Melting Steel Using Solar Radiation!!

A group of MIT students are now vaporizing wood and can potentially melt steel using just the sun. Their goal is cheap and efficient solar power.

Their solar concentrator, a 12-foot by 12-foot mirror( 3.65 m by 3.65 m), is made of off-the-shelve metal frames fitted with bent mirrors that concentrates the sun's light on a single spot.
These students started a new company, RawSolar, to sell their design.
"The first goal is to create a heat source that is cheaper than natural gas or oil," said Matt Ritter, one of the MIT students and Public Relations Manager for RawSolar. "An eventual application is electricity generation."
The mirrors and frames are readily available and cheap making the project very cost effective.
The company's first goal is to create 'wet steam' by boiling water at 250 degrees Celsius. This steam can be used for various commercial and industrial applications.
The MIT team calculated that this disk can generate temperatures up to 1,300 degrees C, high enough to melt steel !!
Focusing sun light to generate heat is easy, turning the heat into energy is the hard part.
To turn this high temperature into energy, three methods could be applied:
1-Using Sterling engine: heating a gas to drive a piston and generate electrical current.
2-Steam Turbines: Using steam to turn a turbine.
3-High-concentration photovoltaic: Focusing sunlight onto a small photovoltaic cell that can convert high concentrations of sunlight into electricity.

The last choice looks the most promising since using high efficiency solar cells could become more affordable.
Whatever the outcome is this MIT team has certainly made a break through in concentrated solar radiation.
Via Discovery Channel
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Megawatts From Mirrored Sunlight In Spain

A company called SolFocus (which was spun out of Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in 2006) has started installation of a 3-megawatt solar power plant in southern Spain. SolFocus makes solar cells that use much less silicon than regular panels because they use lenses and mirrors to concentrate sunlight. The solar concentrators magnify sunlight 500 times, which according to the company, is the “sweet spot” between higher energy production and excessive heat.


The blocks have two sets of mirrors: mirrors on bottom face reflect sunlight back to mirrors on the top face, and these in turn reflect the light on to one-millimeter-square photovoltaic cells popped into the center of the bottom mirrors.

Silicon-based solar panels today cost close to $3 per watt to produce. Solfocus says that larger scale production of its concentrators (in the area of gigawatts) would cut the cost per watt to just 50 cents. The second generation version of the device should cut costs further to as low as 32 cents per watt, according to the company.

Via: Press Release and Metaefficient
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Madrid's 'Air Tree' Produces Oxygen and Power

In Madrid, Spain they are currently building a huge structure called an “Air Tree” or “Eco Boulevard de Vallecas”.

The Tree was created by Urban Ecosystem to be a social center, and to improve the surrounding environment. The structure is also completely self-sufficient, generating all its own power with solar cells. Any surplus energy is sold to the electrical grid. It also produces oxygen using its arrays of plants and trees, hence the “tree” appellation. The designers say:

…Simple air conditioning systems installed in the air tree are evapotranspirators. This is a natural way to air condition a space, not a part of commercial strategy. Rather, it creates naturally conditioned spaces between 8-10°C cooler than the surrounding streets where the residents can take active part in the public domain. The structure itself was made of mostly recycled materials.

Via: Urban Ecosystem Blog via Green Line Blog and Metaefficient
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Storing Solar Power In Molten Salt

Solar power is a truly efficient source of energy, but it tends to fluctuate, and, as you might know, it turns off at night. One clever way to alleviate this intermittence is to store solar energy in the form of heat using molten salt. An aerospace company, Hamilton Sundstra, has created a venture called SolarReserve, and it plans to have its first molten salt solar power plant online by 2010.

(This picture is from eSolar, the solar thermal company Google is partnering with for its “RE Less Than C” program, but uses a similar setup as SolarReserve’s proposed plant design, with a central collection tower surrounded by heliostats.)

"The molten salt holds its heat very efficiently and for long periods of time," Dan Coulom a spokesman at Hamilton Sundstrand. Coulum said the company plans to build as many as 10 plants over the next 10 to 15 years, pulling in revenues of $1 billion over that time period.

With concentrated solar, a large number of motor-controlled mirrors track the sun and reflect the solar energy onto a tower receiver, which in turn heats a liquid that can be used to make steam. A steam turbine can then produce electricity.

"The molten salt, which is in a storage tank at the bottom of the tower, is run up through the receiver and heated to about 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit," said Coulom.

The company said using molten salt, a mixture of sodium and potassium nitrate, instead of water or oil, allows the heat to be stored for use on cloudy days or at night.

Via: Hamilton Sundstra Press Release via Cleantech,
Metaefficient
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The Skinny on RFID

by: John Hanson

RFID is the abbreviation for Radio Frequency Identification. RFID is a method used to store and retrieve data using RFID transponders or tags. RFID tags have antennas that allow them to accept and respond to queries from the RFID transceiver. There are passive and active RFID tags. The difference between the two is that passive tags do not need an internal power source, but active tags do. RFID technology is already used in many technologies today. The future of RFID technology seems limitless as new ways to utilize its effectiveness are discovered frequently.

