Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Stunning Solar Powered Plant Pot Glows In the Dark
Until now, the fragrance of fresh flowers or the splash of nature's colors would have enticed a passer by to stop by and take a look at your well maintained garden. This time your flowers are going to take the backseat. Your pot is going to bask in the spotlight. The humble clay pot has had a makeover. It has turned into a stunning solar powered plant pot that glows in the dark.
"As its name suggests, this stylish designer pot soaks up the sun's rays in order to charge an internal battery that powers several built-in LEDs.
As night falls the entire pot begins to glow, adding an enchanting touch of magic to your garden/patio. You can even choose between a pot that glows constant white or one that gently phases through a kaleidoscope of gorgeous colours."
It comes with a ground spike and a solar cell which enables the pot to be placed in shade too. A 3m cable connects the pot and the solar cell that is stuck to the ground. It comes with an eco-friendly tag; cos it doesn't require any electricity to function. Prices range from $39 to $45.
This fashionable garden accessory is sure to make heads turn.
Source - Firebox
Labels: Design-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Stunning Solar Powered Plant Pot Glows In the Dark posted by Vanessa : 4:47 AM
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Monday, June 16, 2008
Honda's Clarity - A Car That Runs on Hydrogen and Emits Only Water
A car which runs on hydrogen and electricity and emits only water from its exhaust pipe has started to come off a production line.
The first recipients of this technological marvel are Hollywood celebs Jamie Lee Curtis, husband Christopher Guest, '24' actress Laura Harris and film producer Ron Yerxa.
Hybrids require conventional gasoline, but the Honda Clarity is powered entirely by hydrogen.The fuel cell combines hydrogen with oxygen to make electricity. The electricity then powers the electric motor, which in turn propels the vehicle. Water is the only byproduct the FCX Clarity leaves behind.
Currently Honda aims to roll out just 200 cars a year. You don't have to be a celebrity to afford them, you can lease them out for $600 per month, including insurance.
Honda's creation FCX Clarity cars ushers in a new era of eco-friendly cars.The day isn't far when fuel cell cars will be a part of the mainstream and not just limited to celebrities.
Source - Honda
The first recipients of this technological marvel are Hollywood celebs Jamie Lee Curtis, husband Christopher Guest, '24' actress Laura Harris and film producer Ron Yerxa.
Hybrids require conventional gasoline, but the Honda Clarity is powered entirely by hydrogen.The fuel cell combines hydrogen with oxygen to make electricity. The electricity then powers the electric motor, which in turn propels the vehicle. Water is the only byproduct the FCX Clarity leaves behind.
Currently Honda aims to roll out just 200 cars a year. You don't have to be a celebrity to afford them, you can lease them out for $600 per month, including insurance.
Honda's creation FCX Clarity cars ushers in a new era of eco-friendly cars.The day isn't far when fuel cell cars will be a part of the mainstream and not just limited to celebrities.
Source - Honda
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering, Mechanical-Engineering
PermaLink - Honda's Clarity - A Car That Runs on Hydrogen and Emits Only Water posted by Vanessa : 11:25 PM
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Famous Five's Cool Invention - Air-Powered Go-Kart Race Cars
Mr. Langille and his four colleagues are thrilled with their project. “It was an awesome experience, very fulfilling. We’re excited to see it work so well because there were a lot of people who were doubtful and it was exciting to get an A+.”
The Famous Five in Enid Blyton's stories were popular for their investigative skills that kept the little readers spellbound throughout the world.
Dalhousie University's Famous Five are sure to keep Racing fans and scientists spellbound with their latest invention - air powered go-kart cars.Five Dalhousie mechanical engineering students David Alderson, Scott Allan, David Langille, Michael Roy and Dave Spencer had set upon an ambitious task for their year-long research project. They planned to develop a air powered go-kart cars. That's definitely a tall order.
To achieve it the students modified a 40-year-old snowmobile engine and ran compressed air through the engine to produce power similar to a gas engine. They attached the engine to a refurbished go-kart using two scuba tanks to house the air. The air is released through a standard scuba fitting with a high-flow regulator. The released air travels through tubing to a ball-valve connected to the foot pedal and throttle. “It operates much like a normal rotary engine,” says Mr. Langille.
The students are currently working on setting right the drawbacks. The major drawback is that it runs out of air quickly. But once the engine's capacity is refined one can look forward to a successor to conventional gas-powered engines.The students officially unveiled their air-powered go-kart at Kartbahn Racing in Bayer’s Lake Business Park last week and invited members of the media to take it for a spin.
Source - Dalhousie University
Catch the exciting drive here.
Image credit - Nick Pearce
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Engineering-Education, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering
PermaLink - Famous Five's Cool Invention - Air-Powered Go-Kart Race Cars posted by Vanessa : 10:56 PM
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Monday, May 26, 2008
Can Nanotubes Be A Source of Energy?
Image courtesy: Physorg
You have heard of carbon nanotubes, those quaint nano-stuff that can do many amazing things. Now some folks feel these can also play a role in the alternative energy domain. Read on.
When present in specially organized clusters, one could visualize carbon nanotubes as "nanotube forests." Within this forest, each individual nanotube acts like a tiny spring, and some scientists think that if you combine billions of them, they could do things that no steel spring could achieve.
Especially Carol Livermore. An assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Livermore believes these stronger-than-steel nanotubes could open new possibilities for energy generation and storage.
How?
It is well known that you can store energy in the deformation of a spring. That is hardly a challenge. The main challenge with storing energy in springs is most don't store a lot of energy per unit of weight or volume. Livermore and is team feels that this problem can possibly be taken care of by carbon nanotubes because they can stretch incredibly far without breaking.
Nanotubes work like expansion springs - pull them and they stretch, release them and they are back to their original shape, while releasing energy. This property has already been shown with individual nanotubes. And, as mentioned earlier, these deformations can be for extreme lengths / dimensions. Now, take this useful property of nanotubes, and then combine billions of such nanotubes together into bundles. Now you can explore if extreme deformations of such bundles can produce vast amounts of energy. This is what Livermore intends to do.
With a grouping of nanotubes as long as an inch or two, it will be possible to test the qualities of the carbon nanotubes in a visible experiment. Instruments could measure the amount of force used, and the amount of energy returned when the spring contracts.
What are the possible applications of energy from such nanotube bundles? Some of the possibilities discussed are high-end mechanical watches that need winding only once, regenerative braking devices for bicycles etc. They are also thinking of ways in which the nanotube springs could replace some kind of batteries. Not exactly earth-shaking, but hey, this is just the beginning. Essentially, what these folks are looking at are ways to capture & store mechanical energy and release it to do useful things. I'm sure there are more interesting applications one can visualise and perfect if the technology works out fine.
Source: Boston.com
Some related news items you could find useful:
Nanotubes Grown Straight in Large Numbers, Silicon Nanotubes Store Hydrogen More Efficiently Than Carbon Nanotubes
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Material-Sciences
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Your Bags Now Power Your Mobile - Solar Bags Have Arrived!
Now this is interesting. Call it the marriage of design and ecology. Eco-totes are becoming more and more in vogue now, with the Solar Bag being the latest in this series of eco-conscious innovations.
The Solar Bag is a bag with a miniature solar panel built into its front to accumulate energy. Inside there’s a battery and a range of plugs so you can hook up your I-Pod, mobile phone and every type of digital device.
The Solar Bag comes in two styles: a small trunk made from Bordeaux or black chamois, or classic arm-bag. With our entire society becoming eco & green conscious, eco-totes such as the Solar Bag will likely be frequently heard about from now on!
Designer Ennio Capasa is credited with developing the Solar Bag.
Of interest to you also could be the Power Purse, another cool eco-tote, developed by Solarjo. This again is covered with small solar panels that can power cell phones or any other gadgets through a USB port built inside.
Related stuff: Noon Solar - creates green totes and satchels chosen for their sustainability, Voltaic Backpacks - mobile solar power generators designed to charge virtually all handheld electronics.
We live in interesting times.
