Mechanical/​Mechatronics

Propulsion

Explore the key advances impacting propulsion technologies and applications involved in aircraft propulsion, turbo-electric distributed propulsion, and hybrid electric aircraft propulsion systems.

Latest Briefs & News

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Briefs: Power
A Sustainable Engine with Reduced Assembly Costs
Boom Supersonic, the company building supersonic planes, is developing Symphony, a new propulsion system designed and optimized for its Overture supersonic airliner.
Briefs: Aerospace
A team of MIT engineers is creating a one-megawatt motor that could be a key stepping-stone toward electrifying larger aircraft. The team has designed and tested the major components of the motor.
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INSIDER: Design

Flow-driven turbines lie at the heart of many machines that have shaped our societies, from windmills to airplanes. Even life itself depends critically on turbines for fundamental...

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Quiz: Aerospace
As the future of jet engine technology continues to take shape, test your knowledge about how jet engines work with this quiz.
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INSIDER: Motion Control

A team led by Northwestern University researchers has developed the first artificial intelligence (AI) to date that can intelligently design robots from scratch.

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Special Reports: Power
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Power Electronics - November 2023

This compendium of recent articles from the editors of Tech Briefs and Aerospace & Defense Technology looks at the latest advances in power electronics and energy storage for applications ranging from...

INSIDER: Nanotechnology

An international team of scientists has recently developed a novel type of nano-engine made of DNA. It is driven by a clever mechanism that can perform pulsing movements. The researchers are now planning to fit it with a...

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Videos of the Month: Manned Systems
See the videos of the month, including one on Amphenol Sine’s A Series™ family of sealed heavy-duty, multipin plastic and metal connectors; one on RoboSAR – an autonomous search and rescue of victims; and more.
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INSIDER: Robotics, Automation & Control

A newly created real-life Transformer can reconfigure its body to achieve eight distinct types of motion and can autonomously assess the environment it faces to choose the most effective...

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Special Reports: Transportation
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Vehicle Electrification - July 2023

Read this compendium of recent articles from the editors of Automotive Engineering and Battery & Electrification Technology to learn about the latest advances in e-powertrain design, batteries/energy...

INSIDER: Aerospace

Aerospace engineers designed a 1-megawatt electrical motor that is a stepping stone toward electrifying the largest aircraft.

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INSIDER: Robotics, Automation & Control

A robot fish fitted with a twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) to drive it forward, a lightweight low-cost device that relies on temperature change to generate movement, could make underwater...

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White Papers: Propulsion
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Emerson whitepaper: Controlling Hydrogen Fuel Flow

Thousands of hydrogen-fueling stations must be built this decade to meet increasing demand. To build at this scale, you need reliable, easy-to-install solutions that dispense fuel quickly,...

INSIDER: Unmanned Systems

Inspired by centipedes, Georgia Tech researchers have developed many-legged robots that can move across uneven surfaces without any additional sensing or control technology.

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INSIDER: Manufacturing & Prototyping

There is extensive research on how a fixed-position flap affects lift in the realm of fluid-structure interaction. However, taking the conversation in a new direction, researchers...

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INSIDER: Test & Measurement

Birds fly more efficiently by folding their wings during the upstroke, according to a recent study led by Lund University in Sweden. The results could mean that wing-folding is the...

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Blog: Aerospace
A Tech Briefs interview with DART team member Dr. Saverio Cambioni.
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Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
The all-terrain walking mech’s aim is to give humans the size and strength of giants. It does just that — times 50.
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Quiz: Test & Measurement
Do you know the Artemis generation? Test your knowledge about performance and crew-related aspects of the Artemis generation.
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Blog: Propulsion
Untethered soft robots are poised to become even more agile and controlled.
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Briefs: Unmanned Systems
Biomimicking Hummingbirds for Better Drones
Hummingbirds have extreme aerial agility and flight forms, which is why many drones and other aerial vehicles are designed to mimic hummingbird movement.
INSIDER: Imaging

NASA will launch Israel’s first space telescope mission, the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite (ULTRASAT). ULTRASAT, an ultraviolet observatory with a large field...

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INSIDER: Unmanned Systems

It was believed that Hall thrusters, an efficient kind of electric propulsion widely used in orbit, need to be large to produce a lot of thrust. Now, a new study from the...

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Blog: Power
By placing a metamaterial pattern on the surface of an object, the researchers were able to use sound to steer it in a certain direction without physically touching it.
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Blog: Test & Measurement
A flapping-wing robot that can land autonomously on a horizontal perch using a claw-like mechanism.
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Special Reports: Robotics, Automation & Control
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Space Technology - January 2023

Read about robot construction workers on the moon, the first commercial space station, what's next for the James Webb Space Telescope, and much more in this compendium of recent articles from the editors of...

INSIDER: Robotics, Automation & Control

Hummingbirds occupy a unique place in nature: They fly like insects but have the musculoskeletal system of birds. According to Bo Cheng, Associate Professor in...

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Articles: Motion Control
Optimizing motor selection for motion control applications can have significant performance, cost, and maintenance benefits.
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Briefs: Propulsion
Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are developing a novel microthruster that could provide easy-to-control propulsion during spaceflight.
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Videos