Thermoelectrics

Ultra-Thin Cooling Solution for Mobile Devices Unlocks Slimmer, High-Performance Technology

Scientists from Nagoya University in Japan have developed an innovative cooling device — an ultra-thin loop heat pipe — that significantly improves heat control for electronic components in smartphones and tablets. Read on to learn more.

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...

Thermal Management Lies at the Heart of EV Innovation

Along with rapid innovation in cooling methods, a major trend in EV thermal management is the use of technology to better design more thermally efficient vehicle architectures. AI and digital technologies have been major boons to the engineering toolkit for better design, helping to radically speed up system testing and development. Read on to learn more.

Replacing Thick Insulation with Thin MXenes

Research reports that MXenes, a class of 2D materials originally discovered at Drexel University in 2011, demonstrate the rare combination of high electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity.

Designing Next-Generation Carbon Dioxide Removal Technology for Better Life in Space

Engineers at NASA used modeling and simulation with experimental testing to analyze the next generation of compressor designs that get the job done more quietly, with fewer maintenance needs, and at lower fabrication cost. Read on to learn more.

Solving The Doping Problem: Enhancing Performance in Organic Semiconductors

Physicists at the University of Cambridge Cavendish Laboratory have discovered two new ways to improve organic semiconductors by removing more electrons from the...

Examining EV Battery Thermal Management

In this article, we'll discuss how modeling and simulation can be used to facilitate the design of thermal management systems for EV batteries – from the cell scale up. Read on to learn more.

My Opinion: Energy Storage, Part 2

My opinion: I take a look at some cases where it makes sense to use non-battery methods to store energy.

New Products

See the new products, including Nexperia's latest Energy Balance Calculator, StoreDot's new I-BEAM XFCTM concept, Bourns Inc.'s latest miniature resettable thermal cutoff device series, Rohde & Schwarz's wireless battery management system technology, Weidmuller USA's rugged battery connectors, Littelfuse Inc.'s overtemperature detection platform, and more.

Heating Buildings with Solar Energy Stored in Sand

Affordable thermal storage could help industries and cities capture heat that is currently wasted, as well as balance the inconsistencies in wind and solar power output. But while Polar Night Energy is eager to work directly with potential customers, they realize that the challenges ahead are too big for them to tackle alone.

My Opinion: We Should Take a Broad View of Energy Storage

My opinion: We need a holistic approach to energy storage — we should start with the general category and then analyze the pros and cons of different technologies to solve different problems.

Sensor Measures Light, Heat, and Touch

Researchers have developed a sensor that, similar to human skin, can sense temperature variation that originates from the touch of a warm object as well as the heat from solar radiation. The sensor combines pyroelectric and thermoelectric effects with a nano-optical phenomenon.

A Thermoelectric Cooler to Restore Sensation in Amputees

This advancement, one of the first of its kind, enables a useful new capability for a variety of applications, including improved prostheses, haptics for new modalities in augmented reality (AR), and thermally modulated therapeutics for applications such as pain management. The technology also has a variety of potential industrial and research applications.

A Temperature-Modulating Robotic System

A research team has developed a robotic system that can be unobtrusively built into the frame of a standard honeybee hive. Composed of an array of thermal sensors and actuators, the system measures and modulates honeybee behavior through localized temperature variations.

New Gel Polymer Electrolyte to Revolutionize the Safety of Li-ion Batteries

A collaborative research team has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in battery technology. Their remarkable achievement in developing a non-flammable gel polymer electrolyte is set to revolutionize the safety of Li-ion batteries by mitigating the risks of thermal runaway and fire incidents.

Carbon Fiber Sleeve Tempers Battery Thermal Runaway

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sleeve, that, when fitted over a cylindrical Li-ion battery cell, can prevent cell-to-cell propagation by containing a thermal runaway (TR) event to the originating cell.

Continuously Tunable Thermal Regulators for Batteries and Electronic Devices

Battery safety and performance in electronic devices and systems like battery thermal management, space conditioning, vehicle thermal comfort, and thermal energy...

A Novel Way to Convert Heat to Electricity

Researchers have fabricated a novel device that could dramatically boost the conversion of heat into electricity. If perfected, the technology could help recoup some of the recoverable heat energy that is wasted in the U.S. at a rate of about $100 billion each year.

A Sintering Method to Fabricate Large Perovskite Devices

A Penn State-led team of researchers have created a new process to fabricate large perovskite devices that is more cost- and time-effective than previously possible — and may accelerate future materials discovery.

Battle for the Box

Whether you call them packs, boxes, or trays, the structures that envelop and protect EV battery cells and their supporting electrical and thermal-management hardware are among the industry's top subsystem priorities.