Energy Inventions

Wind power has recently received a nice boost as one of the hottest forms of energy on the market. When comparing the recent market growth against all forms of energy, both renawables and non-renewables, wind turbines seem to be jumping to the head of the pack. While it still has a way to go before it catches up to solar, it is gaining ground rather quickly. Something that will help pick up the pace even further is new technology that is coming from FloDesign. Their truly unique wind turbine is actually based on the design of a jet engine instead of the traditional windmills that we see all across the country. Their concept seems to be a simple one, but it extremely effective. 11 Comments

Renewable energy is one of the hottest things on the market right now but until recently, solar power has been getting most of the attention. While there are plenty of techno gadgets, like solar briefcases and solar laptop chargers, that can have solar power on the run, very few if any items exist for other sources of renewable energy to become portable. The foldable wind generator has all the right ideas, but may still be just a bit ahead of its time. 6 Comments

What can a scientist do with salad dressing apart from telling you that it increases the taste of salad manifold? But that’s the beauty of this profession. As Newton could give some theories when he saw an apple falling from a tree, salad dressing can inspire scientists towards a brand new type of solar cells. The researchers managed to create a cheap, efficient and very simple method of making solar cells. The USP of these solar cells is that they self-assemble on a variety of substrates. The new technique draws parallel from the fact that oil and water don’t mix at all. Another unique fact is forces the elements of electronic components for example solar cells assemble themselves at the boundaries between the two types of liquids. This work was recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). 7 Comments

If UAVs starts running on the solar system, then it will save lots of expensive fossil fuel and the add-ons in the form of greenhouse effects. Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology are working on a model of a solar-powered unmanned flight system for round-the-clock surveillance. They have christened their baby as the Green Falcon. This solar UAV aspires not only to save lives but millions of dollars too by using the most up-to-date green technology. Queensland University of Technology is aiming to make the services of this unmanned air vehicle commercially available within 24 months following successful flight tests. 2 Comments

Reputed companies are always conscious about their brand image and what a great way to build great brand by taking clean and green route! Bell Lab is the division of the Alcatel-Lucent. Currently Alcatel-Lucent is trying to invest in their communications networks to make it 1,000 times more energy efficient. They have launched a five year program known as "Green Touch." Members affiliated with the Green Touch are AT&T, and China Mobile from industry; MIT and Stanford University from the academic world; and The French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control from government. Industrial laboratory members are Bell Labs, the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and Freescale Semiconductor. The project has received the nods of ascent from United States Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and the British, French, South Korean and Portuguese governments. 3 Comments

Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno are developing a solar technique that will take care of the ecosystems of terminus lakes around the world. This new solar distillation system will help in removing the salinity of the lake water. This will be possible with the help of a specialized low-cost solar pond and patented membrane distillation system deriving power by renewable energy. Francisco Suarez is a doctoral student in hydrological sciences at the University. He is of the view, "These lakes -- hundreds worldwide -- such as the Great Salt Lake, the Salton Sea, the Aral Sea and Walker Lake here in Nevada, see a decline in water levels and an increase in salinity from both human and natural processes. The high levels of salinity are dangerous and unsustainable for aquatic life." 1 Comment

Researchers speak in unison that if we develop the capability to harvest 40 minutes of sunlight falling on the entire earth, we can provide energy to the whole population of this planet for about a year. But we are successful in trapping just 1% of that energy till now. Scientists and industrial designers are continuously engaged in research so that they can create mechanics and systems that can harvest solar energy in a better way. That will help in dispelling the doubts about alternative energy resources. 7 Comments

Researchers at the Cornell University have taken inspiration from nature and tried to imitate the swaying of tree branches. So what is the difference between natural swaying of trees and energy-harvesting tree created by Cornell University researchers? The flapping leaves developed in the laboratory generate energy which can be utilized by us. They are christened as the “Piezo-tree.” The synthetic leaves of the “Piezo-tree” are connected to a piezoelectric stem. The whole exercise till now appears to be low-cost, and easily scalable. 10 Comments

Robins has time and again been considered as a pioneer in testing alternative energy technologies. Recently they have installed a solar panel which is a matter of curiosity. Their installed solar panel assumes the dimensions of a drive-in-movie screen. It is the shining example of the state-of-the-art technology. At peak hour it generates 25 kilowatts of electricity. 7 Comments

More and more people are becoming aware of the harmful effects of greenhouse gases. Common people and scientists both are gearing up to reduce carbon footprints. Now more investments are available for research in alternative energy. Researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have genetically been working on a cyanobacterium. Their research paper was published in the Dec. 9 print edition of the journal Nature Biotechnology. They successfully modified a cyanobacterium to consume carbon dioxide and generate the liquid fuel isobutanol. This isobutanol can prove to be of great potential as a gasoline alternative. The whole process happens with the help of sunlight through photosynthesis. 11 Comments

