tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50928699562338776432024-03-12T16:46:23.303-07:00Electrochemical Science and Technology InformationThis blog aims to share the recent research news and views on electrochemical science and technology.Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-12142964968241486162011-07-14T01:39:00.000-07:002011-07-14T01:42:28.642-07:00India's rural poor give up on power grid, go solar<div> <div> <p><span>By Katy Daigle, Associated Press</span></p> <p><span>Tuesday, July 5, 2011</span></p></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div><table style="width: 7px; height: 26px;"><tbody><tr><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><center><img title="IndiaSolar1-250" alt="IndiaSolar1-250" src="http://www.rdmag.com/uploadedImages/RD/News/2011/07/IndiaSolar1-250.jpg" /> </center><table width="200" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><table width="100%" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="left"><span align="center" style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;" > In this May 25, 2011 photograph, Sharan Pinto installs a solar panel antenna on the roof top of a house in Nidle village, on the outskirts of Manglore, India. Across India, thousands of homes are receiving their first light through small companies and aid programs that are bypassing the central electricity grid to deliver solar panels to the rural poor. Those customers could provide the human energy that advocates of solar power have been looking for to fuel a boom in the next decade. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) </span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>NADA, India (AP) — Boommi Gowda used to fear the night. Her vision fogged by glaucoma, she could not see by just the dim glow of a kerosene lamp, so she avoided going outside where king cobras slithered freely and tigers carried off neighborhood dogs.<br /><br />But things have changed at Gowda's home in the remote southern village of Nada. A solar-powered lamp pours white light across the front of the mud-walled hut she shares with her three grown children, a puppy and a newborn calf. Now she can now cook, tend to her livestock and get water from a nearby well at night.<br /><br />"I can see!" Gowda said, giggling through a 100-watt smile. In her 70 years, this is the first time she has had any kind of electricity.<br /><br />Across India, thousands of homes are receiving their first light through small companies and aid programs that are bypassing the central electricity grid to deliver solar panels to the rural poor. Those customers could provide the human energy that advocates of solar power have been looking for to fuel a boom in the next decade.<br /><br />With 40 percent of India's rural households lacking electricity and nearly a third of its 30 million agricultural water pumps running on subsidized diesel, "there is a huge market and a lot of potential," said Santosh Kamath, executive director of consulting firm KPMG in India.<br />"Decentralized solar installations are going to take off in a very big way and will probably be larger than the grid-connected segment."<br /><br />Next door to the Gowdas, 58-year-old Iramma, who goes by one name, frowned as she watched her neighbors light their home for the first time. At her house, electrical wiring dangles uselessly from the walls.<br /><br />She said her family would wait for the grid. They've already given hundreds of dollars to an enterprising electrician who wired her house and promised service would come. They shouldn't have to pay even more money for solar panels, she insisted.<br /><br />But she softened after her 16-year-old son interrupted to complain he was struggling in school because he cannot study at night like his classmates.<br /><br />"We are very much frustrated," she said. "The children are very anxious. They ask every day, 'Why don't we have power like other people?' So if the grid doesn't come in a month, maybe we will get solar, too."<br /><br />Despite decades of robust economic growth, there are still at least 300 million Indians — a quarter of the 1.2 billion population — who have no access to electricity at home. Some use cow dung for fuel, but they more commonly rely on kerosene, which commands premium black-market prices when government supplies run out.<br /><br />They scurry during daylight to finish housework and school lessons. They wait for grid connections that often never come.<br /><br />When people who live day-by-day on wage labor and what they harvest from the land choose solar, they aren't doing it to conserve fossil fuels, stop climate change or reduce their carbon footprints. To them, solar technology presents an elegant and immediate solution to powering everything from light bulbs and heaters to water purifiers and pumps.