Tech
3D-printed gyroidal solid oxide cells offer lighter, more compact energy solutions
Over the past decades, energy engineers have been developing a wide range of new technologies that could power electronic devices, robots and electric vehicles more efficiently and reliably. These include solid oxide cells (SOCs), electrochemical devices that can operate in two different modes, as fuel cells or as electrolyzers.
Fuel cells are devices that can convert the energy in specific chemicals into electricity via chemical reactions. Electrolyzers, on the other hand, are technologies that can split water (H2O) or other molecules using electricity, to produce hydrogen (H2) or other desirable chemicals.
Most SOCs developed so far are two-dimensional (2D) and consist of flat structures with stacked layers of different materials. This 2D design, however, limits the extent to which the devices can be reduced in size while also increasing their weight, as it relies on metallic interconnects to enable the flow of energy and seal different components.
Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark recently designed new three-dimensional (3D) SOCs with a periodic surface structure known as a gyroid. These cells, outlined in a paper published in Nature Energy, can be fabricated using 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing.
“The use of gyroid structures in heat exchangers has been shown to reduce weight, improve compactness, and increase efficiency,” Prof. Vincenzo Esposito, corresponding author of the paper, told Tech Xplore. “We replace the metal with an ion-conducting ceramic, thereby realizing the 3D-SOC concept. The 3D-SOC is well-suited for applications that demand lightweight construction, compactness, and stability, such as those in the aerospace and automotive industries.”

The monolithic gyrodial SOCs developed by Prof. Esposito and his colleagues have three primary components: a dense ceramic electrolyte, a porous fuel electrode and a porous oxygen electrode. Like other SOCs, they can operate in two different modes, namely as fuel cells or as electrolyzers.
“In the fuel cell (SOFC) mode, the cell generates electricity using fuel gases such as H₂, CH₄, and CO, normally called X to Power,” said Prof. Esposito. “In the electrolysis (SOEC) mode, it produces fuel gases and O₂ by electrolyzing H₂O or CO₂, called Power to X.”
To fabricate their 3D SOCs, the researchers first realized their monolithic ceramic frame, which includes an electrolyte, the sealing and support structure. This entire structure was manufactured using 3D printing technology.
Subsequently, they coated the fuel electrode and oxygen electrode on the electrolyte’s surfaces. Finally, they co-sintered the electrolyte, fuel electrode and oxygen electrode together, ultimately attaining a functioning monolithic gyroid SOC.
“Compared to conventional SOC stack technology, the 3D-SOC has an extremely simplified manufacturing process,” explained Dr. Zhipeng Zhou, lead author of the paper. “A conventional SOC stack requires the integration of numerous components, including single cells, metallic interconnects, and sealants. In contrast, the 3D-SOC can be fabricated using only 3D printing, coating, and co-sintering processes.”

In contrast with 2D SOCs, the 3D device developed by the researchers can be scaled up without the need for additional components, which in turn reduces its overall weight. In addition, the team’s new design enables greater space for the electrolyte, while minimizing the cell’s size and maximizing its compactness.
“The 3D-SOC is flexible and could be upscaled without metallic interconnects,” said Dr. Zhou. “The complete elimination of metallic interconnects significantly improved the stability of the SOC system and reduced its cost.”
The recent work by Prof. Esposito, Dr. Zhou and their colleagues opens new exciting possibilities for the fabrication of 3D SOCs. In the future, the devices they designed could be improved further and deployed in various settings, particularly within the aerospace and automotive industries.
“Some examples include NASA’s Mars program and Airbus’ SOFC aircraft (HYLENA | Airbus),” said Dr. Venkata Nadimpalli, corresponding author of the paper. “From a scientific perspective, the 3D-SOC features fundamentally different structures compared to conventional SOC designs. As a result, conclusions drawn from traditional SOCs may not apply to 3D-SOCs, due to their distinct gas distribution and heat transport properties.”