Passive and Active Tags

As stated before, passive RFID tags do not have an internal power supply. There is a minute electrical current induced in the antenna by the radio signal it receives. This small current is enough to power the tag to respond to the signal. Passive RFID tags have a very brief response because of their limited power. They are very small, and may be used in the future for medical purposes or, as some fear, tracking devices. Passive RFID tags can be embedded within the skin because of their small size. The smallest RFID tag in existence in 2005 was 0.4 mm by 0.4 mm. Passive tags have a read distance that ranges from 10mm to almost 6 meters. Passive tags are cheaper than active RFID tags and as a result are more commercially available. Active RFID tags have a longer range and larger memory capacity than passive RFID tags and may therefore be able to store a significantly higher amount of information. Active RFID tags may have a battery life of up to 10 years.

RFID implant

RFID implant in both hands

How it Works

In order to understand the uses, and potential uses, of RFID technology, one must understand the RFID system. RFID systems consist of tag readers, tags, edge servers, middleware, and application software. Having an RFID system will allow data to be transmitted by a tag, which is then read by the RFID reader and processed in accordance with the application’s specifications. Data transmitted can have information about the location of the tag, or specifics concerning the product tagged. Typical RFID systems have a small and inexpensive tag on a product. There is then an “interrogator” which has a certain range in which to detect the RFID tag, activate it, and receive the response.

Current and Potential Uses

RFID technology is used in every day life. RFID tags are found in CD stores and in library books. When an alarm goes off because an item was not purchased or checked out, that is the RFID tag responding. Wal-Mart has even used RFID tags on shipments to improve supply chain management. Other RFID tags are used to track trucks in shipping yards. More recently, RFID tags have been used in automated tool booth systems like the E-ZPass system on the east coast. Mobile gas also implemented RFID technology to allow customers to simply pull up to the pump, pump gas, and then leave without having to scan a credit card or pay a cashier.

RFID technology has great potential and is constantly being improved. RFID workers are constantly trying to improve the current usage in systems like E-ZPass. It was recently announced that the eastern states will be improving E-ZPass so that cars can move faster through the tool-booth (35mph rather than 5mph). RFID technology may also be used to monitor inmates, and potentially parolees. Some consumers worry as to citizen privacy invasions by the government. RFID technology is always growing, and the government may be able to use RFID to inspect citizens, or keep track of them. Currently, however, RFID technology seems to be limited to the innovation sphere. RFID technology has been utilized to make the lives of consumers easier and more efficient. Despite the qualms of some citizens, RFID has a very bright future.
Via Articlecity
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North America’s Largest Solar-Electric Plant Switched On

North America’s largest solar photovoltaic system is now running and generating power — about 30 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The 14 megawatt power plant is at the Nellis Air Force Base in the sunny desert of southern Nevada. It’s expected to save about $1 million in power costs annually, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 24,000 tons each year.
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The plant, which cost $100 million to construct, covers 140 acres of land at the western edge of the Nellis base. The company that owns the panels is leasing the land at no cost, and Nellis is agreeing to buy the power for 20 years at about 2.2 cents/kWh, instead of the 9 cents they are paying to Nevada Power, saving the Air Force $1 million each year. None of the $100 million cost came from the Air Force.

The photovoltaic system is made up of 72,000 solar panels. It’s enough to provide 30% of the electric needs on the base, where 12,000 people work and 7,215 people live. But at 14 megawatts the power output of this system is modest, compared to the solar thermal Nevada One project which generates 64 megawatts of power.

SunPower designed and built the photovoltaic power plant using its proprietary single-axis solar tracking system which follows the sun throughout the day and delivers "up to 30 percent more energy than traditional fixed-tilt ground systems," the company says.
Via Press Release, Metaefficient
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Solar Film Debuts: Cheapest Solar Panel In The World?

Nanosolar has just announced that, after five years of development, it will be shipping its innovative “solar film” product. Basically, Nanosolar is able to print solar panels on machines that resemble printing presses. The company, whose backers include Google’s co-founders, say it is producing the world’s lowest-cost solar panel, costing as little as 99 cents per watt.

What will Nanosolar be doing with the first three commercial panels?

* Panel #1 will remain at Nanosolar for exhibit.
* Panel #2 can be purchased by you in an auction on eBay.
* Panel #3 has been donated to the Tech Museum in San Jose.

Nanosolar is a heavily financed Silicon Valley start-up. The company has raised $150 million and built a 200,000-square-foot factory.

To make solar film, Nanosolar prints CIGS (copper-indium-gallium-selenium) onto a thin polymer. There is no costly silicon involved in the process. Nanosolar is only a few years old, but it has laid plans to take on multinational corporations, such as BP and Sharp, in the solar industry.

Via: NanoSolar Blog, Metaefficient
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The Coming Age Of HDTV - What Does It Mean To Me?

by: Lloyd Howard


HDTV - high-definition television: it is something that has been discussed for some time now, however not everyone has a strong sense of what it is and why he or she would want to have it.

Because all television stations will be required to broadcast a digital signal after February 17, 2009, many viewers are beginning to ask a lot more questions about how the new digital age of television will affect their personal viewing experience. They want to know whether or not their television set will be compatible, whether or not they will have to replace it, and what steps they will have to take in order to keep watching their favorite shows.