Sources: Boing Boing Gadgets, Crave, CNC Costume National, Racked
The Solar Bag is a bag with a miniature solar panel built into its front to accumulate energy. Inside there’s a battery and a range of plugs so you can hook up your I-Pod, mobile phone and every type of digital device.
The Solar Bag comes in two styles: a small trunk made from Bordeaux or black chamois, or classic arm-bag. With our entire society becoming eco & green conscious, eco-totes such as the Solar Bag will likely be frequently heard about from now on!
Designer Ennio Capasa is credited with developing the Solar Bag.
Of interest to you also could be the Power Purse, another cool eco-tote, developed by Solarjo. This again is covered with small solar panels that can power cell phones or any other gadgets through a USB port built inside.
Related stuff: Noon Solar - creates green totes and satchels chosen for their sustainability, Voltaic Backpacks - mobile solar power generators designed to charge virtually all handheld electronics.
We live in interesting times.
Sources: Boing Boing Gadgets, Crave, CNC Costume National, Racked
Labels: Design-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Your Bags Now Power Your Mobile - Solar Bags Have Arrived! posted by Ecacofonix : 8:33 AM
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Biocatalysts - Generics Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Go Green
Green chemistry incorporates concepts such as atom economy, convergency (higher process efficiency with fewer operations), reagent optimization (use of catalysis and more selective and recyclable reagents), and raw material efficiency.
One of the emerging green chemistry aspects is biocatalysts.
An advantage of these biocatalysts and of green chemistry in general, is the ability to manufacture a product in more generic facilities, compared to the demands of traditional chemocatalysis, which typically requires high pressure and high or low temperature reactors.
Another green chemistry strategy is telescoping, which aims to minimize the carryover of impurities from one process step to the next. The ability to make a product or an intermediate without any side products eliminates purification steps, saving time, energy, cost, and waste.
Interest in biocatalysis is high in the generics industry, in particular, as the generics manufacturers are actively seeking strategies to lower manufacturing costs and increase profit margins. It is predicted that biocatalysis technology will improve incrementally, with advances in proteomics enabling molecular evolution to be more directed and structure-based and less dependent on random mutagenesis.
More from here
Keywords: Green chemistry, recyclable reagents, BioVerdant, IChemE Alex Tao, CSO, Codexis, biocatalytic enzymes, biocatalysts, green generic facilities, generics industry
Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Biocatalysts - Generics Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Go Green posted by Ecacofonix : 3:25 AM
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Microfiber Fabric Creates Electricity, Uses Zinc Oxide Nanowires
Scientists have developed a microfiber fabric that generates its own electricity. The cloth makes enough current to recharge a cell phone or power a small MP3 player.
The fibers are coated with zinc oxide nanowires; one fiber is also coated with gold. When rubbed together, they generate electrical current. The shirt generates power as it moves, so a person walking or a slight breeze would create power. A 3 meter square piece of fabric is enough to power an iPod!
More from here
The fibers are coated with zinc oxide nanowires; one fiber is also coated with gold. When rubbed together, they generate electrical current. The shirt generates power as it moves, so a person walking or a slight breeze would create power. A 3 meter square piece of fabric is enough to power an iPod!
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - Microfiber Fabric Creates Electricity, Uses Zinc Oxide Nanowires posted by Ecacofonix : 10:47 PM
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Algae Startups to Watch - GreenFuel, Petrosun, Solazyme
If corn-based biofuels are the Britney Spears of the cleantech world (a fallen star but still all over the place), fuel made from algae is the next great American Idol winner (major potential in the pipeline). And despite the fact that algae-to-biofuel startups have been taking their sweet time bringing a pond scum fuel product to market, some inroads have been made recently — GreenFuel is building its first plant, PetroSun starts producing at their farm on April 1, and big oil Chevron and Shell have made some early bets as well.
As we watch this play out, here are 15 algae biofuel firms that you should know about
GreenFuel Technologies
Solazyme
Blue Marble Energy
Inventure Chemical
Solena
Live Fuels
Solix Biofuels
Aurora Biofuels
Aquaflow Binomics
Petro Sun
Bionavitas
Seambiotic
More from here
Keywords: Algae Startups, Pond Scum, Fuel Tanks, corn-based biofuels, cleantech world
GreenFuel, PetroSu,Solazyme , Blue Marble Energy , Inventure Chemical , Solena
Live Fuels, Solix Biofuels, Aurora Biofuels, Aquaflow Binomics, Petro Sun Bionavitas, Seambiotic
As we watch this play out, here are 15 algae biofuel firms that you should know about
GreenFuel Technologies
Solazyme
Blue Marble Energy
Inventure Chemical
Solena
Live Fuels
Solix Biofuels
Aurora Biofuels
Aquaflow Binomics
Petro Sun
Bionavitas
Seambiotic
More from here
Keywords: Algae Startups, Pond Scum, Fuel Tanks, corn-based biofuels, cleantech world
GreenFuel, PetroSu,Solazyme , Blue Marble Energy , Inventure Chemical , Solena
Live Fuels, Solix Biofuels, Aurora Biofuels, Aquaflow Binomics, Petro Sun Bionavitas, Seambiotic
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Algae Startups to Watch - GreenFuel, Petrosun, Solazyme posted by Ecacofonix : 5:12 AM
1 Comments
India's Future Lies in its Water Management
How India manages its fresh water and the populations’ response to water issues will determine whether it will be a giant civilisation, just another giant or a giant problem. Its river basin’s are not only catchments of precipitation or Monsoon but social, cultural and political needs and challenges of highland, lowland urban and rural citizens. India will only be a giant if it survives and prospers after this global environmental change.
Dam building and the National River Linking Project need further study and careful examination because of the lack of a comprehensive environmental and cultural information database. So too the building of mega infrastructure in a seismically sensitive area of the Himalayas needs careful planning even if this hinders economic development.
Full report from here
Keywords: India Hydrological Future, river basins, seismically sensitive area
Dam building and the National River Linking Project need further study and careful examination because of the lack of a comprehensive environmental and cultural information database. So too the building of mega infrastructure in a seismically sensitive area of the Himalayas needs careful planning even if this hinders economic development.
Full report from here
Keywords: India Hydrological Future, river basins, seismically sensitive area
Labels: Civil-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering, Society
Cow Dung, Agriculture Waste as Fuel - Ann Christy, MIT BioVolt Cells
While the brightest scientists in the world are in the process of inventing high-tech equipments and processes in pursuit of alternative energy, there are folks who are looking at utterly down-to-earth sources for the same. Take Ann Christy, for example.
Ann Christy, an associate professor of food, agriculture and biological engineering at Ohio State University, has been conducting new research into the use of cow waste to produce energy. According to Ms Christy's research, the bacteria in cow dung release electrons during the digestion on cellulose - "in the form of undigested plant matter in the cows' waste.
Ms Christy's team of scientific researchers have so far succeeded in producing half of the power required to energise an AA battery. "While that's a very small amount of voltage, the results show that it is possible to create electricity from cow waste," she commented.
This is hardly the first time cow dung is used as fuel. In fact, in developing and poor countries, cow dung has been used as a form of fuel for ages. What is significant about recent research are the more scientific methods used to explore the potential of cow waste as a fuel. Current use of cow dung in poor countries, though intuitive, might not be the most optimal way to use it.
It is hoped that researches such as these will enable us to accomodate animal and human waste as a significant alternative energy source. Don't look forward to waste powering your car anytime soon, but they could at least power your mobile battery!
See also related researches done last few years in using cow dung as fuel here, here, here and here
Energy from waste is an interesting domain because of its double-benefits - creates energy from a free resource while improving the environment by sanitizing waste.
On related developments in the waste-to-energy domain, a team of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have also created waste-powered fuel cells. The MIT BioVolt cells are capable of running on plant waste and can generate electricity for household use in off-grid areas and developing countries.
Ann Christy, an associate professor of food, agriculture and biological engineering at Ohio State University, has been conducting new research into the use of cow waste to produce energy. According to Ms Christy's research, the bacteria in cow dung release electrons during the digestion on cellulose - "in the form of undigested plant matter in the cows' waste.
