The new fabric will keep you warm and cool. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

New fabric will keep you warm and cool

02.12.2017

Materials scientists from Stanford University in Palo Alto (USA), led by Yi Cui, have developed a fabric that can both warm and cool the human body, thanks to its special structure.

In the past few decades, scientists have already developed "breathable" materials that minimize heat loss from the human body. Cooling is more difficult; one solution is to create a fabric that would block visible light (that is, be opaque), but at the same time would freely transmit infrared (IR) radiation from the body, with which 40-60% of thermal energy is released from it.

Cui and colleagues combined these two approaches. The fabric they created is a kind of "sandwich", in which the role of bread (outer layers) is played by layers woven from polyethylene nanothreads. The "stuffing" is two-layer: one layer is carbon fiber that absorbs (and emits) infrared rays, the other is a copper film, which delays infrared rays only to a small extent.

Thus, putting on clothes made of such a fabric, first one side, then the other, you can either keep warm in the cold or cool in the heat. Tests have shown that the temperature difference that can be achieved is up to 6.5°C. This will already save a lot of energy on heating (summer) and cooling (winter) homes, which in the US takes up to 40% of all home energy costs.

Researchers are confident they will be able to more than double the performance of their insulating/cooling fabric in the near future.

Evelyn Wang, an engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, calls her Stanford colleagues' paper "fascinating" and their concept "elegant and quite simple."

<< Back: Opaque transparency 03.12.2017

>> Forward: Innovative lidar Velodyne VLS-128 02.12.2017

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

New method for creating powerful batteries 08.05.2024

With the development of technology and the expanding use of electronics, the issue of creating efficient and safe energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled a new approach to creating high-power zinc-based batteries that could change the landscape of the energy industry. One of the main problems with traditional water-based rechargeable batteries was their low voltage, which limited their use in modern devices. But thanks to a new method developed by scientists, this drawback has been successfully overcome. As part of their research, scientists turned to a special organic compound - catechol. It turned out to be an important component that can improve battery stability and increase its efficiency. This approach has led to a significant increase in the voltage of zinc-ion batteries, making them more competitive. According to scientists, such batteries have several advantages. They have b ... >>

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Creation of electrically conductive nanostructures using water and air 04.11.2021

Scientists from Japan have noticed unique reactions in the interaction of water, oil and air. They used them to create nanosheets, which are essential for next-generation sensors and power generation technologies.

Scientists have created microporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are composed of metal ions and organic binders. These materials formed three-dimensional nanostructures that conduct electricity. The researchers used the same conditions that are typical for the formation of an oil film on water.

In order to use the properties of MOFs in energy production and sensor technologies, scientists have changed the approach to creating these frameworks. The researchers applied a solution with organic linkers (building blocks or binders containing metal cations - Hi-Tech) to an aqueous solution of metal ions. After contact, the substances combined into a hexagonal structure. Nanostructures formed at the points of contact between liquid and air. The scientists compressed the nanosheets to give them a denser and more unbreakable structure.

The researchers tested the nanostructures using microscopic and X-ray crystallographic analysis. The densely ordered crystals indicated not only strong contact between the sheets, but also the electrical properties of the material. The researchers transferred the nanosheets to a silicon substrate, added gold electrodes, and measured the electrical conductivity.

Now scientists are studying how various parameters affect leaf morphology. Their goal is to develop a technique for creating high-quality nanosheets with desired electronic properties.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews