ITS ALL ABOUT EE&P!!!!!

eCRP Electric Motorcycle Launches for TTXGP

2011-04-09T00:31:00.000+05:30

A trip around the eCRP plant headquarters at Modena: The eCRP is the first of its kind of purpose-built electric superbikes, and today it is pitting against the legendary gas-powered Ducati, MV Agusta et al in the Italian TTXGP. With classic gorgeous looks and efficiently designed high performing parts, Moto2 bikes are packed with top-notch specifications. Agni 95 DC twin motors, battery packs from 7.4KWh, Marzocchi D.43 Superbike forks, CRP-built aluminum cast alloy Chassis and other features make the eCRP 1.2 a great bike. CRP has strictly adhered to the TTXGP rules and specifications in the making of eCRP 1.2.

Past Masters:
For the past 4 decades, critical parts for Formula 1 and top Italian supercars and MotoGP have been manufactured by CRP. This experience has played an important role in the manufacture of eCRP bikes.
Individually manufactured components:
CRP makes all the needed parts individually – a wide range of them – not from molds or samples – but separately from selective laser sintering machine. These are made from Windform – a polyamide carbon blend material – unique to the CRP – as per the specifications of the racing teams overnight to be ready for the next morning.
CRP – the company:
CRP is a family-owned company, managed by two generations of Cevolini family and today, Roberto Cevolini the founder is still keenly interested in their Moto2 bike working. Daughter, Livia Cevolini is CRP’s Marketing & Sales Director, son, Franco Cevolini is the Chairman & Technical Director, and CRP Racing’s managing director is Giampiero Testoni.
Exodus to TTXGP:
It makes interesting copy to read how CRP got involved with TTXGP. Actually the prohibitive cost of electric car racing has greatly influenced CRP to take an interest in the Italian TTXGP. A discussion between the CRP’s Marketing & Technical Director, Livia Cevolini and the TTXGP Founder, Azhar Hussain has been instrumental in pursuing CRP to join TTXGP. And now CRP is involved in manufacturing the bikes as well in TTXGP organizational details.
The future:
Looking at the great design and still greater specifications, and the capacity for speed, one can come to the conclusion that the future races will be between the fast and super fast bikes.

Generating Electricity from Wing Waves

2011-04-01T11:42:00.001+05:30

Just like wind mills and wind turbines that generate power and electricity from the wind, scientists are now working to generate power from the sea. Stephen Wood, an assistant professor of marine and environmental systems at Florida Institute of Technology’s College of Engineering is working on this technology for its advance and proper use. This technology will use Wing waves in a very efficient way to generate electricity and power from the sea.

The wing waves technology to produce electricity and power from sea is a project initiated by a renewable energy firm from Tallahassee called the Clean and Green Enterprises. This firm has been working in this area since the past five years.
The use of Wing Waves to produce electricity from the sea
According Wood, about 200,000 houses can be lit with the help of one square miles of wings that produce around 1000 units of electric power. Power is generated by changing elliptical motion wave into mechanical energy after trapping it 30 feet to 60 feet below the sea.
The chief executive with Clean and Green Enterprises Inc., Terence Bolden says that the wings sway 30 degrees from side to side. They take 8 to 10 seconds to complete every arc. In this process, they produce electricity.
Basic requirements to use Wing Waves to produce electricity from the sea
To use Wing waves to produce electricity from the sea, there are two basic requirements: depth of 40 to 50 feet and a sandy bottom. Sea fans are placed on the sandy base. Though, bigger wings can be used to tap water to make electricity but for that the plant to make these wings has to be situated near the ocean. Till then, the fans having trapezoid-shaped wings that are 8 feet tall and 15 feet wide will continue to be used and they will be transported through road. The height and the width of the wings are carefully made so that they can be transported by the road and can be easily placed under the sea.
Advantages of using Wing Waves to produce electricity from the sea
An example of Wind Waves to produce electric power from the sea was showcased when two 8-foot-tall wing flaps moved up and down on the seabed, just a few miles away from the Fort Pierce Fla.
The advantages of Wing waves are:

It is a clean and green way to generate electric power.
It is an alternative way to provide power.
It protects sea life. Wings waves are very environment friendly as they do not cause any danger to the turtles and attract fish.
The power produced in the sea can be used on land by transferring the electricity from sea to land through cables.
The wing waves are a treat for the eye to see.
If these wings are properly maintained, they can be used up to 20 years.
The wings will operate and generate power even when the sea is a bit calm. The wings will get locked automatically during hurricanes, when the sea is rough.
Wing wave’s technology can operate in any coastal area.
Wing Waves also help in desalinizing sea water.

The prototype of Wing Waves technology
The prototype of wing waves that has been working from November 17 off the Florida coast is built with aluminum. It has helped to collect data on wave motion and other relevant matters. The prototype that is going to replace the one used now will be made from composite material that is more resistant to corrosion.
Hopefully, Wing waves will be a revolution in generating power and electricity from the sea.

Engineers Tap Algae Cells for Electricity

2011-03-23T13:50:00.001+05:30

With the help of photosynthesis plants convert light energy to chemical energy. This chemical energy is stored in the bonds of sugars they use for food. 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. When sunrays fall 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 of proteins. These proteins utilize more of the electrons’ energy to synthesize sugars until the entire electron’s energy is exhausted.

