Miniaturized solid oxide fuel cells are fabricated on a photostructurable glass ceramic substrate (Foturan) by thin film and micromachining techniques. The anode is a sputtered platinum film and the cathode is made of a spray pyrolysis (SP)‐deposited lanthanum strontium cobalt iron oxide (LSCF), a sputtered platinum film and platinum paste. A single‐layer of yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) made by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and a bilayer of PLD–YSZ and SP–YSZ are used as electrolytes. The total thickness of all layers is less than 1 µm and the cell is a free‐standing membrane with a diameter up to 200 µm. The electrolyte resistance and the sum of polarization resistances of the anode and cathode are measured between 400 and 600 °C by impedance spectroscopy and direct current (DC) techniques. The contribution of the electrolyte resistance to the total cell resistance is negligible for all cells. The area‐specific polarization resistance of the electrodes decreases for different cathode materials in the order of Pt paste > sputtered Pt > LSCF. The open circuit voltages (OCVs) of the single‐layer electrolyte cells ranges from 0.91 to 0.56 V at 550 °C. No electronic leakage in the PLD–YSZ electrolyte is found by in‐plane and cross‐plane electrical conductivity measurements and the low OCV is attributed to gas leakage through pinholes in the columnar microstructure of the electrolyte. By using a bilayer electrolyte of PLD–YSZ and SP–YSZ, an OCV of 1.06 V is obtained and the maximum power density reaches 152 mW cm−2 at 550 °C.

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Bicycle helmets exhibit complex structures so as to combine impact protection with ventilation. A quantitative experimental measure of the state of the art and variations therein is a first step towards establishing principles of bicycle helmet ventilation. A thermal headform mounted in a climate-regulated wind tunnel was used to study the ventilation efficiency of 24 bicycle helmets at two wind speeds. Flow visualization in a water tunnel with a second headform demonstrated the flow patterns involved. The influence of design details such as channel length and vent placement was studied, as well as the impact of hair. Differences in heat transfer among the helmets of up to 30% (scalp) and 10% (face) were observed, with the nude headform showing the highest values. On occasion, a negative role of some vents for forced convection was demonstrated. A weak correlation was found between the projected vent cross-section and heat transfer variations when changing the head tilt angle. A simple analytical model is introduced that facilitates the understanding of forced convection phenomena. A weak correlation between exposed scalp area and heat transfer was deduced. Adding a wig reduces the heat transfer by approximately a factor of 8 in the scalp region and up to one-third for the rest of the head for a selection of the best ventilated helmets. The results suggest that there is significant optimization potential within the basic helmet structure represented in modern bicycle helmets.

We present a photosensitive polymer composite with superparamagnetic characteristics for the fabrication of microactuators. A uniform distribution of particles in the photosensitive polymer matrix SU-8 is achieved by applying superparamagnetic nanoparticles with the aid of a surfactant. The composite contains Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles up to 3 vol.% (12 wt.%) with diameters of around 13 nm. Superparamagnetic composite microcantilevers are successfully fabricated and actuated in resonance by the magnetic field of an external coil.

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