Solar Keeps Looking Better as Cell Efficiency Increases 175% Using Nanostructures
The key to solar cell efficiency is capturing all the light that enters a cell. Using nanotechnology researchers at Princeton University have discovered a way to nearly triple solar cell efficiency. They have created a solar cell sandwich consisting of gold mesh, transparent plastic, plastic semiconductors, titanium oxide and an aluminum base. They call the result a sub-wavelength plasmonic cavity that dampens reflection trapping light entering the cell far more efficiently. Direct sunlight is reflected 4% producing 52% higher efficiency in converting the light to electricity. But indirect sunlight is even more efficient achieving an additional 81% efficiency. Best of all the technology can come out of the lab right away and go into production.
What is New in Coastal Flooding Control After Hurricane Sandy? – The Cubipod
The Polytechnical University of Valencia in Spain has discovered that oddly shaped cement blocks are great when building breakwaters and rebuilding shorelines to inhibit storm surges from flooding coastal areas. Called the Cubipod, the 16-ton blocks are uniform in shape and arrange themselves automatically when piled together. And unlike traditional breakwater systems the Cubipods require no cables to hold them in place. Two Cubipod breakwaters were recently built for Spanish coastal cities, one in Malaga and the other in Punta Langosteira.
An American and Russian Are Testing the Human Limits of Spaceflight
Two spacefarers are planning to begin a year long visit to the International Space Station (ISS) starting in 2015. The two spacefarers are, NASA astronaut Scott Kelley, and Russian cosmonaut, Mikhail Kornienko. Neither will set a space endurance record. That’s because one Russian cosmonaut, Valery Polyakov, spent 14 months on MIR, the former Soviet and later Russian space habitat, in 1994-95.
So why a one-year mission? Because Russian and American space scientists want to study the impact of prolonged weightlessness beyond the current six month stints that are typical of stays on the ISS. For any long duration Deep Space missions in the future, trips to the Moon, a Lagrange Point behind the Moon, Mars or asteroids, a year may be a typical voyage using current propulsion systems technology.
The biggest concerns are the loss of bone mass and pressure changes on the brain and spinal cord that lead to impaired vision.
Solar Powered Lighting Initiative on a Pacific Island Gets Recognition
But it’s not for the reasons you think. It appears that selling solar power to Vanuatu islanders has cut down on drunkenness. That’s what happened when Green Power started replacing kerosene lanterns, battery powered lights and wood-burning stoves with solar technology. David Stein, Managing Director, states, “With access to artificial lighting, people now have the opportunity to extend the length of the productive day allowing them to study for longer and to broaden access to 24-hour health care.” Green Power, as a result has won the SIDS Award, a specialized category offered by the Ashden Awards, a British not-for-profit focused on sustainable development. SIDS stands for small island developing states. Nominees included companies in Fiji, the Marshall Islands and Palau.
New Breakthrough May Make Transmitting DC Power Easier Over Long Distances
DC stands for direct current, the energy that comes from solar and wind power projects. But the power grid in North America and in many other locations worldwide uses high-voltage alternating current or AC. Transmitting DC over long distances has always been problematic. If a line breaks the entire DC grid fails. But a Swiss company, ABB, has developed a hybrid high-voltage DC (HVDC) circuit breaker making it possible to transmit DC power over long distances. And there are additional benefits. HVDC is more efficient than AC power transmission. That’s because a HVDC line can carry much larger loads and lose far less power during transmission. For example, over a distance of 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) HVDC may lose 6 to 8% of its power while a comparable AC transmission line could lose 12 to 25%. For wind farms and solar power projects in isolated areas this will make it far easier for them to send power the distances needed to hook into the rest of the grid.
A Postscript
We are two weeks away from Christmas and a mere week from the end of the present world according to the Mayan Calendar. Right to the end, however, we intend to keep on publishing newsworthy stories about technology and scientific breakthroughs. So expect to see us here next Friday with another headlines posting even if it is the last day on the planet.
This week saw readership reach a new record high. Once again I thank all of you who visit this blog and who have let others know about it. Please keep coming back, commenting on postings, and suggesting new topics. Guest authors are always welcome.
– Len Rosen
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Marine Survey of China’s Coast Shows Disturbing Results
The picture below states it all. China has a problem on its coastlines. In 2004 the Chinese State Oceanic Administration (SOA) began its survey of the coastal environment. Finally completed in the last month, the results are not encouraging. Here are some very disturbing statistics:
With much of China’s urban population located in coastal cities, the government has been reluctant to share the results of the SOA survey with its population. It is clear, however, that the health of its coastal waters is critical to the long-term health of its land-based population.