How To Identify If Your Television Is An Analog TV

Analog television has been with us since the inception of television broadcasting. Analog is the old way of processing a television signal.

Television technology took a big leap in the 1960's with the transition from television tubes to circuit boards, but that conversion failed to bring with it any major strides in the quality of the television picture.

If your current television does not have a logo on its front that indicates DTV (Digital TV), EDTV (Enhanced Definition TV), or HDTV, then your television set is an analog TV.

Understanding The Transition From An Analog Signal To The New Digital Signal

Digital image processing is a technology that began in earnest during the 1970's, when Japanese technology companies began to explore the concepts of HDTV. The Japanese TV manufacturers were exploring ways to improve the picture quality of the television image, as a way to find more customers for their television products.

While Americans were busy playing with building the computer industry, the Japanese were hard at work trying to build a better television set. The first HDTV systems developed by the Japanese still relied on the old analog system of sending a broadcast signal to their televisions, but they were still able to produce a better television viewing experience.

When initially introduced to the U.S. Government, the new HDTV system produced a myriad of concerns, which included the issue of an analog HDTV-system needing more bandwidth than what was currently allotted to the television broadcasters.

In 1993, a consortium of American researchers and manufacturers (known as The Grand Alliance) joined forces to find a way to bring HDTV-quality to the American public, while keeping the bandwidth requirements of broadcasters within the existing limits.

Researchers soon understood that they would need to push at least part of the television signal in a digital format to make sure that HDTV could be transmitted within the limits currently allotted to the television broadcasters. By the time they had finished their work, the Grand Alliance had created a system that was 100% Digital.

In 1995, after considerable opposition from the television broadcast industry, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission officially set the standard for completely digital HDTV broadcasting system. This put into motion the events that are just now coming to fruition, with the rollout of the new Digital Television broadcasting system.

Although most television stations have been broadcasting a Digital Television Signal now for a few years, analog television owners have been none the wiser. But that will all change on February 17, 2009.

Will My Analog Television Stop Working In 2009?

The simple answer is "yes", but that does not mean that you will have to buy a new television in order to get the new digital broadcasts. While you may not need to replace your television set, you may have to make changes in how you get your television signal.

There are in fact three ways that the average consumer can continue to get a television signal using their old television set:

1. Subscribe to a cable television service (and use their digital television converter);

2. Subscribe to a satellite television service (and use their digital television converter); or

3. Buy a DTV converter (Digital TV Converter) to receive signals from your analog antenna and to convert that signal back to analog, so that you can continue to use your analog television. (If you receive your television signal over-the-air, the Federal Government has implemented a Coupon Program to help consumers offset the cost of the DTV converter boxes: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/index.html )

Understanding The Three Facets Of The New Digital Technology

1. Lines Of Resolution

The newer digital technology is all about Lines Of Resolution. With more lines of resolution, the viewer will receive more image information, therefore bringing the viewer much more picture clarity and detail.

When the Japanese rolled out HDTV on the Japanese mainland, the lines of resolution numbered 1080. To put this into perspective, the standard analog TV signal exhibits 330 lines of resolution. This makes it more than clear that the original analog HDTV format really was a real issue for television broadcasters in the United States. To produce a resolution of 1080 lines on a system designed for 330 lines would have literally required three times the bandwidth of the current analog system.

Here are the standard television resolutions:

* Analog Television - 330 Lines of Resolution

* VCR's - 240 Lines of Resolution

* DVD's - 480 Lines of Resolution

* EDTV - 720 Lines of Resolution

* HDTV - 1080 Lines of Resolution

There is a caveat to this chart though. The minimum requirement of the FCC is that broadcasters must produce a minimum of 720 Lines of Resolution. As a result, some broadcasters like ABC chose the 720-resolution, and yet they can still legally call their programming standard, HDTV.

Other broadcasters like PBS opted for the higher 1080 format. Good for them.

In 1998, when the first HDTV's became available to the buying public, the Headline News newscasters were joking that with the rollout of HDTV, we the audience would be able to see every blackhead and blemish on their faces. Of course, they were probably correct in that assumption. The detail of the HDTV-signal is absolutely amazing.

2. Aspect Ratio

Another factor connected to the new HDTV-format is the Aspect Ratio.

In a standard analog television, the Aspect Ratio is a 4-by-3, which nearly looks square. The 4-by-3 ratio means that it can be measured 4-parts wide to 3-parts high.

With the new HDTV format, the Aspect Ratio has been changed to the same format seen in the movie theatre - a 16-by-9 Aspect Ratio, or 16-parts wide to 9-parts high.

3. Sound Quality

The third factor connected to the new HDTV-format is Sound Quality. In fact, most HDTV programming will carry with it Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, as frequently heard on DVD's. So long as you have a surround sound unit attached to your television set, the surround sound will enable to the television viewer to be immersed in the sound, so much so as it often feels as if you are in the middle of the action happening on your television set.

In Conclusion...

While it is true that you do not need to upgrade your television from the analog format to the new digital format, you might seriously consider doing so anyway.

