Eco-energy Smart Card”: A human-interactive all paper based, mechanical energy harvester

Nowadays, it is imperative that modern society finds sustainable ways to harvest energy. This means society is forced to look to new ways to generate and store energy, while reducing, simultaneously, the stress on raw materials demand and the amount of waste generated. Our research tackles these two points by making close to zero e-waste clean energy harvesting devices. The core idea behind it is based on the mechano-responsive charge-transfer mechanism and energy-transfer process in π-conjugated polymer at the organic-metal interface layer. A localized forced deformation of the interface has been applied against the polymer surface, allowing charge transfer between material interfaces. The experimental results demonstrated that during contacting force, the conjugated polymer film shows electrical output through the charge transfer mechanism within metal/polymer interfaces. Flexible and low-cost energy harvesting devices built have an active layer constituted by a PANi/cellulose composite which was tapped together to a charge collector layer, that was made from a paper based metallic electrode. These devices have a total maximum power density and maximum current density of 1.75 Wm-2 and 33.5 mA m-2 , respectively. Towards the practical applicability, these devices are able to light up to 40 blue LEDs as well as a commercial humidity sensor

CO2 emission reduction potential of large-scale energy efficiency measures in heavy industry in China, India, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa

We quantify the theoretical potential for CDM projects to improve energy-efficiency in selected heavy industrial sectors (iron and steel, cement, aluminium, pulp and paper and ammonia) in China, India, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa and discuss the likelihood of the potential emission reductions materialising under CDM. Promising project types are: near net shape casting and pulverized coal / natural gas injection in iron and steel, cement blending, changes in aluminium smelter technology from Söderberg to prebaked anodes, continuous digestion process in pulp and paper, complete process integration in ammonia production. The total annual emission reduction potential of the iron and steel, cement and aluminium could reach more than 800 million CERs for China, India, Brazil and South Africa. While industrial boiler refurbishment could be widely replicated, reductions per boiler are relatively limited and overall potential is difficult to estimate. --CDM,heavy industry,efficiency improvement

Autonomous support for microorganism research in space

A preliminary design for performing on orbit, autonomous research on microorganisms and cultured cells/tissues is presented. An understanding of gravity and its effects on cells is crucial for space exploration as well as for terrestrial applications. The payload is designed to be compatible with the Commercial Experiment Transporter (COMET) launch vehicle, an orbiter middeck locker interface, and with Space Station Freedom. Uplink/downlink capabilities and sample return through controlled reentry are available for all carriers. Autonomous testing activities are preprogrammed with in-flight reprogrammability. Sensors for monitoring temperature, pH, light, gravity levels, vibrations, and radiation are provided for environmental regulation and experimental data collection. Additional experimental data acquisition includes optical density measurement, microscopy, video, and film photography. On-board full data storage capabilities are provided. A fluid transfer mechanism is utilized for inoculation, sampling, and nutrient replenishment of experiment cultures. In addition to payload design, representative experiments were developed to ensure scientific objectives remained compatible with hardware capabilities. The project is defined to provide biological data pertinent to extended duration crewed space flight including crew health issues and development of a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS). In addition, opportunities are opened for investigations leading to commercial applications of space, such as pharmaceutical development, modeling of terrestrial diseases, and material processing

Low Power Circuit Design in Sustainable Self Powered Systems for IoT Applications

The Internet-of-Things (IoT) network is being vigorously pushed forward from many fronts in diverse research communities. Many problems are still there to be solved, and challenges are found among its many levels of abstraction. In this thesis we give an overview of recent developments in circuit design for ultra-low power transceivers and energy harvesting management units for the IoT. The first part of the dissertation conducts a study of energy harvesting interfaces and optimizing power extraction, followed by power management for energy storage and supply regulation. we give an overview of the recent developments in circuit design for ultra-low power management units, focusing mainly in the architectures and techniques required for energy harvesting from multiple heterogeneous sources. Three projects are presented in this area to reach a solution that provides reliable continuous operation for IoT sensor nodes in the presence of one or more natural energy sources to harvest from. The second part focuses on wireless transmission, To reduce the power consumption and boost the Tx energy efficiency, a novel delay cell exploiting current reuse is used in a ring-oscillator employed as the local oscillator generator scheme. In combination with an edge-combiner power amplifier, the Tx showed a measured energy efficiency of 0.2 nJ=bit and a normalized energy efficiency of 3.1 nJ=bit:mW when operating at output power levels up to -10 dBm and data rates of 3 Mbps

Book of abstracts of the 2nd International Conference of TEMA: mobilizing projects

Based on its Human Capital and Capacities, the Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA) embraces a mission aiming to contribute to a sustainable industry, with specially focus on the surrounding SMEs, and to the wellbeing of society. Sustainable manufacturing aims to contribute to the development of a sustainable industry by developments and innovations on manufacturing engineering and technologies, to increase productivity, improve products quality and reduce waste in production processes. Technologies for the Wellbeing wishes to contribute to the wellbeing of society by the development of supportive engineering systems focusing on people and their needs and intending to improve their quality of life. TEMA intends to maximize its national and international impact in terms of scientific productivity and its transfer to society by tackling the relevant challenges of our time. TEMA is aware of the major challenges of our days, not only confined to scientific issues but also the societal ones, (a strategic pillar of the Horizon 2020 program), at the same time placing an effort to have its research disseminated, in high impact journals to the international scientific community. (...)publishe

Daily Eastern News: February 14, 2008

https://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2008_feb/1009/thumbnail.jp

Daily Eastern News: February 14, 2008

https://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2008_feb/1009/thumbnail.jp