Stories
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
From airplane wings, to overhead power lines, to the giant blades of wind turbines, a buildup of ice can cause problems ranging from impaired performance all the way to catastrophic...
Q&A: Materials
Mandal, along with Professors Yuan Yang and Nanfang Yu, built upon earlier work demonstrating that many simple plastics and polymers are excellent heat radiators that could...
Facility Focus: Robotics, Automation & Control
NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) has been a leader in human space exploration for more than half a century. Established in 1961 in Houston, TX as the Manned Spacecraft Center, the center...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Egyptian blue, derived from calcium copper silicate, was routinely used on ancient depictions of gods and royalty. Previous studies have shown that when Egyptian blue absorbs visible light, it then...
Blog: Energy
Don’t hold your breath, says Jeff Crystal from Voltaic Systems.
Articles: Robotics, Automation & Control
As Industry 4.0 initiatives bring more and more industrial axes of motion into the realm of automation, the need for cost-effective control across them grows as well. Advances in robotics,...
Facility Focus: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Ames Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), operated by and located on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, IA. For more than 70...
Briefs: Energy
Today's photovoltaic power systems are generally comprised of a single photovoltaic module or multiple modules connected by combinations of series and parallel circuits as a photovoltaic array. In...
Question of the Week: Energy
Will Stretchable, Printable Solar Cells Catch On?
A Rice University lab is making solar cells that are stretchable, printable, and paintable. Watch the demo on Tech Briefs TV.
This week's Question: Will Stretchable, Printable Solar Cells Catch On?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
News: Energy
The grand-prize-winning nanotechnology coating imparts anti-reflection and water-repellency capabilities to surfaces made of silicon, glass ,and some plastics, including Teflon.
INSIDER: Energy
A team of semiconductor researchers based in France has used a boron nitride separation layer to grow indium gallium nitride (InGaN) solar cells that were then...
INSIDER: Photonics/Optics
New solar energy research from Arizona State University demonstrates that silicon-based tandem photovoltaic modules, which convert sunlight to electricity with higher efficiency than...
Facility Focus: Energy
In 1977, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, Golden, CO) started as the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), spurred by national concern during the 1973 oil embargo that caused long lines...
Articles: Energy
Hybrid solutions that combine small photovoltaic (PV) panels with industrial grade rechargeable Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries provide long-term power for remote wireless...
Articles: Energy
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Piezoelectric Thrust Vector Control for Hall Effect Thruster
The design of the CubeSat required precision pointing of the thrust vector through the spacecraft center of gravity to minimize fuel usage for attitude correction. Because the center of gravity shifts over the course of the mission, a means of adjusting the thrust vector was needed....
Q&A: Energy
An international team of university researchers, led by Dr. Taylor, reports solving a major fabrication challenge for perovskite cells — the intriguing potential challengers...
Briefs: Energy
The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a direct-current detector technology to help emergency responders safely detect high voltages, which they have...
INSIDER: Semiconductors & ICs
Tiny Defects in Semiconductors Created ‘Speed Bumps’ or Electrons. UCLA Researchers Cleared the Path
UCLA scientists and engineers have developed a new process for assembling semiconductor devices. The advance could lead to much more...
Application Briefs: Software
Silphenix GmbH is an engineering and consulting firm in Switzerland specializing in high-speed electrical machines, magnetic bearings, and electromagnetic field analysis. One project focus is compact...
Technology Leaders: Electronics & Computers
Photovoltaic systems are continually evolving to improve their efficiency and financial viability. One trend is to move to larger strings of cells giving higher dc voltages to be...
Briefs: 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 day...
Blog: Energy
Jim Batdorf tells Tech Briefs about his unique career path, from chemical engineer to distiller of solar-powered spirits.
Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing
Bi-Directional Energy Cascades and the Origin of Kinetic Turbulence in the Solar Wind
The kinetic turbulence of solar wind originates in the solar corona. The solar wind carries the fluctuations and escapes from the corona along the open magnetic field lines, and enters into the interplanetary space. The energy exchange among waves and particles...
Briefs: Energy
Mobile or transportable power supply and distribution systems are needed for various types of work that require electrical power in a field or outdoor environment — such as construction and environmental...
Briefs: Medical
Nanofibers are useful for any application that benefits from a high ratio of surface area to volume, such as solar cells that maximize exposure to sunlight, or fuel cell electrodes that catalyze...
Blog: Energy
Following Up: What is the Future of Flexible Solar Cells?
Researcher Jaana Vapaavuori answered an additional question regarding the future of flexible solar cells.
Blog: Materials
PhD student Jes Linnet hopes that a silver-based, transparent conductive electrode film offers a longer-lasting alternative for flexible screens and electronics.
Question of the Week: Energy
Will Flexible Solar Cells Catch On?
Though a flexible solar cell offers exciting, new ways of powering vehicles, clothing, and other smart technologies, manufacturing the photovoltaic component is a challenge.
Top Stories
INSIDER: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Aya Durbin of Boston Dynamics on Why Humanoids Are the Future of...
Podcasts: Propulsion
Engineering Spacecraft Components at Scale for Commercial Space Growth
INSIDER: Motion Control
NVIDIA Announces Industry’s First Full-Stack Safety System for Physical...
Articles: RF & Microwave Electronics
Blog: Aerospace
NASA Marches Toward Artemis III Mission in 2027
Blog: Energy
Clean Water, No Chemicals: The New Solar Desalination Process from...
Webcasts
Webinars: AR/AI
From Grid to GPU: Validating Next-Gen AI Data Center Power...
Summits: Energy
Hydrogen & Alternative Fuels Summit 2026
Webinars: Manned Systems
Engineering Extended-Range Hybrid Systems
Editorial Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Design for Miniaturization: Meeting the Demand for Smaller,...
Webinars: AR/AI
Why Your Integration Stack Is Blocking Your AI Roadmap
Editorial Webinars: Automotive