Prof. Esposito, Dr. Zhou and Dr. Nadimpalli hope that their study will soon inspire other research groups to design similar 3D SOCs that are compact, highly performing and more scalable.
Written for you by our author Ingrid Fadelli,
edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive.
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More information:
Zhipeng Zhou et al, Monolithic gyroidal solid oxide cells by additive manufacturing, Nature Energy (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41560-025-01811-y.
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3D-printed gyroidal solid oxide cells offer lighter, more compact energy solutions (2025, August 20)
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Tech
The Best Cyber Monday Streaming Deals With a Convenient Roommate’s Email Address
HBO knows you’re bored and cold. It wants you to Max and chill with Noah Wyle in scrubs. The company offers some of the best Cyber Monday streaming deals with a ridiculously low-priced $3/month offer for basic HBO Max (it’s the version with ads and 2K streaming, but still, super-cheap). Disney Plus and Hulu deals are bundled up for $5/month. Apple TV wants back in your life for $6.
Of course, this deal is only meant for new customers. Not boring ol’ existing customers. If you already have basic HBO Max, you’re already paying $11 for the same service, and HBO would like you to keep doing that. Streaming apps are banking on you being complacent and happy in your streaming life. Maybe they’re even taking you for granted.
Sometimes you can get the current deal just by threatening to cancel, or actually canceling, your account. Suddenly, you’re an exciting new customer again! Another method is by using an alternate email account (perhaps your spouse’s or roommate’s?) and alternate payment information as a new customer. If you do use a burner email (you did not hear this from me), check in on your favorite app’s terms of service to make sure you’re not in violation by re-enrolling with different emails. I’ll also issue the caveat that you lose all your viewing data and tailored suggestions if you sign up anew.
But times and wallets are tight! And $3 HBO Max sounds pretty good. After all, every middle-aged American man needs to rewatch The Wire once every five years or so—assuming he’s not the kind of middle-aged man who rewatches The Sopranos instead. Here are the current best streaming deals for Cyber Monday 2025.
Devon Maloney; ARCHIVE ID: 546772
Regular price: $80
Tech
SAP user group chair warns of AI low-hanging fruit risks | Computer Weekly
The UK and Ireland SAP User Group (UKISUG) Connect 25 conference has opened in Birmingham with a keynote session recognising the challenges business face.
The user group itself has adapted to changes in the technology market such as the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in business applications and the economic climate that has a profound effect on its members’ ability to deliver value with enterprise technology.
In his keynote presentation, Conor Riordan, chair of UKISUG, said: “As an organisation, we have to change, to position ourselves as we move from the old to the new.”
The user group has a 2030 plan, recognising the shifts in enterprise software. For instance, there is the shift to no-code and low-code tooling, which has implications on the agility of enterprise software development. Riordan noted that the current business climate and geopolitical volatility means that there is a huge pressure to reduce costs, leading to cuts in training budgets and the challenge of delivering more with less, adding: “We need to have process change.”
Moving to a future where organisations are using data to make more dependable decisions, Riordan noted that SAP is moving to a dynamic ecosystem of applications and AI, but the challenge is how quickly businesses can start taking advantage of the AI now available in their business applications. “We see members say SAP AI will help them,” Riordan said.
But many are concerned how the new technology now available will deliver a return on investment (ROI). For Riordan, IT decision-makers need to be wary of tackling the so-called low-hanging fruit, the use cases that the industry sells to the executive team: “It is really complex work, and the low-hanging fruit is not that low hanging. It will take years, not months, to deliver value.”
A poll of delegates at the conference found that 78% of respondents are just getting started with AI, while 29% say their AI initiatives have under-delivered.
“This stuff is not easy,” Riordan said, adding that the challenge is one of process re-engineering and culture change, and that he believes humans need to be at the centre of decision-making. “We ask partners to be reasonable in their productivity claims so we can all succeed together.”
