Portable Fuel Cell Charger by Horizon, Now Available Commercially
Horizon, a fuel cell manufacturing company from Singapore, has recently unveiled a small hydrogen fuel cell charger that could juice your gadgets (PDA, phone, MP3, etc). It's called MiniPAK, and it uses refillable solid-state hydrogen cartridges (called HydroSTIK) to store its power.
Scientists Discover Nano-Scale Superconducting Material
Researchers from the Bar-Ilan University in Israel, collaborating with the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the U.S. have designed superconducting thin films patterned with large arrays of nanowires and loops. The temperature at which they superconduct is pretty low and hard to get for the moment - only 30 °K (-243°C). Magnetic fields have proved themselves to change the material's electrical resistance in an unexpected manner.
Students Harnessing Energy by Using Bacteria That Live in Soil
Until now, researchers and scientists have discovered how to harness solar energy, biofuel, hydropower and wind power but a new renewable energy source could be right under our feet. A group of Harvard students use small currents created by bacteria living in soil to collect and harness that energy in a microbial fuel cell (MFC).
Recently Discovered Nanocoating Makes Heat Transfer Happen Much Easier
The action of cooling things down plays a critical part of any mechanical or electric system, because the inevitable heat, produced by friction, is the number one cause of almost instant failure. So far, different methods that cool systems have been discovered, but not to the extent of performance that engineers dream of building their computers or mechanical devices (cars, for example).
Wetox Process Invented in New Zealand Breaks Waste Sludge Into Usable Chemicals and Energy
Cleaning out the dirt that we leave behind is an important task for the well-being of a society. One of the biggest pollution sources is currently the disposal of organic materials coming from animal farms, wineries and dairy factories. Wetox is a clean technology project announced by Viclink, who commercializes products based on Victoria University of Wellington's (New Zealand) theoretical works.
New Graphene Production Technology Offers Hope for Cheap Hydrogen Storage
Victor Aristov, a Ph.D. at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, along with a team of other researchers, has discovered how to produce high-quality graphene by using the cheapest methods possible.
Nano-Sized Solar Cells Inspired by Coaxial Cables Developed by Boston College Researchers
To make thin film solar cells have a higher efficiency than any of the previously experimented models, some Boston College researchers propose using nano-scale solar cells inspired by the working principle of coaxial cables. There's a so-called "thick & thin" issue in making thin solar cells, which states that a solar cell has to be thick enough to collect light in sufficient amounts, and at the same time it needs to be thin enough to extract current from it.
Apple Patents Embedded Solar Panel in Upcoming iPhones
Apple has got us used to innovations and brilliant design in all of their products, being them hardware of software. By wanting to stay on the trendy wave of being green (and possibly wanting to make a difference), Apple has filed a patent of a solar powered iPhone. But it's not the usual solar panel they dream of.
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.
IBM Patenting Traffic Lights That Stop Your Engine to Save Fuel
I have always been the geek type and liked high-tech, but IBM's recent patent on file has made me raise an eyebrow. They filed a patent application for a traffic light system that can control the vehicles' engine, remotely turn them off or signaling the drivers if it's safe to do so in the interest of reducing fuel consumption.