Now that we are quickly approaching the end of the analog-television era, the cost of HDTV television sets has fallen considerably. Whereas five years ago, the average HDTV cost in the range of $3-4,000, the cost of most HDTV's has fallen to under $1200 today. After February 17, 2009, the cost of HDTV should drop again, making it much more affordable to the general public.

Although it will be possible to convert the digital television signal to analog, you will lose the extra picture detail on the conversion. So, if you stick with your analog television, you will be restricting yourself to the quality of picture you are currently receiving, even after the change in television broadcasting formats is complete.

Although color-technology was first introduced to audiences with the release of The Wizard Of Oz in 1939, color television did not become mainstream until the late-1960's. And although the technology of color was mainstream, black-and-white televisions were still being manufactured and sold well into the 1980's.

Fortunately, this transition will be a bit quicker than the conversion from black-and-white to color. Under the FCC rules for the transition to digital television, television manufacturers were required to include a digital tuner in all television sets manufactured after March 1, 2006.

This conversion is much like the transition from AM to FM as the standard listening medium in the radio industry. Radio listeners could not listen to FM stations until which time they had upgraded their radio from AM to the AM/FM format. The same thing will happen here as well. If you want to receive the beautiful, high-quality HDTV images, you will need to upgrade to a television set capable of displaying the HDTV images.

If you have any lingering doubts about the better HDTV standard, all you need to do is to visit your local television store and see for yourself just how awesome of a picture HDTV actually produces. Just as Dolby Digital Surround Sound enables the listener to feel as if they are in the middle of the action on the television, HDTV permits the viewer to feel as if they are standing in the same room as the actors, on the sidelines at the football game, or on the same beach as the models - it really is that good of a picture.
Via Articlecity
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Sir_Fz's Personal Blog

Having trouble with viruses, spyware and adware? Your operating system is acting funny? The best protection software recommendations are available at Sir_Fz's personal blog. In addition get reviews of the best games and access to Sir_Fz's famous Eggdrop Tcl scripts. Click here. Read More......

How to Move Green – The Greenest Cities in the US

by: Josh Allen

While you have been considering all sorts of characteristics of a city to move to, have you considered how the city sits on the green list? It is time to consider things like better air quality, renewable energy, certified green buildings, public parks, and superior recycling programs. If this sounds like a better life to you, take a look at a few of the characteristics found in the top five greenest cities.

Portland, Oregon

Portland happens to be one of the greenest cites in America, and the community has a dedicated focus on making its city a great place to live. It is no wonder that the community is strong, as about half its energy comes from renewable sources. Many commuters in Portland bike to work, carpool or utilize public transportation, and the city has dozens of buildings that are certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Portland has also set an urban growth boundary that protects 25 million acres of forest and farmland.

San Francisco, California

If you have ever considered moving to sunny California, you certainly would not be alone on that thought. And if you are coming from a place like New York City, San Francisco has everything from the city life to being a leader in protecting our environment. SF is also a leader in green building with many projects that are certified green.

Boston, Massachusetts

Although not many people would have expect to see Boston on the top greenest cities list, they would probably be even more surprised to hear about its plans to open a power plant that would turn grass and leaves into methane gas.

Oakland, California

There should be no surprise that Oakland would make this list, as it is a close neighbor to San Francisco. Oakland, however, is on the cutting edge by offering its commuters zero emission hydrogen powered busses.

Burlington, Vermont

The lake community in Burlington prides itself in not only being a green state, but also a leader in green technology. Over a third of its energy comes from renewable resources. You probably won’t find any other city in the United States that is so dedicated to sustainability, as most of its public schools have switched to organically grown foods and sustainability plays a part in the curricula at most public schools
Source: Articlecity
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Renewable Energy powers Italian village and Boasts Economy

Varese, a town in Northern Italy, runs on 100% renewable power. The town uses a mix of wind, solar and small-scale hydropower. The town has reaped benefits from the energy network through added jobs, and an additional 350,000 euros [US $514,000] in revenues that are handed over to the council each year. Varese has also seen a six-fold increase in tourists in the last ten years, many coming just to see its renewable energy network.

Varese became the first municipality in Europe to get 100% of its power from renewable energy sources six years ago. It now generates three times more electricity than the people living in Varese need and there are plans in the pipeline for even more renewables.

The town has also launched initiatives to make Varese 100% sustainable. A total of 108 organic farms now supply 98 percent of the town’s food; water is purified using environmentally friendly technology, and waste has been significantly reduced.

Four wind turbines located on a ridge 1100 meters above sea level — where the average annual wind speed is 7.2 meters per second — generate 8 million kWh of electricity a year that is fed into the local grid managed by Acam, a power company in La Spezia. Photovoltaic (PV) panels have been installed on the town hall and the local school. The town hall has 102 PV panels covering 95 square meters and generating 12,700 kWh a year, which supplies 98 percent of the total energy consumption of the building. Varese’s secondary school has 39 PV panels covering 36 square meters and producing 4,600 kWh a year, which supplies 62 percent of the energy used.

In addition to the that, the town’s swimming pool is heated by solar power and a program to promote the use of wood pellet stoves is in the works.

