NEWS AS ON Saturday, 30 November 2013
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Electricity Generated from Weight of Traffic and Pedestrians
Electricity Generated from Weight of Traffic and Pedestrians
Nov. 29, 2013 — Mexican
entrepreneurs developed a system capable of using the vehicular flow to
generate electric energy. This development has the potentiality to
produce sufficient electricity to power up a household through a device
that "catches" the force of the moving cars.
Mexican
entrepreneurs developed a system capable of using the vehicular flow to
generate electric energy. (Credit: Image courtesy of Investigación y
Desarrollo)
"This is a technology that provides sustainable energy and could be
implemented at low prices, since it's a complement of already existing
infrastructure: the concrete of streets and avenues," Héctor Ricardo
Macías Hernández, developer of the system, said. He added that at a
global level there are no records of similar projects, with exception of
an English patent, but with the difference that in the European country
piezoelectric floors are used, which are too expensive for developing
countries.
The technology consists in a system that integrates a ramp-step (elaborated with polymeric material similar to the ones used in the manufacture of tires) that elevates to five centimeters above the level of the street. When receiving the impact of the vehicle, this ramp exerts pressure on a set of bellows below.
The bellows contain air that is expelled at a certain pressure through a hose; later, this element travels to a tank where it is compressed and relaunched to an electricity generating turbine. Macías Hernández also said that the accumulation of electric energy is proportional to the flow of cars over a determinate spot; however, in places with low vehicular flow, several ramp-steps could be placed to multiply the impact of every individual vehicle.
The developer added that the technology could also be implemented in places with high pedestrian flow. This way, the steps of the people would generate electricity according to the laws of gravitational energy, and this principle could be implemented in places like the subway.
According to Macías Hernández, this development is translated in a source of sustainable energy that implies a low execution cost. The entrepreneur also mentioned that the support of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) was essential to achieve the technological development given that the institution elaborated a previous study regarding the viability of the project and gave advice to structure the necessary patents of the invention.
The technology consists in a system that integrates a ramp-step (elaborated with polymeric material similar to the ones used in the manufacture of tires) that elevates to five centimeters above the level of the street. When receiving the impact of the vehicle, this ramp exerts pressure on a set of bellows below.
The bellows contain air that is expelled at a certain pressure through a hose; later, this element travels to a tank where it is compressed and relaunched to an electricity generating turbine. Macías Hernández also said that the accumulation of electric energy is proportional to the flow of cars over a determinate spot; however, in places with low vehicular flow, several ramp-steps could be placed to multiply the impact of every individual vehicle.
The developer added that the technology could also be implemented in places with high pedestrian flow. This way, the steps of the people would generate electricity according to the laws of gravitational energy, and this principle could be implemented in places like the subway.
According to Macías Hernández, this development is translated in a source of sustainable energy that implies a low execution cost. The entrepreneur also mentioned that the support of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) was essential to achieve the technological development given that the institution elaborated a previous study regarding the viability of the project and gave advice to structure the necessary patents of the invention.
Friday, 29 November 2013
Amazing Kite That Produces Electricity As You Fly It
Amazing Kite That Produces Electricity As You Fly It
This
era can very well be termed as the era of technology and science. These
days, as you may have noticed, science is focused on finding
alternative energy sources. A lot of debate and research is being done
on wind and solar energy and there have been so many ideas popping up
and being put to use to harness them and create electricity from them.
The solar panels and how to use them has been floating in the market for
quite long and there have been many windmills that have been installed
to harness wind energy. But they are becoming problematic. They are not
only taking up too much space but they are also resulting in the killing
of birds and act as a potential threat to private planes.
Keeping all this in view, Empa’s ‘Centre for Synergetic Structures’
joined forces with the University of Applied Sciences Northwest
Switzerland, the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich),
and the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) to come up
with something innovative and efficient. The key concept is that they
will harness wind energy without the problems associated with the
windmills. 
Using
the technology of Tensairity, owned by Empa, Empa’s engineers have
created what they are calling TwingTex TwingKite or just Twing for
short. It is a kite, quite lightweight, which by design is supposed to
fly at heights of more than 100 meters above the ground. The winds at
this height are quite strong and keep blowing for longer spans. The kite
will be attached to a reel at the ground station via line. The tension
created by the wind in the line will get the reel into motion and then
using electromagnetic induction electrical energy will be produced.
However, this is not a perpetual machine and so when the kite reaches
its maximum design height the reel pulls it back so that it can rise
again and generate more electricity.
According
to the team, these flights are two minutes long before the reel needs
to pull the kite down and they can create significant amount of
electricity. The kite, Twing, is basically airfoil, quite rigid, and is
resilient to crashes yet lightweight and very much maneuverable.
Engineers are busy on working as to how to improve the design of this
kite so that it can survive variable winds and be more efficient.
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