Pennsylvania State University

Built in sensors make lithium-ion batteries safer

Researchers are working to make the lithium-ion batteries we use every day safer by inserting sensors to warn users of potential problems inside the battery.

Transparent metal films for smartphone, tablet and TV displays

A new material that is both highly transparent and electrically conductive could make large screen displays, smart windows and even touch screens and solar cells more affordable and efficient.

Simple mathematical formula models lithium-ion battery aging

Hybrid electric vehicles, cell phones, digital cameras, and the Mars Curiosity rover are just a few of the many devices that use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Now a team of researchers has a simple mathematical formula to predict what factors most influence lithium-ion battery aging.

Supercapacitors record breaking performance for self-powered wearables

The NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies develops and employs nano-enabled energy harvesting, energy storage, nanodevices and sensors to create innovative battery-free, body-powered, and wearable health monitoring systems.

A partnership to secure and protect the emerging Internet of Things

National Science Foundation and Intel Corporation team to improve the security and privacy of computing systems that interact with the physical world using a new cooperative research model.

Unlocking the energy stored in plant cell walls

By virtue of their chloroplasts, plants are superb harvesters of solar energy. They use it to build leaves, flowers, fruits, stems, and roots. We harvest a small percentage of that energy in the form of food and a smaller amount in the form of wood for heating.

Student self-regulated learning via wearable tech

How wearable and accessible technologies, such as the Apple Watch, can support students' self-regulated learning to lead to greater academic success.

Wearable computers no longer just for the Jetsons

Association for Computing Machinery hosts expert on wearable tech.

Low-grade waste heat regenerates ammonia battery

An efficient method to harvest low-grade waste heat as electricity may be possible using reversible ammonia batteries.

Low-grade waste heat regenerates ammonia battery

An efficient method to harvest low-grade waste heat as electricity may be possible using reversible ammonia batteries, according to engineers.

Rethinking the basic science of graphene synthesis

A new route to making graphene has been discovered that could make the 21st century's wonder material easier to ramp up to industrial scale.

Scientists shed light on organic photovoltaic characteristics

Scientists have developed a method that allows the prediction of the current density-voltage curve of a photovoltaic device.

Electric bacteria - it's not what it seems

For the past 10 years, scientists have been fascinated by a type of "electric bacteria" that shoots out long tendrils like electric wires, using them to power themselves and transfer electricity to a variety of solid surfaces. A team led by scientists at USC has now turned the study of these bacterial nanowires on its head, discovering that the key features in question are not pili, as previously believed.

Super-stretchable yarn Is made of graphene

Researchers at Penn State and Shinshu University in Japan have developed a simple, scalable method of making graphene oxide fibers that are strong, stretchable and can be easily scrolled into yarns with strengths approaching that of Kevlar.

Tiny power generator runs on spit

Saliva-powered micro-sized microbial fuel cells can produce minute amounts of energy sufficient to run on-chip applications, according to an international team of engineers.

Pipistrel

World's leading electric aircraft manufacturer and the only one with ten years of sales.

Flexible electronics could transform electronic devices

Nearly everyone knows what the inside of a computer or a mobile phone looks like: A stiff circuit board, usually green, crammed with chips, resistors, capacitors and sockets, interconnected by a suburban sprawl of printed wiring. But what if our printed circuit board was not stiff, but flexible enough to bend or even fold?

Longer battery life for electric locomotive

A leading cause of damage and death in lead-acid batteries is sulfation, a degradation of the battery caused by frequent charging and discharging that creates an accumulation of lead sulfate.

Flexible silicon solar-cell fabrics may be possible

For the first time, a silicon-based optical fiber with solar-cell capabilities has been developed that has been shown to be scalable to many meters in length.

Flexible silicon solar-cell fabrics may soon become possible

For the first time, a silicon-based optical fiber with solar-cell capabilities has been developed that has been shown to be scalable to many meters in length.