Obama Victory Gets NASA Talking About Future Human Flight Plans
President Obama’s NASA plans have included a return to human space flight on American technology by the end of the decade. This includes private American companies developing low-Earth orbit capacity. Now with the President’s re-election, NASA is prepared to reveal planned missions to establish a human outpost at the L2 Lagrange point (seen in the right-hand picture below) beyond the Moon’s dark side by 2021, with plans to visit an asteroid by 2025, and the vicinity of Mars by the mid-2030s. To do this NASA is investing in the SLS (the massive rocket launcher) and the Orion spacecraft I have talked about in past blog articles and briefly in last week’s headlines.
NASA officials recently provided Congress with a comprehensive report outlining destinations beyond low-Earth orbit. Exploration Mission 1 will be an unmanned launch beyond Earth orbit in 2017. Exploration Mission 2 will be manned with a goal of returning to the Moon and beyond.
Firing Up Your Mobile Phone Literally with New Device
BioLite builds a wood-burning stove with a built-in charger. It comes in two designs: CampStove (TM) and HomeStove (TM). Both take any type of wood fuel. The heat from the stove powers a thermoelectric generator for charging electronic devices through a built-in USB port.
Originally conceived for camping BioLite is proving to be useful in Developing World countries. By designing the BioLite to incorporate a fan to blow air into the fire for improved combustion, the inventors have minimized wood smoke, a common cause of respiratory problems in Developing World homes where wood remains the primary cooking fuel.
The heat the stove generates gets converted into electricity for recharging mobile phones, MP3 players, LED flashlights, headlamps, rechargeable battery packs and almost any other small electronics that comes with a USB cable adapter. Charging times vary depending on the intensity of heat and the temperature of the surrounding air. According to the BioLite website, an Apple iPhone 4S shown in the picture below takes about 20 minutes to create 60 minutes of talk time. The CampStove boils a liter of water in as little as 5 minutes. The manufacturers recommend hardwoods like maple, oak, or hickory to get a longer, more sustainable burn. Softwoods like pine and fir require more fuel to get equivalent heat.
Currently the HomeStove is being deployed in a number of large-scale pilot projects in Africa and India. Although it is not commercially available, the CampStove is, and lists for $129 US.
Robotic Dragonfly the Latest I-Spy Gadget
Palm-sized and capable of hovering and darting just like a dragonfly, this new robot is aimed at consumers. Developed at Georgia Tech with funding from a United States Air Force grant, the Dragonfly is about to go into commercial production. Techjet is the company bringing the Dragonfly to market. It runs on a lithium polymer battery. Currently it has enough juice on board to hover for 8-10 minutes and fly for 30 minutes. It can be your personal recorder as you ride your bicycle through the neighborhood, or ski down a slope, or spy on your neighbours over the back fence. Pricing for one – $99. And for a swarm – $949.
Powering Medical Devices by Ear
Your ear is filled with ions that drive neural impulses. This natural battery can power medically implanted devices without impeding hearing and researchers at Harvard and MIT are studying ways to harness this power source to operate low-power electronic devices. Research is being done using guinea pigs and results appeared in the journal, Nature Biotechnology.
With optimization biologic batteries could power chemical and molecular sensors, drug-delivery actuators, inserted diagnostic devices, or implants to counter hearing loss and other auditory disorders.
A Postscript
If you are a regular visitor to Techso Mogro then you will have noted the recent design changes to the site. You’ll see even more in coming weeks as I try to make information more accessible both current and archival. Also I have added “Gadgets” which will feature the latest technology gizmos I have discovered in my daily research. Once again thank you for visiting. If you have a topic that fits within the themes of this blog, and a flare for good writing, then let me know. Guest articles are welcome!
– Len Rosen
]]>The measures assess the following ten criteria. Our current scores are shown in brackets:
Researchers created a marine health index for 171 countries with exclusive economic zones extending to 200 nautical miles offshore. The global results:
Overall ocean health at 60%.
1/3 of countries with scores below 50%.
1/20 of countries scoring above 70%.
Global fisheries receiving a score of 24%.
The index is not limited to scoring the ocean purely on the basis of environmental health. It looks at the economics and policies of the countries as well in calculating its results.
For the most part the countries that score highest in the index are those in the Developed World. Germany ranks fourth. Canada and the Netherlands are ranked 9th. The United States is ranked 26th. The highest score of 86% goes to Jarvis Island, an uninhabited 4.5 square kilometer (1.75 square mile) coral island in the South Pacific.
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