South Korea rolls out first commercial electric bus service, we are green with envy
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has just rolled out a world first by instating commercial, all electric bus service in the city. We've previously seen pilot programs and trials, but actual working commercial service has never been previously implemented. The program, developed in agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hankuk Fiber, and the buses themselves can run up to about 52 miles on a single charge (which takes about 30 minutes), and have a maximum speed of about 62 miles per hour. Though several other cities have small fleets of electric public transportation, Seoul has announced that half of its massive fleet of buses will be electric by 2020.
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2010.12.30 11:53:13 AM
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Precision glass microlens arrays produced using hot embossing technique
A new technique makes the production of precision glass microlens arrays possible, using a hot embossing technique (Photo: Fraunhofer)
When it comes to lenses for digital pico projectors, there’s currently something of a trade-off. Traditional lenses, where multiple glass magnifiers are placed one in front of the other, are long and bulky. Microlens arrays, in which many tiny lenses are assembled together on one flat surface, are a much more compact, lightweight alternative. However, so far such arrays have mostly been made out of plastic, which the bulbs in some projectors are capable of melting. Now, researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology have come up with what they say is a solution: microlens arrays made from glass, using a hot embossing technique.
The process starts with the formation of the die equipment, which is machined out of tungsten carbide using ultra-precise grinders. Because both the die and the glass will expand when heated, and at different rates, the lens pattern that is carved into the two die halves must be made to compensate accordingly – in other words, it does not look exactly like the finished product will look.
Next, in a vacuum chamber kept at a constant temperature between 600 and 900C (1,112 and 1,652F), the die halves are pressed together with the glass between them. “The main challenge is to keep the material exactly at the temperature where it is malleable but not yet molten,” explained project manager Jan Edelmann. “That is the only way to guarantee that components made from it will be within the prescribed tolerances to within a few micrometers.”
The glass must then be ejected from the mold before cooling begins, as the different cooling rates of the glass and the metal could cause the glass to shatter.
Using this technique, the Fraunhofer team have already produced high-refraction glass microlens arrays, in which alignment faults across all 1,700 microlenses were smaller than 20 micrometers. The researchers believe that it should be possible to apply the system to mass production, where it could serve to bring the price of projection lenses down to a tenth of their current cost. It is also thought that the glass arrays could be used to broaden and homogenize laser beams.
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2010.12.31 11:19:30 AM
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Solar powered microchips put batteries in the shade
In a new, more efficient approach to solar powered microelectronics, researchers have produced a microchip which directly integrates photovoltaic cells. While harnessing sunlight to power microelectronics isn't new, conventional set-ups use a separate solar cell and battery. What sets this device apart from is that high-efficiency solar cells are placed straight onto the electronics, producing self-sufficient, low-power devices which are highly suitable for industrial serial production and can even operate indoors.
The autonomous microsystem was developed by the Semiconductor Components group at the University of Twente's MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology led by Professor Jurriaan Schmitz. The researchers collaborated with colleagues from Nankai University in Tianjin, China and the Debye Institute of Utrecht University. The research was made possible by the STW Technology Foundation.
Instead of manufacturing the solar cell separately, the design sees the chip used as a base and the solar cell applied to it layer by layer. According to the UT release, this results in a more efficient production process, uses fewer materials and ultimately performs better.
The production process has not been trouble-free with the researchers finding that the fragile electronics can easily be damaged. For this reason it was decided to use amorphous silicon or CIGS (copper - indium - gallium – selenide) solar cells. The manufacturing of these cells does not influence the electronics, and these types of solar cells also produce sufficient power to allow the microprocessors to operate in low-light or indoors. There is a catch though – the chip's energy use must be well below 1 milliwatt.
Tests have shown that the electronics and the solar cells function properly, and the manufacturing process is also highly suitable for industrial serial production with the use of standard processes.
The paper Above-CMOS a-Si and CIGS Solar Cells for Powering Autonomous Microsystems by J. Lu, W. Liu, C.H.M. van der Werf, A.Y. Kovalgin, Y. Sun, R.E.I. Schropp and J. Schmitz was presented at the International Electron Device Meeting in San Francisco in December.
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2010.12.31 11:22:39 AM
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Oasis at sea: The Ark hotel concept
Oasis at sea: The Ark hotel concept
Russian architectural firm Remistudio has taken the concept of a man-made biosphere and gone to sea with its vision for the floating "Ark Hotel." Designed to withstand floods, tidal waves and rising ocean levels as well as earthquakes and other natural disasters, the hotel concept would float and function independently on the surface of a body of water, providing a green, self-sustaining environment for guests who presumably, would never have to leave.
