Cooling

Materials stay cooler when water evaporates off of them, but once all the water is gone, the cooling effect stops. Bearing this in mind, MIT scientists have developed a camel fur-inspired material that could keep items cool without using electricity.

Researchers have developed a new white paint that can reflect over 95 percent of sunlight, which can cool the surface even lower than the ambient temperature. Painted on a building, the new paint could help cut cooling costs and energy use.

By putting a new spin on decades-old thermoelectric technology, scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a tiny microscopic cooling device they describe as the "world’s smallest refrigerator."

A team of scientists has been developing an alternative to air conditioning called the Cold Tube, which works by absorbing body heat emitted from a person and uses around half the energy of traditional systems as a result.

Researchers have developed a new type of fabric that keeps the wearer much cooler. Made from different polymers in a relatively simple way, it can efficiently transfer heat and wick away sweat, while remaining water repellent from the outside.

A team of material scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles is reporting a major advance in the area of reflective coatings for buildings, producing a new kind of super white paint that reflects almost all incoming radiation from Sun.

Heating and cooling systems are huge consumers of energy, so passively cooling buildings and electronics could help the environment. A new photonic film could be just the ticket, made with a micro-structure inspired by a beetle that likes it hot.

Given that solar panels lie in direct sunlight, it goes without saying that they can get pretty hot. Unfortunately, though, they also get less efficient as they heat up. That said, a new gel could help cool them … without using any electricity.

Getting rid of excess heat from a robot can be the difference between smooth operation and breakdown. Researchers at Cornell University have developed 3D-printed robot fingers that can regulate temperature by sweating.

The man behind the Feher ACH-1 air-conditioned motorcycle helmet, as well as luxury cooling car seats, has gone a step further and built an air conditioned baseball cap designed to keep your noggin between 12° and 22° F (7° and 12° C) cooler.

Although nobody wants a hot smartphone, there's no way that the things could ever incorporate tiny cooling fans. Some day, though, they may stay frosty through the use of a material that absorbs and releases water.

Refrigeration and air conditioning could use a boost in efficiency. On that road, researchers have now developed an unusual new technique that could lead to "twist fridges", which cool by unraveling fibers that are tensely twisted.