Ms Christy's team of scientific researchers have so far succeeded in producing half of the power required to energise an AA battery. "While that's a very small amount of voltage, the results show that it is possible to create electricity from cow waste," she commented.
This is hardly the first time cow dung is used as fuel. In fact, in developing and poor countries, cow dung has been used as a form of fuel for ages. What is significant about recent research are the more scientific methods used to explore the potential of cow waste as a fuel. Current use of cow dung in poor countries, though intuitive, might not be the most optimal way to use it.
It is hoped that researches such as these will enable us to accomodate animal and human waste as a significant alternative energy source. Don't look forward to waste powering your car anytime soon, but they could at least power your mobile battery!
See also related researches done last few years in using cow dung as fuel here, here, here and here
Energy from waste is an interesting domain because of its double-benefits - creates energy from a free resource while improving the environment by sanitizing waste.
On related developments in the waste-to-energy domain, a team of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have also created waste-powered fuel cells. The MIT BioVolt cells are capable of running on plant waste and can generate electricity for household use in off-grid areas and developing countries.
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Cow Dung, Agriculture Waste as Fuel - Ann Christy, MIT BioVolt Cells posted by Ecacofonix : 5:11 AM
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Monday, April 14, 2008
UK Wind Turbines, Wave, Tidal, Hydro Energy Devices to Increase
Nearly 10,000 wind turbines will be spinning on land and sea by 2020 if Britain is to meet a new renewable-energy target announced recently.
The estimated fivefold increase in the number of turbines would be required to meet a new renewable-energy target for the UK under a plan detailed by the European Commission. Under the proposals, which are still to be agreed by member states, the UK would have to ensure at least 15 per cent of energy – in the form of electricity, heating and fuel – will come from renewable resources. Given limited scope to reduce fossil fuels used for transport and heating, renewable electricity supplies will need to make up between 30 and 40 per cent of the total.This could potentially mean a total of 5,200 turbines on land and 4,000 on sea, plus a mix of about 5,000 wave, tidal, and small run-of-river hydro and biomass devices by 2020, generating up to 46 gigawatts – or around 37 per cent of electricity demand.
More from here
The estimated fivefold increase in the number of turbines would be required to meet a new renewable-energy target for the UK under a plan detailed by the European Commission. Under the proposals, which are still to be agreed by member states, the UK would have to ensure at least 15 per cent of energy – in the form of electricity, heating and fuel – will come from renewable resources. Given limited scope to reduce fossil fuels used for transport and heating, renewable electricity supplies will need to make up between 30 and 40 per cent of the total.This could potentially mean a total of 5,200 turbines on land and 4,000 on sea, plus a mix of about 5,000 wave, tidal, and small run-of-river hydro and biomass devices by 2020, generating up to 46 gigawatts – or around 37 per cent of electricity demand.
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - UK Wind Turbines, Wave, Tidal, Hydro Energy Devices to Increase posted by Ecacofonix : 8:50 PM
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Oorja - A Small Stove in India to Reduce Carbon Emissions
A $17 stove could reduce carbon emissions and improve women’s health in India. The invention of a tiny stove in India demonstrates the link between reduced carbon emissions and improved health – and how technology can contribute to slowing climate change. Global energy giant BP is producing and marketing Oorja, which means energy in Hindi, a small pellet stove that produces substantially fewer emissions than the traditional wood-burning stoves so common throughout India. In developing the stove, BP ran models by rural consumers. A team of businesswomen based in villages sell stoves and fuel made of agricultural waste products, while also offering BP advice on promoting other energy products to rural India’s millions. In wealthy and poor countries alike, efforts to control climate changes will require innovative and affordable alternative-energy products, combined with meticulous grassroots marketing campaigns in order to change old habits.
More from here
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Oorja - A Small Stove in India to Reduce Carbon Emissions posted by Ecacofonix : 5:42 AM
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EcoGlove Reusable Gloves, Uses Cold Plasma Sterilization
The makers of the humble disposable rubber gloves are turning “green”, with the introduction of the reusable EcoGlove.
EcoGlove chairman Patrick Hampe claimed that the gloves would be cheaper for end users, reduce the risk of latex and chemical allergies, and friendlier to Mother Nature.
After use, the new gloves would be reprocessed by its manufacturers – sanitised and checked for defects – before being repackaged and sent back to the users.
A machine using cold plasma technology sterilises the gloves, and as a quality control measure, Hampe said any one set of gloves are only allowed to be reused seven times.
With EcoGlove, Hampe said the carbon footprint would be reduced by 60%, as there would be almost zero wastage.
Hampe said Loprol is a formula that is almost free from proteins, which trigger latex allergies, while most chemical allergies are linked to nitrile gloves.
More from here
EcoGlove chairman Patrick Hampe claimed that the gloves would be cheaper for end users, reduce the risk of latex and chemical allergies, and friendlier to Mother Nature.
After use, the new gloves would be reprocessed by its manufacturers – sanitised and checked for defects – before being repackaged and sent back to the users.
A machine using cold plasma technology sterilises the gloves, and as a quality control measure, Hampe said any one set of gloves are only allowed to be reused seven times.
With EcoGlove, Hampe said the carbon footprint would be reduced by 60%, as there would be almost zero wastage.
Hampe said Loprol is a formula that is almost free from proteins, which trigger latex allergies, while most chemical allergies are linked to nitrile gloves.
More from here
Labels: Design-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - EcoGlove Reusable Gloves, Uses Cold Plasma Sterilization posted by Ecacofonix : 5:38 AM
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Zenith Solar of Israel Pioneering Concentrated Solar Power Method
Israeli energy startup Zenith Solar is pioneering a "concentrated solar power" method that is up to five times more efficient than standard technology
Rooftops all over Israel look strikingly similar: More than 1 million households in the nation of 7.1 million people have solar panels that produce hot water—a relatively simple technology that gained popularity after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, when oil prices shot up sharply. As of the early 1990s, all new residential buildings were required by the government to install solar water-heating systems.
Zenith Solar, based in Nes Ziona near Tel Aviv, is a pioneer in a new type of solar energy that uses mirrors and lenses to focus and intensify the sun's light, producing far more electricity at lower cost. Compared with traditional flat photovoltaic panels made of silicon, this so-called concentrated solar power technology has proved in tests to be up to five times more efficient
More from here
Rooftops all over Israel look strikingly similar: More than 1 million households in the nation of 7.1 million people have solar panels that produce hot water—a relatively simple technology that gained popularity after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, when oil prices shot up sharply. As of the early 1990s, all new residential buildings were required by the government to install solar water-heating systems.
Zenith Solar, based in Nes Ziona near Tel Aviv, is a pioneer in a new type of solar energy that uses mirrors and lenses to focus and intensify the sun's light, producing far more electricity at lower cost. Compared with traditional flat photovoltaic panels made of silicon, this so-called concentrated solar power technology has proved in tests to be up to five times more efficient
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Zenith Solar of Israel Pioneering Concentrated Solar Power Method posted by Ecacofonix : 5:32 AM
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Plastic Bags Not an Environmental Disaster?
You've all heard the claims -- plastic bags kill marine animals. Hundreds of thousands of them.
Apparently, the problem started with a typo in an 2002 Australian Government report. It attempted to quote from an Canadian study 15 years earlier, which found that up to 100,000 marine animals had been killed over four years by "discarded nets" from the fishing industry. Somehow, the 2002 report replaced that phrase with "plastic bags." But finally science seems to be winning out. According to David W. Laist of the Marine Mammal Commission, and author of a primary research paper on the subject, "plastic bags don't figure in entanglement. The main culprits are fishing gear, ropes, lines and strapping bands." Professor of Marine Biology Geoff Boxshall concurred, “I’ve never seen a bird killed by a plastic bag"
Plastic bags are much cheaper than paper, which is why stores favor them. They take less resources and energy to produce, they're far cheaper to ship and store, they're recyclable and some are even biodegradable. Those savings aren't just for the stores, they translate into lower food costs and less damage to the environment, says this interesting post.
Surprising, I'd all along thought that plastic bags were an environmental disaster!
More from here
Apparently, the problem started with a typo in an 2002 Australian Government report. It attempted to quote from an Canadian study 15 years earlier, which found that up to 100,000 marine animals had been killed over four years by "discarded nets" from the fishing industry. Somehow, the 2002 report replaced that phrase with "plastic bags." But finally science seems to be winning out. According to David W. Laist of the Marine Mammal Commission, and author of a primary research paper on the subject, "plastic bags don't figure in entanglement. The main culprits are fishing gear, ropes, lines and strapping bands." Professor of Marine Biology Geoff Boxshall concurred, “I’ve never seen a bird killed by a plastic bag"
Plastic bags are much cheaper than paper, which is why stores favor them. They take less resources and energy to produce, they're far cheaper to ship and store, they're recyclable and some are even biodegradable. Those savings aren't just for the stores, they translate into lower food costs and less damage to the environment, says this interesting post.
Surprising, I'd all along thought that plastic bags were an environmental disaster!
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
Free Flow Power Corp. to Install Turbines in Mississippi River Bed for Electricity
A New England startup company wants to harness the mighty river Mississippi for generating electricity. The company, Free Flow Power Corp., is pursuing a $3 billion plan to install thousands of small electric turbines in the river bed, reaching from St. Louis to the Gulf of Mexico, that would collectively generate 1,600 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 1.5 million homes. Gloucester, Mass.-based Free Flow Power is among a number of developers of so-called hydrokinetic projects, defined as those that produce electricity from river currents or ocean waves and tides — not dams
Each site would consist of hundreds or thousands of turbines installed over several miles. The turbines, which would be attached to pilings in the river bed, are about 2 feet in diameter and probably would be made of carbon fiber or another lightweight composite material, Irvin said. The river’s natural flow would spin the turbines to generate electricity, which would be transmitted to the power grid
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Each site would consist of hundreds or thousands of turbines installed over several miles. The turbines, which would be attached to pilings in the river bed, are about 2 feet in diameter and probably would be made of carbon fiber or another lightweight composite material, Irvin said. The river’s natural flow would spin the turbines to generate electricity, which would be transmitted to the power grid
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Free Flow Power Corp. to Install Turbines in Mississippi River Bed for Electricity posted by Ecacofonix : 5:32 AM
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Sault Ste. Marie Invention Makes Biodiesel from Cocunut Oil
Are green-energy petrol-alternatives the renewable saviour gas guzzlers need? Green technology from two Sault Ste. Marie residents could mean a new career for many Filipino farmers - producing fuel from coconut oil.
Green Corp. entrepreneurs Luc Duchesne and Norman Jaehrling finished their latest innovation, the Greenstar 1000, last week - a $300,000 machine that produces 1,000 litres of biodiesel in a 10-hour shift. That's 5,000 litres every two days.
Coconut farmers will share the Greenstar machines, housed in explosion-proof trailers, to create biodiesel from coconut oil, which they can then sell to local oil companies.
Critics however argue the alternative fuel push is responsible for large-scale deforestation and a worldwide food crisis.
More from here
Green Corp. entrepreneurs Luc Duchesne and Norman Jaehrling finished their latest innovation, the Greenstar 1000, last week - a $300,000 machine that produces 1,000 litres of biodiesel in a 10-hour shift. That's 5,000 litres every two days.
Coconut farmers will share the Greenstar machines, housed in explosion-proof trailers, to create biodiesel from coconut oil, which they can then sell to local oil companies.
Critics however argue the alternative fuel push is responsible for large-scale deforestation and a worldwide food crisis.
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Sault Ste. Marie Invention Makes Biodiesel from Cocunut Oil posted by Ecacofonix : 5:31 AM
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Iceland Turns to Geothermal and Hydroelectric Power to Cut Oil Dependence
Problems linked to foreign oil dependence are real and frightening
In fact, Iceland, in its effort to reduce dependence on imported oil and clean up its environment at the same time, is trying to become the world’s first petroleum-free economy. President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson described his nation’s situation this way: “We have this eternal machine in this country created by the Almighty consisting of the fire below under the ground and the glaciers and the water that comes from the sky, and it goes on and on, year after year, century after century, creating this fascinating source of energy.”
So Iceland set out on an ambitious and risky program to develop its existing resources. Rather than import every joule of their energy, Icelanders drilled wells to tap hot underground water and built a grid of pipes throughout the entire city of Reykjavík to circulate the water to heat the city’s homes and offices. Soon, Icelanders were also using their volcanoes and many rivers to generate copious amounts of geothermal and hydroelectric energy
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Keywords: Real-World Solutions, Foreign Oil Dependence, environmental regulation, Vikings, hydrogen-powered ships, Daimler Chrysler, Toyota, hydrogen-powered cars, Hertz, Jules Verne, Asgeir Margeirsson, geothermal company, Geysir Green Energy
In fact, Iceland, in its effort to reduce dependence on imported oil and clean up its environment at the same time, is trying to become the world’s first petroleum-free economy. President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson described his nation’s situation this way: “We have this eternal machine in this country created by the Almighty consisting of the fire below under the ground and the glaciers and the water that comes from the sky, and it goes on and on, year after year, century after century, creating this fascinating source of energy.”
So Iceland set out on an ambitious and risky program to develop its existing resources. Rather than import every joule of their energy, Icelanders drilled wells to tap hot underground water and built a grid of pipes throughout the entire city of Reykjavík to circulate the water to heat the city’s homes and offices. Soon, Icelanders were also using their volcanoes and many rivers to generate copious amounts of geothermal and hydroelectric energy
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Keywords: Real-World Solutions, Foreign Oil Dependence, environmental regulation, Vikings, hydrogen-powered ships, Daimler Chrysler, Toyota, hydrogen-powered cars, Hertz, Jules Verne, Asgeir Margeirsson, geothermal company, Geysir Green Energy
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Iceland Turns to Geothermal and Hydroelectric Power to Cut Oil Dependence posted by Ecacofonix : 5:30 AM
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Arctic Ocean Has 400 Billion Barrels of Oil - the Next Saudi Arabia?
Just when we thought that diminishing oil supplies would spur rapid transition to solar and wind power and other non-fossil sources, the Las Vegas-based Arctic Oil & Gas has announced that new geological data on the Arctic Ocean suggests the possible presence of 400 billion barrels of oil.Arctic Oil & Gas cites recent scientific evidence that huge, floating mats of azolla decomposed soon after the age of the dinosaurs and exist today as "vast hydrocarbon resources" trapped in layers of rock below the polar ice cap.
The latest report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says, as we know, that the ice cap is warming faster than the rest of the planet and ice is receding. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the Arctic has as much as 25 per cent of the world's undiscovered oil and gas. Moscow reportedly sees the potential of minerals in its slice of the Arctic sector approaching $2 trillion. Major petroleum companies are now focusing research and exploration on the far north. In 2004, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the sovereignty issue "a serious, competitive battle" that "will unfold more and more fiercely.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Geo-Sciences
PermaLink - Arctic Ocean Has 400 Billion Barrels of Oil - the Next Saudi Arabia? posted by Ecacofonix : 5:30 AM
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Pedal Powered Washing Machine - by Bart Orlando
This article appeared in the HSU Lumberjack newspaper in 1997. The article is based on an interview with the pedal powered washing machine designer, Bart Orlando. Since then, the pedal power drive line of the washer has been simplified. The number of fanbelts used has been reduced from two belts to one belt. Now, one fanbelt connects the flywheel of the exercise bike directly to the pulley which drives the transmission of the washer. This reduces the amount of friction by eliminating one belt and two pillow blocks. Less friction translates into less pedaling effort.
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PermaLink - Pedal Powered Washing Machine - by Bart Orlando posted by Ecacofonix : 5:27 AM
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Nokia's Mobile Eco Sensor - More Aware of Your Health & Environment
This concept from Nokia, truly is surfing the Eco trend wave.