Now researchers at Stanford are inspired by a new idea. They intercepted the electrons just after they had been excited by light and were at their highest energy levels. They put the gold electrodes inside the chloroplasts of algae cells, and tapped the electrons to create a tiny electrical current. It may be the beginning of the production of “high efficiency” bioelectricity. This will be a clean and green source of energy but minus carbon dioxide.
Stanford University researchers got their work published in the journal Nano Letters (March, 2010). WonHyoung Ryu is the main author of this work. He says, “We believe we are the first to extract electrons out of living plant cells.” The Stanford research team created an exclusive, ultra-sharp gold nanoelectrode for this project.
They inserted the electrodes inside the algal cell membranes. The cell remains alive throughout the whole process. When cells start the photosynthesis, the electrodes attract electrons and produce tiny electric current. Ryu tells us, “We’re still in the scientific stages of the research. We were dealing with single cells to prove we can harvest the electrons.” The byproducts of such electricity production are protons and oxygen. Ryu says, “This is potentially one of the cleanest energy sources for energy generation. But the question is, is it economically feasible?”
Ryu himself provides the answer. He explained that they were able to extract just one picoampere from each cell. This quantity is so little that they would require a trillion cells photosynthesizing for one hour just to get the same amount of energy in a AA battery.
Another drawback of such an experiment is that the cells die after an hour. It might be the small trickles in the membrane around the electrode could be killing the cells. Or cells may be dying because they’re not storing the energy for their own vital functions necessary to sustain life. To attain commercial viability researchers have to overcome these hurdles.
They should go for a plant with larger chloroplasts for a larger collecting area. For such experiment they will also need a bigger electrode that could tap more electrons. With a longer-surviving plant and superior collecting ability, they could harness more electricity in terms of power.

Nanosolar: Solar Power at a Lower Cost

2011-03-22T00:37:00.000+05:30

In a market-friendly scenario, Nanosolar claims to be able to produce electricity at 5-6 cents/kilowatt hour almost as cheap as power from coal and at about one-third the cost of other solar power. Nanosolar claims: Nanosolar claims mass production of solar power will now become feasible with their differently manufactured solar panels. Conventional silicon-made solar panels have a stiff competitor from CIGS semiconductor printed solar panels – composed of copper, gallium, indium and selenium – which perform as good as conventional solar panels in lab conditions. An inexpensive printing process makes it ideal for mass production by an automated facility with robots and other hi-fi equipment

Solar panels re-invented:
The low efficiency which haunted Nanosolar raising the cost of installation of solar-power arrays and which necessitated more solar panels has been addressed successfully by Nanosolar. The larger panels they are now using generate more power; with modifications that cut the cost, the larger panels generate 160 watts as against 70 watts by First Solar.
Power output:
According to Martin Roscheisen, Nanosolar’s CEO, in sunny locations, power plants with these panels could produce electricity at 5-6 cents per kilowatt hour. Mr. Roscheisen claimed even the 16.4 % energy conversion in sunlight as against 20% energy conversion in the lab and only 11% of that energy into electricity by Nanosolar is high enough compared to conventional solar panels.
Raring to go!
Based at Germany and enjoying a huge market thanks to government’s incentives for the solar cells made of CIGS semiconductor, Nanosolar is ready to storm the market with producing solar cells twice as fast as the conventional solar-panel factories. He is ready to give First Solar a run for its money.
Not bankable?
But the claimed low costs are attainable only at close-to-capacity operation level which is at best a distant possibility. Because despite all improvements, under the current economic scenario, Nanosolar is finding it tough to find banks willing to back power plants which may be ready to use their solar panels. Now the panels are not yet “bankable;” but Nanosolar is hoping for a better future.

Concept Bridge could Generate Electricity from Moving Cars

2011-03-22T00:26:00.001+05:30

When people thought about telephones in underdeveloped countries it was like they would have to invest a huge sum in infrastructure in the form of poles, wires and equipments. No one imagined about cell phones at that time. They transcend most of the infrastructures. In this hour of impending depletion of fossil fuels we have to think differently. The steps may seem small today but they might leave a huge impact in future. Today we can’t be a bystander and watch the energy scene passively

We know that solar and wind energy is the richest sources of energy. Tiago Barros and Jorge Pereira have created a design that increases the ‘green’ quotient of a bridge. We might have experienced the fact that when cars pass below a bridge, they increase the velocity of the neighboring wind. Tiago Barros and Jorge Pereira are harnessing that quality of the wind. Their designed bridge will light up itself in the night with the power generated by the cars that pass below the bridge by the day. It works on the principle of energy conversion, i.e. from wind to electric energy. The designers believe that cars passing under the bridge will add to wind velocity by up to 20%, optimizing the rotation of the panels. The cross-wind bridge will act like a multipurpose envelope. A unique kind of envelop that will capture the wind power from a network of 2,188 light-weight rotating panels. This bridge is called as Cross-Wind Bridge.
In this design an induction power system plays an important role. It exchanges wind energy through an electromagnetic band located on each panel. This culminates into a power source which is used to light the bridge by night. This clean and green source of energy will increase the green quotient by 35% because of the punctured membrane utilized in the bridge cladding. Why? Because it is made of recycled steel from the auto industry.
Tiago Barros and Jorge Pereira team consists of Ines Valente, Rob Foote III, Yoon-Young Hur, Natalie Bazile and Joao Paulo Fernandes. The cross-wind bridge is 40m in length running southwest / northwest direction over the Segunda circular highway in Lisbon. Its path’s oblique angles are positioned in such a way that they can optimize predominant wind directions. This bridge has another unique feature; it provides a tunnel for pedestrians and bikers too. Cross-Wind Bridge also reconnects and makes accessible the remaining paths of Maria Droste Vila split by the highway and surrounded by Telheiral’s residential park. Again , the bridge gives out an all inclusive message in magnetizing sustainable development and turning rural fragments into areas of public green space.

The Kite Wind Generator

2011-03-22T00:23:00.000+05:30

It’s an expert estimation that the total energy stored in wind is 100 times higher than actually needed by humans on this earth. The catch is that we have to learn and devise ways to trap this wind power blowing across the planet earth. Experts tell us one more thing that most of the wind energy is available at high altitude and we can’t manufacture turbines of that height. So we have to think of new ways to trap that wind power blowing at a significant height. Some experts estimate that the total energy contained in wind is 100 times the amount needed by everyone on the planet. However, most of this energy is at high altitudes, far beyond the reach of any wind turbine.

