Posted on September 22nd, 2010 by jxh
The Army is currently developing tanks that run on hydrogen fuel cells
The U.S. military often struggles – unsuccessfully – to supply enough batteries for troops’ equipment. GPS units and radios demand a lot of energy, so a sustainable source would be really beneficial.
That’s why the U.S. Army has created the Rucksack Enhanced Portable Power System (REPPS), which collects solar energy for the troops in Afghanistan, where there are high levels of sunlight.
The REPPS features a 62-watt, anti-glint solar panel blanket tucked into a backpack. Not only can the system recharge batteries in a matter of hours, it can also be hooked up to electronic devices, providing them with more power.
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Filed under: e-News, Electrical, Environmental | 1 Comment »
Tags: Electrical, Energy, Environmental, Green Technology, Military, renewable energy, Technology
Posted on September 20th, 2010 by axb
Installing solar panels on the roof of buildings has become very en vogue recently. But in a few years charging up your home might be cheaper and easier than ever.
The Norwegian company EnSol AS has developed a thin, transparent solar film that can be sprayed onto windows and other surfaces, rendering them able to absorb the sun’s energy just as efficiently as solar panels.
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Filed under: Chemical, e-News, Environmental | 2 Comments »
Tags: Chemical, Energy, Environmental, Nanotechnology, Solar
Posted on September 13th, 2010 by jxh
Your apartment is heated by the warmth of human bodies in a nearby Metro station – creepy or cool?
We’re not sure, but French engineers are moving ahead with plans to install the experimental heating system in a public housing project in Paris.
The caloric heat collected from Metro passengers, as well as the heat collected from the train itself, will funnel through an underground corridor to heat exchangers that will push warm air through the building’s pipes.
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Filed under: Civil, e-News, Environmental, Transportation | Comments Off on Metro Passengers Will Heat Apartments
in Paris
Tags: Civil, Energy, Environmental, Green Technology, Green Transportation, Technology, Transportation
Posted on September 9th, 2010 by axb
Swedish researchers are making photovoltaic technology come alive – literally. Zackary Chiragwandi and his colleagues at Chalmers University of Technology have found a way to create cheaper solar cells using special proteins harvested from bioluminescent jellyfish.
These glowing proteins, known as green florescent proteins (GFP), are inserted between two aluminum electrodes, where they form strands connecting the two plates. When exposed to UV light, the GFP generates current by absorbing photons and emitting electrons.
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Filed under: e-News, Environmental | Comments Off on Solar Cells from Bioluminescent Jellyfish
Tags: Energy, Environmental, Solar
Posted on August 31st, 2010 by jxh
If you need examples of cool things engineers can do in college, consider this: mechanical engineering students from Ohio State University work together building alternative-fuel race cars as part of the Buckeye Bullet team.
Not cool enough? Well, the team just broke the electric car land speed world record with their most recent vehicle, the Buckeye Bullet 2.5.
Racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah last week, the Bullet 2.5 reached a peak speed of 320 miles per hour and logged a two-way average speed of 307.66 miles per hour.
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Filed under: e-News, Electrical, Mechanical, Transportation | Comments Off on Undergrads Build World’s Fastest Electric Car
Tags: Cars, Energy, Green Technology, Green Transportation, Mechanical, Transportation
