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MIT autonomous boats can target and latch onto each other: dynamic roboat structures

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To further that vision, MIT researchers have given new capabilities to their fleet of robotic boats—which are being developed as part of an ongoing project—that lets them target and clasp onto each other, and keep trying if they fail. Moreover, the roboat notices if it has missed the connection, backs up, and tries again.

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MIT team improves liquid metal batteries for grid-scale storage; lower operating temperature, cost

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Researchers at MIT have improved a proposed liquid battery system that could enable renewable energy sources to compete with conventional power plants. Such systems can be used to match the intermittent production of power from irregular sources, such as wind and solar power, with variations in demand. Earlier post.).

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MIT team developing 1MW motor for electric aviation

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A team of MIT engineers is developing a 1MW motor that could be a key stepping stone toward electrifying larger aircraft. A modular, single-phase winding pattern increases the robustness and power density of the system by enabling single-phase inverter drives. High power density electric machine for turboelectric propulsion.

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Video Friday: No Time to Dance

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MIT ] The Sechseläuten ("the six o'clock ringing of the bells") is a traditional spring holiday in the Swiss city of Zürich, and this year, it had a slightly less traditional guest: ANYmal! Registration for the conference is free and now open. Furhat Conference ] Thanks, Chris! Furhat Conference ] Thanks, Chris!

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NASA testing new boundary layer ingesting (BLI) propulsor; 4-8% fuel burn savings over current advanced engines

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MIT and NASA engineers earlier proposed the D8 Series as one future aircraft design concept that uses boundary layer ingestion. NASA is testing the propulsor, designed by United Technologies Research Center with research conducted by Virginia Polytechnic and State University, in its 8' x 6' Wind Tunnel at NASA Glenn in Cleveland, Ohio.

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This Fusion Reactor Is Held Together With Tape

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Gretchen Ertl/CFS/MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center CFS, a startup spun out of decades of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is among the leaders of a new wave of fusion-energy projects that have emerged in the past decade, taking advantage of technological advances as well as a surge in private-sector investment.

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The Vacuum Tube’s Forgotten Rival

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A second wire also wrapped around the core forms a control winding. The control winding includes many turns of wire, so by passing a relatively small direct current through it, the iron core can be forced into or out of saturation. After winding, the module was annealed in hydrogen at 1,100 °C for 2 hours and then rapidly cooled.

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