Friday, April 16, 2010

Cellphones that run on soft drinks


We may soon be able to use mobile phones that use soft drinks like Coca Cola instead of lithium batteries.


The Chinese designer Daizhi who has been working on this revolutionary device for Finnish cellphone maker Nokia, claims that he has come up with a way of using sugar-based drinks to power mobiles. Any sweet drink, even sugar-sweetened water would be enough to keep the phone running much longer than lithium batteries.


The bio-battery generates electricity from carbohydrates, using special enzymes as catalysts. In the process, the device generates oxygen and water. According to Zheng, his sugar-based bio-battery lasts up to four times longer than a fully charged lithium battery and is much easier to recharge: just pour some more sweet fuel.



Since lithium batteries are very expensive and harmful for the environment, if Zheng's Coke-powered cellphone turns out to be real, it would be a significant breakthrough.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

MIT researchers work on more powerful batteries


A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is developing a technology that could lead to more powerful, lightweight batteries than existing ones.



Yang Shao-Horn, MIT associate professor of mechanical engineering, says that many groups have been pursuing work on lithium-air batteries, a technology that could advance work on energy density.



But, there has been a lack of understanding of what kinds of electrode materials could promote the electrochemical reactions that take place in these batteries.



Lithium-oxygen (also known as lithium-air) batteries are similar in principle to the lithium-ion batteries that now dominate the field of portable electronics and are a leading contender for electric vehicles.



But because lithium-air batteries replace the heavy conventional compounds in such batteries with a carbon-based air electrode and flow of air, the batteries themselves can be much lighter.



That's why leading companies, including IBM and General Motors, have committed to major research initiatives on lithium-air technology.



Yang, along with some of her students and visiting professor Hubert Gasteiger, reported on a study showing that electrodes with gold or platinum as a catalyst, show a much higher level of activity and thus a higher efficiency than simple carbon electrodes in these batteries.



Besides, this new work sets the stage for further research that could lead to even better electrode materials, perhaps alloys of gold and platinum or other metals, or metallic oxides, and to less expensive alternatives.



Doctoral student Yi-Chun Lu, lead author of the paper, explains that this team has developed a method for analysing the activity of different catalysts in the batteries, and now they can build on this research to study a variety of possible materials.



"We'll look at different materials and look at the trends," she says. "Such research could allow us to identify the physical parameters that govern the catalyst activity. Ultimately, we will be able to predict the catalyst behaviours."



Why it matters: Lightweight batteries that can deliver lots of energy are crucial for a variety of applications -- for example, improving the range of electric cars, says an MIT release.


360 Paper water bottle offers renewable alternative to plastic


Most people realize that plastic water bottles are bad for the environment, not only because research suggests it takes 2000 times more energy to produce bottled water than tap water but also because so many of them are not recycled. You may choose to filter your own water or just go without, but a new environmentally friendly solution may mean you can continue to drink bottled water and keep a clear conscience.


The 360 Paper Water bottle is an innovative, single-serve water bottle made from 100% renewable material - yes, it's paper - or more specifically bamboo or palm leaves. Made from sustainable sheet stock such as bamboo, the bottle features a lid which peels off into two pieces, one piece keeps the top clean from dust or other contaminants and the other can be reattached to seal the bottle. As the bottles can be produced on a single line and bundled for shipping, extra packaging can be eliminated, making this bottle a very cool environmental solution to reducing the number of plastic bottles.


As the name suggests, the bottle is made from recyclable paper - or sustainable sheet stock such as bamboo or palm leaves- if you want to be more precise. Very clever idea indeed, but there’s more to this innovation than meets the eye. The design of the bottle allows for self bundling, which eliminates the need for separate six pack packaging or extra shipping containers and therefore reduces the cost on the environment.


The 360 Bottle was designed by New York designer and inventor, Jim Warner.


"Here in the US 60 million plastic bottles are thrown out each year,” Mr Warner said. “Only 14 per cent are recycled. I wanted to create something that challenged the ‘norms’ and was sustainable, elegant and practical.”


Made with 90-95% reduction of polymer, the single-serve water bottle is made from two pieces which are fused together by a micro-thin PLA (polylactic acid) which provides a liquid and air barrier. Rather than being unscrewed, the lid is peeled off and separated. One half becomes a drinking unit which is plug-fitted into the bottle to keep the bottle dust-free. The other half is attached to a finger loop and is used to re-seal the bottle.