Now researchers want to create something like a kite that can float at a higher altitude to trap the wind energy.
Kite Wind Generator
The Kite Wind Generator simply known as KiteGen is an Italian company. They are installing kites that sprout from funnel like structures. They are mounted on giant poles. When wind blows these kites come out of funnels. For short, use kites that spring from funnels on the end of giant poles when the wind blows. For each kite, winches release a pair of high-resistance cables to control direction and angle. These kites are light and ultra-resistant. These kites are similar to those used for kite surfing – light and ultra-resistant, capable of flying up to a height of 2,000 meters.
KiteGen people have thought of new ways to exploit the wind power existing at an altitude. They have discarded the usual heavy and static plants like current wind turbines, but opted for light, dynamic and intelligent ones. They have installed all the light devices in the air and heavy ones on the ground for generating power. The basics of the wind turbines and KiteGen are same. But they have moved the heaviest parts to the ground. They claim that the resulting structure, base foundation included, is much lighter and cheaper. They have also provided flexibility regarding the height of kites. If the wind is strong at certain height, the height of the kite too can be adjusted accordingly. If today wind if blowing nicely at 1000m, say, kites can be adjusted at the same height. If tomorrow the strong wind is blowing at certain other height, wind kites can be flown at that height to gain maximum advantage of the wind power.
The swirling kites prompt KiteGen’s core in motion, and the rotation activates large alternators producing a current. They also have a control system on autopilot. This control system manipulates the flight pattern so that maximum power can be generated be it night or day. The KiteGen people are concerned with the environment too. They don’t want the lives of birds to be affected by their flying kites. So they have installed the advanced radar system that can redirect kites within seconds in case they detect flying of birds.
The cost of the technology is US$750,000 and it won’t takes acres and acres of space like a wind farm. You can install the whole machinery within a diameter of just 100 meters. KiteGen claim that they can produce half a GW of energy, and produce it at a cost of US$2.5 per GW. Its creators, Sequoia Automation, say a 2,000 meter-version would generate 5GW of power.

Airborne Wind Turbines

2011-03-22T00:19:00.000+05:30

Yes, the day is not far off when reaching for sky is the new motto for generating cost-effective 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 life to this scheme with innovative autonomous aerial structures using wind energy to generate power.

Joby Energy, Inc. model:
Joby Energy Inc., exploring wind turbine technology, has developed a computer-controlled multi-winged kite-like structure which floats around 2000ft height for generating power. Mr Bevirt is the inventor of this aerial kite. The DC power generated is transferred to ground through tether to a ground station to be converted to AC power ready for consumption via a power grid.
Advantages of high altitude wind turbines:
Extolling the virtues of these autonomous aerial power generators, Mr. Bevirt said, “Operating at five times the height of a conventional turbine increases both wind speed and consistency resulting in more power, more often.” Professor William Moomaw, Director, Centre for International Environment and Resource Policy at Tufts University, Massachusetts, agreed, “The higher speeds at the greater altitudes should produce significantly more electricity.”
Mega source up above:
Actually statistics is strongly in favor of these air-borne wind turbines because globally tropospheric winds carry nearly carry potential to produce 870 terawatts of energy whereas our total demand put together is only 17 terawatts. Along with Joby Energy Inc., other companies like Kitegen focusing on power kites, Magenn Power’s Air Rotor System called (MARS) with a helium filled blimp design and Sky WindPower with flying electric generators are trying to tap this mega source to produce clean and cost effective power.
Tread with care:
US Federal Aviation Administration has asked the flying altitudes restricted to 2000 ft or less in spite of the potential to reach heights up to 35,000. Also Professor Mick Womersely, Director of Sustainability, Unity College, Maine, expressed the obvious concerns about possible hazards and reliability of these prototypes.
Reassurance about safety:
Mr. Bevrit confirmed about the safety measures like ability to ground the turbines in gale-force-type winds, multiple motor designs to circumvent motor failure and on-board stand-by batteries to land the system in case of tether malfunction. He assured that road-testing in sparsely-populated areas with good strong wind is being planned and all safety measures will be paid attention to.
Joby Energy’s aim:
Joby Energy aims to create enough systems to power 150 homes (about 300kW) and move on to larger systems producing 3MW or more. In Mr. Bevirt’s words, “Our goal is to deploy airborne wind turbines globally to produce cheap, consistent, and abundant electricity for a prosperous planet.”

Audi Testing Water in Electric Car Production

2011-03-22T00:16:00.000+05:30

The entrepreneurial Audi is planning to take advantage of changes portended in the automobile market with an eye towards emission-free vehicles. Until now Audi has not shown any interest in electric car production but now that there is a growing demand for small and electronically-driven cars, Audi is keen to join the race.

Others in the foray:
Rival manufactures like BMW with Megacity electric vehicle and Daimler with Smart ED have already taken the leap with cute little electric cars on their way to produce vehicles with zero carbon emission. Now Audi is joining the arena and the world is keenly interested to see what kind of a car will be Audi’s gift to the automobile world.
Supermini:
A supermini is reportedly the car on the anvil as per a report by What Car? Audi CEO, Rupert Stadler says,”…so we are planning for a changing market when customers will be ready.” Audi is already busy on the electric sports car planned with a limited number release by 2012, to be marketed under the E-tron name.
Audi Zero?
The plan is on for a mass-market electric car – supermini – is very much ongoing as confirmed by CEO Stadler in Munich at the launch of Audi 7 Sportback. Audi’s electric car can either be something similar to A1 e-tron Concept or a smaller platform named ‘Audi Zero’. Audi will not do any spin-off versions like Skoda or Seat had done.
Future plans:
Audi is working on the basis that in about 3-5 years time, market will be ready for such electric cars and that will be the time when these cars will also be viable. In Stadler’s words, “What we then need are customers willing to pay a premium these vehicles demand… We are a technical company planning technical solutions, but we are also entrepreneurial, so we are planning for a changing market… in 10 years time I see a point where we have clean energy too. Then the situation will be perfect.”

