Category Technology/Electronics

Pictures, similar to this, were taken of the object from all angles to encompass the entire object and create an accurate model. Many aspects had to be utilized to produce usable images such as baby powder to eliminate the shine on the metal and a ruler to use as a scale. Credit: Pamela Krewson Wertz

What if it were possible to quickly and inexpensively create a part simply by using a series of close-range digital images taken of the object? A method called has now been identified for its application in manufacturing. In this technique, digital images of an object that have been taken at various angles are used to create a point cloud – or a large collection of points used to create 3D representation of existing structures – from which a computer-aided design (CAD) file can be generated...

Cross-sectional schematic view showing the detailed structural characteristics of a SGC hybrid particle.

A team affiliated with Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea, claims to have made yet another step towards finding a solution to accelerate the commercialization of silicon anode for Lithium-ion batteries. A new approach developed by a team led by Prof. Jaephil Cho could hold the key to greatly improving the performance of lithium-ion batteries.

Prof. Cho and his team have developed a new type anode material that would be used in place of a conventional graphite anode, which they claim will lead to lighter and longer-lasting batteries for everything from personal devices to electric vehicles...

ORNL’s Michael Manley led a study to discover the key to the success of modern materials used in ultrasound machines and other piezoelectric devices. At the ARCS instrument of the Spallation Neutron Source, he and colleagues studied lattice dynamics in relaxor-based ferroelectrics. Image credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy; photographer Genevieve Martin

The lighter wand for your gas BBQ, a submarine’s sonar device and the ultrasound machine at your doctor’s office all rely on piezoelectric materials, which turn mechanical stress into electrical energy, and vice versa. In 1997, researchers developed piezoelectric materials that were 10X better at coupling electrical and mechanical responses than prior state-of-the-art materials...

The thermal metamaterial represented in this graphic could make possible more efficient thermophotovoltaic devices that generate electricity from thermal radiation. Such a technology might be adapted to industrial pipes in factories and power plants, as well as on car engines and automotive exhaust systems, to recapture a portion of the energy wasted as heat. Credit: Purdue University image/Gabriela Sincich and Matthew Bollinger

An international team has used a “thermal metamaterial” to control the emission of radiation at high temperatures, an advance that could bring devices able to efficiently harvest waste heat from power plants and factories. Roughly 50 – 60% of the energy generated in coal and oil-based power plants is wasted as heat...