The manufacturing process allows the bottles to be produced in a single line. They can then by bundled together in a group of six or more and can be carried as one unit by the finger loops. Therefore, additional packaging can be eliminated. The bottles can also be prepared for shipping in large groups of four, using eco-friendly material, without having to use further outer packaging.


This design has taken out INNOVIC’s International Next Big Thing Award for 2009 - a global competition to find and showcase the best new Australian and international innovations.

Hydrogel lenses could alert the diabetics to eat or take insulin


Diabetics are encountering the unenviable task of checking their blood sugar levels constantly, usually through a repeated ritual of pin-pricks and blood drawing. But a new non-invasive technology developed by a biochemical engineer at the University of Western Ontario lets diabetics check on their glucose levels with contact lenses that change colors as their blood sugar rises and falls.


Nano-particles embedded in the hydrogel lenses react with glucose molecules in naturally occurring tears. A chemical reaction then causes the lenses to shift their hues, alerting the wearer to falling or spiking blood sugar levels. The wearer can then make the appropriate adjustments to his or her blood sugar, all without having to carry around (and use) devices for drawing and analyzing blood.


The head researcher Professor Jin Zhang from Laboratory for Multifunctional Nanocomposites, University of Western Ontario, has received $216,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation as a result of the breakthrough process to develop other applications for multi-functional nano-composites.


Aside the application in biomedicine, the nanocomposite films could be used in food industry in order to prevent food spoilage by preventing oxygen, carbon dioxide and moisture from reaching fresh meats and other foods, or by measuring pathogenic contamination. Another usage for these films could be found in packaging where it could make waste increasingly bio-degrade.


Although it might seem a bit odd until we get used to the eye-color-changing phenomenon, if proven useful to various types of diabetes it could be a good way to help diabetics. It will also help the people in their lives to be more aware of their needs. In that manner you could help by warning a diabetic to eat something at that moment, before the blood sugar levels get too low, or whether the insulin is needed in case it was too high.

Lotus flower biomimicry for dirt and bacteria free surfaces


Researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., are developing a transparent coating that prevents dirt and even bacteria from sticking in the same way a lotus plant sheds water. The research begun through collaboration of Northrop Grumman Electronics Systems, Linthicum, Md., and nGimat Corporation, Atlanta, Ga. Although a lotus leaf appears smooth, under a microscope, its surface contains a very large number of tiny spikes that greatly reduce the area on which water and dirt can attach. Unlike a similar research described in one of our previous articles, this one differs in application and features since it has addition of bacteria-killing biocide.


The NASA team is attempting to mimic this special quality in order to prevent dirt from accumulating on the surfaces of spacesuits, scientific instruments, robotic rovers, solar array panels and other hardware used to gather scientific data or carry out exploratory activities on other objects in the solar system.


The coating was originally developed to reduce the need for window cleaning. Made from silica, zinc oxide, and other oxides, it has a vast range of potential uses on Earth. It could be applied to car windshields, camera lenses, and eyeglasses. It could be applied to solar panels and radiators as well, where cleanliness keeps them operating at their maximum potential. Understanding the potential, Northrop Grumman teamed with nGimat to find more applications for the coating technology. The pair ultimately turned to Goddard for its expertise in making equipment ready to endure the harsh space environment.


“Indeed, the ability to replicate these properties could prove invaluable to NASA,” said Wanda Peters, Principal Investigator for NASA’s lotus coating research and Lead of Goddard’s Coatings Engineering Group. During the Apollo moonwalks, for example, such a technology could have prevented the highly abrasive lunar dust from adhering to astronauts’ spacesuits.


The Goddard team has experimented with and tested different formulas to determine their suitability for spaceflight. “No one formula will meet all our needs,” added Peters. “For example, the coating that’s applied to spacesuits needs to stick to a flexible surface, while a coating developed to protect moving parts needs to be exceptionally durable to resist wear and tear.”


The team partnered with Northrop Grumman in order to add a biocide to the coating, which would kill bacteria that thrive and produce foul odors wherever people are confined to a small space for long periods, like the space station. NASA could apply the same biocide-infused coating on a planetary lander to prevent Earth-borne bacteria from adhering and potentially contaminating the surface of an extraterrestrial object. The team believes this version of the coating may have commercial interest to hospitals as well.


