The newswires were buzzing with alternative energy developments this week as Inhabitat reported that Apple filed a patent for a hydrogen fuel cell-powered laptop that can last an entire week without needing a recharge. We also celebrated the warm winter holidays with a look at the world's first solar-powered menorah, GE unveiled an awesome set of 3D-printed Christmas tree ornaments, and we brought you a first look at the dazzling LED-studded 2012 Times Square new year's eve ball. We also showcased several amazing examples of paper technology as Sony flipped the switch on a paper-powered battery and Joon & Jung unveiled an alarm clock with a cute paper shell.
Eco transportation was a hot topic as well this week as Porsche unveiled plans to develop the third generation of its flywheel-boosted 911 GT3 R hybrid and the UK's new hybrid double-decker busses hit the streets of London. We also showcased plans for a greenery-filled AirTrain that harnesses Nasa-patented air purifying technology and we brought you Foster + Partner's plans for a striking new high-speed rail station in Galicia, Spain.
In other news, this week we saw Waterstudio launch plans for a floating Sea Tree skyscraper that provides habitat for flora & fauna, a scientist has harnessed bioluminescent bacteria to combat pollution in a fragile Florida ecosystem, and researchers developed a new breed of self-fixing electronics that use liquid metal capsules to heal themselves. Finally, we brought you several hot developments in wearable tech - a set of 3D printed eyeglasses, a site that uses your webcam to measure your clothing size, and theworld's first pair of over-ear headphones made with sustainable materials.
Showing posts with label Other Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other Science. Show all posts
[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/inhabitat-week-in-green-hydrogen-fuel.html[/postlink]
[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/10facts-about-portable-electronics-in.html[/postlink]
1. Radio-frequency emissions from cell phones, laptops and other electronics can occur at the same frequencies used by aircraft communication, navigation and surveillance radio receivers. These emissions could cause fluctuations in navigation readouts, problems with other flight displays, and interference with air traffic communications.
2. It’s less risky to let passengers use portable electronics (with the exception of cell phones) at cruising altitudes above 3,000 meters* because the flight crew would have more time to diagnose and address any possible interference than they would during takeoff or landing.
3. Because passengers bring such a variety of portable electronics onboard in so many different states of function or disrepair, the FAA can’t assure that none of them will interfere with flight instrumentation. The agency thus tells carriers to prohibit their use completely during critical phases of flight.
4. The FAA has begun allowing flight crews to use tablet computers including iPads in the cockpit. But this is not as surprising as it might sound: Crews have actually been using portable computers called “electronic flight bags” since the early 1990s to replace printed aircraft operating manuals, flight crew operating manuals and navigational charts.
5. Portable voice recorders, hearing aids, electric shavers and heart pacemakers do not need to be shut off at any time during a flight because their signals don’t interfere with aircraft systems.
6. For any gadget not specifically mentioned by FAA rules, an airline must demonstrate that this device doesn’t interfere with aircraft operation before it is allowed on board.
7. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has banned the inflight use of 800 MHz cell phones since 1991 to keep cell networks from interfering with airplane instrumentation. (Before that cell phones were banned because they didn’t fit in the overhead luggage compartment or safely under a passenger’s seat.)
8. The FCC and FAA work in tandem to ban cell phones on airplanes. Even if a cell phone were to meet the FAA’s safety requirements, an airline would need an exemption from the FCC rule for that cell phone to be used inflight. Likewise, if the FCC rescinds its ban, the FAA would require an airline to show that the use of a specific model of phone won’t interfere with the navigation and communications systems of the specific type of aircraft on which it would be used.
9. RTCA, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based federal advisory group, concluded that the FAA should keep its inflight restrictions in place after the group studied electromagnetic interference from cell phones and Wi-Fi transmitters in laptops from 2003 to 2006. At the same time, RTCA also published detailed processes that carriers and electronics makers can follow to certify such devices for inflight use if desired.
10. Airlines may offer inflight Wi-Fi between takeoff and landing. The FAA doesn’t restrict the use of Skype or other Internet calling software. (Airlines, however, have banned them for the sanity of their crew and passengers.)
