Heating

While 3D printing technology does allow complex metal parts to be produced efficiently, such items often deform when stressed and heated. That may soon no longer be the case, however, thanks to a new technique developed at MIT.

Scientists tracking climate change have found Europe is seeing temperatures increase at more than twice the global average, and is experiencing a rate of warming higher than any continent on the planet.

Insulated vacuum flasks (aka "thermoses") may keep liquids warm for a while, but they do have their limits. The Kimos flask addresses this shortcoming by heating the water within it to a boil, in just three minutes.

It's no secret that herbicides can be harmful to the environment, plus they're costly, and weeds may develop a resistance to them. New research now suggests that farmers could get the same weed-killing results from a hot biodegradable foam.

Industrial heat consumes a huge proportion of global energy. Rondo Energy says its brick-toasting heat storage device is so cheap and efficient that it makes decarbonization an instant no-brainer across a huge range of industries. Bill Gates agrees.

After the summer so many of us have just sweltered through, we need better ways to cool buildings. Researchers have now spruced up the humble window with hydrogel-glass, which can selectively block heat from the Sun without blocking its light.

Ordinarily, when interior walls become wet due to leaky roofs, burst pipes or flooding, fans or radiant heaters are used to dry them. The new FastDry module, however, is claimed to offer a significantly more energy-efficient alternative.

As an unprecedented heatwave takes hold in Europe, driving the mercury to record levels and causing devastating wildfires across the continent, authorities are scrambling to prevent disruptions to transport services.

Polar Night Energy says it's developed and commercialized a super-cheap, super-simple way of storing energy for anywhere between hours and months, simply using heated sand. Its first 8-megawatt-hour thermal battery has gone online in Finland.

While there already are camping mattresses with built-in heating elements, they use batteries that have to be frequently recharged. The Blackcan II Pro system is different, in that it utilizes hot water which is heated by a gas burner.

A team from the University of Illinois and UC Berkeley has demonstrated a new cooling method that sucks heat out of electronics so efficiently that it allows designers to run 7.4 times more power through a given volume than conventional heat sinks.

Although a completely flat-surfaced wheel would be aerodynamic, it would also be hard to keep cool – especially during the braking process. An experimental new wheel rim, however, has cooling vents that open as needed … and they're activated by heat.