Additive manufacturing has significant potential to strengthen the United States’ manufacturing base, but defects within additively manufactured parts are preventing widespread adoption. Johns Hopkins APL experts are addressing this issue by developing sensors capable of identifying and preventing these defects before they occur. Credit: Johns Hopkins APL The United States is on the cusp of […]
Engineering
Sky-high vanity: Constructing the world’s tallest buildings creates high emissions, researchers say
World’s tallest vanity heights in skyscrapers as of May 2024. Credit: Adapted from Helal et al. (2024), using data from the CTBUH Skyscraper Center, CC BY Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies—from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today the […]
A dynamic projected turn signal for increased road safety
The turn signal is projected onto the road in a dynamic movement and indicates when the car is changing direction. Thanks to the high luminous intensity, the signal is clearly visible even in daylight. Credit: Fraunhofer IOF In recent years, micro-optical projectors have become well established for automotive applications. These projectors enable cars to communicate […]
Accelerating the practical application of next-gen batteries that are fire-resistant through dual-layer coating
Graphical abstract. Credit: Chemical Engineering Journal (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2024.149881 Professor Hongkyung Lee of DGIST’s Energy Science and Engineering collaborated with Dr. Chanhoon Kim’s Clean Energy Conversion Group at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) to introduce a stabilization technology for unstable battery systems through the adoption of a dual-layer coating method. The work is […]
Engineers evaluate reliability of pressure relief valves for liquid natural gas tanks in train derailment scenarios
In this image, natural gas is discharged through a two-inch diameter pipe and ignited as part of an SwRI-conducted test to evaluate pressure relief valves. Temperatures and heat fluxes were measured at different standoff distances to provide computer model validation data that can aid future researchers as they investigate a variety of accident scenarios. Credit: […]
Advancing satellite-based PNT service: Low Earth orbit satellite constellations augment the GNSS
Demand and key technology for a LEO constellation as augmentation of satellite navigation systems. Credit: Satellite Navigation (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s43020-024-00133-w A study has outlined the critical needs and essential technologies for a low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation to augment satellite navigation systems, significantly improving the Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services. This research specifically targets […]
Using artificial ground reflectors to boost the efficacy of solar panels
(A) Photo of NREL’s bifacial experimental single-axis tracking (BEST) field with reflecting material installed (100% coverage case) and (B) measured spectral reflectivity of high-albedo material with photo of sample (inset). Credit: Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications (2024). DOI: 10.1002/pip.3811 Solar energy is a crucial asset in the fight against climate change, and researchers at […]
Australian engineers develop an ultrasonic cold brew coffee machine
Customized ultrasonic coffee brewing machine. a) Photograph of the machine. b) Schematic of the parts for the ultrasound transmission into the coffee basket. c-f), Photographs of the portafilter (with corresponding window), filter basket, transducer, and the horn, respectively. Credit: Ultrasonics Sonochemistry (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.106885 A new method to deliver a quality cold brew coffee in […]
Researchers engineer sound-suppressing silk to reduce noise transmission in a large room
Silk fabric samples a) in a hanging state and b) mounted in a circular frame. Credit: Advanced Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202313328 We are living in a very noisy world. From the hum of traffic outside your window to the next-door neighbor’s blaring TV to sounds from a co-worker’s cubicle, unwanted noise remains a resounding problem. […]
Additive manufacturing could turn the tides for marine energy technologies
The 3D-printed stainless steel tidal turbine spar undergoes testing at NREL. Credit: Joe DelNero, NREL Milk and cookies. Peanut butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. All delightfully perfect pairs. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) discovered another promising pair: marine energy and additive manufacturing. Since February 2022, researchers at NREL and the Pacific […]
Australia’s building sector must look at its carbon budget, say experts
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain For decades, the construction industry has been largely driven by financial feasibility—focusing on cost optimization and return on investment. But a paradigm shift is under way, as the world’s environmental crisis intensifies and regulations become stringent. Financial viability alone is no longer enough. Projects are facing increasing scrutiny, based on their […]
Hundreds of cities have achieved zero road deaths in a year—here’s how they did it
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain It’s National Road Safety Week and it comes on the back of a year in which 1,286 people died on Australian roads. The rising road toll—up 8.2% for the year to March—included 62 children. Tragically, road deaths remain the number one killer of children in Australia. Road deaths are not inevitable. […]
All the right moves in martial arts: Researchers develop system to quickly identify errors and improve form
