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KAIST uses surface ‘defects’ to enhance droplet formation and removal, achieving up to 5.5 times the heat transfer performance of conventional surfaces

Researchers created a technology that controls the thickness and structure of a polymer coating, allowing more water droplets to form and detach quickly. This enhances heat transfer performance during condensation, improving energy efficiency in power plants and industrial applications.

Innovative metasurfaces offer a new way to block radiant heat

Researchers at CUNY ASRC and Honeywell Aerospace developed pairs of ultrathin, nonmetallic coatings that work together to reduce heat transfer. The novel metasurface reduced thermal radiation emission by over 80% compared to nonstructured surfaces, maintaining performance across a wide range of operating temperatures.

SourceAdvanced Science Research Center, GC/CUNY·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 20, 2026

From heat dissipation bottlenecks to designable thermal functional units: interfacial heat transport in two-dimensional materials

Research on interfacial thermal transport in 2D heterostructures reviews recent advances and outlines future research directions. The authors argue that interfaces should be regarded as tunable thermal functional units, enabling active thermal management through device design.

SourceScience Exploration Press·JournalThermo-X·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateJul 24, 2026

UMass Amherst-led team discovers new way to make thermally insulative plastics

Researchers at UMass Amherst have discovered a way to make thermally insulative plastics by limiting heat-carrying vibrational channels, reducing thermal conductivity by 17% while maintaining flame-retardant behavior. This new design framework has promising applications in lightweight insulation materials and advanced building materials.

SourceUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst·JournalMaterials Horizons·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 22, 2026

Coupled electrons and phonons predicted to flow like water in 2D semiconductors

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have found that in 2D semiconductors, the interactions between electrons and phonons can conserve momentum and energy, leading to efficient hydrodynamic flow behavior. This discovery has significant implications for designing highly efficient electrical conductivity materials, even at room temperature.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJun 23, 2025

Physics reveals the optimal roof ratios for energy efficiency

Researchers found that roofs with shorter peak heights (less than three feet) should be wider to minimize heat loss, while taller peaks require equilateral triangles with a specific height-to-width ratio. These findings are similar to those seen in ancient architecture across the world.

SourceDuke University·JournalInternational Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer·TypeObservational study·DateApr 14, 2025

Enhancing heat transfer using the turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids

Viscoelastic fluids exhibit a unique relaxation time that interacts with turbulence, resulting in an unexpected meandering motion. This interaction leads to three distinct flow states: low, middle, and high diffusivity states, with the high-diffusivity state significantly enhancing heat transfer efficiency.

SourceDoshisha University·JournalInternational Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 4, 2025

Synthesis of organophosphorus (III) compounds from white phosphorus via an adduct-catalyzed tandem electro-thermal approach

Scientists have developed a novel synthesis method for trivalent phosphorus compounds, leveraging an adduct-catalyzed tandem electro-thermal approach to produce high-yielding organophosphorus compounds with improved efficiency and selectivity. The approach also enables the in-situ consumption of renewable energy sources.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 24, 2025

Revolutionizing heat management with high-performance cerium oxide thermal switches

A research team at Hokkaido University developed novel cerium oxide-based thermal switches, surpassing prior benchmarks with high efficiency and sustainability. The switches feature a new benchmark for electrochemical thermal switches, offering broad applications in industries such as electronics cooling and renewable energy systems.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 1, 2025

ISS National Lab publication highlights groundbreaking physical science research in space

Researchers on the ISS National Lab have leveraged microgravity to study fundamental physical phenomena, such as heat transfer, combustion, and fluid dynamics. These discoveries hold potential for advances in pharmaceuticals, energy production, materials manufacturing, and more.

SourceInternational Space Station U.S. National Laboratory·JournalGravitational and Space Research·TypeMeta-analysis·DateNov 26, 2024

Review of thermal design of SiC power module for motor drive in electrical vehicle application

The paper reviews thermal design of SiC power modules for motor drives in electric vehicles, focusing on optimizing irregular Pinfin structures and collaborative design with DC bus capacitors and motors. Irregular Pinfin arrangements can enhance heat transfer efficiency and reduce pressure drops compared to regular layouts.

