Articles tagged with "silicon-carbide"
Huawei-Chery duo's hybrid EV beats range anxiety with 745-mile promise
The Luxeed V9, developed through a collaboration between Chery and Huawei under China’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, is a premium, tech-centric multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) designed for long-distance, comfortable travel. Combining Chery’s automotive engineering with Huawei’s digital and autonomous driving technologies, the V9 features advanced safety systems including helmet airbags, Huawei’s Qiankun ADS driver-assistance system, and a fully connected HarmonyOS smart cockpit. Targeted primarily at family and executive buyers, the vehicle aims to compete with luxury electric MPVs like the Li Auto Mega and Voyah Dreamer in the Chinese market, with an official launch expected in the first quarter of the year. The Luxeed V9 offers three pure electric range options (approximately 98, 131, and 139 miles WLTC) and, importantly, a range-extender powertrain that delivers a combined driving range of up to 745 miles—one of the longest in its segment. This is enabled by Huawei’s
energyelectric-vehiclehybrid-EVbattery-technologysilicon-carbiderange-extenderautonomous-drivingUS develops advanced nuclear reactor concept with high-temp cladding
General Atomics, supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE), has completed the conceptual design phase of its 44 MW Fast Modular Reactor (FMR), a helium gas-cooled fast reactor employing silicon carbide-wrapped high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel. This advanced fuel cladding is engineered to tolerate temperatures twice as high as those in conventional light-water reactors, enhancing safety and performance. The FMR is designed as a compact, modular system occupying about 0.2 acres, capable of factory manufacturing and on-site assembly. Notably, it can operate with an air-cooling system, eliminating the need for water and enabling deployment in arid or remote locations unsuitable for traditional water-cooled reactors. The project has progressed with the submission of licensing documents to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), including Principal Design Criteria and Quality Assurance plans, with pre-application materials docketed to support future licensing. Prototype fuel rods matching final design specifications are undergoing irradiation testing at
energynuclear-reactorfast-modular-reactorsilicon-carbideHALEU-fueladvanced-reactor-demonstrationnuclear-energy-materialsCan China’s J-20 Detect the F-35?
The article examines the ongoing technological contest between two advanced stealth fighters: China’s upgraded J-20 “Mighty Dragon” and the U.S. F-35 Lightning II. China asserts that its J-20 can now detect the F-35 at distances exceeding 700 kilometers, leveraging next-generation AESA radar and infrared search systems enhanced by silicon carbide technology. This claim highlights significant advancements in China’s sensor capabilities aimed at countering the F-35’s stealth features. However, the article emphasizes that despite these improvements, the F-35 retains critical advantages through its sophisticated sensor fusion, extremely low radar cross-section, and integrated networked data links. These capabilities collectively enhance the F-35’s situational awareness and survivability in combat. Ultimately, the piece argues that future air engagements will be less about individual aircraft performance and more about the effectiveness of integrated systems and networked warfare, shifting the paradigm from jet-versus-jet dogfights to system-versus-system battles.
materialssilicon-carbideradar-technologystealth-technologysensor-fusionaerospace-technologymilitary-technologyNew silicon-powered electric motor could change aviation forever
A hybrid Cessna 337 aircraft in Southern California successfully completed a test flight using a new silicon carbide-based motor system developed by the University of Arkansas’ Power Group in collaboration with Ampaire and Wolfspeed. This system features a smaller, more efficient silicon carbide inverter that replaces traditional hybrid aircraft components, marking a significant advancement in energy-efficient aviation. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, the project demonstrated that silicon carbide transistors, which switch up to 1,000 times faster than traditional silicon, can dramatically improve efficiency while reducing the size and weight of supporting electrical components—key benefits for aviation applications. Silicon carbide’s advantages include higher switching speeds and reduced energy loss, enabling lighter and more compact electrical systems that can enhance aircraft performance and passenger comfort. Despite historically high production costs, improvements in manufacturing are lowering expenses, making the technology attractive to major automakers and potentially transforming aviation. The test flight also addressed aviation-specific challenges such as vibration, landing shocks, and
energysilicon-carbideelectric-motoraviation-technologyhybrid-aircraftpower-electronicsenergy-efficiencyBYD Flash Charging — This Changes Everything! - CleanTechnica