Best Green Car of 2011: Chevrolet Volt

2011-03-22T00:11:00.000+05:30

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt became the first electric car to be chosen as the Green Car of the Year 2011. Chevrolet Volt received this honor at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which is held every year by the Green Car Journal. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric car was chosen as the electric car of the year by an eminent jury, which consisted of the editors of Green Car Journal, Jean Michel President of Ocean Futures Society, Carl Pope Chairman of Sierra Club, and the host of Tonight Show Jay Leno, who happens to be a big fan of cars.

The competition for the Green car of the year was tough. In the finals 2011 Chevrolet Volt had to compete in this category with other big names in the field of electric cars like the Nissan Leaf, the Lincoln MKZ, Hyundai Sonata, two hybrids and a Ford Fiesta subcompact.
So what makes 2011 Chevrolet Volt, run on electricity a green car? The following two features contribute in this direction,

It can run up to 40 Km on electricity before the backup gas engine comes into play
The car has a special backup engine, which never lets you run out of electric power. The driver may not have any kind of fear in this regard.

Other Accomplishments
Motor Trend and Automobile Magazine has also named Chevrolet Volt, which will be available in the open market very soon, as the car of the year.
Social responsibility that General Motors takes-up towards environment
Apart from being voted the Green car of the year, General Motors, which makes Chevrolet, is also taking other steps to do its bit to clear up the environment, which is being polluted by its cars. It has contributed $40 million as donation to a local environment project in the US hoping to reduce carbon emission by 8 million metric tons. Since the 1.9 million Chevrolets sold before 2012 are expected to release roughly the same amount of carbon dioxide, this will kind of compensate the environment for the loss General Motors has caused to it.
Mike Robinson, the Vice-President for environment, energy and safety in General Motors says that apart from fuel economy and other features, Chevrolet wanted to do something that makes their brand distinguished. So they have set-up this program, the first by any auto maker.
Taking up Other social obligations.
General Motor’s Vice President of US marketing Joel Ewanick has also said that though it will take two more years to choose such projects. In the future the company will help various projects like small-scale wind energy and weatherizing schools by providing them aid and grants .

Hybrid Organic Solar Cells Now More Efficient

2011-03-22T00:06:00.000+05:30

Success greets the research team of National Research Council’s National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) and the University of Alberta. The plastic solar cells have now an operating life of 8 months instead of mere hours. And they are low-cost, environmentally efficient, unsealed plastic dollar cells – a green energy source. Developing economically viable plastic solar panels and to produce them in large scale has been the long time goal for the scientists as the cost of ultra high-purity silicon used in the traditionally manufactured solar cells is quite prohibitive. These are the solar cells of future – to be available to common man easily. A University of Alberta-NINT team has been focusing on this for quite some time.

Prototype solar cell:
A multi-disciplinary team has been successful in developing a prototype solar panel. It was operating at high capacity for about 10 hours. After that, problems developed within which reduced the efficiency of solar cells. They found that electrode’s chemical coating was the root cause of the problem. For past few months, work has been going on to correct this problem.
Role of electrode:
Producing power from solar cells is the key responsibility of electrodes and the research team found that the unstable chemical coating started leaking around the circuitry of the solar cell and reduced production capacity. They developed a new coating which solved this problem.
New polymer coating:
The team led by David Rider, consisting of Michael J. Brett, Jillian Buriak from U of A-NINT has been successful in developing a durable and longer lasting coating of polymer for the electrode which stopped the chemical leaking that reduced the production capacity. This new polymer coated electrode makes the solar cell work at high capacity continuously.
Success story:
At the time David Rider and colleagues presented their research paper in Advanced Functional Materials on June 22, 2010, the solar prototype cell had performed already for 500 hours at high capacity. In the highly competitive field of plastic solar-cell technology, this research by U of A-NINT team is considered to be a great achievement. And the cell continued to work for 8 months altogether before being damaged in transit between laboratories.
Future:
The future looks bright for hybrid organic solar cells. In Rider’s words “Inexpensive, lightweight plastic solar-cell products, like a blanket or sheet that can be rolled up, will change the solar energy industry”.

Solar Wind Power: Generating Power In The Future

2011-03-22T00:02:00.000+05:30

As the world discovers new ways to meet its growing energy needs, energy generated from Sun, which is better known as solar power and energy generated from wind called the wind power are being considered as a means of generating power. Though these two sources of energy have attracted the scientists for a very long time, they are not able to decide, which of the two is a better source to generate power. Now scientists are looking at a third option as well. Scientists at Washington State University have now combined solar power and wind power to produce enormous energy called the solar wind power, which will satisfy all energy requirements of human kind.

Advantages of Solar wind power.

The scientists say that whereas the entire energy generated from solar wind will not be able to reach the planet for consumption as a lot of energy generated by the satellite has to be pumped back to copper wire to create the electron-harvesting magnetic field, yet the amount that reaches earth is more than sufficient to fulfill the needs of entire human, irrespective of the environment condition.
Moreover, the team of scientists at Washington State University hopes that it can generate 1 billion billion gigawatts of power by using a massive 8,400-kilometer-wide solar sail to harvest the power in solar wind.
According to the team at Washington State University, 1000 homes can be lit by generating enough power for them with the help of 300 meters (984 feet) of copper wire, which is attached to a two-meter-wide (6.6-foot-wide) receiver and a 10-meter (32.8-foot) sail.
One billion gigawatts of power could also be generated by a satellite having 1,000-meter (3,280-foot) cable with a sail 8,400 kilometers (5,220 miles) across, which are placed at roughly the same orbit.
The scientists feel that if some of the practical issued are solved, Solar wind power will generate the amount of power that no one including the scientists working to find new means of generating power ever expected.

