Engineering news

Engineering

Scalable aluminum surfaces method enables advancements in cooling, self-cleaning and anti-icing technologies

An international team of engineers has developed an innovative, scalable method for creating topography-patterned aluminum surfaces, enhancing liquid transport properties critical for applications in electronics cooling, ...

Engineering

Zigzags for greener construction: Design avoids concrete and steel waste

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world. Made from cement, water, sand and gravel, this relatively cheap mixture can be shaped as needed and withstand high forces in compression. Yet it performs ...

Engineering

Self-adjusting shading system mimics pine cones for energy-autonomous weather response

Using pine cones as a model, researchers at the universities of Stuttgart and Freiburg have developed a new, energy-autonomous facade system that adapts passively to the weather. The journal Nature Communications has published ...

Engineering

Precise positioning in challenging environments: A new anchor approach to ultra-wideband-assisted navigation

A new study has introduced an advanced method for visual-inertial navigation, utilizing a single Ultra-Wideband (UWB) anchor with an unknown position to achieve exceptional positioning accuracy and robustness in environments ...

Engineering

Stress tests for the Swiss power system

Researchers from ETH Zurich and ZHAW Winterthur are simulating in a new study how the future Swiss power system could be structured to withstand a drastic fall in gas and electricity imports. By doing so, they aim to contribute ...

Engineering

Engineers 3D print tiny, intricate antennas

Today, nearly all personal electronic devices rely on antennas to send and receive data. In fact, demand is also rising for lightweight antennas for new applications, including the latest in 5G/6G networks, advanced wearable ...

Engineering

The new age of infrastructure maintenance using data from space

The concentration of the population in cities is accelerating, and difficulties in maintaining various infrastructures are arising due to extreme weather. Extensive infrastructures like waste landfill facilities face significant ...

Engineering

3D-printed fungal fuel cell offers biodegradable power solution

A battery that needs feeding instead of charging? This is exactly what Empa researchers have achieved with their 3D-printed, biodegradable fungal battery. The living battery could supply power to sensors for agriculture or ...

Engineering

Video: Printing with earth-based materials

Entire houses can be built from clay or excavated earth. The material is cheap, abundant, and sustainable as it does not require cement. However, existing building methods are very labor-intensive, slow and therefore expensive.

Engineering

Squid-inspired fabric allows for temperature-controlled clothing

Too warm with a jacket on but too cold without it? Athletic apparel brands boast temperature-controlling fabrics that adapt to every climate with lightweight but warm products. Yet, consider a fabric that you can adjust to ...

Engineering

New technique streamlines early-stage battery development

From current on-road vehicles to future electrified aircraft, the safety and reliability of energy storage systems is critical across battery applications. Before entering the market, all battery systems undergo thorough ...

Engineering

Soda production process eliminates CO₂ emissions

Fraunhofer researchers and their partners have developed an innovative and eco-friendly method of producing soda, essential for a wide range of industries, in the Green Soda project. The process is based on bipolar electrodialysis ...

Engineering

New cooling system works on gravity instead of electricity

Its abundance of sunlight and heavy investment in solar cell technology has positioned Saudi Arabia well in its transition to becoming a leading exporter of renewable energy. Indeed, solar energy currently makes up more than ...