July 23, 2023
SNAPETHWARTER:
This thermal cloak keeps things cool when it's hot, and warm when it's cold...no electricity required. (Prachi Patel, July 20, 2023. Anthropocene)
An inexpensive, lightweight new fabric could help keep cars, spacecraft, and machinery cool in the summer and warm when the temperatures dip in winter. Detailed in the journal Device, the new "thermal cloak" does not need any power, and could reduce the energy needed for cooling and heating.Besides making cars more bearable to get into in sweltering heat or frigid cold, this electricity-free fabric cover could have a key benefit for electric cars. Exposure to extreme temperatures degrades battery performance and shortens their lifespan. The thermal cloak could help reduce that damage.
Posted by Orrin Judd at July 23, 2023 9:51 AM