How does the Solar wind power technology work?
The satellite launched to tap solar wind power, instead of working like a wind mill, where a blade attached to the turbine is physically rotated to generate electricity, would use charged copper wire for capturing electrons zooming away from the sun at several hundred kilometers per second.
Disadvantages of Solar wind power
But despite the fact that Solar wind power will solve almost all the problems that we were to face in future due to power generating resources getting exhausted, it has some disadvantages as well. These may include:

Brooks Harrop, the co-author of the journal paper says that while scientists are keen to tap solar wind to generate power, they also need to keep provisions for engineering difficulties and these engineering difficulties will have to be solved before satellites to tap solar wind power are deployed.
The distance between the satellite and earth will be so huge that as the laser beam travels millions of miles, it makes even the tightest laser beam spread out and lose most of the energy. To solve this problem, a more focused laser is needed.
But even if these laser beams reach our satellites, it is very doubtful that our satellites in their present form will be able to tap them. As Greg Howes, a scientist at the University of Iowa puts it, “The energy is there but to tap that energy from solar wind, we require big satellites. There may be practical constraints in this.”

Forget Solar Power, Human Power is the Future

2011-03-19T21:52:00.000+05:30

That may be a little aggressive, but Princeton University engineers have developed a device that may change the way that we power many of our smaller gadgets and devices. By using out natural body movement, they have created a small chip that will actually capture and harness that natural energy to create enough energy to power up things such as a cell phone, pacemaker and many other small devices that are electronic.

The chip is actually a combination of rubber and ceramic nanoribbons. When the chip is flexed, it generates electrical energy. How will this be put to use? Think of rubber soled shoes that have this chip embedded into them and every time a step is taken, energy is created and stored. Just the normal walking around inside the office during a normal work day would be enough to keep that cell phone powered every day.
An application that has pacemaker users excited is the fact that this chip could be placed in proximity of the lungs and it would create natural power for their pacemakers. Currently, the only way to replace the battery is to go through another surgery, but the natural motion of the lungs would create enough movement to continuously power the device via this chip. Finally, only one surgery would be needed and unless there was actually a problem with the pacemaker itself, there would no longer be the need to go under the knife again.
This technology is an incredible development in that it can have so many different applications. The engineers at Princeton were able to combine the materials in a way that created an electric charge when pressure is applied to the chip. It actually converts about 80% of the mechanical energy into electrical energy. In the case of the pacemaker, this means a constant power source as the lungs would obviously continuously apply the pressure that was needed to create the energy.
Additionally, the new power chip is pretty much ready to go in regards to being an implant device. Because of the materials that it is made up of, the body should readily accept it without fear of rejection. When we think of how many varieties of medical devices that are available and require power sources, this is a truly amazing invention.
While it would appear that the technology itself is very futuristic, once it is able to be mass produced, it is probably reasonable to assume that the chips will not actually be all that expensive because of the materials that are being used in its construction. They may be a bit pricey when they first hit the market, but as they become more widely used and available, that price tag should come down.
Similar technology has already been introduced in other products, but nothing that has the flexibility of this product. Human power is nothing new, but to be able to have medical devices implanted that require nothing more than normal breathing or walking is quite amazing.

New Solar Charger for Laptop Computers

2011-03-19T21:47:00.000+05:30

Now we can have a green charger for our computers and laptops. We can take our laptops to outdoors and keep on using them without bothering that the charge will run out. Muzatch offers a solar charger for our computers. It is known as the MZH-SP-6500 / SP-6000 renewable energy charger. If one is traveling long distance in a car, or going on a business trip or in the wilderness and needs emergency power for laptop, this solar charger will come handy.

Muzatch claims that their solar charger can charge 95% of the digital products currently available in the market. You can plug in this solar charger into mobile phone, PDA, DC, digital camera, digital learning machine, MP3, MP4 and PSP game, mobile DVD players. This solar charger can be compatible with ASUS, HP, Acer Travelmate Series, Compaq Prosignia Series, ThinkPad 1410/1411.1441/1450/1451/1472/730T /350/500/510 Series, Compaq Armada 100/4100/4200, Contura Series, Toshiba 4090XDVD/2545CDS Series T Series and many digital products:
Muzatch reassures that they have a built-in lithium-ion battery. Its capacity is of 12,000 mAh. Muzatch “solar charger can deliver an output voltage ranging from 5V to 22V”. This solar charger is also protected from over charge, over release, over current and short circuits due to built-in intelligence monitoring. Muzatch solar charger is available for $149.95.
When we use a completely new product, as a user we experience certain kind of tension and uneasiness. Here the manufacturer can step in and come out with information user is seeking to assure the readers. Muzatch solar charger manufacturer explains that their product is made up of highest quality lithium ion electricity core-300. They also say that their charging and discharging capacity is more than 90%.
Their product is sound on the portability front too. They offer personalized design; the single manual pressed key makes using the charger more simple.

Using Carbon Nanotubes to Produce Electricity

2011-03-19T21:39:00.001+05:30

The researchers of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have uncovered a new phenomenon of carbon nanotubes. They found that carbon nanotubes discharge powerful waves of electricity under certain circumstances. MIT team named it as thermopower waves. They are pinning their hope on thermopower waves to produce electricity to be utilized in small electrical appliances or maybe in large-scale applications too. This project was funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the US

