Innovations In Electrical Engineering

Scientists successfully transmitted electricity through air using ultrasonic sound waves and laser beams. Finland is positioning itself at the forefront of a wireless energy revolution, with researchers from the University of Helsinki and the University of Oulu pioneering methods to move electricity without physical cables. One of the most striking developments involves using high-intensity ultrasonic sound waves to create invisible pathways through the air, effectively guiding electrical sparks along a controlled route. While currently in the experimental phase, this 'acoustic wire' technology could eventually enable contactless electrical connections and smart interfaces that function entirely without plugs or traditional wiring. Beyond sound-guided energy, Finnish innovation is also leveraging light and radio frequencies to solve complex power challenges. The private sector is developing 'power-by-light' systems that utilize high-powered lasers to transmit electricity to remote receivers, providing critical galvanic isolation for hazardous environments like nuclear plants and high-voltage stations. Simultaneously, advancements in radio-frequency harvesting are turning ambient waves into 'Wi-Fi for power,' potentially eliminating the need for millions of disposable batteries in low-power IoT sensors. Together, these technologies signal a shift toward a more flexible, cable-free infrastructure for global industry. source: University of Helsink. Wireless Electricity Transmission: Breakthroughs in Acoustic and Laser-Based Power. University of Helsinki News.

China recently started building the world's largest clean-power UHVDC transmission line. This massive power line will run 2,681 km from Tibet in the west all the way to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region in the southeast. It will have a capacity of 10 GW and is expected to be complete in 2029. At a cost of around US$7.5 billion, it sounds like a bargain compared with some of the transmission costs we're seeing in Australia. Tibet is rich in wind, solar and hydro, and over 99% of its electricity already comes from clean sources. The new line will be able to eliminate 12 million tonnes of coal consumption every year. The line is part of China's West-to-East Transmission strategy – an ongoing effort since the 1990s to move renewable energy from the resource-rich western provinces to the demand centres in the east. While this is being billed as the largest "clean-power" transmission line, the outright biggest is the Changji-Guquan line - also in China - which runs over 3,000 km and can carry 12 GW. Transmission isn't glamourous but it's become the bottleneck of the clean energy era. Around the world, new renewables are being curtailed because the grid can’t keep up. All the wind and solar being built becomes meaningless if the electrons can't reach where they're needed. While many countries are caught up arguing about the best approach, China is quietly getting on with the job. Image credit: VCG/Getty Images, source: IEEE

We’ve entered the biggest era of electricity demand growth since World War II. With 150 GW of new load expected in the next five years, we can’t afford to treat virtual power plants (VPPs) and distributed energy resources (DERs) as experimental. We need to position them as core infrastructure, on par with gas, wind, solar, and transmission. In my latest byline for Utility Dive, I write about the shift underway: utilities are no longer gatekeepers: they’re buyers. Programs like Xcel Energy’s Distributed Capacity Procurement and Exelon’s utility-scale battery filings show that when DERs are treated as capacity, not just flexible demand, utilities respond. This moment calls for alignment, not tribalism. It’s not about who owns the asset. It’s about who delivers reliable, scalable capacity. The companies building and operating DERs are solving real utility challenges, and they deserve a seat at the planning table. Let’s focus on outcomes, unlock scale, and build with urgency.

