Category Physics

Intelligent cell of the Fraunhofer IPA: A microcontroller records physical parameters such as temperature and state of charge. If a cell is empty, it switches itself off automatically. Credit: © Fraunhofer IPA

The battery is the heart of the electric car. Fraunhofer Researchers have developed an energy storage device which is significantly more cost-effective over the entire life cycle in comparison with previous models. If one of the more than one hundred battery cells is defective, it can be replaced easily. Until now, the entire battery had to be replaced.

The core of electric cars are their batteries. So far, these have been monolithic blocks in which the individual battery cells as well as the necessary technology have been housed...

Presented in this work is a novel and facile approach to fabricate an elastic, attachable, and cost-efficient carbon nanotube (CNT)-based strain gauge which can be efficiently used as bodily motion sensors.

Body sensors, which were once restricted to doctors’ offices, have come a long way. They now allow any wearer to easily track heart rate, steps and sleep cycles around the clock. Soon, they could become even more versatile – with the help of chewing gum. Scientists report a unique sensing device made of gum and carbon nanotubes that can move with your most bendable parts and track your breathing.

Most conventional sensors today are very sensitive and detect the slightest movement, but many are made out of metal ie when twisted or pulled too much, they stop working...

Highlights • The biological effects induced in vitro by three graphene-based nanomaterials on human dental follicle stem cells, were evaluated. • Graphene oxide showed the lowest cytotoxic effect, followed by the nitrogen-doped graphene. • Thermally reduced graphene oxide exhibited high cytotoxic effects.

Research suggests we chew around 800X in an average meal; that’s almost a million times a year. We put our teeth under huge strain, and often require fillings to repair them. Fillings are typically made of a mixture of metals, such as copper, mercury, silver and tin, or composites of powdered glass and ceramic...

This piece of power paper can store 1F. Credit: Photo Thor Balkhed

Power paper is a new material with outstanding ability to store energy. It consists of nanocellulose and a conductive polymer. 1 sheet, 15 cm in diameter and a few tenths of a mm thick can store as much as 1F, which is similar to the supercapacitors currently on the market. The material can be recharged hundreds of times and each charge only takes a few seconds.

It’s a dream product in a world where the increased use of renewable energy requires new methods for energy storage — from summer to winter, from a windy day to a calm one, from a sunny day to one with heavy cloud cover. “Thin films that function as capacitors have existed for some time. What we have done is to produce the material in 3D...