This discharge of electricity from carbon nanotubes is a very rare occurrence. Traditionally we derive electricity from water, sun, wind, coal or heat produced by burning of fossil fuels. The thermopower wave, “opens up a new area of energy research, which is rare,” said Michael Stranowho is MIT’s Charles and Hilda Roddey associate professor of Chemical Engineering. His work was published in scientific journal Nature Materials.
Carbon nanotubes are submicroscopic structures. They are just billionths of a meter in diameter. Carbon nanotubes resemble honeycombs. For the past twenty years scientists are focusing their energies on carbon nanotubes, graphene sheets and buckeyballs. They find these three most promising for clean and green energy research. These three substances can be valuable for the medicine, nanotechnology, geoengineering, biology, and for the electronics industry.
Researchers associated with this project find the whole phenomenon quite unusual. They have observed that as the moving pulses of heat pass through the carbon naotubes, electrons also travel along. This movement of electrons is responsible for generation of electric current. Strano says, “There’s something else happening here. We call it electron entrainment since part of the current appears to scale with wave velocity.”
Researchers coated carbon nanotubes with a layer of reactive fuel that can generate heat by decomposing. This fuel was then ignited by a laser beam or high voltage spark at the one end of the nanotube. This ignition resulted in fast moving thermal waves. When this thermal wave enters into carbon nanotube its velocity increases thousand times than the fuel itself. When heat waves contact the thermal coating they produce a temperature of 3,000 kelvins. This ring of heat runs to the length of the tube 10,000 times faster than the normal spread of this chemical reaction. The unusual occurrence is that electrons also travel with the heat inside the tube. Strano says that events like this “have been studied mathematically for more than 100 years” but he was the first to envisage that such waves could be guided by a nanotube or nanowire and that this wave of heat could thrust an electrical current all along that wire.
Strano explains, “There’s something else happening here. We call it electron entrainment, since part of the current appears to scale with wave velocity.” He confirms that the thermal waves are behaving like ocean waves. We have observed that when ocean waves travel they carry the debris on their surface. Strano thinks that this property is responsible for the high power output by the system. Strano suggests the possible use of this discovery. He says that one possible use could be enabling new kinds of ultra-small electronic devices having sensors or treatment devices that would be injected into the body.
Ray Baughman, director of the Nanotech Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas, shares his views regarding the whole project that it “started with a seminal initial idea, which some might find crazy, and provided exciting experimental results, the discovery of new phenomena, deep theoretical understanding, and prospects for applications.” Because it revealed a previously unknown phenomenon, he says, it could open up “an exciting new area of investigation.”

Solar-Powered Keyboards

2011-03-19T21:29:00.000+05:30

If you have opted for a wireless keyboard you know the importance of rechargeable batteries and a wall charger. Although it is easier to charge the batteries after a while it becomes an annoyance to change them repeatedly. Now Logitech is coming out with a solar-powered keyboard that will be free of such hassles.

No need for you to be outdoors to charge your solar powered keyboard. You can stay indoors and the solar powered keyboard will charge itself from indoor lights. They have embedded an integrated power-indicator light that will warn you in advance about the power status of the keyboard. Citizen (the watchmaker) has offered solar-powered watches for years that tell time and get power from sunlight or indoor lights. Now Logitech is making use of the same technology in their solar-powered keyboards.
Denis Pavillard is the vice president of product marketing for Logitech’s keyboards and desktops. He says, “The keyboard is still the best input device for typing emails and IMs, updating your Facebook™ page or posting responses to your favorite blogs — and the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 is the next big innovation in keyboard technology. The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard is powered by light but can work in total darkness for up to three months. Plus, with its PVC-free construction and fully recyclable packaging, it’s designed to minimize its footprint.”
Portability: 1/3-Inch Thick
Sleekness and portability are important qualities in marketing an electronic gadget. Logitech has not ignored these important aspects. Their keyboard is only 1/3-inch thick maintain a thin profile.
Benefits of Cord with Convenience of Wireless
The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 takes care of the wireless connectivity too. It offers Logitech Advanced 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity. They also say that Logitech Advanced 2.4 wireless is equipped with 128-bit AES encryption with the keyboard that ensures the one of the highest levels of security available.
Keyboard is easy on Fingers
Logitech calls their keyboard as Logitech Incurve keys™. It is a known fact that a concave design, along with incurve keys are easy on the shape of human fingertips, They also say that soft, rounded edges make it easy for your fingers to glide from key to key.
Plus, the tiny Logitech® Unifying receiver is small enough to stay in your laptop, so there’s no need to unplug it when you move around. And you can easily add up to six Logitech Unifying and Unifying-ready mice and keyboards — without the hassle of multiple USB receivers.

Renewable Electricity From ... Paint

2011-03-17T21:43:00.000+05:30

Researchers at Swansea University are developing a new, eco-friendly technology that could generate as much electricity as 50 wind farms.

Dr Dave Worsley, a Reader in the Materials Research Centre at the University’s School of Engineering, is investigating ways of painting solar cells onto the flexible steel surfaces commonly used for cladding buildings.

“We have been collaborating with the steel industry for decades,” explains Dr Worsely, “but have tended to focus our attention on improving the long-term durability and corrosion-resistance of the steel. We haven’t really paid much attention to how we can make the outside of the steel capable of doing something other than looking good.

Dr Dave Worsley (right) and Dr Trystan Watson of the Materials Research Centre at Swansea University, investigating the efficiency of new solar cells under a Dyesol Solar Simulator.
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“One of our Engineering Doctorate students was researching how sunlight interacts with paint and degrades it, which led to us developing a new photovoltaic method of capturing solar energy.”

Unlike conventional solar cells, the materials being developed at Swansea are more efficient at capturing low light radiation, meaning that they are better suited to the British climate.

A research grant from the Welsh Assembly Government’s Welsh Energy Research Centre (WERC) enabled Dr Worsley to work with leading metals group Corus to investigate the feasibility of developing an efficient solar cell system that can be applied to steel building products.

The success of the study led to the award of a three-year project worth over £1.5 million by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Swansea University is now leading a partnership with Bangor University, University of Bath, and the Imperial College London to develop commercially viable photovoltaic materials for use within the steel industry.

Paint is applied to steel when it is passed through rollers during the manufacturing process, and it is hoped that the same approach can be used to build up layers of the solar cell system. The researchers’ aim is to produce cells that can be painted onto a flexible steel surface at a rate of 30-40m2 a minute.

Dr Worsley believes that the potential for the product is immense.

He said: “Corus Colours produces around 100 million square metres of steel building cladding a year. If this was treated with the photovoltaic material, and assuming a conservative 5% energy conversion rate, then we could be looking at generating 4,500 gigawatts of electricity through the solar cells annually. That’s the equivalent output of roughly 50 wind farms.”

Dr Worsley will be working closely with Corus to research practical, cost-efficient methods of mounting the system on steel structures, with a view to the eventual commercialisation of the product.

