Low-energy freezing technology keeps food fresh without forming ice

The typical freezers found homes and restaurants play an invaluable role in preserving foods until they’re ready to be eaten, but an alternative technology promises to not only use far less energy, but improve food quality at the same time. Known as is… Continue reading Low-energy freezing technology keeps food fresh without forming ice

Tiny heat exchangers may let hypersonic plane fuel double as coolant

Hypersonic aircraft that fly many times the speed of sound might one day carry people from the US to Australia in just a few hours, but with all that velocity comes a hell of a lot of heat. One way scientists hope to prevent them overheating is by havi… Continue reading Tiny heat exchangers may let hypersonic plane fuel double as coolant

NASA-inspired Honu backpack keeps you cool for up to 12 hours

Ordinarily, a backpack is something that you take off if you’re getting too hot. The NASA-inspired Honu, however, is claimed to actually make its user feel up to a total of 20º F (11º C) cooler than if they weren’t wearing a pack at all.Continue Readin… Continue reading NASA-inspired Honu backpack keeps you cool for up to 12 hours

3D-printable phase-change materials insulate buildings better at scale

Heating and cooling systems are some of the biggest energy guzzlers in use, so passive temperature control could be a good way to reduce emissions. Phase-change materials (PCMs) show promise for this, and now engineers at Texas A&M have developed a new… Continue reading 3D-printable phase-change materials insulate buildings better at scale

Reversible fabric heats on one side, cools on the other

It can be frustrating, when the jacket that you initially put on to keep you warm starts making you too hot. Jackets made from an experimental new reversible fabric, however, could both heat and cool their wearer.Continue ReadingCategory: Materials, Sc… Continue reading Reversible fabric heats on one side, cools on the other

Magnesium alloys claimed to lighten heat removal systems by one third

Both cars and electronic appliances require heat removal systems, which are typically made of iron, steel or aluminum. That may soon change, though, as scientists have created two magnesium alloys which they claim can reduce the weight of such systems … Continue reading Magnesium alloys claimed to lighten heat removal systems by one third

Whitest paint ever created could have air-con like cooling effects

The materials we coat our buildings with can have a big influence on their ability to reflect heat from the Sun and overall energy efficiency. Engineers at Purdue University have been at the cutting edge of this field of research for some time, and hav… Continue reading Whitest paint ever created could have air-con like cooling effects

Microsoft’s new cooling system dunks data servers in boiling liquid

Liquid cooling is one of the most effective ways to keep computers from overheating. While the natural first choice might be a liquid that runs cold, Microsoft has now done the exact opposite, demonstrating a system to cool its cloud servers by dunking… Continue reading Microsoft’s new cooling system dunks data servers in boiling liquid