To help make you more aware of your health and local environmental conditions, the Nokia Eco Sensor Concept will include a separate, wearable sensing device with detectors that collect environment, health, and/or weather data. You will be able to choose which sensors you would like to have inside the sensing device, thereby customizing the device to your needs and desires. For example, you could use the device as a “personal trainee” if you were to choose a heart-rate monitor and motion detector (for measuring your walking pace).
The concept consists of two parts – a wearable sensor unit which can sense and analyze your environment, health, and local weather conditions, and a dedicated mobile phone.
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To help make you more aware of your health and local environmental conditions, the Nokia Eco Sensor Concept will include a separate, wearable sensing device with detectors that collect environment, health, and/or weather data. You will be able to choose which sensors you would like to have inside the sensing device, thereby customizing the device to your needs and desires. For example, you could use the device as a “personal trainee” if you were to choose a heart-rate monitor and motion detector (for measuring your walking pace).
The concept consists of two parts – a wearable sensor unit which can sense and analyze your environment, health, and local weather conditions, and a dedicated mobile phone.
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Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Nokia's Mobile Eco Sensor - More Aware of Your Health & Environment posted by Ecacofonix : 5:26 AM
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Park Hotel, Hyderabad - India's First Green Hotel
For the new-age green consumer and those who believe in sustainable tourism here is a good news. After eco-friendly hotels, India will have it’s first green hotel — The Park Hotel in Hyderabad. The investment in this 280-room hotel, scheduled to start operations by mid-2009, will be around Rs 350 crore, 15% higher than a regular hotel. And it might not be a good idea for smokers to book a room in the hotel as 90% of it’s area will be non-smoking. Another Park Hotel property lined up in Pune, for which the group recently acquired 90,000 sq ft, will also be built on the lines of green buildings
An eco-friendly hotel is constructed using recycled materials, whereas a green building aims at saving energy. “Though the initial cost of construction is almost 15% higher for a green hotel, we will be able to recover that through efficiency in operations. A green hotel saves 34.7% of the energy costs,” added Bali. According to Spectral Consultancy Services, The Oberoi Group also has two green hotel projects in the pipeline — in Hyderabad and Goa
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An eco-friendly hotel is constructed using recycled materials, whereas a green building aims at saving energy. “Though the initial cost of construction is almost 15% higher for a green hotel, we will be able to recover that through efficiency in operations. A green hotel saves 34.7% of the energy costs,” added Bali. According to Spectral Consultancy Services, The Oberoi Group also has two green hotel projects in the pipeline — in Hyderabad and Goa
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Park Hotel, Hyderabad - India's First Green Hotel posted by Ecacofonix : 5:26 AM
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Pot-in-Pot - A Wireless Fridge, Refrigeration Without Electricity
For hundreds of years a similar type of cooling has been employed by desert dwellers around the world. The concept is explained by a simple law of thermodynamics. When moisture comes in contact with dry air it evaporates. You see, water has this amazing characteristic of having a very high retention of heat. This ancient technology has been used for cooling water for hundreds of years
Mohammed Bah Abba took this idea one step further. By placing one pot inside another and filling the gap in between the two pots with moist sand he was able to create a refrigeration system that requires nothing more than a little bit of moisture. The moist sand filling the gap between the two pots draws heat away from the inner pot and dissipates the heat through the evaporation of the moisture. The inner pot is filled with perishable foods that would normally last for mere days, but with this system can last for weeks. Mohammed Bah Abba's invention awarded him the Rolex Award for Enterprise, and has been recognised as a very important contribution to societies with limited energy resources, or where energy costs are prohibitive. Many families no longer rely on their children to "rush sell" their food goods and can now sell when the demand arises due to the reduction of spoilage
Mohammed is a a lecturer at polytechnic college in Northern Nigeria, and comes from a family of pot makers. He drew on his childhood experience and invented his Pot-in-Pot cooling system in 1995 and received the Rolex Award in 2000.
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Mohammed Bah Abba took this idea one step further. By placing one pot inside another and filling the gap in between the two pots with moist sand he was able to create a refrigeration system that requires nothing more than a little bit of moisture. The moist sand filling the gap between the two pots draws heat away from the inner pot and dissipates the heat through the evaporation of the moisture. The inner pot is filled with perishable foods that would normally last for mere days, but with this system can last for weeks. Mohammed Bah Abba's invention awarded him the Rolex Award for Enterprise, and has been recognised as a very important contribution to societies with limited energy resources, or where energy costs are prohibitive. Many families no longer rely on their children to "rush sell" their food goods and can now sell when the demand arises due to the reduction of spoilage
Mohammed is a a lecturer at polytechnic college in Northern Nigeria, and comes from a family of pot makers. He drew on his childhood experience and invented his Pot-in-Pot cooling system in 1995 and received the Rolex Award in 2000.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Pot-in-Pot - A Wireless Fridge, Refrigeration Without Electricity posted by Ecacofonix : 5:26 AM
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CR5 - Using Concentrated Solar Power to Produce CO, Fuel from CO2
Using concentrated solar energy to reverse combustion, a research team from Sandia National Laboratories is building a prototype device intended to chemically “reenergize” carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using concentrated solar power. The carbon monoxide could then be used to make hydrogen or serve as a building block to synthesize a liquid combustible fuel, such as methanol or even gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
The prototype device, called the Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5, for short), will break a carbon-oxygen bond in the carbon dioxide to form carbon monoxide and oxygen in two distinct steps. It is a major piece of an approach to converting carbon dioxide into fuel from sunlight.
The Sandia research team calls this approach “Sunshine to Petrol” (S2P). “Liquid Solar Fuel” is the end product — the methanol, gasoline, or other liquid fuel made from water and the carbon monoxide produced using solar energy.
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The prototype device, called the Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5, for short), will break a carbon-oxygen bond in the carbon dioxide to form carbon monoxide and oxygen in two distinct steps. It is a major piece of an approach to converting carbon dioxide into fuel from sunlight.
The Sandia research team calls this approach “Sunshine to Petrol” (S2P). “Liquid Solar Fuel” is the end product — the methanol, gasoline, or other liquid fuel made from water and the carbon monoxide produced using solar energy.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - CR5 - Using Concentrated Solar Power to Produce CO, Fuel from CO2 posted by Ecacofonix : 5:25 AM
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15-Year-Old Llew Falla Uses Cow Manure to Produce Electricity & Methane
There's two schools of thought on the latest invention from Llew Falla, Sarnia's 15-year-old science fair whiz.
Some say there is unlimited application potential for the project, called CH4 optimization of biowaste via microbial fuel cell control. Then, there's the notion the kid's project is full of crap.
Actually, both are correct.
Falla's entry in the upcoming Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Atlanta, Ga., uses cow manure to produce electricity and methane gas.
He's found a better way to break down cow manure using a microbial fuel cell to produce clean, usable electricity and methane gas.
The hydrogen and ions in the manure react with water, generating electricity and methane gas. The gas is trapped and stored in a separate chamber.
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Some say there is unlimited application potential for the project, called CH4 optimization of biowaste via microbial fuel cell control. Then, there's the notion the kid's project is full of crap.
Actually, both are correct.
Falla's entry in the upcoming Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Atlanta, Ga., uses cow manure to produce electricity and methane gas.
He's found a better way to break down cow manure using a microbial fuel cell to produce clean, usable electricity and methane gas.
The hydrogen and ions in the manure react with water, generating electricity and methane gas. The gas is trapped and stored in a separate chamber.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - 15-Year-Old Llew Falla Uses Cow Manure to Produce Electricity & Methane posted by Ecacofonix : 5:25 AM
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Firewinder the Eco-friendly LED Light Powered by Wind
This might not be the most practical outdoor light in the world, but what the Firewinder lacks in pedestrian utility it makes up for in sheer engaging awesomeness. Transforming wind into light, the Firewinder is a hanging, wind-powered LED light that can be powered by the smallest breeze. Unlike most wind turbines that spin vertically, the Firewinderspins in a horizontal direction, illuminating its LEDs in a spiraling helix of light. The coolest thing about the Firewinder is that it doesn’t just run on or off, but instead is visibly reactive to subtle changes in the environment. How bright the LEDs glow corresponds directly to how fast the turbine spins, enabling observers to visualize the power of wind.
