Mini Black Hole for Microwave Energy Created by Chinese Scientists Could Have Green Uses
Two researchers from the State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves at Southeast University from Nanjing, China, have discovered and prototyped a device that acts like a black hole for electromagnetic waves in the microwave spectrum. It consists of 60 concentric rings of metamaterials, a class or ordered composites that can distort light and other waves.
PCB-Embedded Li-Ion Battery Unveiled in a Tokyo Exhibition
Oki Printed Circuits Co Ltd has exhibited a technology that embeds a 170μm-thick thin-film all-solid-state lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable battery into a regular printed circuit board (PCB).
New Engine Prototype That Mixes Gasoline and Diesel Gets 55 Percent Efficient
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have recently unveiled a concept engine that can be from 20 to 30 percent more fuel-efficient than classic models. It would also be substantially cheaper to produce, since the emissions are lower than those of conventional engines and expensive catalyst units are not needed any longer (in some cases, their price can reach that of the engine's).
Research Institutions to Develop Passive Magnetic Bearings for Various Application
Bearings are generally indispensable for any mechanical application that requires motion, and while the good-old classic bearings have proved their strong and weak points, a new generation of magnetic bearings is about to get born in the minds of mechanical engineers.
Shimizu's Master Plan For a 11,000 Km Long, 400 Km-Wide Lunar Solar Belt
A Japanese company, Shimizu, dreams of turning the Moon's ecuator into an 11,000 kilometers long solar collector, and bring that energy "down" to Earth via a 20-km wide dishes, through microwaves and lasers. The belt would have widths ranging from a few to 400 km. Now, how brilliant is that?
New Metal-Organic Frameworks In Action for Capturing Carbon Dioxide
Climate change is one of the most controversial subjects of the century, because it is changing our planet in an non-imaginable way. Scientists have developed different ways (more or less efficient) to capture the CO2 excess resulted from human activity.
Dynacar – The Spanish 100% Electric Car Designed as Framework for Future EV Development
Tecnalia Technological Corporation, a Spanish company, has recently unveiled its first experimental car they called Dynacar, capable to reach a top speed of 140 kilometres per hour in just 10 seconds. The presentation took place in Madrid at the International Eco Friendly Vehicle & Sustainable Mobility Show which has been held between the 20th and 23rd of May.
70 Mumbai Buses Running on Hydrogen Mixed With CNG by End of 2010
India's largest bus manufacturer, Ashok Leyland, is going to implement a 6-liter engine that will run on clean natural gas (CNG) enriched with hydrogen, making it the first bus powered by an internal combustion engine aided by hydrogen.
Transparent Copper Nanowires Proving Best for Solar Cells and Other Flexible Gadgets
To make the best solar cells flexible, researchers have to find the best conductive materials. Such conductors are silver and indium tin oxide (ITO) nanowires, but they have several drawbacks. The copper nanowires made using a method invented by Duke University chemists, on the other hand, are cheaper than silver and better (read more conductive) than carbon nanotubes.
Makani Power's Kite Generating 1MW of Electricity in High Altitude Winds
Makani Power, a CA-based company, wants to harvest high-altitude winds by using large-wing kites. The company says that high-altitude wind currents have the highest level of energy per square foot.