He said: “This project is a superb example of the value of collaboration between universities and industry, and it is definitely important for Wales. We have a genuine opportunity to ensure that Wales remains at the forefront of this technology worldwide, driving the industry and revolutionising our capacity to generate electricity.

“I think it shows great vision from the Welsh Assembly Government that they funded the initial feasibility study. Even if we are only mildly successful with this project, there is no doubt that we will be creating an exciting hi-tech steel product that will preserve the long term future of the Welsh steel industry.”

Data Exchange - DataX Software

2011-03-10T20:14:00.002+05:30

The ETAP Data Exchange module (DataX) is used to import, export, and synchronize data between external data sources and ETAP. DataX transforms legacy data into ETAP, interfaces ETAP to external architecture such as AutoCAD®, Microstation®, or synchronizes ETAP with other applications such as Intergraph SmartPlant® Electrical. Customizable data mapping, intelligent error checking, and automated one-line diagram generator are amongst the many utilities provided with ETAP DataX.

Data Exchange - DataX Key Features

Import & export data
Data synchronization
Automatic one-line diagram generation
Intelligent error checking
Customizable data mapping
Real-time data exchange
Raw data IEEE format

DataX - Base

In addition to the standard data exchange capabilities such as import IEEE and RAW data formats, DataX has been enhanced to read SEQ and DYR file formats for importing unbalanced impedance data as well as dynamic data for transient stability studies.

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Panel Systems Software

2011-03-10T20:13:00.000+05:30

Developed for electrical designers and engineers, the Panel Systems module combines a graphical user interface and the intelligence of ETAP to easily design and analyze low voltage distribution systems.
Coupled with exclusive features and advanced capabilities, Panel Systems is a quality tool you would only expect from the leader in power system analysis software.

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Panel System Key Features

Intelligent panel design & analysis
3-phase (3W & 4W) networks
1-phase (2W & 3W) networks
1-phase (A, B, C, AB, BC, CA, & 3W) networks
ANSI & IEC Standards
NEC load factors
Load flow with graphical per phase display
Automatic device duty evaluation & alerts
Automatic updating of upstream panels
Export panel schedules to Excel®
Panel schedule with internal & external feeders & loads

Panel System Standards

ANSI
IEC
NEC

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Panel System Capabilities

Column & standard layouts
Unlimited branch circuits
Unlimited sub-panel connections
External network representation
Internal (spreadsheet) load modeling
Intelligent panel calculations
Detailed panel loading summary
Dynamic panel schedule updates
Continuous & non-continuous load calculations

1-Phase Load Flow

Model 1-Phase (2W & 3W) networks
Load flow with graphical per phase display

1-Phase Short Circuit

Model 1-Phase (A, B, C, AB, BC, CA, & 3W) networks
Automatic device evaluation & alerts

Phase & Wire

3-Phase 3 Wire
3-Phase 4 Wire
1-Phase 2 Wire
1-Phase 3 Wire

Panel Code Factors

NEC load demand factors
Customizable multiplying factors

Flexible Operation

Diverse operating conditions
Multiple loading categories
Multiple demand factors
Unlimited configurations
Different nameplate data
Global & individual bus load diversity factors

Libraries

Extensive protection & control device libraries
Comprehensive feeder & cable libraries
Customizable libraries
User-configurable defaults & layouts

Reporting

Customizable panel schedules in Crystal Reports® format
Comprehensive load summary for panel sizing
Customizable reports for branch circuit evaluation
Export one-line diagrams with results to third party CAD systems

Study Options

Ten loading categories per circuit
User-definable load types & factors

Panel Systems are an integral part of ETAP used for representing power and lighting panels in electrical systems. ETAP provides a comprehensive model for designing and scheduling AC panel systems including 3-Phase and 1-Phase panels.
A panel is a collection of branch circuits feeding system loads. ETAP supports an unlimited number of circuits within a panel. A branch circuit in a panel is modeled with complete details, which includes connected load information, protective device ratings, and feeder data. The ETAP panel model is supported by comprehensive breaker, fuse, and cable libraries. Default and typical data are provided to save you time and money when designing and scheduling panels. ETAP allows you to graphically connect subpanels to upstream panels. There is no limit to the number of subpanels you can connect.
The Panel Schedule Editor provides a user-friendly graphical interface with a lot of suitable default values and built-in electrical intelligence. The panel schedule fields are designed in a manner to minimize data entry errors, while eliminating the repetitive task in completing panel schedules.

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Transmission & Distribution Line Software

2011-03-10T20:10:00.000+05:30

ETAP Transmission and Distribution Line Design and Analysis Program calculates conductor electrical parameters, sag and tension-temperature characteristics, conductor ampacity-temperature characteristics and ampacity derating-temperature characteristics of overhead transmission and distribution lines. In this module for the transmission circuit studies, a comprehensive model of mutual coupling effect between different line circuits is employed to allow accurate modeling of the system. A user-friendly graphical interface displays the layout of circuits and ground wires for transmission tower and overhead lines. It is an easy to use tool for sizing transmission and distribution lines, designing new transmission and distribution circuits, and verifying the parameters of existing overhead lines.