Stanford scientists are doing the unbelievable. Who could have thought of ordinary papers as batteries and super capacitors? But Stanford scientists are harnessing nanotechnology to quickly create ultra-lightweight, bendable batteries and super capacitors utilizing everyday paper. They have prepared ink with of carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires. Silver nanowires are highly conductive storage device. They are coating the sheet of papers with ink of carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires. 8 Comments

When necessary and conducive atmosphere is being created for research in alternative energy field we are getting so many diverse projects in many fields that sometimes it seems mind boggling. When we pay attention to a vehicles’ tire its mostly when it is flat and we have to change it in most unlikely places. But scientists are trying to develop tires that change shapes according to the conditions of the road. Imagine a tire which can change its shape to that best suited for the conditions of the road. This shape of tire contains green benefits too in the form of reduced travel times to increased fuel efficiency. Farmers often have to traverse in rough terrain and there tires can help them in combating the problem attached with soil compaction caused by current wheel designs. This problem has another add on too. Soil compaction leads towards the losses in production nearing 20%. These tires can also be helpful in roads that are facing the problem of flooding or have mud, rocks, holes, or sand. The re-mold-able wheels can easily adjust themselves to newer height and width on command. What else one needs while sitting behind a wheel! 6 Comments

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. 5 Comments

You can think of it as origami -- very high-tech origami. Researchers at the University of Illinois are working on the same good old silicon but they are taking an entirely different route. They are working on thin films of silicon applying two processes one is photolithography and another is self-folding process driven by capillary interactions. This technique results in the three-dimensional, single-crystalline silicon structures. Their films are only a few microns thick. Their greatest strength is mechanical bendability that is not possible with thicker pieces of the same material. 2 Comments

Hydrogen is an extremely environment friendly fuel as when it burns it releases only water vapor into the atmosphere, but the problem is that it is not easy to store it because it needs to be stored like other compressed gases. A new solid may solve the problem. A nonreactive noble gas called xenon combined with hydrogen and other massive pressure gives rise to a solid that can be later used to store hydrogen fuel. The research paper is published in the November 22, 2009, advanced online publication of Nature Chemistry. The discovery initiates a new line of materials that which could render impetus to new hydrogen technologies. 5 Comments

Researchers are trying to duplicate the natural process of photosynthesis. If successful, we can use the “evil” carbon dioxide emitted by power plants and industrial units to good use. This way, industrial units don’t have to establish new subsidiary units for the treatment of carbon dioxide. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a prototype machine that utilizes the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into the molecular building blocks that can be utilized as transportation fuels. If researchers can make this device produce twice the energy generated by the natural process of photosynthesis, it will do great service to environment. It will pave the way to recycle CO2. 4 Comments

Of the total amount of electricity generated by all sources, about 75% is used by buildings, a major fraction of which is consumed by air conditioners. With the demand of renewable energy increasing with every passing day, inventors are trying to find the best possible means to store the generated energy during the best time, to provide power when the generators aren’t getting the resources they need. It is a natural phenomenon that the wind blows stronger at night than in the day. We don’t need that extra energy during nighttime. We can store this energy and use it during daytime when the load is too much on the grid. 3 Comments

When we utilize any gadget or means of comfort we know that these devices consume energy. But the energy is not utilized by devices. Some of the energy is lost in the form of friction or heat. For example when we are exploiting the power of computer processor chips, car engines or electric power plants there is a necessity of getting rid of excess heat otherwise the equipments will not perform at their optimal level. Now researchers are thinking about using this waste energy. Peter Hagelstein is the co-writer of this concept and an associate professor of electrical engineering at MIT. His paper was published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of Applied Physics. 3 Comments

Carbon is a substance environmentalists love to hate. It is the major ingredient of environmental damage. Scientists and environmentalists are working hard to decrease the amount of carbon emission in the environment. But researchers at the University of Warwick have invented a complete different use of carbon. They are using carbon for cooling and heating our cars and homes. If one follows their way, carbon can be utilized in a clean and green way. We know that heating and cooling gadgets make our life comfortable but they are not easy on our pockets. They need lots of power to run and ultimately get transformed into huge amount of bills to pay. If we look at the stats we will find that domestic space heating and hot water devour 25% of energy in the UK. Automobile air conditioning uses about 5% of the vehicle fuel consumed annually all over the EU. Inside the UK, it is responsible for over 2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. 1 Comment

Hydrogen is a strong contender to the generation-next clean and green fuel. Scientists are always trying to eliminate or minimize its drawbacks and maximize its benefits. They want to get rid of the intensive, high-energy process used when we need hydrogen as fuel. Because this process poses hurdle in the progress of hydrogen as clean and reliable alternative fuel. Scientists from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are looking towards the wonder known as photosynthesis for some answers. Photosynthesis is the process from which plants generate energy and food in the presence of sunlight. Scientists think that photosynthesis might help providing answers so that we can utilize hydrogen as a fuel. 2 Comments