A team of engineers from Princeton University and the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a technique that can maintain the structural integrity around openings by essentially hiding them from the surrounding forces. Whether designing a window in an airliner or a cable conduit for an engine, manufacturers devote a lot of effort to reinforcing openings for … [Read more...] about Physical cloaking works like a disappearing act for structural defects
Materials
UCLA breakthrough dramatically extends fuel cell lifespan
Researchers at UCLA have made a breakthrough that could dramatically extend the lifespan of hydrogen fuel cells, making them a more viable clean energy source that can help bring sustainable, long-haul trucking closer to reality. For trucks and heavy-duty vehicles that must travel long distances without frequent, time-consuming charging stops, batteries often fall short. … [Read more...] about UCLA breakthrough dramatically extends fuel cell lifespan
Engineers reinvent ceramics with origami-inspired 3D printing
In a breakthrough that blends ancient design with modern materials science, researchers at the University of Houston have developed a new class of ceramic structures that can bend under pressure without breaking. Potential applications for the new technology range from medical prosthetics to impact-resistant components in aerospace and robotics, where lightweight but tough … [Read more...] about Engineers reinvent ceramics with origami-inspired 3D printing
Researchers develop new design and fabrication method to make lightsails for interstellar travel
In a potential step towards sending small spacecraft to visit other stars, researchers at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands have developed an ultra-thin, ultra-reflective membrane designed to ride a column of laser light to incredible speeds. Since its launch in 1977, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has … [Read more...] about Researchers develop new design and fabrication method to make lightsails for interstellar travel
MIT engineers develop a fully 3D-printed electrospray engine
A team of MIT engineers has developed a fully 3D-printed electrospray engine, a device that applies an electric field to a conductive liquid, generating a high-speed jet of tiny droplets that can propel a spacecraft. These miniature engines are ideal for small satellites known as CubeSats, which are often used in academic research. Since electrospray engines utilise … [Read more...] about MIT engineers develop a fully 3D-printed electrospray engine