Pancake-Shaped, Wireless ULIS Could Redefine Global Energy Use

Engineers describe ULIS as a silicon carbide–based power module that packs five times the energy density of older designs and cuts parasitic inductance seven to nine times, a combination that could shrink data-center racks and grid converters while lowering manufacturing costs.

Flattened Power, Bigger Impact

Facing the limitations of bulky, three-dimensional modules, Faisal Khan and the in-house NREL team pivoted to a flat disk—“squished flat, like a pancake”—that preserves performance while easing fabrication and trimming costs. This geometry isn’t just clever; it unlocks a pathway to higher power density without a proportional rise in size or price.

Built around silicon carbide, the ULIS design promises fast switching and high-temperature tolerance, enabling wireless control and reducing wiring complexity across applications from data centers to electrical grids, aviation, and even fusion research. The change isn’t idle speculation: ScienceDaily highlights the potential of a tiny power module to change how the world uses energy.

Further validation comes from the NREL briefing, which details a project aimed at marrying high performance with low cost in a form factor suitable for rapid deployment. The result is not just smarter hardware, but a blueprint for cheaper, reliable electricity across roads, roofs, and runways.

A World Where Power Flows Freely Without Wires

ULIS promises dramatic efficiency gains and cost reductions for AI data centers, electrified transport, and future fusion systems—reducing the need for additional generation while boosting reliability and resilience in grids. In Golden, Colorado, the lab-scale demonstrations are turning a speculative concept into a tangible supply-chain-ready module that could reshape how electricity moves through the modern economy.

The era of the clunky, wired power module is ending—ULIS-inspired, wireless, pancake-shaped modules promise to power data centers, grids, aviation, and fusion with less waste and lower cost.

Key Takeaways

• ULIS packs five times the energy density of older designs and reduces inductance 7–9x using silicon carbide.
• The pancake layout enables cheaper fabrication and wireless control, with broad implications for data centers, grids, aviation, and fusion energy.
• The future points toward a wireless, modular power ecosystem that cuts waste and cost across infrastructure and devices.