[Images above] Credit: NIST
ENERGY
Colorful solar panels could make the technology more attractive
Researchers created solar panels that take on colorful hues while producing energy nearly as efficiently as traditional ones. They sprayed a thin layer of dielectric microscopic zinc sulfide spheres on the solar cells, which caused the panels to take on blue, green and purple hues. Efficiency of power generation only dropped from 22.6% to 21.5%.
Floating ‘artificial leaves’ ride the wave of clean fuel production
University of Cambridge researchers developed floating artificial “leaves” that generate clean fuels from sunlight and water, and could eventually operate on a large scale at sea. The leaves are made from perovskites covered with micrometer thin, water-repellent carbon-based layers.
ENVIRONMENT
Report provides direction for engineering research to address climate change
The Engineering Research Visioning Alliance issued a report describing research priorities to pursue to address climate change. Priority areas include energy storage, transmission, and critical materials; greenhouse gas capture and elimination; energy-efficient and resilient infrastructure; and water, ecosystems, and geoengineering.
MANUFACTURING
Controlling the concrete manufacturing process increases the strength by 30%
Researchers led by Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia conducted a series of experiments and created an artificial neural network to calculate how to make concrete stronger without new “ingredients.” They found that the appearance of aggregates, their size and geometry, as well as the curing conditions have a significant impact on strength.
Algorithm learns to correct 3D printing errors for different parts, materials and systems
University of Cambridge engineers created intelligent 3D printers that can quickly detect and correct errors, even in previously unseen designs, or unfamiliar materials like ketchup and mayonnaise, by learning from the experiences of other machines.
OTHER STORIES
Graphene as ‘the philosopher’s stone’: turning waste into gold
Researchers from University of Manchester, Tsinghua University, and Chinese Academy of Sciences showed graphene can be a kind of philosopher’s stone, allowing gold extraction from waste containing only trace amounts of gold (down to billionth of a percent).
Diamond capsules keep contents under pressure
Researchers found a new way to study materials under extreme pressure. They trap materials within the pores of glassy carbon at high pressure, then use extreme temperatures to transform the glassy carbon into diamond. These tiny capsules maintain their contents at high pressure even when the diamonds are brought to ambient pressure.