Thermodynamics News

December 28, 2024

Top Headlines

Geothermal Aquifers Offer Green Potential but Quality Checks Required

Dec. 20, 2024 — A research team has revealed that to use the aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system safely over the long term it is crucial to investigate the groundwater quality before operating the system and to continuously monitor the water ...

This Prototype Sunscreen Protects Your Skin and Cools You Off, Too

Dec. 19, 2024 — Wearing sunscreen is important to protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation but doesn't cool people off. However, a new formula protects against both UV light and heat from the sun using radiative cooling. The prototype sunblock ...

Plasma Heating Efficiency in Fusion Devices Boosted by Metal Screens

Dec. 19, 2024 — Scientists have performed computer simulations confirming a technique that prevents the production of unhelpful electromagnetic waves, boosting the heat put into fusion ...

It's Worth Mixing It Up: What Combination of Policies Will Lead to a Clean Energy Future?

Dec. 16, 2024 — How can we ensure that as many households as possible adopt not only solar panels, but also their own battery to store solar energy, a heat pump, and an electric car? Researchers have looked into ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:07am EST

Unlocking Next-Gen Chip Efficiency: Confirming Thermal Insights for Tiny Circuits

Dec. 12, 2024 — A team of researchers unlock heat flow principles in ultra-thin metals, paving the way for faster, smaller, more efficient computer ...

Breakthrough Brings Body-Heat Powered Wearable Devices Closer to Reality

Dec. 12, 2024 — A research team has developed an ultra-thin, flexible film that could power next-generation wearable devices using body heat, eliminating the need for ...

Battery-Like Computer Memory Keeps Working Above 1000°F

Dec. 9, 2024 — Computer memory could one day withstand the blazing temperatures in fusion reactors, jet engines, geothermal wells and sweltering planets using a new solid-state memory device developed by a team of ...

'Layer Down' -- Thin Coating of Mxene Material Could Replace Thick Layers of Insulation

Dec. 5, 2024 — Researchers have discovered that MXenes, a type of material known for its excellent electrical conductivity, actually have very low thermal ...

New 3D Printing Approach Means Better Biomedical, Energy, Robotics Devices

Dec. 2, 2024 — A researcher has helped create a new 3D printing approach for shape-changing materials that are likened to muscles, opening the door for improved applications in robotics as well as biomedical and ...

Bendable Electronic Parts Heat Up by Themselves Like 'Heat Pack' and Lower the Manufacturing Temperature Barrier

Dec. 2, 2024 — A research team has developed liquid-processed thin-film transistors that can maintain high performance at low temperatures -- They are expected to ...

Making a Difference: Efficient Water Harvesting from Air Possible

Nov. 27, 2024 — A research team has found a way to make more efficient the desorption of water-adsorption polymers used in atmospheric water harvesting and desiccant air ...

Using Sunlight to Recycle Black Plastics

Nov. 25, 2024 — Not all plastics are equal -- some types and colors are easier to recycle than others. For instance, black foam and black coffee lids, which are often made of polystyrene, usually end up in landfills ...

Tapping Excess Heat from a Camp Stove for Charging Power

Nov. 20, 2024 — New research may make it possible to keep electronic devices powered with another piece of equipment you're likely to bring with you while exploring the great outdoors: camping stoves. The work ...

Quantum-Inspired Design Boosts Efficiency of Heat-to-Electricity Conversion

Nov. 21, 2024 — Researchers have found a new way to improve a key element of thermophotovoltaic systems, which convert heat into electricity via light. Engineers designed a thermal emitter that can deliver high ...

Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells Doubled With Protective Coating

Nov. 21, 2024 — Scientists have developed a new protective coating that significantly extends the life of perovskite solar cells, making them more practical for applications outside the ...

Thermochemical Tech Shows Promising Path for Building Heat

Nov. 19, 2024 — Energy stored in thermochemical materials can effectively heat indoor spaces, particularly in humid regions, according to ...

Deciphering the Anomalous Properties of Water

Nov. 14, 2024 — Water, a molecule essential for life, has unusual properties -- known as anomalies -- that define its behavior. However, there are still many enigmas about the molecular mechanisms that would explain ...

