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EXERBY IXYEXTIBXS

New Battery Technology Charges in Seconds


For the successIul takeover oI alternative energy over conventional
sources oI energy we need a good battery technology too Ior power
storage. The devices we want to keep on using need to be recharged.
And we all know that recharge takes hours whether it`s our mobiles or
laptops. II the researchers Irom MIT has implemented the know-how
oI these lithium-ion batteries, successIully then our waiting hours Ior
recharge will be over.



Turning Sunlight Into Liquid Fuel
e have been hearing about artiIicial leaves and artiIicial trees Ior
energy generation Ior quite sometime. Our liIe giver green plants are
perIorming this Iunction called photosynthesis Ior millions oI years.
The green plants trap sunlight energy and convert it into
electrochemical energy. Now scientists want to imitate the process oI
photosynthesis to produce clean and green liquid Iuels Irom carbon
dioxide and water.





Self-Heating Ecological House
e come across scores oI people unmindIul oI giving back to nature
what they are taking and consuming the resources oI nature,
haphazardly. But we also come across a privileged Iew who care
about environment and their surroundings and they believe in
consuming less and utilizing the resources oI nature intelligently.
Veljko Milkovic belongs to that rare category oI people who believe
in and practice clean and green living. He has also written a book
known as "Ecological Houses" discussing the details oI selI-heating
sod houses.




SMART Technology for Efficient Helicopters
e use helicopters Ior medical emergencies, search operations, traIIic
reporting or protecting celebrity privacy Irom paparazzi. They are
loud, give us bumps (not birthday bumps) and are considered not very
eIIicient and comIortable Ior daily travel. But NASA wants to give
them a makeover. They are researching into shape oI rotor blades and
material used Ior constructing those blades. This may ease the load on
domestic airports and aircraIts. They may carry (in near twenty years)
at least hundred passengers to their destination without loud noise and
bumps. e may preIer helicopters Ior shorter destinations.




ew Hydrogen Purification Method
This Ieeling is making inroads into many hearts and minds that we
need clean and green Iuel. Hydrogen is the simplest element known to
us. Its atom contains just one proton. It is also lighter than air and
doesn`t exist alone on this planet. It is always Iound in combination
with other elements. People see hydrogen as an alternative Iuel but it
has its own drawbacks. One oI the biggest hurdles in hydrogen Iuel is
its puriIication. It can act as Iuel Ior Iuel cells but present methods oI
puriIication are not so eIIicient and eIIective.




Artificial Trees to Harness Solar and Wind Energy
II you think planting trees is going to save the planet Irom global
warming, you're thinking in the right direction but a problem we
may call it a problem due to the situation we have gotten ourselves in
with mother nature is it takes its own good time to show results. It
doesn't mean that we should stop planting new trees and stop all
eIIorts at Iorestation. Everything artiIicial doesn't have to be bad Ior
Earth; a London based company called Solar Botanic intends to use
Energy Harvesting Trees to generate solar as well as wind energy.
The solution is unique in a sense that the same installation can use
two alternative energy sources to produce clean electricity.




Energy from Solar Roadways
e are using Iossil Iuels as the primary source oI energy to run our
Industrial Civilization. But we are paying a heavy price Ior using
Iossil Iuels in the Iorm oI environmental damages. Now, we know
that Iossil Iuels and natural gases are not going to last Iorever. This
will lead us into big problems. e can`t go back to liIe oI the 18th
century. e can`t shut down our industrial units and means oI
transport and communications. Many are worried about the
impending situation and thinking oI solutions.



Robot Ranchers Could Maintain Future Wind Farms
e all know that the need oI the hour is alternative energy so that
Iuture generations can still breathe Iresh air and have enough energy
Ior their industrial purposes and domestic use. Many states and
countries are promoting wind energy as a clean and green energy. e
all know the advantages and disadvantages oI alternative energy. No
doubt harvesting wind Ior energy purposes is a good move but
maintenance oI wind Iarms has its share oI headaches. ind turbine
generators already mark the horizon Ior miles in every direction in
many parts oI the world. But maintenance oI the windmills has been a
strenuous task Ior human technicians. Rotor blade damage is a routine
but irritating problem that demands many hours oI maintenance.





More Grid-Friendly Vehicles
How about a vehicle that not only draws energy Irom an electric grid
but also gives it back when there is surplus or unused energy in the
vehicle? This is exactly the kind oI car being developed by illett
Kempton, a renewable-energy proIessor at the University oI
Delaware.




Harvesting Energy From Bumps In The Road
Don`t curse the potholes, they can give you energy, says a team oI
MIT students. The MIT undergraduates have devised a shock
absorber that can smoothen your ride as well as harvest energy Irom
bumps that will generate electricity! The study was published in MIT
Tech Talk on ednesday. The team wanted to Iigure out where
energy is being wasted in a moving vehicle. Some hybrid cars are
already recovering the energy Irom breaking. So the team searched
elsewhere and quickly concentrated on suspension. Shakeel
Avadhany and his teammates said they can generate up to a 10
percent enhancement in overall vehicle Iuel eIIiciency by using the
regenerative shock absorbers.






Solar Energy ~Power Towers for California
e mostly talk about solar panels that convert sunlight into
electricity. But we can utilize sunlight by using another technology
known as concentrating solar technology. In this technology reIlective
mirrors are used to concentrate light onto a liquid to make steam. This
steam then converts energy into electricity with the help oI
conventional turbines. Deserts are best places to avail this technology.
One important aspect is, its air-cooling process conserves water, an
important consideration Ior desert projects. Concentrating solar
technology is to be utilized in CaliIornia which has a directive to
generate 33 percent oI their electricity Irom renewable sources by
2020.





Spray-on Solar Panels
Solar cells are usually made oI silicon coated with a thin layer oI
silicon nitrate. This silicon nitrate works as an anti-reIlective agent to
boost cell eIIiciency. But the catch is these types oI cells are costly to
produce. This anti-reIlective layer deposition happens in vacuum and
creating vacuum like situation doesn`t come cheap!





Solar Energy from Butterfly Wings?
Everyone believing in clean and green energy knows its drawbacks.
Those working on improving solar energy want to improve solar
cells` light harvesting eIIiciency. So that more and more solar light
can be converted into energy. ell, the help may come Irom
butterIlies` wings! A butterIly`s wing can help us enhancing the solar
power eIIiciency. ButterIly wings have scales that act as tiny solar
collectors. Researchers Irom China and Japan are working on
designing more eIIicient solar cells while taking inspiration Irom the
butterIly wings. II successIul, this discovery may lead to powering
homes, businesses and other applications in the Iuture.





Alubond Solar Panels Could Save $70 Million
People who want to use clean and green energy oIten complain about
high costs oI solar panels and even a longer breakeven period. So
research teams and companies are constantly trying to improve upon
the drawbacks oI solar panels. SuntroI Systems LLC is bringing Iorth
a new innovation in solar collector panels that could bring about
savings oI around $ 60-70 million and lessen the time Ior installation
by around 5-7 months.




Plastic Solar Cells For Electronic Devices
Currently silicon-based solar cells are Ilooding the market. Industry
pundits can Ioresee a hopeIul Iuture Ior low-cost, Ilexible solar cells.
II we can make solar devices other than silicon based materials then
they can be used Ior all sorts oI applications beyond just the
traditional solar panels on house rooItops. It will be great iI we can
have solar cells Ior portable electronic devices too.




Running a Car on Wind Energy
A new power packed perIormance super car has been designed in
CaliIornia that can run at the speed oI 155 mph without conventional
Iuel. For startup this car will use solar powered battery but later draw
its energy Irom circulating air. An advanced alternating current
induction motor will glide the Formula AE. This motor will have a
power output oI 212 kilowatts. Rory Handel and Maxx Bricklinas
Irom Beverly Hills, CaliIornia are responsible Ior the design oI the
sleek motor oI the car, and they are hoping that the prototype would
be completed in August.






An ArtiIicial Sun on Earth
It is science`s star experiment: an attempt to create an artiIicial sun on
earth and provide an answer to the world`s impending energy
shortage. Scientists believe that this can`t be achieved Ior the next
hundred years, but having your own sun Ior energy need is not an
impossible dream! Maybe in Iuture we can solve energy crisis by
developing our own artiIicial sun. Scientists have been trying to
harness nuclear Iusion since Albert Einstein had derived the equation
Emc in 1905. This equation raised the hope that Iusing atoms
together could release incredible amounts oI energy. II Einstein`s
theory is put to practical use, the amount oI energy locked up in one
gram oI matter is enough to power 28,500 100-watt lightbulbs Ior a
year.





Renewable Energy From Slow Water Currents
e can use slow moving ocean and river waves Ior a new, reliable
and aIIordable alternative energy source. A University oI Michigan
engineer has developed a device that acts like a Iish that turns the
potentially destructive vibrations in water into clean, renewable
energy. This machine is named as VIVACE ( Vortex Induced
Vibrations Ior Aquatic Clean Energy). It is the Iirst known device that
could draw energy Irom most water currents around the world,
according to a statement Irom the University oI Michigan. "There
won't be one solution Ior the world's energy needs," VIVACE
developer Michael Bernitsas, a proIessor at the U-M department oI
naval architecture and marine engineering, said in the statement. "But
iI we could harness 0.1 percent oI the energy in the ocean, we could
support the energy needs oI 15 billion people."





ew Method for Realizing Hydrogen Potential
Hydrogen-powered Iuel cells hold enormous promise as a power
source Ior Iuture generations. Hydrogen is the simplest element
known to humans. Each atom oI hydrogen has only one proton. It is
also the most abundant gas in the universe. Hydrogen has a unique
property. It carries the highest energy content oI any common Iuel by
weight (about three times more than gasoline), but interestingly it has
the lowest energy content by volume (about Iour times less than
gasoline). Hydrogen is the lightest element, and it is a gas at normal
temperature and pressure. Hydrogen is not a widely used Iuel today
but it has great potential as an energy carrier in the Iuture. Hydrogen
can be produced Irom a variety oI sources (water, Iossil Iuels, and
biomass) and is a byproduct oI other chemical processes.








Breakthrough In Small Wind Technology
The main work oI wind turbines is to utilize the energy oI wind and
convert it into electricity; stronger wind is considered good Ior
electricity production. But the speed oI wind should not be too strong
because it makes turbines spin too Iast and in this process it commits
suicide! hy is it so? Because turbine blades get ripped oII by
stronger winds excessive heat damages the alternator. Turbine tower
too can't remain unaIIected by the strong wind. To prevent all this
damage a mechanical breaking system Iurling is generally used. This
method prevents wind turbine Irom spinning too quickly by turning
the blades away Irom the direction oI the wind. Furling can be manual
or automatic with same goal i.e. turning the turbine blade edges into
the wind when the wind is dangerously strong and stormy.








Hydrogen-Powered Personal Helicopter
A personal helicopter weighing just 230 lb created sizzling news
when it Ilew on hydrogen with zero emission. ith an ability to carry
payloads up to 800 lbs, this pocket Hercules can Ily Ior 90 minutes.
Fitted with easy controls, this reaches a speed oI 100 knots thanks to a
pair oI small yet powerIul motors mounted on it. Two common and
easily available things - Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and a catalyst -
combined to bring about a milestone in personal aviation history with
attention to the environmental issues as well! Avimech has combined
these two to power engine in to an innovative machine.





A Power Sticker to Boost Solar Power Generation
New and unique ways oI making solar panels more eIIicient in power
generation are coming to light every day. The new kid in the block oI
one such device is a large transparent sticker applied to the Iront oI
the panel which increases the power output by about 10 or so. Genie
Lens Technologies is the Iirm which has developed these polymer
Iilm stickers. These polymer Iilms are imprinted with special kind oI
microstructures. Even the panels that have been prior installed and
working can have these polymer stickers applied easily to them and
the stickers will boost their eIIiciency.





PETE Process Promises Successful Technology Fusion
A new joint venture research work at StanIord and SLAC National
Accelerator Laboratory, supported by Department oI Energy and
DARPA has come up with a new solar energy conversion process that
can potentially double the eIIiciency oI solar cells. StanIord engineers
have discovered this new and totally diIIerent process to harvest
energy Irom sun.





Graphene: Solar Cells of the Future?
A southern CaliIornia University team has come up with what could
be the alternative new breed oI economical and Ilexible solar cells.
For some decades now, organic photovoltaic cells (OPV) have been
acclaimed as the new solar cell prototypes and extolled Ior their light
weight, Ilexible substrates, low cost and easy manuIacturability.
Research is now being done on them.





Breakthrough in Thin-Film Solar Cells

Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have come
out with positive news about increased eIIiciency oI thin-Iilm solar
cells. As we know that scientists are trying to increase the eIIiciency
oI the solar cells so that they can be considered as serious alternative
to the Iossil Iuels. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University
Mainz (JGU) too are working at this angle. They opted Ior the
computer simulations to probe deeper into the indium/gallium
combination to increase the eIIiciency oI Copper indium gallium
(di)selenide (CIGS) thin-Iilm solar cells. Till now CIGS has shown
only about 20 eIIiciency though theoretically they can attain the
eIIiciency levels oI 30.





Economical Solar Panels to Yield More Energy
There has been research work going on to increase the eIIiciency oI
the cost-eIIective amorphous solar panels. TU DelIt has been the
center where this research work is being developed. The research will
directly help in increasing the eIIiciency oI amorphous solar cells -
Irom a 7 to a 9. Crystalline silicon is most commonly used in
silicon solar cells which increases the production cost quite
signiIicantly. There is a more economical type oI solar panels using
amorphous silicon using rather thin Iilms oI silicon. The production
cost is comparatively less with these panels.











More Power to Electronics Thanks to ano-scale
Today a long-standing electronic dream has become a reality thanks
to research done by a team oI scientists Irom Bar-Ilan University,
ires Israel, supported by U.S. Department oI Energy's (DOE) at
Brookhaven National Laboratory. Producing superconducting nano-
scale wires to Iacilitate Iaster and more powerIul electronic devices
has been the long-time ambition which had eluded achievement until
now.





VIDEO: Solar Stereo Speakers
Imagine a cool poolside with golden sunlight, liIting music and
relaxing time sounds great, no! Now great music, wireless speakers,
and excellent audio quality - all these are possible with Devotec Solar
Sound 2 Stereo Bluetooth Speakers. Almost all phones, MP3 players
and music players can be connected to these speakers wirelessly to get
instant clear, resonant music.






Costs for Thermo-photovoltaic Cells Significantly Reduced
Thermo-photovoltaic (TPV) cells are great Ior converting radiation
Irom any heat source to power. These cells can generate power Irom
the wasted heat which gets released when glass or steel is produced.
Adding these TPV cells to domestic power systems can help generate
power along with heating water. TPV systems are also too complex
Ior everyday use. Both oI these reasons have made the TPV systems
beyond industrial and domestic consumer routine set-up.





The Ultimate Solar Cell?
The ultimate step in utilizing solar power is to convert maximum
energy Irom sun into electricity. This will make solar power highly
cost-advantageous compared to other traditional power sources.
Capturing energy wasted as heat Irom the sun can increase solar
conversion eIIiciency greatly. Research Iunded by the U.S.
Department oI Energy is on-going to make this happen.






ew Process to Boost Hydrogen Fuel Cell Usage
A new process is being tested by chemical engineers oI Purdue
University to get high hydrogen production at Iuel-cell temperature-
level with no catalyst use. This is Iull oI promise Ior vehicles powered
by hydrogen and other portable electronic items like dig-cams,
medical diagnostic devices, deIibrillators, cell phones and notebook
computers. The research Iunded by US Department oI Energy is
ushering in a new process.





Airborne Wind Turbines?
Yes, the day is not Iar oII when reaching Ior sky is the new motto Ior
generating cost-eIIective renewable energy. Initially it was considered
to be technically non-viable to tap high-altitude winds. But today,
technically-advanced materials and innovative computer know-how
are giving new liIe to this scheme with innovative autonomous aerial
structures using wind energy to generate power.






Giant Inflatable Airship Powered by Algae
This summer, piloted by Captain Allan Judd, Bullet 580 will usher in
the return oI inIlatable giant airships. The 235 It long and 65It
diameter ship is covered with a type oI Kevlar, a material 10 times-
stronger than steel but only one sixteenth oI an inch thick. An E-green
design special costing 5.5million, this giant runs on algae - latest
bio-Iuel that can be developed Irom brackish and waste water.