<br /><br /></p><table width="200" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><table width="100%" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><center> <img title="IndiaSolar2" alt="IndiaSolar2" src="http://www.rdmag.com/uploadedImages/RD/News/2011/07/IndiaSolar2.jpg" /> </center></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="left"><span align="center" style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;" > In this May 24, 2011 photograph, Parvin Yeyyada works with electric wiring as Boommi Gowda looks on during the installation of solar power in her house in Nada, a village near the southwest Indian port of Mangalore. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) </span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> "Their frustration is part of our motivation. Why are we so arrogant in deciding what the poor need and when they should get it?" said Harish Hande, managing director of Selco Solar Light Pvt. Ltd.<br /><br />The company, which is owned by three foreign aid organizations, has fitted solar panels to 125,000 rural homes in Karnataka state, including the Gowdas', outside the west coast port of Mangalore.<br /><br />Getting the technology to low-income customers is not easy. They need help with everything from setting up their first bank accounts and negotiating loans to navigating the fine print of payment contracts.<br /><br />To find new clients, agents must go door-to-door in remote settlements, sometimes crossing rivers, hiking mountains or wading through wetlands to reach them.<br /><br />But the sales pitch leads to reliable profits. Solar panels take little space on a rooftop, the lights burn brighter than kerosene lamps and they don't start forest fires or get snuffed in strong winds. Unlike central power, solar units don't get rationed or cut.<br /><br />Buying solar panels is more expensive than grid electricity, but for people off the grid it compares well with other options. One of Selco's single-panel solar systems goes for about $360, the same or less than a year's supply of black-market kerosene. And government subsidies mean customers actually pay less than $300.<br /><br />In two years, India's government hopes the off-grid solar yield will quadruple to 200 megawatts — enough to power millions of rural Indian homes with modest energy needs.<br /><br />Boommi Gowda's family signed up for its solar system within weeks of seeing one at the home of neighbor Babu Gowda, who is not related but shares the common regional last name.<br /><br />"With kerosene, you have to carry the lamp around wherever you go. The light is dim, and smoke fills the room and spoils the paint," said Babu Gowda, a sprightly 59-year-old.<br /><br />He finally decided on solar after losing his dog to a tiger from the neighboring national park. Now light from his home wards off predators.<br /><br />"I kept waiting and thinking the grid would come, and after years I was angry. But now I'm thrilled," he said. "Now we have light. We can move on, maybe expand with another solar panel and get a TV."<br /><br />What's predicted for India's solar market is not unlike the recent explosion in cell phones, as villagers and slum-dwellers alike embraced mobile technology over lumbering landline connections. There is now at least one mobile phone link for every two people in the country.<br /><br />The government has pushed for manufacturers and entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity. Its solar mission — an 11-year, $19 billion plan of credits, consumer subsidies and industry tax breaks to encourage investment — is fast becoming a centerpiece of its wider goal for renewable sources, including wind and small hydropower, to make up 20 percent of India's supply by 2020. Solar alone would provide 6 percent — a huge leap, since it makes up less than 1 percent of the 17 gigawatts India gets from renewables alone. The federal government leads a massive campaign titled "Light a Billion Lives" to distribute 200 million solar-powered lanterns to rural homes, while also supporting the creation of so-called "solar cities" with self-contained micro-grids in areas where supply is short.<br /><br />Solar power is making inroads in smaller ways as well.<br /><br />Near Nada, some schools send students home with solar-charged flashlights to study at night, and the temple town of Dharmasthala, visited by 10,000 pilgrims a day, offers free water purified through solar filtration.<br /><br />Another Hindu temple in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh boasts one of the world's largest solar-powered kitchens, preparing 30,000 meals a day, while western Gujarat state has experimented with a solar crematorium. Even in the Himalayan frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh, where the sunshine is not India's brightest, Buddhist monks have installed solar panels to heat water at the 330-year Tawang Monastery.