-
Researchers establish minimum effective coating thickness for longer-lasting solid-state EV batteriesSulfide-based all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), which use a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one, are emerging as a promising way to overcome the safety and energy-density limitations of conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, a major obstacle to their practical use is the poor chemical compatibility at the interface between the cathode... Read more -
Multiscale residual stress evaluation can improve the reliability of aircraft engine bladesResearchers at Skoltech conducted a comparative study of two techniques for evaluating mesoscale residual stresses in the aerospace alloy VT6 (Ti-6Al-4V) used to manufacture fan and compressor blades in aircraft engines. The study, published in the journal Measurement, demonstrates how combining gallium (Ga⁺) and xenon (Xe⁺) ion beams within the... Read more -
EV charging simulation model could help cities manage electric vehicle charging demandsAs electric vehicles become more common, cities are facing the new and increasingly complex task of managing when and where drivers plug in. Concordia researchers have developed a new tool that offers a clearer picture of how EV charging could affect urban power systems.... Read more -
Thicker yet cooler: Novel magnet technology for next-generation motorsA research team led by Su-Min Kim and Jung-Goo Lee (Korea Institute of Materials Science; KIMS) has developed next-generation magnet manufacturing technology that uniformly enhances magnetic performance throughout thick magnets while reducing heat generation.... Read more -
EU rules could make fossil-free aviation fuels unnecessarily expensive and energy-intensive, study indicatesThe effects of the Iran war on the oil market have brought renewed attention to the EU's plans for domestic production of fossil-free aviation fuels. But EU rules for synthetic aviation fuels risk steering development toward production pathways that are both more expensive and more energy-intensive than necessary—making it harder... Read more -
Historic solar plane ends in Gulf crash after military test missionThe experimental plane Solar Impulse 2, which completed a historic round-the-world trip in 2016 without using jet fuel, crashed into the Gulf of Mexico recently, its owner revealed.... Read more -
GPS data reveal why pedestrians in Phnom Penh rarely walk the shortest routeCities across the Global South are urbanizing at pace, but their built environments for walking rarely resemble ideal, tidy, and well-regulated networks. Vehicles are parked on pedestrian sidewalks, and a seemingly direct route on a map may feel longer in practice. Moreover, many urban planning ideas and assumptions are based... Read more -
Self‑driving cars struggle to see at night or in fog—but imitating the human brain can make them safePicture this: you're driving on a mountain road, when you suddenly hit a thick patch of fog. You respond instinctively. Your vision sharpens, and you narrow your eyes to make out the shape of any oncoming cars.... Read more -
Cracking the code of hypersonic flight: A decade of experiments maps turbulent physics of ultra-fast travelFrom the heartbreak of an early flight failure to a resounding triumph over the Norwegian Sea, the Boundary Layer Transition and Turbulence (BOLT) Program spent nearly a decade launching rockets into the atmosphere, to investigate boundary layer transition and turbulence, key phenomena in hypersonic flight.... Read more -
For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savingsDespite regional variability in climate, electricity sources, congestion, and the wide variation in individual driving patterns, electric vehicles generate less greenhouse gas emissions and do not cost more than comparable gas-powered vehicles for drivers and vehicle fleet owners in most parts of the United States, according to a new study... Read more -
Smart AI gives electric vehicle batteries 23% longer life—without increasing the charging timeFast charging shortens the life of vehicle batteries, but is necessary on longer journeys with electric vehicles. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have now developed a new AI method that adapts fast charging to the health of the battery. Their study shows that battery life can be increased... Read more -
Wealthy people were the first to buy electric vehicles. The current boom risks entrenching inequalityAustralia is in the midst of an electric vehicle boom. The combined rise of battery electric, plug-in hybrids and conventional hybrid cars is steadily shifting the long-term market dominance of petrol and diesel.... Read more -
What kills EV battery range? Real-time images pinpoint lithium metal weak spotsA crucial clue to simultaneously increasing electric vehicle (EV) driving range and battery lifespan has been discovered. A research team at KAIST has observed the exact moment of degradation in lithium metal batteries at the nanoscale (approximately 1/100,000th the thickness of a human hair) and identified the fundamental cause of... Read more -
How new helicopter wildfire simulator could make pilot training safer and more realisticSophisticated new flight simulation software capable of accurately modeling the performance of firefighting helicopters could help train pilots to tackle wildfires more effectively in the future. Researchers from the University of Glasgow developed the prototype software as part of the Daedalus I flight simulation framework, which is showcased in a... Read more -
Beyond human error: Systemic skill management in organizations and the 2005 Fukuchiyama-line derailment accidentResearchers at University of Tsukuba reexamined the causes of the Fukuchiyama Line derailment that occurred in April 2005, analyzing how train drivers acquire and use operational knowledge/skills, and simulating how the railway organization functioned as a whole.... Read more