MIT Researchers Print a Solar Cell on Paper
e love the idea oI clean and green Iuel. But they come with certain
disadvantages. First one is they are heavy on pocket oI a commoner.
Second disadvantage is their power conversion rate is quite low. Last
one is you need storage space to save all the power converted by a
clean and green technology. Now MIT researchers are coming out oI
solar cells printed on paper. Though the technology still has to wait
Ior years beIore it can be converted into a commercially viable entity
but it`s an interesting development.





Bladeless Wind Turbine - Inspired by ikola Tesla
A research company in New Hampshire recently patented its
bladeless wind turbine, which is based on a patent issued to Nikola
Tesla in 1913. This wind turbine is christened as the Fuller ind
Turbine. This turbine is developed by Solar Aero. The specialty oI
Fuller ind Turbine is it has only one rotating part, known as the
turbine-driveshaIt. The entire machinery is assembled inside a
housing. ind turbines are oIten disliked by environmentalists
because they kill birds and bats and oIten generate noise Ior the
residents living nearby.





ew Platinum Could Mean Cheaper, More Efficient Fuel Cells
Fuel cells are clean and green cells. They work without polluting the
environment. Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that transIorm the
chemical energy oI a Iuel into electricity generating water as a by-
product. Fuel cells are most used in space Ilights but they can be best
utilized in electric vehicles to reduce air pollution. Fuel powered
electric vehicles are better than battery operated EVs as Iar as
eIIiciency and Iaster reIueling is concerned.




Hydrogen Gas Production Doubled with ew Super Bacterium
Hydrogen gas is today used primarily Ior manuIacturing chemicals,
but a bright Iuture is predicted Ior it as a vehicle Iuel in combination
with Iuel cells. In order to produce hydrogen gas in a way that is
climate neutral, bacteria are added to Iorestry or household waste,
using a method similar to biogas production. One problem with this
production method is that hydrogen exchange is low, i.e. the raw
materials generate little hydrogen gas. Now, Ior the Iirst time,
researchers have studied a newly discovered bacterium that produces
twice as much hydrogen gas as the bacteria currently used. The results
show how, when and why the bacterium can perIorm its excellent
work and increase the possibilities oI competitive biological
production oI hydrogen gas.





Engineers Tap Algae Cells for Electricity
ith the help oI photosynthesis plants convert light energy to
chemical energy. This chemical energy is stored in the bonds oI
sugars they use Ior Iood. Photosynthesis happens inside a chloroplast.
Chloroplasts are considered as the cellular powerhouses that make
sugars and impart leaves and algae a green hue. During
photosynthesis water is split into oxygen, protons and electrons.
hen sunrays Iall on the leaves and reach the chloroplast, electrons
get excited and attain higher energy level. These excited electrons are
caught by proteins. The electrons are passed through a series oI
proteins. These proteins utilize more oI the electrons' energy to
synthesize sugars until the entire electron's energy is exhausted.








PV Cell Prototype Generates Electricity from IR and UV Light
Solar energy is present in abundance around us. The problem is how
to harness a substantial portion oI it Ior human use. How to raise the
eIIiciency bar oI solar conversion into electricity? Scientists are
continuously engaged in Iinding a way out Ior this problem. Recently
scientists at the Kyoto Institute oI Technology have deviated Irom the
normal path and tried to trap the visible as well as invisible rays oI
sun Ior electricity. They tried to create a new photovoltaic cell that
can capture visible, inIrared and ultraviolet light oI the sun. The team
now thinks that this photovoltaic will be highly eIIicient Ior solar
power conversion.












Tiny Generators Produce Electricity Irom Ambient Vibrations
Tiny generators developed at the University oI Michigan could
produce enough electricity Irom random, ambient vibrations to power
a wristwatch, pacemaker or wireless sensor. The energy-harvesting
devices, created at U-M's Engineering Research Center Ior ireless
Integrated Microsystems, are highly eIIicient at providing renewable
electrical power Irom arbitrary, non-periodic vibrations. This type oI
vibration is a byproduct oI traIIic driving on bridges, machinery
operating in Iactories and humans moving their limbs.

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