Testing Heat Shields for Space

For decades, Sandia National Laboratories’ National Solar Thermal Test Facility has harnessed the power of the sun to expose aerospace materials to intense heat, replicating the harsh conditions of faster-than-sound flight and atmospheric reentry to ensure the materials’ ability to protect the rest of the vehicle. The most recent of these tests is in support of two exciting NASA missions. Read on to learn more.

Radiation Detection Using Scintillating Fibers

At Idaho National Laboratory, researchers developed TRIPWIRE to enable detecting radiation over large and inaccessible areas like nuclear material repositories. Read on to learn more.

New Solar Research Achieves 130% Efficiency Yield Using Singlet Fission

To become a mainstream energy source, solar panels need to become more efficient, and a recent breakthrough by researchers from Kyushu University and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz may accelerate this progress. Read on to learn more.

Research Upturns Assumptions About Battery Failure

New research from Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering has solved a major battery mystery that has led to capacity degradation, shortened lifespan and, in some cases, fire. Read on to learn more.

Robotic Space Rovers Keep Getting Stuck — Engineers Have Figured Out Why

Using computer simulations, University of Wisconsin-Madison mechanical engineers have uncovered a flaw in how rovers are tested on Earth. That error leads to overly optimistic conclusions about how rovers will behave once they’re deployed on extraterrestrial missions. Read on to learn more.

A Satellite Micro-Vibration Test Platform to Isolate Vibrations

The micro-vibration test instrument gives the ESA a high confidence that a satellite’s mechanisms in space will generate verified forces and torques as displayed and confirmed on the micro-vibration test instrument on Earth. Read on to learn more about it.

‘Leukemia-On-A-Chip’ Could Transform CAR T Blood Cancer Treatments

A collaborative multidisciplinary team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University has developed a miniature device that could transform how blood cancer treatments are tested and tailored for patients. 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.

New Spacecraft Power System Passes First Test

A spacecraft power system that combines the technological know-how of engineers and scientists at the University of Leicester and NASA Glenn has passed its first test with flying colors. Read on to learn more about it.

Using Ultrasound to Detect Battery Flaws

Researchers from Drexel University have developed a standard testing process to give manufacturers a better look at the internal workings of batteries.

“I Told You the Moon Was Made of Cheese”

If the title grabs your attention, you're going to have to read on. We promise you there is an explanation, but you must first read the article.

Hardening the Grid: Research Team Focuses on Quake Proofing Transformer Bushings

The electric grid we take for granted involves large, expensive equipment, most notably power transformers. If one goes down, it can take more than a year to...

Diamond Quantum Imaging Can Enable Next-Gen Power Electronics

Improving energy conversion efficiency in power electronics is vital for a sustainable society, with wide-bandgap semiconductors like GaN and SiC power devices offering...

For EV Safety Tests, AI Is Here to Help

It’s important to note that skepticism toward AI is reminiscent of past attitudes toward now-standard technologies. Thirty years ago, tools such as CFD were met with trepidation — an attitude defined by limited understanding. Today, engineers see them as indispensable. Similarly, adopting AI requires a shift in perspective and embracing its potential.

How Test Equipment Is Evolving to Keep Up with EV Batteries

Whatever technology is employed in the future, it is clear that battery test systems will continue to adapt to keep pace with changes in EV battery technology and production. Ensuring that you choose a future proof, scalable, and capable bi-directional DC source is critical in planning for testing success today and tomorrow. Read on to learn more.

How Automakers Boost Quality via Servo-Electric Test Systems

Today, electrically actuated (servo-electric) test systems have emerged as a preferred alternative to servo-hydraulics that have traditionally been used. Michigan-based eMpulse Test Systems is a supplier of these advanced testing systems. Read on to learn more.

How to Detect Battery Failures Quicker

Batteries in electric vehicles can fail quickly, sometimes catching fire without much warning. Sandia National Laboratories is working to detect these failures early and provide sufficient warning time to vehicle occupants. Read on to learn more about it.

How Much Do You Know About Unattended Testing?

If we can remove clear indications that someone is being monitored, we are far more likely to get the information we seek. This is the basis for unattended testing, which is about as common as laboratory testing itself. So, how much do you know about unattended testing? Find out with this quiz.