Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Coating helps electronics stay cool by sweating

Researchers have developed a coating that releases water vapor to dissipate heat from running devices, outperforming existing strategies in cooling efficiency. The coating uses metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and can absorb moisture from the air, providing effective cooling and quick recovery.

SourceCell Press·JournalJoule·DateJan 22, 2020

Miniature double glazing

Researchers create a novel material with different thermal conduction properties depending on direction, combining the benefits of insulation and heat dissipation. The material's unique structure allows for efficient transfer of heat within layers while blocking it perpendicular to the layers.

SourceUniversität Bayreuth·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateJan 17, 2020

Power dressing

Researchers at KAUST have developed a stretchy and self-healing thermoelectric material that can generate electricity using body heat. The material has been shown to be robust enough to withstand daily stress and strain, making it a promising candidate for powering wearable technologies.

SourceKing Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)·JournalAdvanced Functional Materials·DateJan 6, 2020

Puffins stay cool thanks to their large beak

Researchers from McGill University and the University of California, Davis, discovered that puffin beaks can drop by 5°C within 30 minutes of landing, suggesting an evolutionary trait to cool down during flight. This study suggests that large bills may have evolved to help birds dissipate heat from energetically demanding activities.

SourceMcGill University·JournalJournal of Experimental Biology·DateNov 27, 2019

Hot electrons harvested without tricks

Scientists have found a way to harness excess energy from photons that are too energetic for materials to absorb, potentially increasing the efficiency of solar panels. By combining a perovskite with an acceptor material, hot electrons can be readily absorbed, even without slowing down their loss of energy.

SourceUniversity of Groningen·JournalScience Advances·DateNov 15, 2019

Helping quinoa brave the heat

Researchers developed new techniques to measure heat tolerance in quinoa, a health food rich in essential amino acids. The method uses spectral reflectance indices to assess plant growth under high temperatures, providing insights into grain production and paving the way for breeding more resilient varieties.

SourceAmerican Society of Agronomy·JournalCrop Science·DateNov 6, 2019

Mimicking body's circulatory AC could keep airplanes, cars and computers cooler

Drexel researchers developed a computational platform that can quickly produce designs for 3D printing carbon-fiber composite materials with an internal vasculature optimized for active-cooling. Microvascular composites offer many advantages over existing liquid and air-cooling systems, including being much lighter and durable.

SourceDrexel University·JournalInternational Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer·DateOct 31, 2019

How to control friction in topological insulators

Physicists at the University of Basel have experimentally verified that the heat generated through friction in topological insulators can be significantly reduced. By regulating voltage, they observed a novel quantum-mechanical dissipation mechanism, enabling targeted control over electronic friction.

SourceUniversity of Basel·JournalNature Materials·DateOct 14, 2019

A new way to turn heat into energy

Researchers at Ohio State University have found a new method for harnessing thermal energy by exploiting paramagnetic particles, which can produce spin and generate electricity. This breakthrough could lead to the development of more efficient thermoelectric materials and energy harvesting technologies.

SourceOhio State University·JournalScience Advances·DateSep 23, 2019

Device generates light from the cold night sky

Researchers develop a low-cost thermoelectric generator that harnesses temperature differences to produce renewable electricity at night, when solar power is not available. The device can generate up to 25 milliwatts of energy per square meter and has the potential to be scaled for practical use.

SourceCell Press·JournalJoule·DateSep 12, 2019

A new model of heat transfer in crystals was developed by Russian scientists

A new model of heat transfer in crystals has been developed by a team of Russian scientists from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The model describes the distribution of heat in ultrapure crystals at the atomic level, revealing certain directions along which heat rays distribute major energy.

SourcePeter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University·JournalJournal of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics·DateAug 26, 2019

Is it safe to use an electric fan for cooling?

New research from the University of Sydney suggests that electric fans can be beneficial in hot, humid conditions but detrimental in dry conditions. The study calls into question current guidelines recommending fan use only when temperature rises above 35 degrees Celsius.

SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalAnnals of Internal Medicine·DateAug 5, 2019

How roads can help cool sizzling cities

A Rutgers-led study shows that permeable concrete pavement can reduce pavement temperature by up to 30% and reflect more heat than asphalt pavement. The design improves with high thermal conductivity, further reducing heat output.

SourceRutgers University·JournalJournal of Cleaner Production·DateAug 1, 2019

Rice device channels heat into light

Researchers at Rice University have created a device that channels waste heat into light, enabling more efficient solar energy systems. The technology, which utilizes carbon nanotube films, aims to simplify the process of turning heat into electricity with high efficiency.

SourceRice University·JournalACS Photonics·DateJul 12, 2019

Beat the heat

Researchers have discovered a way to produce more electricity from heat than thought possible by creating a silicon chip that converts thermal radiation into electricity. The chip can generate electricity even closer two silicon surfaces are together, potentially increasing battery life by up to 50%.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalNature Nanotechnology·DateJul 10, 2019