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PermaLink - Firewinder the Eco-friendly LED Light Powered by Wind posted by Ecacofonix : 5:25 AM
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Japan Aims for 10 % Energy from Ocean - Wave Energy Update
Ocean Energy Association Japan (OEAJ) is proposing to meet 10 per cent of Japan's energy needs from ocean energy by 2050. The recommendation was part of a report submitted to the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation, a governmental body set up to develop new oil alternative technologies in the 1980s.
OEAJ is hoping to kick-start the second stage of wave development in the country. The association is aiming to develop new wave power devices capable of generating outputs at JPY20 (US$0.20) per kWh during the second stage development.
Japan is among the pioneers behind the modern wave developments in the 1970s. Major wave power inventions originating from Japan include the Oscillating Wave Column (OWC) and Kaimei in the 1970s. The OWC technology is commonly applied to wave developments following the 1970s.
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OEAJ is hoping to kick-start the second stage of wave development in the country. The association is aiming to develop new wave power devices capable of generating outputs at JPY20 (US$0.20) per kWh during the second stage development.
Japan is among the pioneers behind the modern wave developments in the 1970s. Major wave power inventions originating from Japan include the Oscillating Wave Column (OWC) and Kaimei in the 1970s. The OWC technology is commonly applied to wave developments following the 1970s.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Japan Aims for 10 % Energy from Ocean - Wave Energy Update posted by Ecacofonix : 5:23 AM
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Intelligent Energy, Suzuki Motor Pact for Hydrogen Motorcycle
Leading fuel cell power systems company Intelligent Energy has strengthened its relationship with the Suzuki Motor Corporation with an agreement that will see the progression to commercially viable fuel cell motorcycles.
The collaboration has already resulted in the Suzuki Crosscage, a hydrogen fuelled concept motorcycle unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor show. Intelligent Energy's high performance fuel cell power systems coupled with Suzuki's commitment to low-emissions transport mean the reality of hydrogen powered motorcycles is closer than ever.
Intelligent Energy's proprietary Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell designs are based on the use of thin metallic plates, which make the fuel cell stack compact and amenable to mass manufacture.
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The collaboration has already resulted in the Suzuki Crosscage, a hydrogen fuelled concept motorcycle unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor show. Intelligent Energy's high performance fuel cell power systems coupled with Suzuki's commitment to low-emissions transport mean the reality of hydrogen powered motorcycles is closer than ever.
Intelligent Energy's proprietary Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell designs are based on the use of thin metallic plates, which make the fuel cell stack compact and amenable to mass manufacture.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Intelligent Energy, Suzuki Motor Pact for Hydrogen Motorcycle posted by Ecacofonix : 5:23 AM
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Waste to Ethanol, Biodiesel - U of Maryland Invention Promises Biofuels Advance
University of Maryland research that started with bacteria from the Chesapeake Bay has led to a process that may be able to convert large volumes of all kinds of plant products, from leftover brewer's mash to paper trash, into ethanol and other biofuel alternatives to gasoline. That process, developed by University of Maryland professors Steve Hutcheson and Ron Weiner, professors of cell biology and molecular genetics, is the foundation of their incubator company Zymetis, which was on view today in College Park for Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and state and university officials.
Partnership with the State enables University of Maryland faculty and students to commercialize new discoveries quickly
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Partnership with the State enables University of Maryland faculty and students to commercialize new discoveries quickly
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Waste to Ethanol, Biodiesel - U of Maryland Invention Promises Biofuels Advance posted by Ecacofonix : 5:22 AM
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Dye Based Solar Cells with Titanium Oxide Nanocrystals To Be Embedded In Consumer Products
Dye based solar cells are made of titanium oxide nanochrystals. These are coated with light absorbing dye that can be used in various materials including glass and plastic. The dye is immersed in an electrolyte solution. When light reaches the surface, the dye sets free electrons which in turn create ‘holes’ – positive charges as a result of ‘lost electrons’. The titanium dioxide semiconducts and transfers electricity to an electrical circuit and energy is created.
The solar cells convert light to electricity with an efficiency of 7.2 percent, which is a record for this type of cell. Solar panels typically convert 16 percent to 20 percent of light into energy. But the advantage of the organic dye cells is that they also convert low light and that they can be ‘tuned’ for specific wavelengths.
The first company manufacturing dye sensitized solar, Konarka, based in Lowell, MA, announced it had successfully conducted the first-ever demonstration of manufacturing solar cells by highly efficient inkjet printing ten days ago. Konarka is focusing on getting the technology embedded in hundreds of day to day products. In the Summer Konarka is planning on shipping out its first products, mainly gadgets, lights and smart cards.
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The solar cells convert light to electricity with an efficiency of 7.2 percent, which is a record for this type of cell. Solar panels typically convert 16 percent to 20 percent of light into energy. But the advantage of the organic dye cells is that they also convert low light and that they can be ‘tuned’ for specific wavelengths.
The first company manufacturing dye sensitized solar, Konarka, based in Lowell, MA, announced it had successfully conducted the first-ever demonstration of manufacturing solar cells by highly efficient inkjet printing ten days ago. Konarka is focusing on getting the technology embedded in hundreds of day to day products. In the Summer Konarka is planning on shipping out its first products, mainly gadgets, lights and smart cards.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Dye Based Solar Cells with Titanium Oxide Nanocrystals To Be Embedded In Consumer Products posted by Ecacofonix : 5:21 AM
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Jayant Baliga's IGBT's Could Have the World's Smallest Carbon Footprint
NC State Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Jayant Baliga, may have the world's smallest carbon footprint - the amount of greenhouse gases that a person directly or indirectly releases into the atmosphere each year.
One of Baliga's inventions is responsible for eliminating the need for more than 100 gigawatts of power, which translates to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of about 1 trillion pounds per year. Now, he is working to make his footprint even smaller by pursuing new inventions that further improve energy efficiency.
The energy saved by the use of IGBTs in electric motors and energy-efficient light bulbs alone equals 100 gigawatts, meaning that new one-gigawatt, coal-fired power plants won't need to be built to match the former demand. There are economic benefits as well - to the tune of $2 billion for each plant that does not have to be built.
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One of Baliga's inventions is responsible for eliminating the need for more than 100 gigawatts of power, which translates to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of about 1 trillion pounds per year. Now, he is working to make his footprint even smaller by pursuing new inventions that further improve energy efficiency.
The energy saved by the use of IGBTs in electric motors and energy-efficient light bulbs alone equals 100 gigawatts, meaning that new one-gigawatt, coal-fired power plants won't need to be built to match the former demand. There are economic benefits as well - to the tune of $2 billion for each plant that does not have to be built.
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PermaLink - Jayant Baliga's IGBT's Could Have the World's Smallest Carbon Footprint posted by Ecacofonix : 5:21 AM
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Oil, Gas Extraction Technology Bought by Platina Energy Group
An energy production company bought gas technology developed by UT researchers and will soon install it into oil wells. The technology, licensed to Platina Energy Group Inc., will reduce the amount of equipment used to extract gas and oil from wells and will help eliminate the problem of pump cavitation, which occurs when there is excess air in the pump. Kamy Sepehrnoori and Augusto Podio, petroleum and geosystems engineering professors, helped develop technology that allows a submersible pump and a jet pump to be used together in a gas well, so a separate gas vent line is unnecessary. Max Green, licensing specialist at UT's Office of Technology Commercialization, said the technology will be installed on older oil wells that do not produce oil on a large scale. Green said Platina is the only company licensed to use the technology, though it has the right to sublicense the technology to other companies.Rick Friedman, an associate director for licensing at UT, said giving Platina exclusive rights to the technology gives the company a competitive advantage.The office receives about 140 invention disclosures per year from faculty members who want their technology commercialized, Friedman said. The office then decides if it wants to secure patent protection for the technology and commercialize the invention.The office signs about 30 to 40 new licenses per year.