Transmission & Distribution Line Analysis Software Key Features

Graphical user interface
User-friendly input & output
Flexible data entry for the overhead line physical or electrical (impedance) parameters
One or multiple circuits for (single, two or three-phase lines), with transposed or untransposed configuration
One or multiple ground wires, with both segmented & unsegmented arrangements
Predefined and selectable typical transmission line layouts
User-defined general line layout
Multi-layer earth models
Modeling of mutual coupling effect between different line circuits
Including tower ground resistance
User-definable conductor and ground wire data

Transmission & Distribution Line Analysis Software Calculations

Automatic calculates overhead line impedance based on physical parameters
Calculated sag, tension, ampacity-temperature & ampacity-temperature derating characteristics
Performs sag and tension vs. temperature analysis
Performs sag and tension analysis for towers with same or different
height
Performs line conductor ampacity vs. temperature analysis
Displays overhead line parameters in either phase or sequence domain
Provides an integrated tool to size existing overhead lines or design new lines
Provides physical to electrical (impedance) parameters calculation
Can be integrated with all system studies

Transmission & Distribution Line Analysis Software Reporting

Series circuit impedance matrices in the phase domain
Series circuit impedance matrices in the sequence domain
Shunt circuit susceptance matrices in the phase domain
Shunt circuit susceptance matrices in the sequence domain
Sag and tension vs. temperature characteristics
Conductor ampacity vs. temperature characteristics

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Distributions Systems Software

2011-03-10T20:08:00.002+05:30

In addition to Network Analysis capabilities, ETAP offers several powerful analysis modules for Distribution Systems design. ETAP supports balanced or unbalanced 3-phase, 2-phase and 1-phase systems for radial, looped or meshed network including per-phase voltage drop and power flow analysis, fault calculations, Protective Device Coordination (ETAP Star) Software, Optimal Capacitor Placement Software, Optimal Load Flow Software, Reliability Assessment Analysis Software, Switching Sequence Management Software, and more.

Distributions Systems Software Key Features

Balanced and unbalanced load flow and voltage drop analysis
Protective device coordination including extensive recloser modeling and sequencing
Optimal capacitor placement and sizing to minimize losses and improve voltage profile
Comprehensive load modeling
Advanced reliability assessment and distribution reliability analysis
Switching sequence management for load transfer simulations
GIS Map interface

To compliment the above solutions, ETAP Real-Time provides extremely powerful online tools such as Monitoring, Prediction, Load Forecasting, and more for distribution networks.

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Ground Grid Design Assessment Software

2011-03-10T20:07:00.002+05:30

The next generation Ground Grid Systems module enables engineers to quickly and accurately design and analyze a safe and cost effective ground protection.

Methods

Finite Element
IEEE 80-1986
IEEE 80-2000
IEEE 665-1995

Ground Grid Design Assessment Software Key Features

Calculate the tolerable Step and Touch potentials
Compare potentials against the actual, calculated Step and Touch potentials
Optimize number of conductors with fixed rods based on cost and safety
Optimize number of conductors and rods based on cost and safety
Calculate the maximum allowable current for specified conductors
Compare allowable currents against fault currents
Calculate ground system resistance
Calculate ground potential rise
User-expandable conductor library
Allow a two-layer soil configuration in addition to the surface material
Ground grid configurations showing conductor and rod plots
Display 3-D/contour Touch, Step and Absolute voltage plots
Calculate Absolute, Step and Touch potentials at any point in the configuration
Conductor/Rod can be oriented in any possible 3-D direction
Handle irregular configurations of any shape
Grid rotation animation

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Renewable Energy Software

2011-03-10T20:05:00.002+05:30

Design, Analyze & Operate Green Energy Power Systems with ETAP

ETAP enables designers and engineers to conceptualize the collector systems, determine wind penetration and perform grid interconnection studies. ETAP includes comprehensive renewable energy models combined with full spectrum power system analysis calculations for accurate simulation, predictive analysis, equipment sizing, and field verification of wind and solar farms.
ETAP Real-Time allows for a logical and smooth transition of the design model into an operator / dispatcher tool for monitoring, controlling and managing power throughout the generation network.
ETAP puts you in control of your renewable energy generation in order to maximize output and improve efficiency:

Dedicated generation farm HMI
Generation management system
Environment monitoring
Wind turbine performance monitoring
Solar panel & inverter performance monitoring
Prediction of system response to operator actions
Sequence of events

Full spectrum, electrical network design & analysis for:

Collector system design
Wind penetration studies
Grid interconnection studies

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Dynamics & Transient Stability SoftwareDynamics & Transient Stability Software

2011-03-10T20:03:00.002+05:30

Dynamics & Transient analysis software enables engineers to simulate sequence of events including power system disturbances and evaluate system stability by utilizing an accurate power system dynamic model. Dynamics & Transient analysis software include modules Transient Stability Analysis Program, Generator Startup Analysis Program, Wind Turbine Generator Analysis Program, User-Defined Dynamic Models (UDM) Program, and Parameter Estimation Program.

Dynamic and Transient Stability Software Key Features

Comprehensive synchronous and induction machine models
Frequency-dependent machine and network modeling
Library of pre-built governor / exciter / PSS / wind turbine models
Short-time and long-time simulation
Unlimited sequence of events
Model typical & common electrical power system disturbances/operations

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Cable Systems Software

2011-03-06T15:00:00.000+05:30

ETAP Cable Systems help engineers design cable systems to operate to their maximum potential while providing secure and reliable operation. The process is systematic and simple. ETAP contains Cable Thermal Analysis Software, Cable Pulling Software, and automatic Cable Ampacity Software, and Cable Sizing Software calculations for a complete and wide solution for your cable system needs.

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Automatic cable sizing based on various industry standards
Steady-state and transient temperature calculations
Cable ampacity optimization based on loading demands
Calculate pulling tensions at various locations

Protective Device Coordination Software Overview

2011-03-06T14:56:00.001+05:30

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ETAP offers a fully integrated Protective Device Coordination and Selectivity software (Star) for performing steady-state and dynamic device coordination, protection, and testing. Enabling power and relay engineers to easily and efficiently perform protective device coordination studies. The built-in intelligent features of this module provide informed and reliable recommendations regarding the feasibility of the protective devices under consideration. Engineers can quickly realize possible design issues and make informed decisions to improve system reliability, increase system stability, and boost financial savings.

Using intelligent one-line diagrams, comprehensive protective device libraries, and a three-dimensional database, ETAP Protective Device Coordination software is an essential tool when performing overcurrent protective device coordination analysis.
Along with plotting protective device operating curves, ETAP Protective Device Coordination software provides tools capable of plotting the starting, inrush, damage, etc. curves for equipment like motors, transformers, generators, and cables. Offering insight into troubleshooting false trips, relay and breaker mis-operation, and mis-coordination.