<br /><br />Solar panels are becoming a must-have luxury item on dowry lists, even for those who have electricity but are annoyed by power cuts. And the capital of New Delhi requires hotels, hospitals and banquet halls to have solar water-heating systems.<br /><br />Even Tata Power, India's energy giant and main supplier of coal-sourced grid power, is eyeing the off-grid market while it plans large solar and wind installations to feed into the network.<br /><br />"Decentralized and distributed power from renewables is where we see a lot of growth. There are many suitable technologies. All that's needed are entrepreneurs," Tata's chief sustainability officer Avinash Patkar said.<br /><br /><table width="200" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><table width="100%" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td><center> <img title="IndiaSolar3" alt="IndiaSolar3" src="http://www.rdmag.com/uploadedImages/RD/News/2011/07/IndiaSolar3.jpg" /> </center></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="left"><span align="center" style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;" > In this May 24, 2011 photograph, Pushpa Gowda right, makes Bidi, a low-grade tobacco, as she sits with her mother Boommi Gowda, left and brother Ubay Gowda after they installed solar light in their house. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) </span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> India's government is desperate to expand its energy options as its fast-moving economy faces chronic electricity shortages. Last year's 10 percent shortfall is expected to increase to 16 percent this year, according to the Central Electricity Authority. Within 25 years, India must increase electricity production fivefold to keep up with its own development and demand, the World Bank says.<br /><br />India is planning new nuclear plants and quickly building more coal-firing plants, but it's also working to take better advantage of its renewable energy opportunities. It has been named the world's third most attractive destination for renewable energy investment, after the U.S. and China, according to two separate reports by global consulting firms KPMG and Ernst & Young.<br /><br />Western states like Gujarat and Rajasthan get the full brunt of the sun, with famed deserts and scrublands filled with sand dunes, camels and residents who spend hours fetching water from wells. These states are luring big projects for solar fields to plug into the grid.<br /><br />But most new grid capacity will be sucked up by industry, leaving little for the poor who live in off-grid desert outcrops, mountain hamlets and jungle villages like Nada. For them, the surest way to get electricity anytime soon may be to get a solar panel and make it themselves.<br /><br />P.N. Babu, a 51-year-old laborer who supplements his wages by tapping sap from rubber trees, finally stopped waiting for the grid when he saw his 14-year-old son's eyes tearing as he tried to read by lamp.<br /><br />"My children are too important," Babu said as the sun set in Nidle village, about 10 kilometers (six miles) south of Nada.<br /><br />Normally, it is so dark not even moonlight cuts through the dense canopy of palms overhead. But on the family's first night with solar electricity, the house was ablaze.<br /><br />The family took turns praying, elated they could see the Hindu icons of Lords Krishna and Ganesh by the light.<br /><br />"When school starts again, I am ready now to get high scores," Babu's son Suresh said. "I couldn't see the words in the book before, with the smoke and the tears."<br /><br />With the lights on, Suresh grabbed his sketchbook, filled with fanciful drawings of tigers, hippos, flowers and water jugs. He opened to a blank page and quickly outlined a modest house like his own, complete with a neatly swept yard and jungle gardens growing wild.<br />He finished by drawing the small box of a solar panel atop the roof.<br /><br />SOURCE: The Associated Press<br /><a href="http://www.rdmag.com/News/2011/07/Energy-India-s-rural-poor-give-up-on-power-grid-go-solar/" target="_blank">http://www.rdmag.com/News/<wbr>2011/07/Energy-India-s-rural-<wbr>poor-give-up-on-power-grid-go-<wbr>solar/</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-7680355094966929792011-07-14T01:33:00.000-07:002011-07-14T01:36:34.169-07:00Cientifica Release 2011 Report Global Nanotechnology Funding and Impact<h2><a href="http://www.cientifica.com/" target="_blank">Cientifica</a>, the worlds most respected nanotechnology information and forecasting company has just released the much anticipated 2011 report on global nanotechnology funding and impact.