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2011.01.13 11:00:41 AM
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Re: Google綠能投資 首購風力發電廠
PixelOptics to launch 'world's first electronic focusing eyewear'
We have previously reported on the development of prototype adaptive focus glasses at the University of Arizona (UA) that were able to switch focus electronically. Unlike manually adjustable focus glasses, such as TruFocals, that place a flexible liquid lens between two rigid lenses, the lenses of the prototype glasses consisted of a layer of liquid crystals sandwiched between two pieces of glass. By applying an electric charge, the orientation of the liquid crystals – and therefore the optical path length through the lens – was able to be changed, resulting in glasses that changed focus electronically. This technology is now on its way to consumers with PixelOptics showing its emPower! glasses at CES 2011.
Relying on liquid crystals, the glasses, which PixelOptics will bring to market under the brand name emPower!, are able to switch focus in the blink of an eye and with no moving parts – unless you count the reorientation of the liquid crystals. Being electronically activated also allows for a neat feature. While the wearer is able to manually activate the change of focus by touching the arm of the emPower! glasses, thanks to an accelerometer embedded in the arm, with a swipe they can also set the glasses to change focus automatically when they look down to read.
Being electronic also means batteries. The battery embedded in the glasses can be recharged in around two hours using an inductive charger and is good for two to three days, depending on usage patterns.
Calling them the “world’s first electronic focusing eyewear,” PixelOptics' emPower! glasses are based on the technology originally developed at UA, which licensed three patents to Johnson & Johnson, who then sold the patent licenses to PixelOptics to commercialize the technology. That commercialization is set to happen some time this year when PixelOptics plans to launch its emPower! glasses in around 36 different styles for around US$1,000 to $1,200.
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2011.01.13 11:05:03 AM
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Re: Google綠能投資 首購風力發電廠
Poo-Gloos treat sewage as quickly and effectively as mechanical plants, but cost less
Poo-Gloos (Bio-Domes) prior to submersion in a sewage lagoon
Poo isn't something generally talked about in polite company but like it or not, all of that human waste has to go somewhere. In smaller rural communities, it usually goes to wastewater lagoon systems; the alternative is mechanical treatment plants which process waste far more quickly but are expensive, labor intensive and often use chemicals. Enter the "Poo-Gloo," or Bio-Dome as it is officially known – an igloo-shaped device that can reportedly clean up sewage as effectively, but far more cheaply, than its mechanical counterparts. The Poo-Gloo, developed by Wastewater Compliance Systems, Inc., uses a combination of air, dark environment and large surface area to encourage the growth of a bacterial biofilm which consumes the wastewater pollutants. It is claimed that Poo-Gloos can treat pollutants just as quickly as mechanical plants while operating at a fraction of the cost – hundreds of dollars a month rather than thousands – and can be retrofitted to existing lagoon systems.
The Poo-Gloos work in clusters, with two dozen or more arranged in rows fully submerged at the bottom of the lagoon. Each Poo-Gloo consists of four concentrically nested plastic domes filled with plastic packing to provide a large surface area for bacterial growth. Rings of bubble-release tubes sit at the base of every Poo-Gloo and bubble air up through the cavities between domes. The air exits a hole in the top of each dome. As air moves through the dome, it draws water from the bottom of the lagoon up through the dome and out the top.
Individual Poo-Gloos create 2,800 square feet (260 square meters) of surface area for bacterial growth while taking up just 28 square feet (2.6 square meters) of space. In comparison with labor-intensive mechanical plants, Poo-Gloos require little maintenance. They use the same amount of electricity as a 75-watt bulb and can even be powered with solar or wind energy systems, further reducing the cost.
Taylor Reynolds, director of sales for Wastewater Compliance Systems says that most of the projects he quotes are between US$150,000 and $500,000, a far more palatable option for an average municipality than the $4 million to $10 million they are quoted for a mechanical plant.
