Thermal energy management materials encompass engineered solids, fluids, and composites designed to control heat generation, transport, storage, and dissipation in devices, buildings, and wearables. The area integrates thermoelectric and thermomagnetic converters, elastocaloric and solid-state heat pumps, phase-change and thermochromic systems, and radiative or evaporative cooling structures, often with microfluidic or porous architectures. Emerging work couples these materials with machine learning, additive manufacturing, and bioinspired designs to optimize thermal performance, efficiency, and adaptability across scales from electronics to infrastructure.
Energy & Green Tech
When a nuclear power plant shuts down, the heat from the reactor doesn't disappear right away. Even after the chain reaction stops, the fuel continues to give off what scientists call decay heat. In the event of an unplanned ...
Sep 29, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
A cross-functional team comprised of researchers, supply chain management, and facilities leadership, at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has developed and tested a practical approach to help research institutions ...
Sep 29, 2026
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Robotics
Cornell University physics researchers have made robots that can, for the first time, sense the temperature of their surroundings and react together to change it. "Little things can have a large impact," said Itai Cohen, ...
Sep 23, 2026
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Engineering
Although invaluable to modern society, refrigeration faces challenges from traditional vapor-compression systems, which are energy-intensive and use refrigerants that exacerbate the greenhouse effect and damage the ozone ...
Sep 18, 2026
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Engineering
A new printable textile combines passive cooling with biomechanical energy harvesting to enable motion-controlled, adaptive thermal management. Led by researchers in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of ...
Sep 11, 2026
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Hardware
A new approach to computing has quietly taken shape at Sandia National Laboratories, where researchers have developed a way to store information that could make future electronics more energy efficient.
Sep 9, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
Almost all the energy that flows into computing devices is eventually squandered as waste heat.
Sep 8, 2026
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Machine learning & AI
Data centers are running into a wall of public anger in the United States over their thirst for water and power.
Sep 7, 2026
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Engineering
Engineers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, are developing a new thermal-management capability to help manage heat in systems where space and weight are limited.
Sep 2, 2026
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Hi Tech & Innovation
As extreme heat waves intensify due to climate change, rail temperatures now exceed 60°C (140°F) during summer, increasing track-deformation risks. This has necessitated speed restrictions, causing delays and raising safety ...
Sep 1, 2026
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