Collaborate Disseminate
The US Naval Research Laboratory has funded a groundbreaking project to develop a new hypersonic engine capable of morphing its shape during flight to optimize power, thrust and efficiency. It’s now entering experimental testing in Florida.Continue Rea… Continue reading Morphing hypersonic engine project is underway at UCF
Almost three years after the event, neutron scans by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have uncovered the cause of the platform collapse that resulted in the destruction of the 1,000-ft (300-m) Arecibo Observatory radio telescope.Continue ReadingCatego… Continue reading Neutron images reveal zinc as culprit in Arecibo radio telescope collapse
Methane has a greenhouse effect 80 times worse than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, and emissions are skyrocketing even as we start reducing CO2. That makes UCF’s new hydrocarbon-capturing, sunlight-powered catalyst a very compelling idea.Continu… Continue reading Solar catalyst captures methane to create pure hydrogen and carbon
While there is water on the Moon, it’s not kept in convenient reservoirs, it’s locked away in the lunar soil. Now, a team of scientists has found that thirsty astronauts could one day refresh themselves fairly easily – by throwing a cup of Moon dirt in… Continue reading Thirsty astronauts could just throw some Moon dust in the microwave
Traditional paint gets it color from synthetic pigments, which fade over time and aren’t very eco-friendly. There may soon be a better alternative, though, in the form of a paint which incorporates color-producing nanostructures.Continue ReadingCategor… Continue reading Bio-inspired “plasmonic paint” could make regular paint a thing of the past
There is an exciting branch of battery research that involves combining the strength and durability of next-generation materials with their energy storage potential. This could see car panels double as their batteries, for example, and in a new example… Continue reading “Power suits” for EVs promise an acceleration and 25% range boost
UCF researchers say they’ve trapped a sustained explosive detonation, fixed in place, for the first time, channeling its enormous power into thrust in a new oblique wave detonation engine that could propel an aircraft up to 17 times the speed of sound,… Continue reading World first: Oblique wave detonation engine may unlock Mach 17 aircraft
The lithium-ion batteries that power much of the modern world may be our best solution currently, but scientists continue to experiment with their makeup in pursuit of devices that are safer and less environmentally costly (among other desirable attrib… Continue reading Green, saltwater-based battery leans on a new anode to go the distance
Scientists at the University of Central Florida studying alternative lithium battery designs have come up with a modification to one they say could lead to great performance gains for these devices. The breakthrough centers on a new protective coating … Continue reading Next-gen battery leans on copper-tin film to avoid rapid failure
Science operations have been suspended at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico after the radio telescope was damaged on Monday August 10. An auxiliary cable supporting a platform appears to have snapped and fallen, damaging the dish.Continue ReadingC… Continue reading Arecibo Observatory damaged in accident, operations suspended