10FACTS ABOUT PORTABLE ELECTRONICS IN FLIGHT
[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/india-cellphones-generate-radiation.html[/postlink]
Is your cellphone bad for your health? India's government seems to think so, because it's planning a law that will require all phones to display how much electro-magnetic radiation they generate. Radiation is measured in SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) and the Indian limit has been lowered to match the USA's 1.6W/kg, whereas before it followed the European ceiling of 2W/kg. But even handsets that meet this criterion may have to declare their SAR level, and also carry a message asking people to keep their calls or short or use SMS instead -- implying that the Indian government regards radiation as dangerous atany level.
India: cellphones generate radiation, send a text message instead
[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/lifelike-cells.html[/postlink]
Scientists trying to create artificial life generally work under the assumption that life must be carbon-based, but what if a living thing could be made from another element?
One British researcher may have proven that theory, potentially rewriting the book of life. Lee Cronin of the University of Glasgow has created lifelike cells from metal — a feat few believed feasible. The discovery opens the door to the possibility that there may be life forms in the universe not based on carbon, reports New Scientist.
Even more remarkable, Cronin has hinted that the metal-based cells may be replicating themselves and evolving.
"I am 100 percent positive that we can get evolution to work outside organic biology," he said.
The high-functioning "cells" that Cronin has built are constructed from large polyoxometalates derived from a range of metal atoms, like tungsten. He gets them to assemble in bubbly spheres by mixing them in a specialized saline solution, and calls the resultant cell-like structures "inorganic chemical cells," or iCHELLs.
The metallic bubbles are certainly cell-like, but are they actually alive? Cronin has made a compelling case for the comparison by constructing the iCHELLS with a number of features that make them function much as real cells do. For instance, by modifying the outer oxide structure of the bubbles so that they are porous, he has essentially built iCHELLs with membranes capable of selectively allowing chemicals in and out according to size, much as what happens with the walls of real cells.
Cronin's team has also created bubbles inside of bubbles, which opens the door to the possibility of developing specialized "organelles." Even more compelling, some of the iCHELLs are being equipped with the ability to photosynthesize. The process is still rudimentary, but by linking some oxide molecules to light sensitive dyes, the team has constructed a membrane that splits water into hydrogen ions, electrons and oxygen when illuminated — which is how photosynthesis begins in real cells.
Of course, the most compelling lifelike quality of the iCHELLs so far is their ability to evolve. Although they aren't equipped with anything remotely resembling DNA, and therefore can't replicate themselves in the same way that real cells do, Cronin has nevertheless managed to create some polyoxometalates that can use each other as templates to self-replicate. Furthermore, he is currently embarked on a seven-month experiment to see if iCHELLs placed in different environments will evolve.
The early results have been encouraging. "I think we have just shown the first droplets that can evolve," Cronin hinted.
Though the idea of a strange new metal-based form of life rapidly evolving in a lab somewhere on Earth may sound ominous, the finding could forever change how life is defined. It also greatly improves the odds of life existing elsewhere in the universe, since life forms could potentially be built from any number of different elements.
Scientists trying to create artificial life generally work under the assumption that life must be carbon-based, but what if a living thing could be made from another element?
One British researcher may have proven that theory, potentially rewriting the book of life. Lee Cronin of the University of Glasgow has created lifelike cells from metal — a feat few believed feasible. The discovery opens the door to the possibility that there may be life forms in the universe not based on carbon, reports New Scientist.
Even more remarkable, Cronin has hinted that the metal-based cells may be replicating themselves and evolving.
"I am 100 percent positive that we can get evolution to work outside organic biology," he said.
The high-functioning "cells" that Cronin has built are constructed from large polyoxometalates derived from a range of metal atoms, like tungsten. He gets them to assemble in bubbly spheres by mixing them in a specialized saline solution, and calls the resultant cell-like structures "inorganic chemical cells," or iCHELLs.
