Browse Topic: Test facilities
The German Aerospace Center's (DLR) solar-powered high altitude platform (HAP) has completed ground vibration testing, in preparation for low altitude flight testing planned for 2026. German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany High-altitude uncrewed aircraft can remain in the lower stratosphere for extended periods, performing a wide range of Earth observation and communications tasks - from monitoring shipping lanes and supporting disaster response to providing internet access. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has now taken an important step in the development of its own high-flying solar aircraft by successfully completing a Ground Vibration Test (GVT) on its innovative HAP-alpha high-altitude platform. Extensive ground trials took place at DLR's National Experimental Test Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Cochstedt, Germany. Further tests will follow and the first low-altitude flight trial is planned for 2026, subject to ideal
For years researchers at the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have been developing tools to accelerate the materials discovery and development of new energy storage technologies, including those that can predict the performance of the batteries systems for long-term grid services.
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using advanced manufacturing techniques to revitalize the domestic production of very large metal parts that weigh at least 10,000 pounds each and are necessary for a variety of industries, including clean energy.
A research team led by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has developed a new fabrication technique that could improve noise robustness in superconducting qubits, a key technology for enabling large-scale quantum computers.
U.S. Army researchers, in collaboration with academic partners, invented a stronger copper that could help advance defense, energy and aerospace industries thanks to its ability to endure unprecedented temperature and pressure extremes. Extreme materials experts at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory built on a decade of scientific success to develop a new way to create alloys that enable Army-relevant properties that were previously unachievable. An alloy is a combination of a metal with other metals or nonmetals.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed an innovative new technique using carbon nanofibers to enhance binding in carbon fiber and other fiber-reinforced polymer composites — an advance likely to improve structural materials for automobiles, airplanes and other applications that require lightweight and strong materials.
Not a traditional university lab, Harvard University’s Move Lab employs professional engineers, product developers, and academics who work across disciplines to bring research innovations to market. The lab is focused on human performance enhancement to protect people’s physical ability to guard against injury, extend their abilities beyond the limits of advancing age, and restore them to people who have lost them. They have developed wearable solutions that support functional movements and allow impaired individuals to more easily interact with their environment.
Wind Tunnels are complex and cost-intensive test facilities. Thus, increasing the test efficiency is an important aspect. At the same time, active aerodynamic elements gain importance for the efficiency of modern cars. For homologation, such active aero-components pose an extra level of test complexity as their control strategies, the relevant drive cycles and their aerodynamics in different positions must be considered for homologation-relevant data. Often, active components have to be manually adjusted between test runs, which is a time-consuming process because the vehicle is not integrated into the test automation. Even if so, designing a test sequence stepping through the individual settings for each component of a vehicle is a tedious task in the test session. Thus, a sophisticated integration of the wind tunnel control system with a test management system, supporting the full homologation process is one aspect of a solution. The other is the integration of the vehicle’s active
A paper-based diagnostic device can detect COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in under 10 minutes, without the need for sophisticated lab equipment or trained personnel.
Someday, instead of large, expensive individual space satellites, teams of smaller satellites – known by scientists as a “swarm” – will work in collaboration, enabling greater accuracy, agility, and autonomy. Among the scientists working to make these teams a reality are researchers at Stanford University’s Space Rendezvous Lab, who recently completed the first-ever in-orbit test of a prototype system able to navigate a swarm of satellites using only visual information shared through a wireless network.
Physicists at the Naval Research Laboratory are collaborating with several universities throughout the U.S. to develop a small satellite that will detect the emission of short gamma-ray bursts. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in partnership with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), has developed StarBurst, a small satellite (SmallSat) instrument for NASA's StarBurst Multimessenger Pioneer mission, which will detect the emission of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), a key electromagnetic (EM) signature that will contribute to the understanding of neutron star (NS) mergers. NRL transferred the instrument to NASA on March 4 for the next phase, environmental testing. From there, the instrument will be integrated onto the spacecraft bus, followed by launch into Low Earth Orbit in 2027. StarBurst will be installed as a secondary payload via the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter Grande interface with a
Nickel’s role in the future of electric vehicle batteries is clear: It’s more abundant and easier to obtain than widely used cobalt, and its higher energy density means longer driving distances between charges. However, nickel is less stable than other materials with respect to cycle life, thermal stability, and safety. Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and Argonne National Laboratory aim to change that with a new study that dives deep into nickel-based cathodes, one of the two electrodes that facilitate energy storage in batteries.
