Energy, Power

Figure 2: Smart devices are enablers that generate substantial volumes of data from utilities, which can put pressure on infrastructure. Courtesy: Cyient
Energy, Power June 28, 2019

Perfecting power distribution data quality

Data produced by power distribution networks is critical, but so is perfecting data quality and governance.

By Sunil Kotagiri
A new photonic chip design drastically reduces energy needed to compute with light, with simulations suggesting it could run optical neural networks 10 million times more efficiently than its electrical counterparts. Courtesy: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Energy, Power June 12, 2019

Neural network chip developed to use light instead of electricity

MIT researchers have developed a photonic chip that uses light instead of electricity and is process massive neural networks more efficiently.

By Rob Matheson
Courtesy: Chris Vavra, CFE Media
Energy, Power June 11, 2019

Researchers improve power storage capabilities

Battery update: Several universities have been working on advances to improve battery technologies and make them safer and more reliable for industrial and manufacturing applications. Click on links for more information.

By Chris Vavra
Industrial power supplies and UPSs can now connect to common industrial protocols like EtherNet/IP, Profinet, and EtherCAT, so users easily can access data about the state of the battery backup. Courtesy: Phoenix Contact
Energy, Power June 7, 2019

Improving power supply intelligence

Control cabinet power supplies and uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), thanks to higher-level intelligence, are evolving to provide operational information to users to make operations safer and more efficient.

By Ken Allwine
Rice University research scientist M.M. Rahman holds a flexible dielectric made of a polymer nanofiber layer and boron nitride. The new material stands up to high temperatures and could be ideal for flexible electronics, energy storage and electric devices where heat is a factor. Courtesy: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University
Energy, Power May 28, 2019

Flexible insulator developed for thermal conduction, energy storage

Researchers at Rice University have developed a nanocomposite that is designed to be a superior high-temperature dielectric material for flexible electronics, energy storage and electric devices.

By Mike Williams
A Hall-bar device structure (see inset) is wire-bonded to a 16-pin chip-carrier. The chip-carrier allows for extensive electrical characterization of the device at both low temperatures and high magnetic fields. Courtesy: Min Sup Choi/Columbia Engineering
Energy, Power May 25, 2019

Fabrication platform produces pristine 2-D transistors

Columbia University engineers have developed a clean, damage-free fabrication process that creates pristine transistors made from 2-D material stacks.

By Holly Evarts
The standard way to test new battery designs is time-consuming and expensive. A new research method from Stanford University, MIT, and the Toyota Research Institute aims to change that. Image courtesy: Chris Vavra, CFE Media
Energy, Power May 21, 2019

Battery solutions company acquires high-voltage battery systems from manufacturer

American Battery Solutions, Inc. (ABS) has signed an agreement to acquire manufacturing and testing assets for high-voltage battery systems from Robert Bosch Battery Systems.

By American Battery Solutions, Inc. (ABS)
Courtesy: CFE Media
Energy, Power May 18, 2019

Securing electric substations

Researchers at Georgia Tech have discovered that side channel signals and bolts of lightning from distant storms could one day help prevent hackers from sabotaging electric power substations and other critical infrastructure.

By Gregory Hale
Rice’s new design for creating security keys with a physically unclonable function (PUF) proved more reliable, more energy efficient and smaller than previously published PUF technologies. Courtesy: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University
Energy, Power May 16, 2019

Unclonable digital fingerprints developed for IoT devices

Rice University integrated circuit (IC) designers have developed unclonable digital fingerprints for Internet of Things (IoT) devices that allows their PUF to be more energy efficient than previously published versions.

By Jade Boyd
Schematics of the protection mechanism of boron nitride (BN) and characterizations of BN nanofilm. The left visual shows that a Lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP) pellet that touches lithium metal will be immediately reduced. The severe side reaction between lithium and solid electrolyte will fail the battery in several cycles. The right shows that an artificial BN film is chemically and mechanically robust against lithium. It electronically isolates LATP from lithium, but still provides stable ionic pathways when infiltrated by polyethylene oxide (PEO), and thus enables stable cycling. Courtesy: Yang Cheng, Columbia University
Energy, Power May 15, 2019

Technique produces longer-lasting lithium batteries

A Columbia Engineering team announced they have developed a new method for safely prolonging lithium metal battery life, which could benefit portable devices and electric vehicles.

By Holly Evarts