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PermaLink - Oil, Gas Extraction Technology Bought by Platina Energy Group posted by Ecacofonix : 5:20 AM
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Oil Producing Yeast, Buoys for Ocean Waves to Electricity New Energy Sources
Chances are you've heard of hybrids and biofuels, but what about oil-producing yeast and turbine like buoys that transform ocean waves into electricity? Those are just a couple of the alternative-energy sources that may power the future according to Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund and coauthor, with Miriam Horn, of the new book "Earth: The Sequel" (Norton).
"Everyone knows the current story of melting glaciers, rising sea levels, worsening hurricanes, dying coral reefs," said Krupp. "'The Sequel' is the story of what happens next. We are just on the threshold of a great race." While he says oft-cited solar power technology is our best bet for now, Krupp emphasizes that quirkier projects, like algae concoctions that eat up carbon emissions, are essential elements of a smart, diversified energy strategy. NEWSWEEK's Katie Paul talked with Krupp about why he thinks the next industrial revolution looks bright green. Excerpts from the talk are provided in this article
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"Everyone knows the current story of melting glaciers, rising sea levels, worsening hurricanes, dying coral reefs," said Krupp. "'The Sequel' is the story of what happens next. We are just on the threshold of a great race." While he says oft-cited solar power technology is our best bet for now, Krupp emphasizes that quirkier projects, like algae concoctions that eat up carbon emissions, are essential elements of a smart, diversified energy strategy. NEWSWEEK's Katie Paul talked with Krupp about why he thinks the next industrial revolution looks bright green. Excerpts from the talk are provided in this article
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PermaLink - Oil Producing Yeast, Buoys for Ocean Waves to Electricity New Energy Sources posted by Ecacofonix : 5:20 AM
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A123 Company Says Its Auto Battery will Propel EVs
For all the doubts about whether a tiny, 7-year-old company can essentially rewire the domestic auto industry, A123's executives express abundant confidence in their invention.
"Today, we are providing enough batteries to power the equivalent of 100,000 vehicles," said Ric Fulop, one of A123's founders and its chief evangelist. "If you look at other technologies, they're still in the lab. It's years before they get into mass production."
The hurdles to powering vehicles with electricity instead of oil have become less daunting in the past year, but they're still towering: Cost, Safety, Longevity, Environment...
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Keywords: Tech company, future of autos, A123 Systems, Chevrolet Volt, battery pack
General Motors Corp, chief evangelist, Ric Fulop, Chevy Volt
"Today, we are providing enough batteries to power the equivalent of 100,000 vehicles," said Ric Fulop, one of A123's founders and its chief evangelist. "If you look at other technologies, they're still in the lab. It's years before they get into mass production."
The hurdles to powering vehicles with electricity instead of oil have become less daunting in the past year, but they're still towering: Cost, Safety, Longevity, Environment...
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Keywords: Tech company, future of autos, A123 Systems, Chevrolet Volt, battery pack
General Motors Corp, chief evangelist, Ric Fulop, Chevy Volt
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering
PermaLink - A123 Company Says Its Auto Battery will Propel EVs posted by Ecacofonix : 5:19 AM
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Statoil Growth - Wireless, Real-time Data Integration Key
A report emanated from the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) and bore the title “Potential Value of Integrated-Operations on the Norwegian Shelf.” OLF released the report in 2006.
The report found if oil and gas companies active in the Norwegian shelf quickly were to integrate their operations, they could increase their revenues from the shelf by $41.5 billion. If they do not, they can expect to miss $10 billion in potential revenues within the next three years alone. These staggering figures reflect an array of challenges the industry faces and the scale of the prize at stake.
Although the prescribed solution to these challenges goes under different names—Integrated Operations (Statoil), eOperations (Hydro), Smart Field (Shell), Field of the Future (BP), and i-field (Chevron)—the key elements are broadly the same.
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The report found if oil and gas companies active in the Norwegian shelf quickly were to integrate their operations, they could increase their revenues from the shelf by $41.5 billion. If they do not, they can expect to miss $10 billion in potential revenues within the next three years alone. These staggering figures reflect an array of challenges the industry faces and the scale of the prize at stake.
Although the prescribed solution to these challenges goes under different names—Integrated Operations (Statoil), eOperations (Hydro), Smart Field (Shell), Field of the Future (BP), and i-field (Chevron)—the key elements are broadly the same.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Manufacturing-Production-Engineering
PermaLink - Statoil Growth - Wireless, Real-time Data Integration Key posted by Ecacofonix : 5:17 AM
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Friday, April 11, 2008
Boeing Makes First Ever Hydrogen Battery Flight
US aircraft maker Boeing flew a plane that was powered by a hydrogen battery at the start of 2008 for the first time in aviation history, senior company officials said in Spain on Thursday.
"For the first time in the history of aviation, Boeing has flown a manned airplane that was powered by a hydrogen battery," Boeing chief technology officer John Tracy told a news conference at the firm's research centre in the central Spanish town of Ocana.
The plane, which used propellers, flew at a speed of 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour for about 20 minutes at an altitude of about 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) using only the hydrogen battery for power, Boeing said in a statement.
The director of the Ocana research centre, Francisco Escarti, said the hydrogen battery "could be the main source of energy for a small plane" but would likely not become the "primary soruce of energy for big passenger planes".
"For the first time in the history of aviation, Boeing has flown a manned airplane that was powered by a hydrogen battery," Boeing chief technology officer John Tracy told a news conference at the firm's research centre in the central Spanish town of Ocana.
The plane, which used propellers, flew at a speed of 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour for about 20 minutes at an altitude of about 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) using only the hydrogen battery for power, Boeing said in a statement.
The director of the Ocana research centre, Francisco Escarti, said the hydrogen battery "could be the main source of energy for a small plane" but would likely not become the "primary soruce of energy for big passenger planes".
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering
PermaLink - Boeing Makes First Ever Hydrogen Battery Flight posted by Ecacofonix : 4:21 AM
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Wind-powered Airplanes by Dr. Josef Popf. Airplane Hybrids?
An announcement made recently is stirring excitement in the aviation industry as a scientist turned inventor claims he can dramatically reduce or perhaps remove fossil fuels from modern flight. His innovative design employs wind power to make an airplane version of popular hybrid cars. He claims his prototype is cheap and scaleable–and it can easily be added to existing aircraft. The implications are far reaching as the aviation industry comes under increasing pressure to reduce their green house gas emissions. According to inventor Dr. Josef Popf, “The idea struck me as I was driving through a wind farm in Kentucky. Why not strap one of those puppies to an airplane? When I first started doing the math, it was really just for fun. I expected the wind turbine to slow down the airplane.
But the deeper I delved into the problem, the more plausible it started to appear. Then, after about two solid months, I found the answers I needed and filed for a patent.”
Essentially, it’s not so different from the hybrid systems employed by hybrid cars. As an airplane cruises or comes in to land, the turbine super-charges high-capacity batteries. That energy can then be used during future take-offs and landings. The trick, according to Popf, is to use the wind turbine at high altitudes, where the thinner atmosphere puts less stress on the airplane, preventing excessive drag.
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But the deeper I delved into the problem, the more plausible it started to appear. Then, after about two solid months, I found the answers I needed and filed for a patent.”
Essentially, it’s not so different from the hybrid systems employed by hybrid cars. As an airplane cruises or comes in to land, the turbine super-charges high-capacity batteries. That energy can then be used during future take-offs and landings. The trick, according to Popf, is to use the wind turbine at high altitudes, where the thinner atmosphere puts less stress on the airplane, preventing excessive drag.
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PermaLink - Wind-powered Airplanes by Dr. Josef Popf. Airplane Hybrids? posted by Ecacofonix : 4:19 AM
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
Converting Plant Sugars into Hydrogen to Power Fuel Cell Vehicles
Sugar-powered cars may be in your future. Chemists report development of a “revolutionary” process for converting plant sugars into hydrogen, which could be used to cheaply and efficiently power vehicles equipped with hydrogen fuel cells without producing any pollutants. The scientists will describe their unique hydrogen production system in April at the American Chemical Society national meeting in New Orleans. Percival Zhang, a scientist at Virginia Tech, is developing a new process for converting plant sugars into hydrogen that could be used to cheaply and efficiently power vehicles equipped with hydrogen fuel cells without producing any pollutants.