The article highlights BYD’s breakthrough in electric vehicle (EV) fast charging technology, centered on its new "Super E-platform" featuring 1,000-volt architecture and advanced Blade batteries capable of a 10C charging rate—the highest among mass-produced traction batteries globally. This platform enables peak charging power of up to 1000 kW, allowing vehicles like the Han L EV and Tang L EV to gain approximately 400 km (249 miles) of range in just five minutes, although these figures are based on China’s optimistic CLTC testing standard, which tends to overestimate range compared to U.S. EPA ratings. BYD’s flash charging technology aims to address EV drivers’ charging anxiety by reducing charging times to be comparable to refueling petrol vehicles. Unlike many competitors, BYD’s megawatt-capable fast chargers are already in production and use, with plans to deploy 200 to 300 flash charging stations across Europe and South Africa by mid-2026, primarily supporting its
energyelectric-vehiclesfast-chargingBYDbattery-technologysilicon-carbidemegawatt-chargingGAC Aion RT Somehow Costs $14,000 - CleanTechnica
The newly launched GAC Aion RT electric sedan in China is notable for its remarkably low price range of approximately $14,030 to $17,400 (99,800–123,800 yuan), yet it offers impressive specifications typically seen in higher-end EVs. The higher trim features a 68.1 kWh CATL battery delivering a CLTC-rated range of 650 km (404 miles), while the base model comes with a 55.1 kWh battery providing 520 km (323 miles) of range. The car’s aerodynamic design, with a low drag coefficient of 0.208, contributes to its efficiency, and its styling is described as striking, inspired by a "velociraptor" look. Despite its budget price, the GAC Aion RT is equipped with advanced technology, including a lidar sensor, dual digital displays (an 8.88-inch driver instrument cluster and a 14.6-inch infotainment screen), wireless charging, and Nvidia’s
energyelectric-vehiclesbattery-technologyfast-chargingsilicon-carbideautonomous-drivinginfotainment-systemsNew silicon carbide power module delivers 5x energy for grids
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed the Ultra-Low Inductance Smart (ULIS) power module, a compact silicon carbide device that delivers five times greater energy density than previous designs while being smaller and lighter. Operating at 1200 volts and 400 amps, ULIS is designed for high-intensity applications such as data centers, microreactors, next-generation aircraft, military vehicles, and power grids. Its key innovation lies in drastically reduced parasitic inductance—seven to nine times lower than current state-of-the-art modules—enabling ultrafast, ultraefficient electrical switching that maximizes usable power output and improves overall energy efficiency. ULIS features a unique flat, octagonal design that allows more semiconductor devices to be housed in a smaller footprint, enhancing compactness and weight reduction. This design also facilitates maximum magnetic flux cancellation, contributing to its low-loss, high-efficiency electrical performance. Additionally, ULIS incorporates advanced self-monitoring capabilities to predict component failures,
energysilicon-carbidepower-moduleenergy-densitypower-gridselectric-vehiclespower-electronicsNew quantum phonon interference sets stage for next-gen sensors
Researchers at Rice University have demonstrated a groundbreaking advancement in phonon interference, achieving interference effects two orders of magnitude stronger than previously observed. By intercalating a few layers of silver atoms between graphene and a silicon carbide substrate—a process called confinement heteroepitaxy—they created a unique two-dimensional metal interface that enhances vibrational mode interactions in silicon carbide. This strong phonon interference, characterized by Fano resonance patterns detected via Raman spectroscopy, reveals highly sensitive vibrational signals that can distinguish even single dye molecules on the surface, enabling label-free single-molecule detection with a simple, scalable setup. This discovery marks a significant step in harnessing phonons—quantum units of vibration that carry heat and sound—as effective carriers of quantum information, comparable to electrons and photons. Unlike bulk metals, the atomically thin 2D metal layer produces unique quantum interference pathways purely from phonon interactions, without electronic contributions. The findings open new avenues for phonon-based quantum sensing, molecular detection, energy harvesting, and
quantum-sensingphonon-interference2D-materialsgraphenesilicon-carbidemolecular-detectionenergy-technologyBreakthrough cladding tech promises longer life for US nuclear fuel
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS), a San Diego-based firm, has made a significant breakthrough in nuclear fuel cladding technology with its Silicon Carbide (SiC) composite material called SiGA. This multilayer composite cladding can withstand temperatures up to 3,452°F (1900°C), which is six times hotter than the conditions in current light-water, pressurized water reactors. The SiGA cladding features a patented localized SiC joining method that creates gas-tight, hermetic seals without exposing nuclear fuel pellets to high-temperature water, enhancing stability during temperature cycling and reducing manufacturing time. Fuel cladding serves as a critical barrier between nuclear fuel pellets and reactor coolant, ensuring safety and operational integrity. GA-EMS has demonstrated that its SiGA cladding exhibits superior high-temperature and irradiation resistance, verified through testing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Westinghouse’s reactor coolant test facility. After 180 days of exposure to corrosive water coolant, the SiC joints remained
energynuclear-energysilicon-carbidefuel-claddinghigh-temperature-materialsreactor-safetycomposite-materialsAcePower Launches New 50 kW Air-Cooled High-Efficiency Module to Accelerate Europe’s Fast-Charging Network Expansion
energychargingefficiencysilicon-carbidefast-charginginfrastructurepower-conversion