To test a 9V battery's charge, my older brother made me touch the terminals with my tongue. If I jumped, the battery still had voltage. If I stood still, it was dead. Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) built a new, state-of-the-art battery testing facility to do the job instead. The group hopes the facility will help engineers design better battery modules and packs for vehicles of the future. Predicting, measuring and controlling the temperature of batteries used in electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles can help improve vehicle performance by 20 to 30 percent. The core of the facility is a uniquely developed calorimeter and cycler. The calorimeter, an enclosed device that measures heat generation in any battery material under a variety of conditions, allows for the control of outside, ambient heat sources that could affect thermal reading from the battery. The cycler both charges and draws current from a battery, allowing for thermal testing of any voltage. It can also be used to test the performance and life cycles of battery modules and packs. Researchers use thermal imaging techniques to visually evaluate the behavior of modules under a variety of cycling profiles. Heat transfer and fluid flow experiments are used to design battery packs. The laboratory's computer-aided design expertise can project thermal performance of modules and packs and address structural and packaging issues. NREL's techniques can also be applied to fuel cells, ultra-capacitors, and energy storage for power tools. Visit: www.ctts.nrel.gov/BTM.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Labs have observed a reaction in lithium-air batteries that could help improve the design of these cells for electric vehicles and other applications.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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