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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Innovative Parabolic Trough Solar Module Developed at TU Graz. Solar rays focused on concentrator photovoltaic cells using parabolic mirrors not only supply electricity, but also thermal energy for industrial processes, heating or cooling. Three technological innovations significantly reduce costs. An international team led by Armin Buchroithner from the Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) has developed a parabolic trough collector with cost-effective photovoltaic cells that can be used to generate solar power…
The issue of metal oxide layer degradation in semi-transparent perovskite solar cells successfully tackled and resolved, demonstrating significant progress for the first time in the world. The Photovoltaics Research Department of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (hereafter KIER), working with the KIER Energy AI and Computational Science Lab, has achieved advancements in the stability and efficiency of semi-transparent perovskite solar cells. These cells have potential use in building windows and tandem solar cells*. The semi-transparent solar cells achieved a record-breaking efficiency…
ISSCC 2024 paper says ‘ground-breaking’ DC-DC converter unifies power switches on a single chip. University of California San Diego and CEA-Leti scientists have developed a ground-breaking piezoelectric-based DC-DC converter that unifies all power switches onto a single chip to increase power density. This new power topology, which extends beyond existing topologies, blends the advantages of piezoelectric converters with capacitive-based DC-DC converters. The power converters the team developed are much smaller than the huge, bulky inductors currently used for this role….
New phased-array transmitter design overcomes common problems of CMOS technology in the 300 GHz band, as reported by scientists from Tokyo Tech. Thanks to its remarkable area efficiency, low power consumption, and high data rate, the proposed transmitter could pave the way to many technological applications in the 300 GHz band, including body and cell monitoring, radar, 6G wireless communications, and terahertz sensors. Today, most frequencies above the 250 GHz mark remain unallocated. Accordingly, many researchers are developing 300…
New research proposes to redefine organic solar cells with a hemispherical shell design that offers expanded angular coverage, particularly advantageous for applications requiring flexible light capture, such as wearable electronics. In the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions, the quest for more efficient solar cells is paramount. Organic photovoltaic cells have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional silicon-based counterparts due to their flexibility and cost-effectiveness. However, optimizing their performance remains a significant challenge. Embracing a new form In a pioneering…
Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES is joining forces with ENERTRAG SE to assist in planning an expansive onshore wind farm as part of Hyphen’s green hydrogen project in Namibia. Covering 4,000 km2 and generating four gigawatts (GW) of power, the scale alone poses significant challenges for current site assessment methods, prompting Fraunhofer IWES to use innovative and precise approaches for wind field calculations to optimize yield. Green hydrogen enables the storage and long-distance transportation of solar and wind…
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an ultra-sensitive sensor made with graphene that can detect extraordinarily low concentrations of lead ions in water. The device achieves a record limit of detection of lead down to the femtomolar range, which is one million times more sensitive than previous sensing technologies. “With the extremely high sensitivity of our device, we ultimately hope to detect even the presence of one lead ion in a reasonable volume of water,” said…
Producing sustainable fuels from solar energy is an ambitious project and presents major challenges to people and material. In the MAfoS project, researchers at the Fraunhofer Center for High Temperature Materials and Design HTL are developing materials for the first industrial solar-to-fuel demonstration plant. It sounds almost like a fairytale: Sustainable fuels are created from water, CO2 and sunlight in a high, mirror-lined tower. Fraunhofer experts are contributing their know-how to this plan in a special project: “Material Advancements for…
Photovoltaic (PV) modules based on perovskite silicon tandem solar cells have the potential to achieve significantly higher efficiencies than today’s standard silicon PV modules. A research team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has now produced a PV module using perovskite silicon tandem solar cells from Oxford PV. With an efficiency of 25 percent and an output of 421 watts on an area of 1.68 square meters, it is the world’s most efficient silicon perovskite tandem solar…
…with integrated sensor function. With their high chemical and thermal resistance, metal cushions are a sensible alternative to elastomer components. The elasticity and damping of the wire mesh is based on the interaction of individual wire segments during deformation. Researchers at Fraunhofer LBF have harnessed this effect in the form of a new sensor concept. The new sensor technology can be integrated into existing systems in a cost-effective and space-neutral manner and directly detects vibrations and loads. Processes and bearing…
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