Via: Renewable Energy Access, Metaefficient
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Apple iPhone 3G

After one year of the first Apple iPhone, Apple has released its new Apple iPhone 3G. iPhone 3G came with a slightly different design but with large variety of new features. These features include access to 3G wireless networks, Microsoft Exchange server e-mail and support for large number of third party applications.
Apple iPhone features:

• Memory: iPhone comes in two models, 8GB and 16GBMeasurments: 0.48 inch thick (1.21 cm) , height 5.5 inch (13.97 cm) and width 2.4 inch (6 cm)

• Weight: The iPhone only weights about 4.7 ounces(133.24 Grams).

• Display: iPhone's display is 3.5 inch (8.89 cm) and 480x320 pixels with 163 dots per inch. The display gives out brilliant colors, sharp graphics and fluid movements.

• Exchange Server support: iPhone can sync your Outlook email, contacts and calendar. Can support multiple POP3 accounts but it syncs with only one Exchange server.

• 3G connection: iPhone lets users take advantage of AT&T's wireless UMTS/HSDPA wireless broadband network. So, connection speeds can be between 300 Kbps up to 500 Kbps and even faster.

• GPS(Global Positioning System): The iPhone 3G uses Assisted GPS supplemented by satellites, which better pinpoints your location.It also offers live tracking so that you can monitor your progress as you drive (or walk) along.

• Camera: The two megapixel camera remains with iPhone 3G, although with a slight improvement in the photo quality.

For more information, Apple iPhone or Cnet reviews Read More......

UK Plans 25 Gigawatts Of Offshore Wind

The UK plans to build offshore wind farms that generate a total of 25 gigawatts. This is in addition to an existing 8 gigawatts of planned construction. This vast increase in wind power, in addition to the wave and tidal projects being tested in the Orkney islands, could power all of the UK’s homes by 2020.

The scheme could see turbines so large that they would reach 850ft(260M) into the sky. Each would be capable of powering up to 8,000 homes.
Britain’s current range of coal, gas, nuclear and other power stations are capable of generating 75 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, but less than 0.5GW comes from wind.

Business Secretary John Hutton will announce at an energy conference in Berlin tomorrow that he wants to see this target raised to 33GW-worth of wind turbines installed in the seas around Britain by 2020. If energy consumption remains stable this would mean wind power could supply the electricity needs of every home in Britain.

There would still be a need to keep fossil-fuelled power stations in reserve because windless days could leave Britain with power shortages.

Via: Peak Energy , Times Online and Metaefficient
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Electrical Engineering Majors

Electrical Engineering is at the center of the modern technological boom. While you are watching TV, using you PC, making a telephone call or surfing the internet you are using electronic devices. Electrical engineers implement power systems like coal, nuclear, fossil fuel power plants. These power plants gives you the electricity to light up your house, use your personnel computer(PC) or notebook and turn on air conditioning. Factories controlled by complex automatic electronic produce most if not every product you own these days. Robotic machines control today car assembly line to produce cars faster and more efficiently. All of these tasks were made possible by electrical and electronics engineers. Let's see some other fields of specialty:

• BioMedical

This includes biomedical instrumentation, biomedical imaging, and neural interfaces for diagnosis, research, artificial retinas, and control of prosthetics. It also includes the use of micro-fluidic & micro-electromechanical (MEMs) systems for biological research & the development of new medicines.

• Communications

Communications includes wireless communications for cell phones & wireless internet, optical communication over optical fibers for very high speed internet, the design of internet routers, and the design of internet protocols with associated hardware & software. It also includes radio & television.

• Computers & Digital Circuit Design

This includes the design of computers, and the design of the embedded computers, digital circuitry, and software that control appliances, entertainment devices, and factory equipment everywhere. It also includes the design of the digital circuitry that powers the internet.

• Control Systems

Control systems is the study of algorithms and mathematics for robustly controlling all manner of devices. Examples of control systems are image stabilization in video cameras, auto-focusing in cameras, anti-lock brakes, stability control and cruise control in automobiles, and the control of equipment and even chemical plants in industry.

• Electromagnetic Fields & Waves

This is the study of the behavior of radar, microwaves, radio waves, and light, and the design of the equipment that uses them. Applications include radar, cell phones, antenna design, and fiber optics for the internet and digital television.

• Electronic Circuit Design

This is the transistor level design of the circuitry which is at the heart of all electronic devices. A circuit designer designs at the level of transistors and passive components like resistors and capacitors, designing the circuits that are the building blocks for most of the other specialties.

• NanoTechnology & MEMs

The dimensions of transistors and other electronic components have been shrinking by a factor of two every three or four years for the last 40 years. The transistors inside a microprocessor in a P.C. are now ten times too small to see with a visible light microscope. Nanotechnology is the study of very small structures. The goal is to eventually be able to build electronic devices at the molecular level, using single molecules as components with atomically precise connections. MEMs is the design of micro-electromechanical devices and micro-fluidic devices using the same techniques that have been invented for creating very small electronic components. A DLP television uses a MEMs mirror chip with millions of movable mirrors on it.