Last summer, SAE Media was invited to Eaton's proving grounds in Marshall, Michigan, to test drive an electric truck the company had built in collaboration with BAE Systems. The truck was a showcase not only of BAE's powertrain control technology, but also of Eaton's new multi-speed heavy-duty EV transmission. That truck was on display at the 2025 ACT Expo, as was Eaton's transmission. SAE Media spoke with Scott Adams, SVP of technology and global products for Eaton, in Anaheim, California, about the company's portfolio of multi- and single-speed medium- and heavy-duty transmissions as well as other upcoming driveline offerings.
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in partnership with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), has developed StarBurst, a small satellite (SmallSat) instrument for NASA’s StarBurst Multimessenger Pioneer mission, which will detect the emission of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), a key electromagnetic (EM) signature that will contribute to the understanding of neutron star (NS) mergers.
Sound power is a commonly used metric to quantify acoustic sources like AC motor in electrified powertrain. Testing for sound power determination is often performed in an anechoic environment to create free-field conditions around the unit. To eliminate the influence of extraneous noise sources, the anechoic facilities must be further isolated from driver and absorber dynamometers. These dynamometers are needed for running the AC motors in the desired speed and load conditions. For early detection of potential issues, it is advantageous to have the capability for engineers to conduct acoustic tests in standard laboratory environments. These may include non-acoustically treated rooms, presence of extraneous noise sources (e.g., driver and absorber dynos), etc. In such environments, sound intensity-based sound power determination methods could be utilized. The sound intensity-based approach is covered in ISO 9614 standard. The norm is to sweep an intensity probe on a sound source in
The recent addition of fully electric powertrains to propulsion system options has increased the relevance of sound and vibration from electric motors and gearboxes. Electrified beam axles require different metrics from conventional beam axles for noise and vibration because they have multiple sources of vibration energy, including an electric motor and a reduction gearbox. Improved metrics are also driven by the stiff suspension connections and lack of significant isolation compared to electric drive units. Blocked force is a good candidate because it can completely characterize the vibration energy transmitted into a receiver and is especially useful because it is theoretically independent of the vehicle-side structure. While the blocked force methodology is not new, its application to beam axles is relatively unexplored in the literature. This paper demonstrates a case study of blocked force measurement of an electrified beam axle with a leaf spring suspension. The axle was tested
As the capabilities of unmanned aerial systems continue to evolve rapidly in response to the tactical and strategic necessities of the modern battlefield, the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory is exploring a unique approach to improving their operational effectiveness – by focusing on the protection and performance of UAS operators.
Remote sensing offers a powerful tool for environmental protection and sustainable management. While many remote sensing companies use wind or solar energy to power their platforms, California-based startup Dolphin Labs is harnessing wave energy to enable sensing networks for enhanced maritime domain awareness, improving the safety and security of offshore natural resources and critical infrastructure.
Komatsu works with Pronto to upfit a growing fleet of haul trucks operating at Komatsu's Arizona Proving Grounds and customer sites. At Komatsu's Quarry Days 2025 event at its Arizona Proving Grounds (AZPG) outside of Tucson, dealers, customers and media got the opportunity to operate Komatsu mining and construction equipment, learn about its latest technology innovations and talk to product experts. A highlight of the event was the first public demonstration of Komatsu's HD605-10 haul truck outfitted with Pronto's Autonomous Haulage System (AHS), spotlighting the equipment maker's partnership with the AI tech startup to pilot autonomous quarry haulage operations. Several HD605-10 trucks have been equipped with AHS as part of this program currently being tested by quarry operators in Texas. The AZPG site currently has just the one automated truck.
A team at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is creating an artificial intelligence-driven capability that automates much of the work that goes into designing, setting up, developing and running wargames. The effort holds promise to dramatically amplify the impact and value of wargames and similar exercises for the military and other government agencies.
Companies have invested heavily to improve color in digital imaging, but wavelength is just one property of light. Polarization — how the electric field oscillates as light propagates — is also rich with information, but polarization imaging remains mostly confined to table-top laboratory settings, relying on traditional optics such as waveplates and polarizers on bulky rotational mounts.
Fatigue design is invariably of prior concern for the automotive industry, no matter of the evolution of the mobility market: at first because carmakers must stay compliant with general structural integrity requirements for reliability, notably applicable to the chassis system, then due to the endless competition for lightweighting in order to mitigate product costs and/or enhance vehicle efficiency. In the past, this key performance was often tackled by basic reference load cases, making use of the simplest signal content, e.g. sinus functions, to practice constant amplitude loads on test rigs and for computations, respectively. Nowadays, full time series coming from proving ground measurements, or any corresponding virtual road load data computations, may be applied to feed complex vehicle computations for virtual assessment and complex test facilities for final approval, under variable amplitude loads. In between, the concept of load spectra (i.e. distribution of amplitudes with
Technologies from NASA, federal labs, and universities have found commercial applications in the medical industry. Here we highlight some of those spin-off innovations.
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