen Power a Practical Proposition

Occupying a unique space as both an energy vector and a fuel, hydrogen has gained interest for propulsion and power generation applications over the past several years. Hydrogen has been investigated thoroughly throughout the previous decades, but with advances in hydrogen generation and infrastructure, and the increasing need to low-carbon propulsion solutions across all sectors, hydrogen propulsion may be poised for significant market penetration. Read on to learn more.

Developing Durable Solar Panels Without Silicon

Using a new technology, Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena's lab has found a way to stabilize perovskite solar cells, which are built like a battery. Read on to learn more.

Spray Drying Tech Used in Instant Coffee Applied to High-Capacity Battery Production

The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) and the Korea Institute of Materials Science have jointly developed spray drying technology-based high-performance dry electrode manufacturing technology for the realization of high-capacity secondary batteries. Read on to learn more.

How Can We Optimize Solid-State Batteries? Try Asking AI

Researchers at Tohoku University developed a data-driven AI framework that points out potential solid-state electrolyte candidates that could be “the one” to create an ideal sustainable energy solution. Read on to learn more.

Diagnosing a Dud May Lead to a Better Battery

A team of chemists led by Feng Lin and Louis Madsen found a way to see into battery interfaces, which are tight, tricky spots buried deep inside the cell. Read on to learn what this means.

Smoothing Over Rough Edges in Batteries

Battery performance suffers over time, like when a phone needs to be charged more frequently after years of use. A thin film that forms on the metal anode when the battery is charging and discharging plays a part in that issue. This film has benefits, but its roughness gradually wears the battery down. Researchers have discovered a temporary version of this film that appears at rapid discharge speeds and dissolves back into the battery when the process finishes. Read on to learn more.

New Products

See the new products, including Shin-Etsu Silicones of America's SDP-6560 A/B liquid-dispensed gap filling, a non-adhesive curing silicone thermal interface material; Navitas Semiconductor's new portfolio of Gen-3 ‘Fast’ (G3F) 650 V SiC MOSFETs; Freudenberg Sealing Technologies' optimized sealing material for e-mobility applications; and more.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including a compact, low-power receiver for 5G-compatible smart devices that is about 30 times more resilient to a certain type of interference than some traditional wireless receivers; a flexible, conductive skin, which is easy to fabricate and can be melted down and formed into a wide range of complex shapes; and tiny batteries that vanish after use inspired by Mission: Impossible.

Test Your Knowledge of Solid-State Batteries

Solid-state battery technology offers several major advantages but also presents some engineering challenges. Test your knowledge of solid-state batteries in this quiz.

Autonomous Structures Can Be Programmed to Jump Days in Advance

Researchers have created dynamic structures that leap into the air on a predetermined schedule without intervention from computers or external stimuli. Precisely when these...

How Much Do You Know About Power Semiconductors?

Without power semiconductors there would be no solar power, wind power, EVs, automated factories, computers, or smart phones, to name a few. Take this quiz to see how much you know about them.