• Packaging

Cell phones and other portable electronic devices need to be as small as possible. This is achieved by packaging many silicon chips (which contain the actual circuitry) together in a single package and wiring them together inside the package. Improvements in packaging allow more and more circuitry to be packed into smaller and smaller devices. Effective packaging can also enhance the speed of electronics. The University of Arkansas Hidec Center is devoted to packaging research.

• Pattern Recognition & Artificial Intelligence

Machines are now able to read hand printed materials and understand spoken English to a limited degree. They are also able, to a limited extent, to recognize objects in the everyday world. This is called pattern recognition. The military recently sponsored a race (the DARPA Grand Challenge) in which robotic vehicles drove themselves across 132 miles of mountainous desert terrain. The main challenge here was to recognize the road and stay on it. Pattern recognition and artificial intelligence are the study of how to design machines that can do many of the things that only people can do at present.

• Power

The power area in electrical engineering consists of the design of motors, generators, and the electrical distribution grid that distributes electricity to homes and businesses around the country. It also includes the design of electronic circuitry for controlling power and motors. Motor and generator design are important issues in the design of electric and hybrid cars. Improving the stability and reliability of our electricity distribution grid is an important topic.

• Semiconductor Devices & Integrated Circuits

Integrated circuit chips are at the heart of most electronic devices. An integrated circuit chip is a small square piece of silicon with tens of millions of transistors in it connected together by several layers of microscopic wiring into a complex circuit. The microprocessor that powers a P.C. is an integrated circuit chip. The memory chips in cameras, ipods, and flash drives are integrated circuit chips. The circuitry in a cell phone, television set, or computer is mostly made of integrated circuit chips. Some integrated circuit chips have as many as 8,000,000,000 transistors on one chip less than a centimeter square
Sources: University of Arkansas,NJIT,
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A Solar Carport to Charge Your Car Or Home

A carport that can generate power from the sun is debuting at the Electric Vehicle Symposium 23 (EVS-23) this week in Anaheim, California. Created by a company called Envision, the Lifeport can generate power for the home, or it can used to recharge electric vehicles directly. A 22 square foot carport incorporates 24 solar panels, and is rated at 4.8 kilowatts. It delivers and average of 16.4 kilowatt hours per day. The carport can be scaled up to a grid tied 6.4 kilowatt system.
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The Envision solar carport is made of recycled light gauge steel framework that can be assembled via instruction manual and videos.You can find sample pricing and rebate information on this page.
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Electric Eel Used To Power Christmas Tree

In Japan, there’s an aquarium with an electric eel in it. And the eel’s electrical power is being used to energize the lights on a Christmas tree. It’s clean energy right? Each time the electric eel at the Aqua Toto Gifu aquarium touches a copper wire in its tank, it sends power that lights up globes decking a Christmas tree.

Officials expect the “eel Christmas tree” to be a popular attraction for dating couples in the lead-up to Christmas Day, when the tree will be removed. There’s no word on whether the electric eel feels unduly drained by the whole scenario. Electric eels are capable of generating electricity in their bodies. They have notoriously poor eyesight and use electric shocks to stun prey so they can catch and eat them.
Via Ecofriend, Mainichi Daily News and Metaefficient.
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HP To Install 1 Megawatt Solar Rooftop

Hewlett-Packard has announced it will install a 1-megawatt solar array in its San Diego facility. The installation will be made up of 5,000 panels on seven buildings. It’s a large solar array, but smaller than Google’s 1.6-megawatt solar array, which is thought to be the largest corporate installation to date in the United States.


SunPower will install its solar panels and sell the electricity the panels generate to HP at fixed rates under a power purchase agreement. The system will save HP $750,000 over 15 years and offset 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent of taking 100 cars off the road each year.
As part of the deal, HP employees are eligible for a $2,000 rebate for purchasing solar electric panels from SunPower, an amount that HP will match.

In Ireland, HP has contracted with wind developer Airtricity to purchase 80 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity in 2008. That arrangement will reduce HP’s energy costs by $40,000 next year and eliminate the release of 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide, it said.

HP is considered a leader in environmental awareness and corporate social responsibility. Last year, it bought 11 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy to fuel its operations.

Via: News.Com and Metaefficient.
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Biomethane: A Fuel From Pure Grass

This is highly optimal. In Austria, cars can now fill up on a renewable, locally-produced fuel. The fuel is called “biomethane”, and it’s created by fermenting meadow grass (Poa pratensis). The grass is grown without the input of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. And it’s a true ‘cellulosic biofuel’ — it doesn’t rely on grains and oilseeds.

It’s known in the U.S. as Kentucky bluegrass, and it’s an important meadow species found extensively in Austria’s grasslands, where it is used by grazing livestock like cattle and sheep.

The fuel is being produced by a company called Salzburg AG, and they’ve opened the first biomethane gas station in the city of Eugendorf, Austria. From December onwards, customers can fill up their natural gas vehicles with blend of 20% CO2-neutral biogas and 80% natural gas, at a price that beats all other transport fuels.
Salzburg AG built the first part of a new dedicated gas infrastructure - a 2 kilometer pipeline - which feeds the upgraded biogas into its existing local natural gas grid. In 2008, the company will supply this ‘Bioerdgas’ to 14 similar stations that currently offer natural gas in the city and federal state of Salzburg . The regional energy administration is the station’s first customer and will run its fleet on the clean gas.


