HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Carbon Spheres May Cut Engine Friction and Improve Performance
Researchers have found that when small, smooth carbon spheres are added to motor oil, they can reduce friction and wear typically found in engines by as much as 25%.
Boosting Electrical Energy Storage Using Graphitic Material
Future technology requires electrical energy storage systems to have much larger storage capability, rapid charge/discharge cycling and improved endurance.
Quantum Radar Could Detect Objects Invisible to Conventional Systems
An international research team has developed a prototype quantum radar that it says has the potential to detect objects invisible to conventional systems. The radar is a hybrid system that uses quantum correlation between microwave and optical beams to detect objects of low reflectivity, such as cancer cells or aircraft with a stealth capability.
Abrasion-resistant Surfaces Inspired by Desert Scorpions
Researchers at Jilin University in China are looking to the natural world to solve the problem of material erosion by solid particles. Dr. Han Zhiwu and his team are turning to the deadly Androctonus australis, the yellow fat-backed scorpion, for inspiration, as reported in Design News.
Ground Penetrating Radar Used for Bridge Inspections
The risk of bridge failures has led U.S. engineers to seek better methods of surveillance and inspections. Tarek Zayed, a professor in the department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering at Concordia University, has developed a visualization method that could improve the quality and and reliability of bridge inspections.
Catalyst Aids in Creating Chemicals from Biomass
Researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed a selective catalyst that allows the creation of several basic chemicals from biomass rather than petroleum.
Producing More, Cleaner Bioethanol with Nitrogen Gas
Indiana University (IU) biologists believe they have found a faster, less expensive and cleaner way to increase bioethanol production by using nitrogen gas in place of more costly industrial fertilizers.
Solar Cell Performance Improved with Blu-ray Disc
A solar cell scatters light more effectively when it is textured rather than smooth, increasing its efficiency. Scientists have searched for the most effective texture with a reasonable manufacturing cost.
Industrial Pump Derived from Bird Wing Motion
Birds manipulate airflow each time they flap their wings, pushing air in one direction and moving themselves in another. Two New York University researchers, Benjamin Thiria and Jun Zhang, have created a pump that moves fluid using vibration similar to a bird's motion.
Paper-thin Nanofiber Has Potential for Electronics and EVs
Researchers have developed a paper-like material for lithium-ion batteries that has the potential to boost by several time the amount of energy that can be delivered per unit weight of the battery.
Engineers Could Learn About Material Strength from Limpet Teeth
Researchers from the University of Portsmouth have found that the material that makes up the teeth of small aquatic snails known as limpets may be the strongest natural material on Earth.
Leap in Conductivity Measured When a Semiconductor Is Exposed to High Pressure
Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) obtained conductivity values for stroncium iridate that were 250 times higher than in normal conditions.
Researchers Identify Possible Silicon Substitute for Future Electronics
A new form of germanium, germanane, may emerge as a viable replacement to silicon in future electronic devices, leading to more efficient LEDs and lasers, according to researchers at Ohio State University.
Web Surfing Using Light: Is LiFi Coming?
Researchers at Oxford University are developing a wireless networking technology that uses light to beam information through the air at more than 100 gigabits per second, according to a report in The New Zealand Herald.
Gases Excluded from Montreal Climate Deal Are Harming Ozone, Researchers Say
A report finds that a man-made chemical, dichloromethane, which is not included in a United Nations treaty aimed at protecting the ozone layer, is contributing to ozone depletion.
Engineering Buildings That Rock in an Earthquake
Buildings that rock during an earthquake and return to plumb would withstand seismic shaking better than structural designs commonly used in vulnerable zones, according to a researcher at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.
Hawaiian Utility to Double Its Solar Hosting Capacity
Hawaiian Electric Cos. (HECO) is proposing to double its hosting capacity for solar energy. The utility announced its intentions in late January to increase its penetration limits for rooftop solar minimum daytime load (MDL) from 120% to 250% of MDL. Those increases would be among the highest thresholds for solar penetration on distribution circuits in the U.S.
Bendable Implant Taps Nervous System without Damaging It
Body implants that can interface with the nervous system run up against a basic material problem: wires are stiff and bodies are soft. Researchers at the École Polytechnique Fédérale, in Lausanne, Switzerland, have designed a soft, flexible electronic implant, which they say has the same ability to bend and stretch as dura mater, the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
Method Recovers High-value Metals for Industry
Researchers at the University of Guanajuato (UGTO) in Mexico have developed an extraction column which recovers metals companies use in their production processes to avoid environmental pollution and lessening economic losses.
Device Could Strengthen Security Screening Capabilities
Engineers at Northwestern University built a compact version of a device that uses terahertz waves for the purpose of imaging, to identify explosives, chemical agents and dangerous biological substances from safe distances.