Energy Efficiency

Q&A: Wireless Charging for Electric Vehicles

Dr. Burak Ozpineci is developing a system that charges electric vehicles while driving.

Smart Batteries Include Force and Pressure Sensing

Ultra-thin piezoresistive sensors can be used in both R&D and as embedded components to develop safer, longer-lasting lithium-ion battery technologies.

Synapse-Like Phototransistor

The technology could help computers process visual information more like the human brain.

Supercapacitors Go Hybrid for Increased Performance and Efficiency

Learn about the properties of each capacitor option, and their ideal applications.

New Process Breaks Down Polystyrene

Due to the chemical stability and durability of industrial polymers, plastic waste does not easily degrade in landfills and is often burned, which produces carbon dioxide and other hazardous gases. In...

With 'Ghost'-Like Physics, Optical Rectennas Generate Power from Wasted Heat

Researchers from CU Boulder gave their optical "rectennas" a ghost-like way to turn wasted heat into power.

Hybrid Propellant Formulation Uses Graphene Foams

This method increases burn rate of solid propellants.

Hybrid-Electric Plane Concept Could Reduce Air Pollution

The proposed design could reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 95 percent.

Rocket Thruster Exploits the Mechanism Behind Solar Flares

Thrusters based on magnetic reconnection could complete long-distance missions in a shorter period of time.

Accelerated Degradation of Li-Ion Batteries for High-Rate Discharge Applications

As the vehicle platform size decreases, the pulse power discharge rates of the Energy Storage System (ESS) increase.

Range-Doubling Lithium-Metal Batteries “Build Themselves” in Li-Ion Manufacturing Method

Lithium-metal solid-state batteries can provide a safer, more energy-dense alternative to current technology.

High-Temperature Ni-Based Superalloy Composition

The alloy has applications in jet turbine disks and other high-stress and/or high-temperature environments.

Turning Carbon Dioxide into Liquid Fuel

A new electrocatalyst efficiently converts carbon dioxide into ethanol.

Facility Focus: Cornell University College of Engineering

See the advanced materials, complex systems, and bioengineering technologies being created at Cornell.

Extracting Bioproducts from Plants for Biofuels

Biofuels can achieve cost parity with petroleum fuels.

Material Moves Wind Turbine Blades Toward Recyclability

The material can be recycled, making renewable energy more sustainable while lowering costs in the process.

Stacking and Twisting Graphene Unlocks a Rare Form of Magnetism

The technology could lead to a platform for quantum computation or new types of energy-efficient data storage applications.

New Fiber Optic Temperature Sensing Approach Could Keep Fusion Power Plants Running

The pursuit of fusion as a safe, carbon-free, always-on energy source has intensified in recent years, with a number of organizations pursuing aggressive...

Next-Generation Computer Chip Has Two Heads

The chip combines two functions — logic operations and data storage — into a single architecture, paving the way to more efficient devices.

Processor Power and Energy Efficiency

Just like smartphones, the same trend of combining separate components into one device is also apparent in industrial automation.

Advanced Solar Panels Extract More Energy from Sunlight

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers working to maximize solar panel efficiency said layering advanced materials atop traditional silicon is a promising path to eke...

2020 Create the Future Design Contest: Manufacturing/Robotics/Automation Category Winner — RadiBond

RadiBond technology, based on nanometer-thin coatings, provides ultra-strong and ultra-tight bonding between metals and plastics.

2020 Create the Future Design Contest: Sustainable Technologies/Future Energy Category Winner — Flash Graphene

A new process can turn bulk quantities of just about any carbon source into valuable graphene flakes.

High-Performance, Lightweight, Easy-to-Fabricate Heat Exchanger

This can be used in energy-recovery systems in industrial, space, automotive, and military applications.

Terahertz Receiver for 6G Wireless Communications

The device enables ultra-fast wireless communications at low cost.

Wave Energy Modeling for Safer Space Travel

What does wave energy have to do with space exploration? Plenty, it turns out.