SourceCES Transactions on Electrical Machines and Systems·JournalCES Transactions on Electrical Machines and Systems·TypeLiterature review·DateNov 5, 2024

Revolutionary loop heat pipe transports 10 kW of waste heat — No electricity required

Researchers at Nagoya University developed a loop heat pipe that can transport up to 10 kW of waste heat without electricity, surpassing previous records. This technology has significant implications for energy efficiency and sustainability, particularly in the electric vehicle industry where it can reduce the need for electrical power.

SourceNagoya University·JournalInternational Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer·DateAug 1, 2024

Researchers create the first comprehensive characterization of the extraordinary thermoelectric properties of cadmium arsenide thin films

Scientists have discovered a material that can harness waste heat, increasing energy efficiency and sustainability. The researchers found that thinner cadmium arsenide films exhibit higher thermoelectric sensitivity, allowing for more efficient cooling in cryogenic environments.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateJun 27, 2024

Geothermal model gives key insights into extracting renewable energy from superhot, super deep rock

Researchers have developed a computer model that sheds light on extracting renewable energy from superhot, super deep rock. The model shows the formation of microscopic cracks creating a dense 'cloud of permeability' throughout the affected rock, which can lead to higher power delivery and efficiency.

SourceScience Communications·JournalGeothermal Energy·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 13, 2024

Bleaching of coral reefs shows severe ocean circulation changes

The study reveals that coral reefs are suffering from widespread bleaching and deaths, with the highest temperatures recorded in 175 countries. The researchers found that heat transport from the tropics to the polar regions has accelerated, causing sea surface temperature increases and exacerbating global warming feedbacks.

SourceOxford University Press USA·JournalOxford Open Climate Change·TypeObservational study·DateMay 9, 2024

CO2 worsens wildfires by helping plants grow

A recent study by the University of California - Riverside found that carbon dioxide is driving an increase in the severity and frequency of wildfires by fueling the growth of plants that become kindling. This process occurs because plants use the extra CO2 to make carbohydrates, leading to an increase in biomass that burns.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalCommunications Earth & Environment·DateApr 16, 2024

Permselectivity reveals a cool side of nanopores

Scientists have found that by controlling ion flow through nanopores, they can achieve cooling. At high concentrations, increased heat was measured, but at low concentrations, negatively charged ions interacted with the nanopore wall, resulting in a decrease in temperature.

SourceOsaka University·JournalDevice·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 11, 2023

Polaritons open up a new lane on the semiconductor highway

Purdue University researchers have found that polaritons can contribute a larger share of thermal conductivity in semiconductors, overcoming phonon limitations. By understanding how to design materials and structures, manufacturers can incorporate these polariton-based nanoscale heat transfer principles into chip designs.

SourcePurdue University·JournalJournal of Applied Physics·DateDec 7, 2023

Boiled bubbles jump to carry more heat

A team of researchers, led by Jonathan Boreyko, has engineered a surface that makes bubbles jump, carrying more heat and improving the efficiency of water-based cooling operations. The jumping bubbles are able to carry energy away from a heated surface more effectively than traditional boiling methods.

SourceVirginia Tech·JournalAdvanced Functional Materials·DateDec 4, 2023

New cooling ceramic can enhance energy efficiency for the construction sector and help combat global warming—City University of Hong Kong research

Researchers at City University of Hong Kong have developed a passive radiative cooling material that achieves high-performance optical properties. The cooling ceramic reduces thermal load, provides stable cooling performance, and can be used in various building applications.

SourceCity University of Hong Kong·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 10, 2023

Freeze charges in flames

Researchers at KAUST studied the use of high voltages to control charged particles in flames, which could lead to improved flame stability and reduced soot formation. The team developed a simulation to understand this phenomenon and tested its predictions by studying a flame inside a cavity exposed to electric fields of up to 2,500 volts.

Study advances understanding of anthropogenic effects on climate change

A University of California, Riverside-led team found that anthropogenic aerosol-driven changes in ocean circulation and interbasin heat transport are more effective in altering oceanic heat distribution than those driven by globally increasing greenhouse gases. This advance in understanding will help develop climate mitigation strategies.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalNature Geoscience·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 30, 2023