The Value of AI in the UK: Growth, people & data from SAP and Oxford Economics, which was published in October 2025, notes that customers are investing £16m in AI on average this year. The report’s authors predict this will increase by 40% within the next two years. However, the theme coming out of the keynote session at Connect25 is that few companies are really using AI.
Another big topic covered during the keynote is the end of support for SAP products. With SAP’s 2027 maintenance deadline for SAP ECC 6.0 fast approaching, many organisations are now embarking on their migration journey to SAP S/4Hana. More than half (54%) of respondents said that gaining access to SAP’s AI offerings will influence their future deployment of SAP.
Among attendees of Connect25, 49% said they are working towards the 2027 deadline. Riordan called on SAP to help customers to move to the cloud and build a tangible business case.
During her keynote speech, Leila Romane, managing director of SAP UK & Ireland, spoke about the AI opportunity, saying: “We are helping customers unleash new value with business AI.”
SAP’s strategy is to drive business value through the power of AI, data and its enterprise applications, with the SAP Cloud integral in SAP’s strategy to deliver AI-enablement across its enterprise software suite. Romane said SAP recognised that its customers were all at different stages of their cloud journey, adding: “Our commitment is to help you move.”
Tech
Hong Kong FWA services market set for 9.6% growth | Computer Weekly
Analysis from GlobalData is forecasting that fixed wireless access (FWA) service revenue in Hong Kong is expected to increase at a “healthy” compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6% between 2025 and 2030.
The latest Hong Kong Total Fixed Communications Forecast set out to quantify current and future demand and spending on mobile services for the special administrative region of China. It noted that growth was being driven by Hong Kong’s extensive 5G network coverage and could also be attributed to local operators’ efforts to expand FWA services and position it as an alternative to traditional fibre broadband services for both residential and commercial sectors, meeting growing demand for high-speed connectivity in areas where extending fibre lines is challenging.
“High-density urban and suburban centres of Hong Kong create a strong business case for FWA services due to their cost-effective and rapid deployments without the complex infrastructure and civil work required for extending fibre-optic lines to such locations,” said Neha Misra, senior analyst at GlobalData.
“Competitive, feature-rich plans from the operators will also help drive its adoption over the forecast period. For instance, HKBN’s 5G Home Broadband Plan provides unlimited 5G broadband data (subject to a 300GB with a fair-usage policy) for HKD118 per month on a 24-month contract, along with a seven-day trial guarantee. The plan also includes a waiver of the HKD28 monthly administration fee and complimentary access to the basic HomeShield security plan.”
In addition to HKBN, the study noted that operators such as 3 Hong Kong and HKT are also using their extensive 5G networks to offer home broadband services, particularly in areas with limited fibre infrastructure. It cited HKT as recently having successfully deployed mmWave-based FWA to deliver ultra-high-speed internet to rural areas and outlying islands.
“Growing demand for FWA provides operators a strong revenue opportunity by expanding home and SME broadband without the high capital intensity of fibre roll-out,” Misra added. “By leveraging nationwide 5G coverage, introducing competitively priced service plans and bundling digital home services, operators can unlock higher ARPU [average revenue per user], accelerate market penetration in underserved areas and diversify beyond traditional revenues.”
GlobalData believes the Hong Kong government’s smart city initiatives will also open new opportunities for FWA, especially 5G FWA, which can deliver high-speed internet to power applications such as the digital economy, digital governance and e-health services, while supporting the city’s dense urban environment and digital transformation goals under the Smart City Blueprint 2.0.
The original blueprint was set out in December 2017, outlining 76 initiatives under six smart areas, namely Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Smart Environment, Smart People, Smart Government and Smart Economy. Blueprint 2.0 puts forth more than 130 initiatives that continue to enhance and expand existing city management measures and services. The new initiatives aim to bring benefits and convenience to the public so that residents can better perceive the benefits of smart city innovation and technology.
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