A Smart 'Insect Screen' for Sun Protection and Cool Comfort

Nov. 6, 2024 — A research team unveils a next-generation transparent cooling film using the principles of radiative ...

The Evolution of Green Energy Technology: Developing Three-Dimensional Smart Energy Devices With Radiant Cooling and Solar Absorption

Oct. 25, 2024 — - DGIST, KAIST, and Korea University collaborated to develop a three-dimensional device with reversible heating/cooling based on the thermal radiation phenomenon -- Research published as a cover ...

Thread-Like, Flexible Thermoelectric Materials Applicable for Extreme Environments

Oct. 23, 2024 — A team of researchers developed a thermoelectric material that can be used in wearable devices, such as smart clothing, and while maintaining stable thermal energy performance even in extreme ...

Researchers Develop New Coatings to Boost Turbine Engine Efficiency

Oct. 23, 2024 — A multidisciplinary research group has formulated new protective coatings to allow turbine engines to run hotter -- with potential dividends for the environment and ...

Feeling the Heat: New Approach to Controlling Heat Flow in Crystals

Oct. 17, 2024 — Researchers have developed a method to control the direction of heat flow in crystals. This miniature device could eventually be used to create advanced thermal-management systems in electronic ...

Rewriting the Future: New Molecules Reversibly Change With Light and Heat

Oct. 16, 2024 — Researchers have developed photoswitching molecules that reversibly change properties not only with light, but also with heat. They showed that the molecules can be used as a rewritable recording ...

New 3D Printing Technique Creates Unique Objects Quickly and With Less Waste

Oct. 11, 2024 — A new technique enables makers to finely tune the color, shade, and texture of 3D-printed objects using only one material. The method is faster and uses less material than other ...

Researchers Create the First Ever Visualization of Photoexcited Charges Traveling Across the Interface of Two Semiconductor Materials

Oct. 10, 2024 — Researchers have observed electric charges traveling across the interface of two different semiconductor materials. Using scanning ultrafast electron (SUEM) techniques, the research team has directly ...

The New Fashion: Clothes That Help Combat Rising Temperatures

Oct. 9, 2024 — A team of international researchers has developed a natural fabric that urban residents could wear to counter rising temperatures in cities worldwide, caused by buildings, asphalt, and ...

Ice Cream-Inspired Physics: Team Uncovers a Quantum Mpemba Effect, With a Host of 'Cool' Implications

Oct. 8, 2024 — Researchers have just described the existence of the paradoxical Mpemba effect within quantum systems. Initially investigating out of pure curiosity, the discovery has bridged the gap between ...

Cool Roofs Could Have Saved Lives During London's Hottest Summer, Say Researchers

Oct. 1, 2024 — As many as 249 lives could have been saved in London during the 2018 record-setting hot summer had the city widely adopted cool roofs, estimates a new ...

High Costs Slow Widespread Use of Heat Pumps, Study Shows

Oct. 1, 2024 — The high cost of installing heat pumps for home heating could slow down people widely adopting the technology and leave government targets missed, research ...

Squid-Inspired Fabric for Temperature-Controlled Clothing

Oct. 1, 2024 — Inspired by the dynamic color-changing properties of squid skin, researchers have developed a method to manufacture a heat-adjusting material that is breathable and washable and can be integrated ...

Demand-Side Actions Could Help Construction Sector Deliver on Net-Zero Targets

Sep. 20, 2024 — Researchers used a detailed mathematical model to demonstrate that the construction sector in the UK and Europe could almost eliminate its carbon emissions by 2060. This could be achieved through ...

New Organic Thermoelectric Device That Can Harvest Energy at Room Temperature

Sep. 19, 2024 — Thermoelectric devices are devices that can convert heat into electrical energy. Researchers have now developed a thermoelectric device composed of organic materials that can generate electricity ...

New Understanding of the Limits on Nano-Noise

Sep. 17, 2024 — Thanks to nanoscale devices as small as human cells, researchers can create groundbreaking material properties, leading to smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient electronics. However, to fully ...

Urban Heating and Cooling to Play Substantial Role in Future Energy Demand Under Climate Change

Sep. 13, 2024 — Existing global energy projections underestimate the impact of climate change on urban heating and cooling systems by roughly 50% by 2099 if greenhouse gas emissions remain high, researchers report. ...