Alternative Energy Category Archives
New Aquafairy Fuel Cell Can Recharge an iPhone in 90 Minutes
26 February 2011 | Alternative Energy | No Comments
Aquafairy, a Japanese based company, developed a new fuel cell (the AF-M3000). The new fuel cell is capable of powering a cell phone, using just a bit of water. Is said that, by replacing a battery with a fuel cell in any of our electronic devices will give us about 30 hours of extra energy.
It would be nice if we could achieve this performance, but for now, all these figures are just dreams. So, researchers are trying to materialize these kind of projects, in order to shut down the skeptics.
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.
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.
The Wing Wave Energy Generator Could Provide Half of Florida’s Electricity
30 November 2010 | Alternative Energy | No Comments
American scientists have developed the Wing Wave Generator, which consists of eight-foot-tall aluminum wings able to convert the motion of swell waves into electricity. They planed to test the prototype by placing it two miles northeast of Fort Pierce. “That’s all we’re looking at right now, proving the concept,” said Lee Marcum.
The new device was designed to harness wave energy at 30 to 60 feet deep, by converting the elliptical motion of waves into linear mechanical motion. That motion will be directly used to drive generators in order to produce enough energy for few hundred homes.
New mitochondria fuel cell uses soda to power laptops and cell phones
29 August 2010 | Alternative Energy | 1 Comment
Scientists presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society their new mitochondria fuel cell, that uses sugar to produce electricity. It may sound weird, but this is true! Once again inspired by nature and living organisms, scientists used in their experiments a particular compound found in organic cells (the mitochondria) that can convert sugar and fats into energy.