🚀 What Makes a Great EV Motor? A deep benchmarking study of 48 Motors from 31 EVs uncovers the engineering shifts. 🔍⚙️ 🧠 The Main Objective of this research is to identify key design and manufacturing trends in electric vehicle motors. The goal was to understand how EV motors have evolved in efficiency, structure, materials, and production processes. This was done using macroscopic (system-level) and microscopic (component-level) analysis of 48 motors from 31 electric vehicles. 🔎 Macroscopic View – System Level Trends 🏗️ Integrated Designs Are Winning Modern EVs now use integrated motor + gearbox + power electronics. Nearly 50% of the analyzed motors use this setup. ✅ Fewer parts, more compact, reduced cost, and weight. ⚡ Power Density is the New Benchmark Power Density = Power output (kW) / weight (kg) PMSMs (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors) lead in performance. But Induction Motors (IM) and Externally Excited Synchronous Machines (EESM) are catching up. 📉 From 2018 to 2023, all topologies show higher power-per-kg trends. 🔬 Microscopic View – Component-Level Insights 🌀 Stator Design Matters 80%+ motors use press/shrink fit for stator-housing attachment. Welded laminations are common but can cause eddy current losses. Bonded and interlocked stacks are rising in use for better performance. 🔧 Winding Technologies Flat wire tech = High fill factor, better cooling, more efficient. Round wire = Easier to make, but heavier and bigger winding heads. U-hairpin, I-pin, X-pin and Trim-cut pin designs optimize copper usage. 🧪 Why thinner wires and smaller windings? High RPMs (now reaching 20,000+) increase eddy currents. Smaller, segmented conductors reduce these losses. Also improves copper efficiency — power per kg of copper has doubled. 📦 Material Efficiency is Key Average stator weight reduced by 20–30% in five years. Outer stator diameters getting smaller; inner diameters stable (for torque). Copper usage is down, but performance per kg is way up. 🔚 Conclusion Electric motors in EVs are evolving fast and smart. Modern designs focus on compactness, high power density, and efficient manufacturing. PMSM motors still lead — but IM and EESM technologies are improving rapidly. Design is now a balance between electrical performance, thermal control, material cost, and ease of manufacturing. 📉 Copper usage is optimized. 📈 Power output is maximized. 🔁 Manufacturing is more scalable. This study sets a new benchmark for how to design, compare, and manufacture EV motors for the future. 🤔 Your thoughts? With 800V systems and high-speed drives becoming common, which motor type will dominate the next EV decade — PMSM, EESM, or IM? #EVTech #ElectricMotors #SustainableMobility #Motordesign Source: "Advances in electric motors: a review and benchmarking of product design and manufacturing technologies" - David Drexler · Achim Kampker · Henrik C. Born · Michael Nankemann · Sebastian Hartmann · Tobias Kulawik

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝟑𝐃 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. Instead of printing metal, a team of scientists in Switzerland grew it from a gel – and the result is 20x stronger than previous methods. Using a water-based hydrogel as a scaffold, researchers at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) created complex structures that can be infused with metal salts. After several rounds of soaking and heating, the gel vanishes – leaving behind dense, ultra-strong metal or ceramic. Traditional metal 3D printing often results in porous structures with serious shrinkage. This new method dramatically reduces those flaws, producing durable, precisely shaped components with only 20% shrinkage. It also opens the door to building with a wide range of materials – the same gel template can be used to grow iron, silver, copper, or even advanced composites. The technique could revolutionize how we make complex, high-performance parts for energy systems, biomedical devices, and next-gen electronics. It’s also a shift in mindset: rather than designing around the limits of printing materials, this approach lets researchers build first, and choose the material later. The team is already working on automating the process, aiming to bring this breakthrough into real-world manufacturing. Read the study "𝐻𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑙‐𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑎𝑡 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐿𝑜𝑤 𝑆ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛." 𝐴𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠, 2025 https://lnkd.in/eian6kVx

