HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Video: Autonomous Cars Cut Congestion, Top U.S. Cities for Energy-efficiency, Plug-in Truck Stop Saves Fuel
A few self-driving cars on the road can help beat stop-and-go traffic. Does your city rank as one of the most energy-efficient in the U.S.? Discover how truckers can plug in for the night at a North Carolina rest area.
What are Ultrasonic Flaw Detectors?
How do ultrasonic flaw detectors work and why do we test for flaws in materials? Ultrasonic testing is akin to the sonar methods developed in World War II and the Cold War to detect enemy submarines in the ocean. A submarine below the surface could be a considered a void or flaw. Pings from sonobuoys with radio beacons and later underwater transducers were used to detect and target enemy submarines. Ultrasonic flaw detectors detect hidden voids, inclusions or cracks beneath the surface of a material, which make them a powerful tool in assuring the integrity of critical parts, products and structures.
Coatings for Nuclear Fuel Preventing Explosions in Reactors
In an effort to reduce hydrogenation of containers where nuclear fuel is stored and to protect reactors from a Fukushima-like radiation disaster, physicists from Tomsk Polytechnic University are developing protective titanium nitride-based coatings for shells of fuel elements (fuel rods) of nuclear reactors.
Applying Data Science to Better Predict Effect of Weather and Other Conditions on Solar Panels
In an effort to extend the life of solar panels, researchers from Case Western Reserve University and Gebze Technical University (GTU) in Turkey are employing data science to understand what effect weather exposure and other conditions have on the materials that create solar panels.
Tesla Reveals Lower Than Expected Solar Roof Tile Pricing
Tesla has revealed the highly competitive price of its solar roof tiles and has begun taking orders for them. Serving as both solar panels and traditional roofing, the tiles produce energy and protect a building from the elements simultaneously. Yet they are nearly indistinguishable in appearance from conventional roofing.
NuScale Commissions Second SMR Simulator
A second small modular reactor control room simulator will model operation of its nuclear power plant design.
Video: Building the First Autonomous, Zero Emissions Container Ship
The vessel will eliminate up to 40,000 diesel-powered truck journeys annually in populated urban areas.
Scientists Develop More Efficient Catalytic Material
A method for smaller and more effieicent intermetallic nanoparticles for fuel cells has been discovered by researchers at Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University. This new method also uses less platinum, which is an expensive precious metal.
Tips for Preventing Preventable Hearing Loss
Hearing loss caused by prolonged exposure to music or a noisy work environment can be gradual with the first signs being missed background noises (a squeaking door, the ticking of a clock) to affected conversations.
A Greener Nuclear Industry with Graphene
Graphene-based membranes have the potential to reduce energy and environmental costs incurred by the nuclear power sector.
VIDEO: New Sanitizers made of Paper can Kill Bacteria
A team of researchers at Rutgers University have created a new, inexpensive way to kill bacteria and sanitize. This new product is made out of paper, and could potentially be used in clothing to protect from harmful bacteria.
A/C Coolers Designed for Purged Electrical and Electronic Enclosures
Vortec’s ProtEX Vortex A/C enclosure coolers protect electrical and electronic components in ATEX Zones 1 and 21 and Temperature Class T3 areas. They are an economical alternative to expensive, high maintenance air conditioners and provide a clean stable environment when coupled with purge systems.
Dutch Windfarm Opens
Being touted as one of the world’s largest windfarms, Gemini windpark opened this week with 150 turbines that will provide energy for 1.5 million people over the next 15 years.
Barium and Tin Yield Superior Thin-film Material
A nano-scale thin film material exhibits both the highest conductivity in its class and a wide bandgap, which makes it optically transparent.
Video: Preserving a National Historic Landmark
Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, uses a low-noise power generator to keep the house and collections from damage
Creating Touchscreens with a Can of Spray Paint
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are turning unconventional surfaces into touchpads using simple tools like spray paint cans.
Biomass Replaces Coal at Japanese Power Plant
Palm kernel shells now fuel the 50 MW facility.
Red Light, Green Light at Work
We’ve all been there: working feverishly in the ‘zone’ when John Smith from two cubicles away interrupts your rhythm with a question about your weekend. Also familiar: attempting to get back into that zone once John Smith has wandered away.
High Temperatures Can Create Graphene from Ethene
Scientists from all over the world have teamed up to create a new way to produce single layer graphene from simple ethane, otherwise known as ethylene—the smallest alkene molecule.
As Temperatures Increase, So Does Air Pollution—Thanks to Air Conditioning
Although it seems logical that increased air conditioning usage would mean higher levels of air pollution, that has not been the focus of most air pollution studies.