The process involves combining plant sugars, water, and a cocktail of powerful enzymes to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide under mild reaction conditions. The new system helps solve the three major technical barriers to the so-called “hydrogen economy,” researchers said. Those roadblocks involve how to produce low-cost sustainable hydrogen, how to store hydrogen, and how to distribute it efficiently, the researchers say.
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The process involves combining plant sugars, water, and a cocktail of powerful enzymes to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide under mild reaction conditions. The new system helps solve the three major technical barriers to the so-called “hydrogen economy,” researchers said. Those roadblocks involve how to produce low-cost sustainable hydrogen, how to store hydrogen, and how to distribute it efficiently, the researchers say.
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PermaLink - Converting Plant Sugars into Hydrogen to Power Fuel Cell Vehicles posted by Ecacofonix : 10:19 AM
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Fuelstar Combustion Catalyst Increases Fuel Efficiency, Cuts Fuel Costs
A 1992 Kiwi invention called Fuelstar, a fit-and-forget fuel combustion catalyst provides greater overall engine efficiency by giving more complete combustion. The benefits are improved performance, better fuel economy, a cleaner engine and lower exhaust emissions.
The car-engine unit is about the size of a soft-drink can and is plumbed into the fuel supply line.
When fuel flows through the unit on its way to the carburettor or injection system, minuscule particles of metallic tin are released into the fuel and are carried through to the combustion chambers.
These particles are far too small to damage engine components. The tin changes the combustion characteristics of the fuel, giving a more complete and more prolonged fuel burn, resulting in improved efficiency and performance.
California Environmental Engineering tested a Fuelstar installed in a 6.9-litre Nissan diesel truck and found it reduced fuel consumption by 27 per cent. It also brought down emissions of CO2 by 30 per cent and particulates by 24 per cent.
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The car-engine unit is about the size of a soft-drink can and is plumbed into the fuel supply line.
When fuel flows through the unit on its way to the carburettor or injection system, minuscule particles of metallic tin are released into the fuel and are carried through to the combustion chambers.
These particles are far too small to damage engine components. The tin changes the combustion characteristics of the fuel, giving a more complete and more prolonged fuel burn, resulting in improved efficiency and performance.
California Environmental Engineering tested a Fuelstar installed in a 6.9-litre Nissan diesel truck and found it reduced fuel consumption by 27 per cent. It also brought down emissions of CO2 by 30 per cent and particulates by 24 per cent.
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Labels: Chemical-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Fuelstar Combustion Catalyst Increases Fuel Efficiency, Cuts Fuel Costs posted by Ecacofonix : 10:18 AM
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Project Better Place Teaming with Renault-Nissan to Promote Electric Vehicles
Today more than three billion cellphones are in use around the world. They have changed, for better or worse, not just the way we communicate, but our sense of what it means to keep in touch.
Now a private investment company with an ostentatious name hopes to employ the kind of marketing structure that put cellphones in so many pockets to launch a new era of electric cars.
Project Better Place is teaming up with Renault-Nissan in a scheme designed to drive electric vehicles from the fringe category and into the mainstream of personal transportation.
They are starting in Israel and Denmark, but if Project Better Place lives up to its name and makes this ambitious plan work, it could be a natural fit in British Columbia.
Although electric cars have been around for almost as long as their conventional gas and diesel-powered cousins, they have been held back by limited performance and range and high costs.
Project Better Place has no world-beating technology to change the performance equation. What it has is enough startup capital -- $200 million committed so far -- and a marketing idea to offer not just an electric car, but a system to make it work.
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Now a private investment company with an ostentatious name hopes to employ the kind of marketing structure that put cellphones in so many pockets to launch a new era of electric cars.
Project Better Place is teaming up with Renault-Nissan in a scheme designed to drive electric vehicles from the fringe category and into the mainstream of personal transportation.
They are starting in Israel and Denmark, but if Project Better Place lives up to its name and makes this ambitious plan work, it could be a natural fit in British Columbia.
Although electric cars have been around for almost as long as their conventional gas and diesel-powered cousins, they have been held back by limited performance and range and high costs.
Project Better Place has no world-beating technology to change the performance equation. What it has is enough startup capital -- $200 million committed so far -- and a marketing idea to offer not just an electric car, but a system to make it work.
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering
PermaLink - Project Better Place Teaming with Renault-Nissan to Promote Electric Vehicles posted by Ecacofonix : 9:20 AM
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BASS Founder Ray Scott Invention Helps Prevent Lake Fish Kills
Ray Scott never had any notion of being an inventor. He's a fisherman -- and a good one at that.
But when the man who founded the BASS sport fishing empire looked out one morning from his Pintlala home and saw his lake filled with dead fish, he put on his thinking cap and designed a product that now is being produced by a Wisconsin-based company.
Scott turned to specialists at Auburn University to get answers to many questions. He learned that the days of hot weather had depleted the oxygen from the bottom of the pond.
The Auburn officials told Scott that if he wanted to ward off future fish kills, he needed to invent a device that would ensure oxygen levels remained balanced in the pond. Scott went to work on a water-circulating device.
Over the next 10 years, he continued to tinker with his invention, building a series of prototypes and testing them.
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But when the man who founded the BASS sport fishing empire looked out one morning from his Pintlala home and saw his lake filled with dead fish, he put on his thinking cap and designed a product that now is being produced by a Wisconsin-based company.
Scott turned to specialists at Auburn University to get answers to many questions. He learned that the days of hot weather had depleted the oxygen from the bottom of the pond.
The Auburn officials told Scott that if he wanted to ward off future fish kills, he needed to invent a device that would ensure oxygen levels remained balanced in the pond. Scott went to work on a water-circulating device.
Over the next 10 years, he continued to tinker with his invention, building a series of prototypes and testing them.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - BASS Founder Ray Scott Invention Helps Prevent Lake Fish Kills posted by Ecacofonix : 9:18 AM
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Saving the Coral Reefs with BioRock Mineral Accretion Technology
The oceans can't recover from the heat trap of carbon-dioxide as quickly as the atmosphere could. The rise in temperatures in the ocean work on a mean turnover rate of up to 1000 years, so even if all carbon-based energy extraction were to cease right now, it is probably too late to prevent a rise in temperatures to levels mortal to coral reefs
Corals lay the foundation for underwater colonies of marine life. If the coral die out, the effects run straight up the food chain to the fish that humans depend on for food. Unless we find a way to assist the coral to recover, we will reduce the available food stock for humans from the sea.
Perhaps there is a way for humans to undo the damage we have caused and allow our foodstocks to return to sustainable levels. Bio-Rock Mineral Accretion Technology may be one way that we can put things back to normal. Biorock Technology, or mineral accretion technology is a method that applies safe, low voltage electrical currents through seawater, causing dissolved minerals to crystallize on structures, growing into a white limestone similar to that which naturally makes up coral reefs and tropical white sand beaches. This material has a strength similar to concrete. It can be used to make robust artificial reefs on which corals grow at very rapid rates.
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Corals lay the foundation for underwater colonies of marine life. If the coral die out, the effects run straight up the food chain to the fish that humans depend on for food. Unless we find a way to assist the coral to recover, we will reduce the available food stock for humans from the sea.
Perhaps there is a way for humans to undo the damage we have caused and allow our foodstocks to return to sustainable levels. Bio-Rock Mineral Accretion Technology may be one way that we can put things back to normal. Biorock Technology, or mineral accretion technology is a method that applies safe, low voltage electrical currents through seawater, causing dissolved minerals to crystallize on structures, growing into a white limestone similar to that which naturally makes up coral reefs and tropical white sand beaches. This material has a strength similar to concrete. It can be used to make robust artificial reefs on which corals grow at very rapid rates.
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