The metallic bubbles are certainly cell-like, but are they actually alive? Cronin has made a compelling case for the comparison by constructing the iCHELLS with a number of features that make them function much as real cells do. For instance, by modifying the outer oxide structure of the bubbles so that they are porous, he has essentially built iCHELLs with membranes capable of selectively allowing chemicals in and out according to size, much as what happens with the walls of real cells.
Cronin's team has also created bubbles inside of bubbles, which opens the door to the possibility of developing specialized "organelles." Even more compelling, some of the iCHELLs are being equipped with the ability to photosynthesize. The process is still rudimentary, but by linking some oxide molecules to light sensitive dyes, the team has constructed a membrane that splits water into hydrogen ions, electrons and oxygen when illuminated — which is how photosynthesis begins in real cells.
Of course, the most compelling lifelike quality of the iCHELLs so far is their ability to evolve. Although they aren't equipped with anything remotely resembling DNA, and therefore can't replicate themselves in the same way that real cells do, Cronin has nevertheless managed to create some polyoxometalates that can use each other as templates to self-replicate. Furthermore, he is currently embarked on a seven-month experiment to see if iCHELLs placed in different environments will evolve.
The early results have been encouraging. "I think we have just shown the first droplets that can evolve," Cronin hinted.
Though the idea of a strange new metal-based form of life rapidly evolving in a lab somewhere on Earth may sound ominous, the finding could forever change how life is defined. It also greatly improves the odds of life existing elsewhere in the universe, since life forms could potentially be built from any number of different elements.
LIFELIKE CELLS
[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/self-healing-electronics.html[/postlink]
If just a single circuit in a complex integrated electronics chip fails, an entire device can be rendered useless. But what if a chip had the ability to heal itself and restore the device to full capacity? A team of engineers at the University of Illinois have come up with a way to make that possible.
The innovation — the latest in the quest for self-healing electronics — centers on the use of tiny microcapsules of liquid metal called gallium-indium, which has a high conductivity and low-temperature melting point. When a circuit breaks and electrical conductivity is disrupted, the microcapsules — each as small as 10 microns in diameter — release their liquid metal payload. The metal fills in the gap in the circuit within microseconds, restoring up to 99 percent of the original conductivity.
The team's paper, Autonomic Restoration of Electrical Conductivity, was published online Dec. 20 in the journal Advanced Material.
Microcapsules like this have previously been used with self-healing polymers developed by the same team.
"What’s really cool about this paper," said co-author Scott White in a prepared statement, "is it's the first example of taking the microcapsule-based healing approach and applying it to a new function. Everything prior to this has been on structural repair. This is on conductivity restoration. It shows the concept translates to other things as well."
Another author, Nancy Sottos, said this technique will make many currently common electronics repairs unnecessary. "In a multilayer integrated circuit, there's no opening it up. Normally you just replace the whole chip. It's true for a battery, too. You can't pull a battery apart and try to find the source of the failure."
The team says the self-healing properties could be applied to consumer electronics such as computers or mobile phones — thereby reducing e-waste — or to even more complex systems, such as defense systems or space vehicles, where repair opportunities are extremely limited. Since the system would repair itself, it would also make timely diagnostics a thing of the past.
"In an aircraft, especially a defense-based aircraft, there are miles and miles of conductive wire," Sottos said. "You don't often know where the break occurs. The autonomous part is nice — it knows where it broke, even if we don't."
In tests, the team monitored circuits that had been repaired by the microcapsules for four months and found no further loss of conductivity.
If just a single circuit in a complex integrated electronics chip fails, an entire device can be rendered useless. But what if a chip had the ability to heal itself and restore the device to full capacity? A team of engineers at the University of Illinois have come up with a way to make that possible.
The innovation — the latest in the quest for self-healing electronics — centers on the use of tiny microcapsules of liquid metal called gallium-indium, which has a high conductivity and low-temperature melting point. When a circuit breaks and electrical conductivity is disrupted, the microcapsules — each as small as 10 microns in diameter — release their liquid metal payload. The metal fills in the gap in the circuit within microseconds, restoring up to 99 percent of the original conductivity.
The team's paper, Autonomic Restoration of Electrical Conductivity, was published online Dec. 20 in the journal Advanced Material.
