In the “HoLa” project, a total of eight high-performance charging points for trucks using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) are being installed at five locations along the A2 between Berlin and the Ruhr region and used in real logistics operations. Recommendations for action have been derived from the research results available to date that contain important findings for a nationwide expansion of charging infrastructure. All the results were presented today at the European “HoLa conference” in Berlin and are documented…

Optical properties of afterglow luminescent particles (ALPs) in mechanoluminescence (ML) and mechanical quenching (MQ) have attracted great attention for diverse technological applications. Recently, a team of researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) has garnered attention by developing an optical display technology with ALPs enabling the writing and erasure of messages underwater. The team, comprised of Professor Sei Kwang Hahn and PhD candidate Seong-Jong Kim from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the POSTECH, uncovered a…

A team of computational scientists at the MPSD is establishing an open-source software platform to support the development of environmentally friendly magnets. The platform will host a wealth of software tools to model and simulate the properties of novel magnetic materials and is part of an EU-funded collaborative project. Each of the partners, including the MPSD, will contribute their expertise and analytical tools, starting with a particular group of promising materials. Magnets are crucial for many of today’s technologies, from…

Detailed study of magnets built by MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems confirms they meet requirements for an economic, compact fusion power plant. In the predawn hours of Sept. 5, 2021, engineers achieved a major milestone in the labs of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), when a new type of magnet, made from high-temperature superconducting material, achieved a world-record magnetic field strength of 20 tesla for a large-scale magnet. That’s the intensity needed to build a fusion power plant…

Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a novel triple-junction perovskite/Si tandem solar cell that can achieve a certified world-record power conversion efficiency of 27.1 per cent across a solar energy absorption area of 1 sq cm, representing the best-performing triple-junction perovskite/Si tandem solar cell thus far. To achieve this, the team engineered a new cyanate-integrated perovskite solar cell that is stable and energy efficient. Solar cells can be fabricated in more than two layers and assembled…

The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) have modernized and significantly expanded their melt spinning pilot plant with support from the State of Baden-Württemberg. The new facility enables research into new spinning processes, fiber functionalization and sustainable fibers made from biodegradable and bio-based polymers. In the field of melt spinning, the DITF are working on several pioneering research areas, for example the development of various fibers for medical implants or fibers made from polylactide, a sustainable bio-based…

Non-rigid postal items with flexible packaging – such as poly bags – pose problems for logistics companies during automatic sorting. Thanks to modern simulation methods, there is now a widely applicable solution. Anyone who orders something online would like to have the parcel delivered reliably, quickly and undamaged. The sharp rise in the number of different types of mailing bags and mailing sacks in recent years – postal items with flexible packaging and a limited degree of dimensional stability –…

A systems change in automotive architecture. Modern cars are packed full of electronics. Managing all the computers and assistance systems is a complex task, and the cable harnesses increase the weight of the car. In the joint research project CeCaS, Fraunhofer researchers are working on a systems architecture based on the idea of managing all electronic components centrally from one computer platform. This will make it easier to construct highly automated, connected vehicles. The core element of this Fraunhofer technology…

Products ordered online are often shipped in oversized cartons. The size of the overall package is frequently much larger than its contents. For example, a fragrance bottle is shipped in a shoebox-sized package, which has padding to fill the empty space. This is not sustainable. Helping to combat this issue is the CASTN optimization software created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, which puts together the optimum order-to-carton combination for each customer’s order. Clever algorithms calculate…

Diamond is known for its outstanding thermal conductivity. This makes the material ideal for cooling electronic components with high power densities, such as those used in processors, semiconductor lasers or electric vehicles. Researchers at Fraunhofer USA, an independent international affiliate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, have succeeded in developing wafer-thin nanomembranes from synthetic diamonds that can be integrated into electronic components, thereby reducing the local heat load by up to ten times. This helps to improve the road performance and service life…

LZH develops process for laser drilling CFRP. Scientists of Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) have developed an automated process for laser drilling that facilitates the machining of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP). This is particularly interesting for lightweight construction and sound insulation. Holes can be drilled quickly and automatically in CFRP and sandwich materials using laser technology. Photo: LZH Composite materials such as carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) are excellent for lightweight construction and are used, among other things, in automotive and…

Inspired by the remarkable adaptability observed in biological organisms like the octopus, a breakthrough has been achieved soft machines. A research team, led by Professor Jiyun Kim in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UNIST has successfully developed an encodable multifunctional material that can dynamically tune its shape and mechanical properties in real-time. This groundbreaking metamaterial surpasses the limitations of existing materials, opening up new possibilities for applications in robotics and other fields requiring adaptability. Current soft machines…

A research team led by Professor Wang Cheng from the Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has developed a world-leading microwave photonic chip that is capable of performing ultrafast analog electronic signal processing and computation using optics. The chip, which is 1,000 times faster and consumes less energy than a traditional electronic processor, has a wide range of applications, covering 5/6G wireless communication systems, high-resolution radar systems, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and image/video processing. The…

…improves zinc-air battery function. Zinc-air batteries are an inexpensive, powerful battery alternative that can be used on the small scale to power electronics or on the large scale for electric vehicles or energy storage. These batteries work when oxygen from the air oxidizes zinc, but the difficulty in oxygen activation which degrades battery performance has prevented their wide commercial adoption. Information presented in a paper published in Carbon Future on 26 February shows how the addition of fullerene-derived carbon materials…

A 3D printed ‘metamaterial’ boasting levels of strength for weight not normally seen in nature or manufacturing could change how we make everything from medical implants to aircraft or rocket parts.   A sample of theA sample of the new titanium lattice structure 3D printed in cube form. Credit: RMIT. new titanium lattice structure 3D printed in cube form. Credit: RMIT RMIT University researchers created the new metamaterial – a term used to describe an artificial material with unique properties…

The batteries of the future must be both powerful and sustainable. A new joint project, coordinated by the University of Würzburg, aims to make sodium-ion batteries ready to fulfill for these requirements. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project with more than two million euros. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology / Helmholtz Institute Ulm and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, Würzburg / Fraunhofer R&D Center for Electromobility FZEB are also involved. There is…