The shell-inspired Ark design has a load-bearing system of arches and cables which maintain an even weight distribution to withstand earthquakes, whilst the prefabricated frame allows for a fast and easy construction.
The internal garden provides a lush escape for guests by acting as a greenhouse and enough daylight is filtered throughout the internal rooms to reduce the need for lighting.
The design also integrates photovoltaic solar cells, a rainwater collection system and a frame that is protected with layer of self-cleaning and recyclable ethyltetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) – the same material used in the Beijing National Aquatic Center.
Aside from the eco-credentials, it's a stunning design that seems to jump straight out of a science-fiction film. We can only hope that the worst global warming predictions prove inaccurate and it doesn't become the 22nd Century's holiday destination of choice.
The Ark was designed by Remistudio with the assistance of the International Union of Architects’ program “Architecture for Disaster Relief.”
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2011.01.03 10:33:58 AM
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Researchers Develop Self-Powered Solar Microchips
Back in grade school, I had this cool calculator watch that I used all the time in class. The thing was powered by a solar panel on the top, and I thought was awesome that it would work inside and outside. Now some researchers have developed a cool microchip that is self-powered by a built-in solar panel that is similar to the one my old calculator used.
The microchip is used as the base and the solar panels are grafted onto the chip in layers to build the finished product. To avoid damaging the chip the researcher used CIGS or amorphous silicon for the solar panels.
According to the research team, the chips can be self-powered as long as they consume less than 1 milliwatt of power. The panels also allow the chips to work without a power source in doors. The process can make all sorts of chips for different uses like a wireless networking sensor that has its antenna and power supply in one unit.
Losing packages suck and if commercial couriers aren’t going to do anything about it, we as consumers should be able to do something to prevent it. The G.P. Stamp is a small stamp-sized electronic chip with a built-in battery that keeps tabs on your shipment. All critical information is sent wirelessly in real time to keep you in the loop.
Another awesome concept from IIDA, the Spiral Garden System is a proposal for a sustainable public garden that’s totally self-sufficient. The architecture adds interest to the urban landscape with its transparent, yet suggestive mesh cage. Native vegetation greenhouses coexist with urban orchards along a walkway that just beckons to be used. It’s a great “twist” on the typical urban garden and looks to be well suited for any plot size. Hat tip to Designboom.
Designers: Benet Dalmau, Saida Dalmau, Anna Julibert & Carmen Vilar
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2011.01.06 11:04:55 AM
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nPower PEG Personal Power Generator lets you walk to produce energy
The Personal Power Generator is just a concept but it’s very ‘green’ as it uses Kinetic Energy. Your walking and running will not be put to waste since it converts energy that can power most of your gadgets.
A minute of walking is said to power an iPod Nano for another minute so it’s 1:1 ratio. A smartphone however, needs 15x more energy so walking for 15 minutes will only give you an extra minute to use your phone.
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2011.01.06 11:52:20 AM
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New dyes to benefit solar electricity and hydrogen fuel production
Researchers at the University of Buffalo have announced a breakthrough that promises to improve both solar energy and hydrogen fuel production
Researchers have made a two-fold breakthrough in advancing renewable energies with the development of a light sensitive dye which transfers electrons more efficiently than conventional technologies. The new dyes stand to be used in solar electricity generation and in creating hydrogen fuel, which in the past has proven expensive and energy hungry.
The chalcogenorhodamine dyes have been pioneered by chemists at the University of Buffalo (UB) along with their partners at the University of Rochester (UR). As sunlight strikes the dyes electrons are released allowing these available electrons to be used in one of two ways. In the solar cell application, where the dye can be used as part of a conventional dye-sensitive solar cells (DSSC), the newly freed electrons are able to travel through the solar cell, forming an electrical current. This is much like existing technology but offers greater efficiency.
In their application for producing hydrogen the process begins the same way, with sunlight knocking electrons from their atomic orbit. Freed electrons are then directed into a catalyst, where they drive a chemical reaction that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. In laboratory tests it has been shown that these chalcogenorhodamine systems produce hydrogen at unprecedented rates. This is because the dyes absorb light more intensely than conventional dyes, and because they are able to transfer electrons more efficiently. The researchers found that chalcogenorhodamines work in both homogenous hydrogen production systems that employ cobalt as the catalyst, as well as in heterogeneous systems that employ platinum deposited on titanium dioxide as the catalyst.
The research team, led by UB Professor Michael Detty and UR Professor Richard Eisenberg, reported some of their findings in the Journal of the American Chemical Society in October 2010. A patent has been taken out covering the composition of the dyes. A separate patent application seeks to protect the dyes' use in hydrogen evolution and lists Detty and Eisenberg, along with Brandon Calitree, Alexandra Orchard and Theresa McCormick, as co-inventors of the process.
