US Department of Defense (DoD)

Better batteries through biology?

researchers have found that adding genetically modified viruses to the production of nanowires — wires that are about the width of a red blood cell, and which can serve as one of a battery's electrodes — could help solve some problems.

Study on jellyfish energy consumption to improve robotic designs

Researchers are part of a national study that has cracked how jellyfish move with the lowest cost of transport of any animal.

Tiny water droplets carry electric charge

In a completely unexpected finding, researchers have discovered that tiny water droplets that form on a superhydrophobic surface, and then "jump" away from that surface, carry an electric charge.

Hybrid tactical vehicle targets safety and fuel-efficiency

At the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Centre (TARDEC), final testing is beginning on the ULV vehicle platform with technologies to equip soldiers for missions across a full spectrum of mobility challenges while keeping occupants safe and using fuel efficiently.

New materials improve oxygen catalysis

Researchers have found a new family of materials that provides the best-ever performance in a reaction called oxygen evolution, a key requirement for energy storage and delivery systems such as advanced fuel cells and lithium-air batteries.

Network of unmanned undersea platforms assist manned vessels

To maintain advantage over adversaries, U.S. naval forces need a way to project key capabilities in multiple locations at once, without the time and expense of building new vessels to deliver those capabilities.

Highest open-circuit voltage for quantum dot solar cells

Scientists and engineers have demonstrated the highest recorded open-circuit voltages for quantum dot solar cells to date.

Thermoelectric energy harvesting in Japan

The Japanese are working very hard on thermoelectric energy harvesting from tiny forms for use on hot running electronics components the 1.5 kW versions for use on furnace flues etc.

Important milestone for autonomous PowerBuoy

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. has announced the deployment off New Jersey of its innovative autonomous wave energy device, marking an important milestone in the roll-out of the Company's Autonomous PowerBuoy® product line.

Like water for batteries

Wettability could have an impact on how much energy can be stored within such devices that use lithium-ion batteries or super capacitors.

Not-weak knots bolster carbon fiber

Large flakes of graphene oxide are the essential ingredient in a new recipe for robust carbon fiber created at Rice University.

Device could coat smart phone screens with energy harvesting material

Nearly doubling the efficiency of a breakthrough photovoltaic cell they created last year, researchers have developed a two-layer, see-through solar film that could be placed on windows, sunroofs, smartphone displays and other surfaces to harvest energy from the sun.

Altering organic molecules' interaction with light

Researchers have discovered a new platform that provides simple means to manipulate organic molecules' emission, and may have important implications to organic light emitting devices and molecular biosensors.

3D-printed rocket engine gets its first fiery test

NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne recently finished testing a rocket engine injector made through additive manufacturing, or 3D printing.

Advanced wind monitoring system

The Fishermen's Wind Sentinel is a suite of environmental monitoring sensors which are installed on a buoy platform called the NOMAD.

Gold conductive inks- where are the markets?

This article discusses opportunities for printable nano-gold inks. The conductivity of nano gold inks are similar or lower than most existing printable pastes and inks including the silver based ones. The lower conductivity translates into a larger volume for reaching the same conductivity level. Gold is also more expensive per kilogram than most other metals. This means that gold inks are both over-priced and underperforming, suggesting that they will locked out of most volume applications. The question will therefore be what attributes do gold inks offer that can create niche market segments, what these niche markets are likely to be and how large they will become. The article exactly addresses these questions.

Synkera Technologies Inc

Synkera was initially founded as an R&D and incubator company in nanotechnology, with a majority of the revenues coming from contracts under the SBIR program (Small Business Innovation Research). In recent years, the company has observed increased interest in their sensor technology and is now focusing on developing gas sensors for smartphones and mobile devices.

Flexible Display Center at Arizona State University

The Flexible Display Center (FDC) has been involved in flexible displays for nearly 10 years. They have a unique expertise in North America and have enjoyed continuous funding from the US Army. They are now putting more focus on non-display applications such as X-ray detection and biochemical sensing.

Unzipped nanotubes unlock potential for batteries

Researchers at Rice University have come up with a new way to boost the efficiency of the ubiquitous lithium ion (LI) battery by employing ribbons of graphene that start as carbon nanotubes.

Energy scavenging for the battlefield using SmartBED

SmartBED is one way we think Soldiers would be able to link up to the power they need. It will ultimately bring complex pieces together -- generator, solar systems and energy storage -- in a flexible, resilient way into an energy network.