Given that all the grass is converted into a useable fuel and organic fertilizer, one could consider biogas production a form of ‘cellulosic biofuel’: it doesn’t require easily fermentable sugars or starches - as do first generation liquid biofuels which rely on grains and oilseeds. As the Austrian project shows, a transport biofuel can be obtained from a cellulosic biomass feedstock like pure grass. Yield estimates for the biogas from grass are as follows: one hectare can yield between 2,900–5,400 cubic meters of pure methane per year, enough to fuel a passenger car for 40,000 to 60,000 kilometers (one acre of crops can power a car for 10,000 to 15,000 miles).

Via: Biopact and Metaefficient
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The Wind Shade Roof

Personally, I find combination of clean energy and art to be compelling. Michael Jantzen’s designs certainly embody both ideas. Pictured above is his “Wind Shade Roof” concept – it’s a swimming pool complex with wind turbines integrated into the roof. The turbines provide power for night lighting, pool heating and pumps.


I’m sure the design is not entirely optimal, but also I’m would be amazing to stand inside this structure. See more photos on his web site. He has a number of similar clean energy projects in his portfolio.
Source: Metaefficient
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New Record: World’s Largest Wind Turbine (7+ Megawatts)

The world’s largest wind turbine is now the Enercon E-126. This turbine has a rotor diameter of 126 meters (413 feet). The E-126 is a more sophisticated version of the E-112, formerly the world’s largest wind turbine and rated at 6 megawatts. This new turbine is officially rated at 6 megawatts too, but will most likely produce 7+ megawatts (or 20 million kilowatt hours per year). That’s enough to power about 5,000 households of four in Europe. A quick US calculation would be 938 kwh per home per month, 12 months, that’s 11,256 kwh per year per house. That’s 1776 American homes on one wind turbine.

The turbine being installed in Emden, Germany by Enercon. They will be testing several types of storage systems in combination with the multi-megawatt wind turbines.


These turbines are equipped with a number of new features: an optimized blade design with a spoiler extending down to the hub, and a pre-cast concrete base. Due to the elevated hub height and the new blade profile, the performance of the E-126 is expected to by far surpass that of the E-112.


WiredForStereo of The Way explains the operation of these new turbines:
[The E-126]… has no gearbox attaching the turbine blades to the generator, in fact, the generator is housed just at the widest part of the nose cone, it takes up the entire width of the nacelle to generate power more efficiently, and provide longer service life with less wear.

Also like small turbines, these have inverters instead of synchronous generators, that is to say, a separate controller that converts the wild AC generated into something the grid can use. This means the rotor can run at more optimum and varied speeds.

Again like small turbines, this one does not shut right off at a predetermined speed due to gusts or just very high wind speeds. It simply throttles down by turning the blades slightly away from the wind so as to continue to generate power though at a lower production rate. Then the instant the wind is more favorable, it starts back up again. Many smaller wind turbines do something similar except have no blade pitch control, they use a technique called something like “side furling” where the whole machine, excepting the tail, turns “sideways” to catch less wind but continue operating.

Money, why else? Big things are cheaper per unit production. If you have 3 2 MW generators, you have to have three (at least) cranes to put them up, build three foundations, have to maintain three machines, and have three times the parts to fail. If you have one, it is larger and more expensive in itself to move, but not as expensive as having to move three smaller ones.

I don’t understand how people can be so concerned about birds becoming mush with modern wind turbines, especially ones this big. It only turns at 12 rpms. That means it takes five seconds to complete one revolution. That is slow but this is much bigger and easy to see compared to the whirring blades of old. The Altamont Pass turbines gave wind turbines such a bad name because they were built in the middle of the natural habitat of rare birds, the turbines were the small fast spinning type, and they were built using lattice towers, the kind birds love to nest in. These are slowly being replaced and all of the new ones are of the slower rotating kind. In the end, it comes down to this. Stationary buildings and moving cars kill literally millions of times more birds than wind turbines. And things like the Exxon Valdez spill kill millions of everything. So let’s go with the best option.



A graph of the World’s Largest Wind Turbines.
Source: Metaefficient
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Vancouver: All New Developments Must Be Green

In June, the Vancouver City Council unanimously approved the adoption the the highest green standards for private sector development in North America. Effective immediately, all new re-zonings for development in Vancouver will be required to achieve or exceed the level of LEED Silver, and they will have to achieve LEED Gold on January 1st, 2010.

The City of Vancouver already had a green building requirement for its new City-owned buildings but the EcoDensity Charter is much broader in its scope because it applies to privately-owned developments, which make up virtually the entire building industry.



The new requirements are part of the hotly debated EcoDensity Charter that the city adopted. See more details about the debate in this Vancouver Courier article. The charter is part of the city’s larger goal is a carbon-neutral city by 2030.
Green buildings cost only 3% more to build at the time of construction, and that cost is usually recouped in the first year, because of the building’s lower heating/cooling costs.
Source, www.metaefficient.com
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Tips to Save Energy-Going Greener

Electric energy consumption falls into three categories:
1-Lighting
2-Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning or HVAC
3-Plug in power as in: refrigerators, freezers and various electronic equipment, laptops and PCs, etc...

