Energy, Power

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
An electron microscope image of the flexible dielectric alloy created at Rice University shows a layered structure of sulfur and selenium and a lack of voids. The material shows promise as a separator for next-generation flexible electronics. Courtesy: Ajayan Research Group/Rice University
Energy, Power May 14, 2019

Researchers develop technology for flexible electronics

Rice University scientists have developed a dielectric designed to help manufacturers looking to create flexible electronics.

By Mike Williams
Courtesy: Chris Vavra, CFE Media
Energy, Power May 5, 2019

Researchers working to improve battery density, safety

Penn State University researchers have developed a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) designed to increase energy density, performance, and safety for lithium batteries.

By Gregory Hale
A gel-like yield stress fluid, top, moves as a plug without shearing in a tube with the new surface coating. At bottom, the same fluid is seen shearing while it flows in an uncoated tube, where part of the fluid gets stuck to the tube while part of it continues to flow. Courtesy: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Energy, Power April 28, 2019

Engineered surface developed to reduce waste, improve efficiency

MIT researchers have developed a coating to get much thicker materials to slide without sticking or deforming, which may improve the quality of products ranging from bread to pharmaceuticals, and the efficiency of flow batteries.

By David L. Chandler