We usually talk about ‘the energy transition’ in the singular. But, in #electricity, there’s at least two transitions underway: 1️⃣ the transition from #fossil energy to #renewable energy in electricity generation. 2️⃣ the transition from #centralised to #decentralised electricity systems. In Aotearoa New Zealand, we’re well advanced in the first transition to renewable electricity generation. More than 80% of our electricity comes from renewable sources, mostly #hydropower, increasingly #wind and #solar. But we have a long way to go on the second transition – from a centralised to a decentralised electricity system. Currently, our electricity system mostly relies on large-scale sources of generation and a lot of distribution. About 60% of our electricity comes from hydro-electric dams, the large share from several schemes in Te Wai Pounamu. With Lake Onslow, we almost committed to one big battery in the same region, a long way from most demand. That’s a centralised approach. However, technology trends point toward a future electricity system with many smaller generators and batteries that distribute electricity closer to where it is used. The epitome is rooftop solar, which only travels a few metres from the roof to the plug. But the transition to decentralisation will also feature more home and grid-scale batteries, more solar and wind farms, more distributed energy assets (DER) which shift demand and supply. This complexity brings transition challenges, which Aotearoa NZ is only beginning to wrestle with. But it can also increase the #resilience of the system as a whole. In a centralised system, a disruption to any single asset or transmission line has serious implications for the whole grid. By contrast, in a decentralised system, the loss of a few assets leaves many more untouched, which can serve as back up. Also, because electricity is generated closer to where it is consumed, the system is less exposed to transmission disruptions. This is critical as the impacts of #ClimateChange intensify. Learn more in Rewiring Aotearoa’s new explainer series, #WattNow? Our first explainer is about ‘electrification for humans’, including #EnergyResilience by decentralising and localising our electricity system. On that front, as the chart suggests, we've got a long way to go. Read here: https://lnkd.in/eMiTr7hN #ElectrifyEverything #Electrification #EnergyTransition #RenewableEnergy

China just bent the rules of electronics — literally. Facinating? Chinese and global researchers are advancing Metal-Polymer Conductors (MPCs) — circuits made from liquid metals like gallium–indium embedded in elastic polymers — that defy traditional rigid wiring by remaining conductive even when stretched up to 500% or more. Why this is a big deal: 🔹 High Stretchability: Certain liquid-metal conductors maintain electrical conductivity even when stretched 5× their original length. 🔹 Durability: Printable metal-polymer conductors can withstand over 10,000 cycles of stretching with minimal resistance change (<3%). 🔹 Conductivity: Hybrid conductors based on indium alloys can achieve extremely high conductivity (~2.98 × 10⁶ S/m) with minimal resistance change under extreme strain. 🔹 Fine Feature Sizes: Advanced techniques can pattern circuits as small as 5 micrometers, rivaling conventional PCBs. Market Insight: The global market for wearable and flexible devices is expected to surge into the hundreds of billions of dollars, with advanced stretchable materials at the core of the next wave of innovation. (Wearable tech projected >US$150B by 2026 in soft electronics growth — wearable industry data) Where AI Fits In: AI is not just hype — it’s accelerating how we design and discover materials like MPCs. AI/ML models help predict material properties — like conductivity and mechanical resilience — before physical prototypes are made. Computational simulations can evaluate thousands of polymer + metal combinations far faster than physical testing alone. AI-assisted optimization reduces lab iterations, cutting time and cost in early-stage development. In other words: AI + materials science = faster discovery of smarter, stretchable electronics. Potential Applications: Soft robotics that mimic human motion Wearables that feel like fabric Artificial skin with embedded sensing Health monitoring devices that conform to the body On-skin motion recognition and bioelectronics. The era of electronics you can twist, stretch, and wear is here — and AI is helping make it a reality. #FlexibleElectronics #MaterialsScience #AIinInnovation #SoftRobotics #WearableTech #DeepTech #FutureOfElectronics #Innovation