First, simple measures can be taken to reduce lighting energy consumption like:

1-Switch all lights that are not needed as when you leave the room.
2-Make maximum use of the daylight, open the curtains and keep windows clean .
3-Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy efficiency bulbs like fluorescent light bulbs thus cutting consumption by 70-80%.
4-Use task lighting instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it.
5-installl motion detectors to switch on lights when movement is detected and switch off after no motion.

Second, reducing HVAC power intake:

1-Close doors & windows tightly when the heating or cooling is on.
2-Set the thermostat of the AC at 25ºC NOT LESS in summer, and not more than 20ºC in winter.
3-Use curtains & close them in summer to reduce heat gain, and open them in winter to let sun rays in to heat the rooms.
4-Utilize ceiling fans whenever is possible as they use 98% less energy than air conditioners.
5-Turn off heating and cooling in unoccupied areas.
6-Maintain your air conditioners regularly and keep them running efficiently (always clean air conditioners filters & coils to keep them free of dust)
7-Purchase energy efficient air conditioners.
8-Ensure efficient insulation on piping and duct system to prevent energy loss.
9-Keep all electrical appliances away from the air conditioner for the heat they generate will cause them to run longer and unnecessarily running up bills.
10-Buy energy efficient Portable heaters of varying frequency and wattage.
11-Weather-strip, seal, and caulk leaky doors and windows, and install foam gaskets behind outlet covers. (Save: up to 2%).

Third, reducing plug in power usage:

Refrigerators & Freezers

1-Purchase energy efficient fridges.
2-Make sure that the insulation tape around the Fridge / Freezer door is well fixed.
3-Set the thermostat of the Fridge between 3 -5ºC and not less.
4-Do not overload your fridge or freezer as they operate best when air can circulate freely among the stored items.
5-Never allow excess frost in the freezer as heavy frost overloads the equipment.
6-Try to avoid the following to ensure your fridge is running efficiently:
- Opening the fridge door continuously
- Placing the fridge / freezer very close to the wall
- Putting hot meals directly in the fridges / freezers
- Placing the fridge / freezer in very hot environment (near to an oven or exposed to direct sun light)
7-Choose a cool position. Placing a fridge or freezer in direct sunlight or next to an oven or other heat source can substantially increase energy consumption.

Electrical Equipment

1-Purchase energy efficient home and office appliances.
2-Do not use all electric appliances at the same time especially during peak hours i,e between 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm when energy consumption is very high.
3-Unplug all electrical equipments when not in use.
4-Do not switch on computers or printers until they are needed.
5-Switch off all terminals, stand alone processors, photocopiers and printers at the end of the working day.
6-Run the dishwasher and washing machines only when full.
7-In General, check the age and condition of the electrical appliances.
Note: Electronic equipment like TVs and printers use power when put on stand-by. TVs can consume more than 30-40% of total power when on stand-by(when small LEDs are glowing red). To eliminate this just unplug the appliance from the wall outlet.

Water Heaters

1-Set the temperature on your hot water tank to 50 degrees Celsius. Every 5.5 degrees C reduction saves up to 13 percent on your hot water heating costs.
2-Do not leave the electric water heater on all day, just when you need it.
3-Maintain the electric elements of the water heaters to keep them free of scaling.
4-Do not hesitate to install Solar Water Heaters as they do not consume any energy.
5-Use instantaneous water heaters.
6-Insulate the water heaters and the hot water pipes to avoid heat loss.
7-Low-flow showerheads cut shower use in half with no change in performance
8-Water treatment prevents scaling and enhances heat transfer.
9-Water-flow restrictors in showerheads and faucets can cut hot water use without affecting comfort.
10-Reduce hot water usage – Take showers instead of baths to reduce hot water use. A five-minute shower uses half as much hot water as a bath.
11-Repair leaky faucets. Even a drip can add up to a big splash on your monthly energy usage. Read More......

LabVIEW:Graphical Programming Tool

What is LabVIEW?
LabVIEW, short for Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench, is a programming environment in which you create programs using a graphical notation (connecting functional nodes via wires through which data flows); in this regard, it differs from traditional programming languages like C, C++, or Java, in which you program with text. However, LabVIEW is much more than a programming language. It is an interactive program development and execution system designed for people, like scientists and engineers, who need to program as part of their jobs. The LabVIEW development environment works on computers running Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. LabVIEW can create programs that run on those platforms, as well as Microsoft Pocket PC, Microsoft Windows CE, Palm OS, and a variety of embedded platforms, including Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), and microprocessors.
For more information, visit
http://www.ni.com/labview


and to purchase the book
Prentice Hall LabVIEW for Everyone Graphical Programming Made Easy and Fun 3rd Edition Jul 2006
go to http://www.amazon.com/ Read More......

Electrical Engineers

This is a blog for electrical engineering students to read about new fields that are related to their major.

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