A pilot study to evaluate Poo-Gloo performance at different water temperatures, levels of aeration, sewage volumes and concentrations yielded impressive results:
Biological oxygen demand – a measure of organic waste in water – was reduced consistently by 85 percent using Poo-Gloos, and ranged as high as 92 percent
Total suspended solids fell consistently by 85 percent, and ranged as high as 95 percent
Ammonia levels dropped more than 98 percent with Poo-Gloo treatment in warmer water and, more importantly, by as much as 93 percent when temperatures dropped below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) – conditions that normally slow bacterial breakdown of sewage
Total nitrogen levels fell 68 percent in warmer water and 55 percent in cooler water
Poo-Gloos have been deployed in six states in the U.S. in either a full installation or pilot environment, and in all cases have successfully met pollution-control requirements.
The Poo-Gloo is not just for consuming poo, however. Wastewater Compliance Systems is in the process of filing patents for other applications and markets, hence the rebranding as Bio-Dome, which the company agrees is "less fun" but more appropriate for their diversification.
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2011.01.13 11:12:03 AM
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Re: Google綠能投資 首購風力發電廠
'Superstreet' concept shows promise in real-world test
'Superstreet' traffic designs result in faster travel times and significantly fewer accidents, according to the new study. Credit: Dr. Joe Hummer, North Carolina State University
No left turn. That is the simple concept behind the Superstreet traffic design which promises significantly faster travel times, plus a drastic reduction in auto-collisions and injuries. These superstreets are ground level streets – not raised freeways or highways – that allow for greater volume of thru-traffic by re-routing traffic from side streets that would normally be trying to get across the main road. While the idea has been around in urban transport modeling textbooks for over 20 years, researchers from the North Carolina State University have been the first to test the concept in the real world and the results are promising.
The central concept to the superstreet design is a thoroughfare, a stream of constantly moving traffic that follows a main arterial road. Drivers wanting to cross the thoroughfare or to turn left are first required to make a right turn, joining the main stream of traffic. A little way down the superstreet they then make a U-turn after which they can continue on along the thoroughfare if they had been trying to turn left or they can turn right into the side street if this was their planned route. While this may seem time-consuming, the study shows that it actually results in a significant time savings since drivers are not stuck waiting to make left-hand turns or for traffic from cross-streets to go across the thoroughfare.
"The study shows a 20 percent overall reduction in travel time compared to similar intersections that use conventional traffic designs," Dr Joe Hummer, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at NC State and one of the researchers who conducted the study said. "We also found that superstreet intersections experience an average of 46 percent fewer reported automobile collisions – and 63 percent fewer collisions that result in personal injury."
The researchers assessed travel time at superstreet intersections as the amount of time it takes a vehicle to pass through an intersection from the moment it reaches the intersection – whether traveling left, right or straight ahead. The travel-time data were collected from three superstreets located in eastern and central North Carolina, all of which have traffic signals. The superstreet collision data were collected from 13 superstreets located across North Carolina, none of which have traffic signals.
A Paper on the travel time research will be presented on January 24 at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. The Paper is co-authored by Hummer, former NC State graduate students Rebecca Haley and Sarah Ott, and three researchers from NC State's Institute for Transportation Research and Education: Robert Foyle, associate director; Christopher Cunningham, senior research associate; and Bastian Schroeder, research associate. The collision research was part of an overarching report of the study submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) last month, and is the subject of a forthcoming paper. The study was funded by NCDOT.
(GIZMAG)
There’s a number of small portable solar chargers available which are designed to keep mobile gear such as MP3 players and mobile phones powered up when there’s no electrical outlet around. But with people cramming more and more devices on their person or in their cars when heading off the grid, we're seeing a growing number of larger and more powerful units designed for more power hungry devices. The latest is thid portable solar-powered generator from Wagan Tech which provides 1,500 watts of power for seven to eight hours.
Intended as the perfect accessory for campers, hunters and RVers, Wagan Tech’s generator is small enough to throw in the boot and has wheels to make it easy to transport from the car to the campsite – although you’ll probably want the campsite and the car in pretty close proximity. The unit comes fully assembled with one 12-volt battery – with the option of adding two more – and folds open to display five solar panels – again, with the option of adding two more.
Wagan Tech had a unit on display at CES 2011 and said, in its basic form – one 12-volt battery and five solar panels – it would supply 1,500 watts of power for seven to eight hours. A spokesman said the company was still tweaking the design, but was aiming for a Q2 2011 release date and a price of around US$1,100.