</h2> <p>Founder Tim Harper commenented, "It's something we do every year, undertaking one of the world's most exhaustive searches into the global funding of nanotechnologies in order to identify not only where the dollars, euros and yen are being spent, but also to gain an unique insight into the trends shaping tomorrow's applications."</p> <div style="width: 300px;"><img src="http://www.azonano.com/images/news/NewsImage_22980.jpg" alt="" /></div> <p>The major change for this year has been to develop a method of determining how effective government investment in emerging technologies is likely to be, using data from the World Economic Forum's annual Global Competitiveness Report among other sources.</p> <p>The report found that while countries such as the UK have academic excellence, the service based economy means that there is little outlet for the fruits of nanotechnology research, unlike for example Germany which has a large and vibrant manufacturing sector that is hungry for new technologies to stay competitive.</p> <p>A white paper giving an overview of the key numbers, which we believe to be the most accurate available anywhere, can be downloaded <a href="http://cientifica.eu/blog/white-papers/global-nanotechnology-funding-2011/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>Key findings are:</p> <ul><li>With US government funding of nanotechnology receding slightly in 2011, Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) estimates indicate that for the first time, China will spend more than the US to fund nanotechnology. </li><li>In the last 11 years, governments around the world have invested more than US$67.5 billion in nanotechnology funding. When corporate research and various other forms of private funding are taken into account, nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars will have been invested in nanotechnology by 2015. </li><li>Corporate research and private funding were thought to have surpassed government funding figures as far back as 2004. But this year, according to Cientifica's estimates, in PPP terms China will spend US$2.25 billion in nanotechnology research while the US will spend US$2.18 billion. In real dollar terms, adjusted for currency exchange rates, China is only spending about US$1.3 billion to the US's $2.18 billion. </li><li>This appears to be a temporary hiccup in US dominance in public funding of nanotechnology with the US again taking the lead next year even in PPP terms, spending $2.46 billion with China allotting $2.2 billion. </li><li>Cientifica's index of countries' ability to take advantage of emerging technologies indicates the US, Germany, Taiwan and Japan have the combination of academic excellence, technology-hungry companies, skilled workforces and the availability of early stage capital to ensure effective technology transfer. </li></ul> When combined with levels of nanotechnology funding, the US is still the place to be, although China and Russia are increasingly attractive. The UK and UK and India struggle at the bottom of the league.<br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=22980" target="_blank">http://www.azonano.com/news.<wbr>aspx?newsID=22980</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-27719973412077402402010-09-27T21:32:00.000-07:002010-09-27T21:39:24.364-07:00ISAEST-99th International Symposium on Advances in Electrochemical Science and Technology (ISAEST 9) is to be held during December 2 - 4, 2010 at Hotel Green Park, Chennai, India. It is organised by the Society for Advancement of Electrochemical Science and Technology (SAEST) and CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi (CECRI).<br /><br />The Symposium will provide a forum for electrochemists and technologists from all over the world to meet and exchange knowledge and research experience. The Symposium will discuss developments in all branches of Electrochemical Science and Technology.<br /><br />Please visit : <a href="http://www.saest.com/">www.saest.com</a> to explore more about the Symposium.Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-29647189282097864332010-06-19T05:47:00.000-07:002010-06-19T05:52:18.122-07:00Nanotechnology Helps to Develop Solar Cells with Over 65% EfficiencyTU/e researchers want to develop solar cells with an efficiency of over 65 percent by means of nanotechnology. In Southern Europe and North Africa these new solar cells can generate a substantial portion of the European demand for electricity. The Dutch government reserves EUR 1.2 million for the research.