Archives for December 2010
Sony’s New Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells for Energy Generating Windows
21 December 2010 | Solar Power | No Comments
Look at this picture and try to Imagine your house having green colored windows. Having such windows it may look weird, but what you’ll say if those green pieces of glass could produce electricity for your home? Saving energy would be enough for you to leave behind the initial design of your house? Think about it.
If you ask me, I would definitely choose to use such dye-sensitized solar cells instead of regular windows, for two main reasons: first, I will be able to save energy and money, and second, I think those green colored windows would bring a relaxing green light in my room.
Hybrid Power Generator Can Convert Light and Heat Into Electricity
13 December 2010 | Alternative Energy | No Comments
Researchers at Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd have ingeniously developed a power generator device that can convert both temperature difference (heat energy) and light energy into electricity. Made of organic materials, this new electricity generator could power your gadgets using light or your body temperature.
The technology behind this new generator, combines both PV cells and thermoelectric conversion devices. It uses N-type and p-type semiconductors. Switching the wiring connections of the semiconductors researchers have managed to create these two modes: photovoltaic mode and thermoelectric mode.
Wind Gusts Predicting Technology Could Increase Wind Turbines Efficiency
9 December 2010 | Wind Power | No Comments
British firm Quiet Revolution came up with a new method to improve the efficiency of small wind turbines in urban areas. In these places, wind turbines efficiency is frequently affected by buildings that block the wind. In order to prevent those situations researchers have decided to take advantage of those periods when wind reaches its maximum speed.
After many tests, British researchers concluded that they could capture more energy by predicting when gusts of wind will occur. So, in order to capture the maximum amount of energy, they have designed a system called Gust Tracking, able to match wind turbines speed to the wind velocity.
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Purple Bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides Can Produce Hydrogen
8 December 2010 | Alternative Energy | 2 Comments
Russian scientists have found that Rhodobacter sphaeroides bacteria can produce hydrogen when they use organic matter such as glucose, lactate or organic acids to survive. They stated that Rhodobacter bacteria can produce hydrogen depending on the pigmentation of the cells.
If researchers will be able to finalize their work successfully, these purple bacteria could become the most important hydrogen producers for today’s hydrogen-powered cars or planes.
Recharge Your iPhone Battery Using iFan Wind-Powered Charger
8 December 2010 | Wind Power | No Comments
iFan is a new wind-powered charger for iPhone. It was created by Tjeerd Veenhoven and it is perfect for all those who want to recharge their cellphone batteries while walking around town.
“By using a modified computer fan it took me 6 hours to charge my phone, rather long I think… but it works. I can shave off many charging hours by redesigning the fan blades, making it more efficient in catching the wind while sun bathing at the beach, doing walking trips in the mountains or just holding it outside your car window while driving along…”, said Dutch designer Tjeerd Veenhoven.