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Research in the International Journal of Biometrics introduces a new method for assessing a practitioner’s precision in martial arts training. The method focuses on quickly identifying errors in the athlete’s movements and allowing their trainer to more precisely guide them to correct form. The system has been developed with a particular […]
Light, flexible, efficient: Perovskite-based tandem solar cells
The potential benefits of projects like SuPerTandem are significant, because the higher the efficiency, the less expensive solar power will be at the end of the day. Credit: Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Roof tiles are becoming a thing of the past: Today, more and more Swiss roofs boast large black and […]
A laser immersion probe for smart inline monitoring of water and wastewater
The FluoMonitor project brings together expertise from the fields of optics, water management and analytics to evaluate the potential and feasibility of multidimensional fluorescence probes for inline liquid analysis. High-precision beam guidance is essential. Credit: Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen, Germany A new type of laser-based immersion probe, which the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in […]
How green cities could remove CO₂ from the atmosphere
Factors affecting urban albedo. Credit: Nature Cities (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44284-024-00069-x More than a thousand cities around the world now have “net zero” pledges: they want to emit only as much CO2 into the atmosphere as they can simultaneously recapture. An elaborate meta-study has now summarized the state of knowledge on which methods might be useful […]
New AI tool efficiently detects asbestos in roofs so it can be removed
Data pre-processing and inference process overview. The left panel shows the two main data collection steps, while the central panel illustrates how buildings are isolated and centered owing to cadastral data. The right panel exemplifies, first, the classification task, which delivers a number in the range of [0,1] expressing the likelihood of the presence of […]
New memory transistor integrates photocrosslinker into molecular switches to adjust its threshold voltage
A. F8T2 polymer employed in tandem with the molecular framework of a molecular switch including a photocrosslinker. Credit: POSTECH A research team has developed a memory transistor capable of adjusting its threshold voltage. This innovation combines two molecules that form a stable bond with a polymeric semiconductor, situated at the end of a molecular switch. […]
Researchers find use of olivine in cement production could result in carbon negative concrete
Photographs showing (a) raw as-received olivine, (d) dissolution of the olivine using H2SO4, (b) separation of silica gel from magnesium/iron sulfate using IPA, (c) APS and (e) HMC nesquehonite. Credit: Royal Society Open Science (2024). DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231645 A small team of materials scientists and environmental engineers at Imperial College London has found that using olivine […]
Researchers develop improved power pole insulation materials to prevent power pole-top fires
Side-by-side comparison: The team’s proposed power pole insulation material (left) next to silicone following a fire-resistance experiment. Credit: RMIT University Engineers in Australia have found a new way to make power-pole insulators resistant to fire and electrical sparking, promising to prevent dangerous pole-top fires and reduce blackouts. Pole-top fires pose significant challenges to power providers […]
New model estimates cultivable space at photovoltaic plants for combining agricultural and photovoltaic production
Permissible vegetation envelope for the reference collector in the case of “El Molino” photovoltaic installation. Credit: Applied Energy (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.122952 A team at the University of Cordoba has developed a methodology that defines the cultivable space between two-axis photovoltaic modules, with the aim of promoting the conversion of existing plants over to agrivoltaic production. […]
New research reports on buckling: When structures suddenly collapse
Model of the Titan submersible on deck. It is one example of a thin-walled structure. Credit: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Last summer, when the Titan submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion on its way to take passengers to see the Titanic shipwreck, it was a dramatic example of the failure of a thin-walled structure. Those […]
Researchers develop new 3D printing for ultra-thin multi-material tubular structures
With the assistance of rotatable mandrel and slit projection systems, PLLP can rapidly achieve the manufacturing of single-layer or multi-layer multi-material structures. Credit: By Huiyuan Wang, Siqin Liu, Xincheng Yin, Mingming Huang, Yanzhe Fu, Xun Chen, Chao Wang, Jingyong Sun, Xin Yan, Jianmin Han, Jiping Yang, Zhijian Wang, Lizhen Wang, Yubo Fan and Jiebo Li. […]
Scientists harness the wind as a tool to move objects
Researchers developed a device and algorithm that direct a jet to create an airflow field capable of remotely moving objects along various paths, including circular and complex letter-like trajectories. Credit: Aalto University / Artur Kopitca Researchers have developed a technique to move objects around with a jet of wind. The new approach makes it possible […]
NASA uses small engine to enhance sustainable jet research
The DGEN380 Aero-Propulsion Research Turbofan (DART) is a small-scale jet engine NASA uses to test new aviation technology. DART is seen here inside its host facility, the Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. This soundproofed chamber ensures researchers can understand the level of noise the engine is producing, as well as […]