“We are modifying and testing the formula to ensure it can withstand all the challenges our hardware will encounter — extreme temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, solar wind, and electrostatic charging. Outgassing of the coating also must be addressed for use inside astronauts’ habitation areas,” Peters added. “We also are making sure it remains durable and cleanable in the space environment.”


Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet


Remember the magic slates? You could write or draw on it and after you’d pull the foil the content would delete and you could write or draw new content on it. In this article we’re going to write about a digital version of such a product. Kent Displays announced the forming of Improv Electronics, a new business unit focused on development and sales of consumer electronic products. The products will utilize Kent Displays Reflex “no power” LCD technology.


The first product sold under the Improv Electronics name, the Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet, was released several days ago and the US stores are out of stocks. This product is the first paperless writing tablet to utilize a pressure-sensitive Reflex LCD for the writing surface. While most other LCDs are made on glass, the Reflex LCDs used in Boogie Board tablets are made of impact-resistant, flexible plastic. Its dimensions are 22.3 x 14.2 x 0.5cm (8.8 x 5.6 x 0.2 inches) and it weights only 120 grams (4.2 ounces).

Because all Reflex LCDs are reflective and bi-stable, the Boogie Board tablet requires no power to generate or retain an image, and only a small amount supplied by a small watch battery to erase the content. You can erase the content with a simple press of a button located at the top of the device and it should execute over 50,000 times for one battery lifetime.


Written and graphic images are created with an included stylus or any other instrument that will apply the desired pressure (even a finger nail). Unlike traditional LCDs that have a poor response to pressure, the Boogie Board’s Reflex LCD is highly responsive to variable amounts of pressure. This allows different line thicknesses to be easily created (great for sketching) and provides a writing experience very similar to paper and pencil.


Part of Kent Displays’ Push Green initiative, the Boogie Board tablet provides a highly-effective vehicle to reduce everyday paper consumption. The paperless Boogie Board tablet can be used for all these activities, replacing memo/note pads and sticky notes in the home, office, school, car and field. It also replaces chalk, magnetic and dry erase boards. Like all the above writing and drawing mediums, the Boogie Board tablet consumes no electrical energy to produce an image.


Although the device is greenish, since it tries to reduce paper consumption, there are a few issues that need to be solved. In order to increase the Boogie Board’s usability, they would have to add memory in order to store the pages user needs later. That feature will almost certainly increase the price as well as the need for power (unless we witness a major breakthrough in power technology). The device could also ditch the replaceable battery usage, as the light/solar power should be sufficient to perform the erasing operation. Although the device mimics magic slates successfully, the erasing operation itself would be much more useful if it could be done partially instead in whole.


Despite all the “flaws”, the Boogie Board performs perfectly and it’s very affordable. Although it may not find its place in idea development and presentations as its developers envisioned, it will most certainly find its place among the to-do-lists, family memos or coach diagrams.

New PV Cell Generates Electricity From UV & IR Light


The new PV cell can generate electricity from ultraviolet and infrared light as well as visible light.


Last month at the meeting of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, a research group from the Kyoto Institute of Technology introduced a new photovoltaic cell that is capable of generating electricity not only from visible light, but from ultraviolet and infrared light as well. The research group, led by associate professor Saki Sonoda, hopes that this will lead to a more efficient PV cell that can be single-junction rather than the more conventional multi-junction.


These new PV cells were made by 'doping' a wide bandgap transparent composite semiconductor -- in this case, gallium nitride (GaN) -- with a 3d transition metal such as manganese. For the atomically impaired among us, the other metals of that family would be scandium, titanium, vanadium, chrome, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, and zinc.


So, just what is a multi-junction PV cell? With a multi-junction PV cell, multiple thin films of varying absorption capabilities are required to catch the entire spectrum of light. But with a cell such as the prototype put forward by this research group, all that light can be absorbed using a single junction cell.


With such advancements in the field of photovoltaics it's exciting to see that the much hyped potential of thin film solar is not only coming to fruition, but it can also get even better still. Add to this the recent news that carbon sheets might possibly be used in solar panels, and the future looks bright for the industry indeed.