Energy

Briefs: Materials

Side-Mounted Solar Modules Enhance Energy Sustainability

Research demonstrates the potential of a solar unit that can hang on the outside of a structure.

Briefs: Energy

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.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Supercapacitor Based on Manganese Oxide

This supercapacitor promises storage, high power, and fast charging.

Articles: Energy

Products of Tomorrow: January 2021

A malaria-test "bandage"; underwater navigation via sound; and a biodegrading, implantable sensor.

Briefs: Energy

Solid-State Technology Enables Smaller, Safer Batteries

The technology is inherently safer and more energy-dense than today’s lithium-ion batteries.

NASA Spinoff: Energy

Water-Powered Engines Offer Satellite Mobility

The technology could allow deep-space exploration without running out of propellant.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Generating Renewable Hydrogen Fuel from the Sea

Membranes that remove salt from water help split sea water into fuel.

Briefs: Automotive

Lithium Metal Battery Allows Cold Charging

The battery could be used for drones, cars, or underwater applications at low temperatures.

Technology Leaders: Electronics & Computers

Processor Power and Energy Efficiency

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

Briefs: Energy

Circuit Generates Clean, Limitless Power from Graphene

The chip could provide low-voltage power for small devices or sensors.

Briefs: RF & Microwave Electronics

Energy-Harvesting Device Turns Wi-Fi Signals into Usable Power

This device for harnessing terahertz radiation might enable self-powering implants, cellphones, and other portable electronics.

INSIDER: Energy

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...

INSIDER: Design

New Technique Extends Next-Generation Lithium Metal Batteries

Electric vehicles (EVs) hold great promise for our energy-efficient, sustainable future but among their limitations is the lack of a long-lasting, high energy density battery...

INSIDER: Energy

Fast Calculation Dials in Better Batteries

A simpler and more efficient way to predict performance will lead to better batteries, according to Rice University engineers. That their method is 100,000 times faster than existing modeling...

INSIDER: Materials

Clean, Limitless Power from Graphene

A team of University of Arkansas physicists has successfully developed a circuit capable of capturing graphene’s thermal motion and converting it into an electrical current.

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

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.

Articles: Energy

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.

Briefs: Energy

High-Efficiency Megawatt Motor

This partially superconducting machine can be used as a motor or generator.

Briefs: Energy

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

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

Briefs: Communications

Terahertz Receiver for 6G Wireless Communications

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

Application Briefs: Aerospace

Wave Energy Modeling for Safer Space Travel

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

Blog: Energy

A Solar Alternative: How to Power Devices with Indoor Light

A new material is especially effective at absorbing indoor light and converting it into usable energy.

News: Transportation

Thin Layer Protects Battery and Allows Cold Charging

Researchers in the Battery and Energy Storage Technology Center at Penn State University are searching for a reliable, quick-charging, cold-weather battery for automobiles. They...

News: Materials

New Composite Material Revs Up Pursuit of Advanced EVs

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have used new techniques to create a composite that increases the electrical current capacity of copper wires, providing a...

News: Energy

New Battery Electrolyte May Boost Performance of EVs

A new lithium-based electrolyte invented by Stanford University scientists could pave the way for the next generation of battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs). Their electrolyte...

Upcoming Webinars: Robotics, Automation & Control

Watch Live at 11 am ET: The 2020 Create the Future Contest Awards

For the first time, the winners of the Create the Future Design Contest will be announced live! Join us for this special one-hour presentation as we honor our 2020 Grand Prize...

INSIDER: Energy

Turning Streetwear into Solar Concentrators

Researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich succeeded in developing a material that works like a luminescent solar concentrator and can even be applied to textiles. This opens up numerous possibilities...