Microcapsules like this have previously been used with self-healing polymers developed by the same team.
"What’s really cool about this paper," said co-author Scott White in a prepared statement, "is it's the first example of taking the microcapsule-based healing approach and applying it to a new function. Everything prior to this has been on structural repair. This is on conductivity restoration. It shows the concept translates to other things as well."
Another author, Nancy Sottos, said this technique will make many currently common electronics repairs unnecessary. "In a multilayer integrated circuit, there's no opening it up. Normally you just replace the whole chip. It's true for a battery, too. You can't pull a battery apart and try to find the source of the failure."
The team says the self-healing properties could be applied to consumer electronics such as computers or mobile phones — thereby reducing e-waste — or to even more complex systems, such as defense systems or space vehicles, where repair opportunities are extremely limited. Since the system would repair itself, it would also make timely diagnostics a thing of the past.
"In an aircraft, especially a defense-based aircraft, there are miles and miles of conductive wire," Sottos said. "You don't often know where the break occurs. The autonomous part is nice — it knows where it broke, even if we don't."
In tests, the team monitored circuits that had been repaired by the microcapsules for four months and found no further loss of conductivity.
SELF HEALING ELECTRONICS
[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/china-increases-solar-power-target-for.html[/postlink]
World Solar Power Installations in 2011
The list of top solar power installations by country in 2011
Top 6 solar countries in 2011 by new PV installations (in MW).
Source: IHS iSuppli Research, December 2011.
Wikipedia with solar power statistics by country at the end of 2010
China National Radio reported, citing an announcement from the National Energy Administration. The solar power capacity by 2015 to be 50 pct over previous plan from just earlier in 2011. Annual solar power output will reach 20 billion kilowatt hours by 2015 and wind power output 190 billion kWh.
The 15 GWp solar target would likely put China in 4th or 5th place in the world for solar power installations in 2015. Germany, Spain and likely Japan and the United States would have more solar power installations.
The earlier China energy plan was reported here
Targets disclosed early 2011 December, 2011 targets for 2015
Hydropower 250 260
Wind 90 100
Solar 5 15
Bio-energy 13 13
Geothermal N/A 0.1
Tidal wave N/A 0.01-0.02
Nuclear is targeted for 40 GW which is the equivalent of 200 GW of solar and 160 GW of wind. Higher capacity factor for nuclear.
The ambitious move may have been encouraged by a rapid increase in solar power installation in recent months after the government unified grid feed-in tariffs for solar projects for the first time in July, and offered a higher price for projects that would be put into operation before the year end
World Solar Power Installations in 2011
The list of top solar power installations by country in 2011
Top 6 solar countries in 2011 by new PV installations (in MW).
Source: IHS iSuppli Research, December 2011.
2011 Rank Location 2010 2011 Annual Percentage Growth
1 Italy 3,577 6,900 92.9%
2 Germany 7,408 5,923 -20.0%
3 United States 915 2,703 195.5%
4 China 537 1,726 221.4%
5 Japan 990 1,300 31.3%
6 France 719 963 34.0%
Wikipedia with solar power statistics by country at the end of 2010
Total photovoltaic peak power capacity (MWp) at the end of 2010
World 39,778
European Union 29,328
1. Germany 17,320
2. Spain 3,892
3. Japan 3,617
4. Italy 3,502
5. United States 2,519
6. Czech Republic 1,953
7. France 1,025
8. China 893
2011 Rank Location total installed
1 Germany 23,243
2 Italy 10,402
3 United States 5,222
4 Japan 4,917
5 Spain 4,400(e)
6 China 2,619
7 Czech Republic 2,300-2,600 (e)
8 France 1,988
2015 Rank Location Projected installed Solar (per Nextbigfuture)
1 Germany 45,000
2 Italy 18,000 (slower growth because of economic problems)
3 United States 17,000
4 Japan 16,000 (faster shift based on Fukushima reaction)
5 China 15,000 (increased solar target)
6 Spain 6,000 (slowdown because of economic problems)
China increases solar power target for 2015 to 15 gigawatts and World projections for 2011 and 2015
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