Most large-scale energy initiatives follow the same pattern: start with big commitments, roll out connections, figure out the policy later. Nigeria did the opposite. And that’s why it’s working. Instead of treating private investment as an afterthought, Nigeria built the policy framework first. And that made all the difference. What Nigeria Got Right - 1. A Structured Energy Compact – Nigeria created a clear, integrated policy that combines grid expansion, mini-grids, and decentralized solutions into a single plan. Other countries still treat off-grid power as an afterthought. 2. Private Sector Was Built Into the Model – Most African energy plans rely almost entirely on government spending. Nigeria understood that public money alone won’t be enough, so they de-risked the investment landscape for private players. 3. Policy Stability That Investors Can Trust – The biggest deterrent to energy investment is regulatory unpredictability. Nigeria structured clear rules around licensing, tariffs, and long-term market participation, giving businesses and investors the ability to plan long-term—not just react to political cycles. The Results Speak for Themselves - - Nigeria is now the leading mini-grid market in Africa. - Private capital is flowing into the energy sector at scale. - The policy model is structured for real expansion—not just short-term funding cycles. Now compare this to many other Mission 300 countries - - There’s no clear strategy to integrate decentralized and centralized power. - Investment risk is still too high for private capital to flow at scale. - The policy landscape remains too unstable for long-term planning. Nigeria isn’t perfect. But it’s one of the few places where energy policy is being built for growth, not just for the next round of funding. If Mission 300 countries want to make real progress, this is the playbook - - Stable, investment-friendly regulation - A clear plan that integrates all forms of power - Long-term market structures that attract capital at scale Energy access is an industry, not a one-time intervention. And Nigeria is proving that when the policy is right, the investment follows. #NigeriaEnergy #Mission300 #SmartInvestment #EnergyForGrowth

Sound can carry electricity. Finnish researchers showed it in the lab. At the University of Helsinki, scientists were studying sparks when they noticed ultrasound could bend the discharge and steer it. That sparked work across Finland, Spain, and Canada around a simple question: can sound act like an invisible wire? What exists now: ↳ Acoustic "wires" that guide sparks along sound waves (University of Helsinki, Science Advances) ↳ Laser power links that send energy through light (NTT / Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Electronics Letters) ↳ Radio-frequency systems that harvest ambient energy (University of Oulu) What the results actually show: Scale: proof of concept, tiny sparks over short distances Range: room-scale for acoustic steering; about 1 km for laser transmission Efficiency (laser): 15% over 1 km. 1 kW sent, 152 W received. Finland has not deployed a nationwide wireless grid. Viral headlines mashed together three separate research tracks and called it "Finland transmits electricity through air." That's not what these teams built. The innovation is narrower and even more useful: new ways to route electrical discharges, power sensors in hazardous spaces, build contactless connectors, and send emergency power into disaster zones where cables aren't an option. What's missing: Rules for wireless power at scale. Safety standards for strong acoustic fields in occupied spaces. Clear regulation for high-power lasers over public land. The science is moving faster than the institutions. The next step won't be a bigger cable. It may be steering sparks with sound. But only if the guardrails arrive before the deployment pressure does. Sources: University of Helsinki (Science Advances), NTT/MHI (Electronics Letters), University of Oulu

The headline that caught my eye this week was "Australia Aims for Free Daytime Electricity." Here's my take: I posted about the boom in rooftop solar in Australia a few weeks ago, so this article was interesting as a follow-up. With 4 million of Australia's 11 million households generating power, the country faces a peculiar problem: too much electricity when the sun shines, not enough when it sets. The solution? Give it away during the abundant period to encourage people to use power then (and then use less at night). Three hours of free power daily will soon become standard across Australian states. By creating incentive structures that shift dishwashers, pool pumps, and EV charging to midday, Australia reduces costs to consumers and also addresses the problems that arise when solar panels pump excess power into networks built for one-way flow. The "Solar Sharer" program will now extend this idea to renters and apartment dwellers who can't install panels. The deeper lesson transcends Australia's sunny shores. California watches its "duck curve" (which shows the timing imbalance between solar generation and peak demand throughout the day) deepen each year. Germany grapples with similar midday surpluses. These features of the renewable transition demand new thinking about when we use power, not just how we make it. We should follow Australia's experiment closely, to see if it helps attenuate the need for storage from solar generation by shifting demand during the day rather than storing the supply. https://lnkd.in/ewbU_hY8