<br /><p> </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484466063976905314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 346px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 233px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-VGEdfbsCVQ/TBy808YHOmI/AAAAAAAAABc/eYNQbYAHi-4/s320/NewsImage_22229.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />An agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, will grant the EUR 1.2 million to researchers dr. Jos Haverkort, dr. Erik Bakkers en dr. ir. Geert Verbong for their research into nanowire solar cells. It is their expectation that, when combined with mirror systems, these solar cells can generate a sizeable portion of the European electricity demand in Southern Europe and North Africa. </p><p>The current thin-film solar cells (type III/V) have an efficiency that lies around 40 percent, but they are very expensive and can only be applied as solar panels on satellites. By using mirror systems that focus one thousand times they can now also be deployed on earth in a cost-effective manner. The TU/ researchers expect that in ten years their nano-structured solar cells can attain an efficiency of more than 65 percent. Jos Haverkort: "If the Netherlands wants to timely participate in a commercial exploitation of nanowire solar cells, there is a great urgency to get on board now." The research is conducted together with Philips MiPlaza. </p><p>They think that nanotechnology, in combination with the use of concentrated sunlight through mirror systems, has the potential to lead to the world’s most efficient solar cell system with a cost price lower than 50 cent per Watt peak. In comparison: for the present generation of solar cells that cost price is 1.50 euro per Watt peak. </p><p>StackingNanowires make it possible to stack a number of subcells (junctions). In this process each subcell converts one color of sunlight optimally to electricity. The highest yield reported until now in a nanowire solar cell is 8.4 percent. Haverkort: 'We expect that a protective shell around the nanowires is the critical step towards attaining the same efficiency with nanowire solar cells as with thin-film cells." Haverkort thinks that at 5 to 10 junctions he will arrive at an efficiency of 65 percent. </p><p>Scarcity of raw materialsIn addition, the researchers expect considerable savings can be made on production costs, because nanowires grow on a cheap silicon substrate and also grow faster, which results in a lower cost of ownership of the growth equipment. What is more, the combination of the mirror systems with nanotechnology will imply an acceptable use of the scarce and hence expensive metals gallium and indium.<br />Source: <a href="http://www.tue.nl/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.tue.nl/</a></p><p><a href="http://www.azom.com/news.asp?newsID=22229">LINK</a></p>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-2083162908814403402009-12-28T20:18:00.000-08:002009-12-28T20:24:10.644-08:002010 Global R&D Funding ForecastThe 2010 Global R&D Forecast, created by Battelle analysts and the editors of R&D Magazine, predicts overall global R&D will increase 4.0% in 2010 to $1,156.5 billion from $1,112.5 billion spent in 2009. This increase will mostly be driven by continued spending by China and India, who will drive a 7.5% increase in Asian R&D.<br /><br />American R&D spending is expected to increase 3.2% to $452.8 billion, while EC spending will only increase 0.5% to $268.5 billion in 2010.<br /><a href="http://www.rdmag.com/uploadedFiles/RD/Featured_Articles/2009/12/GFF2010_ads_small.pdf">Download the report:</a><br /><a href="http://www.rdmag.com/uploadedFiles/RD/Featured_Articles/2009/12/GFF2010_ads_small.pdf">http://www.rdmag.com/uploadedFiles/RD/Featured_Articles/2009/12/GFF2010_ads_small.pdf</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-48639652469915646512009-12-27T22:44:00.000-08:002009-12-27T22:57:36.197-08:00Tech Pioneers Who Will Change Your Life<a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1948486_1948485,00.html">Tech Pioneers Who Will Change Your Life</a><br />K.R. Sridhar, Bloom Energy<br />The Sunnyvale, Calif., start-up says it has developed a fuel-cell system that produces energy that's cleaner and more efficient than oil, gas or coal and more reliable than wind or solar power. "This technology is fundamentally going to change the world," gushes K.R. Sridhar, co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy. "It's going to have a disruptive impact on the way energy is produced."Read more: <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1948486_1948485_1948479,00.html#ixzz0b25Q1sSw">http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1948486_1948485_1948479,00.html#ixzz0b25Q1sSw</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-81936786644715877192009-11-30T00:30:00.000-08:002009-11-30T00:33:38.574-08:00The water-powered clock: the most eco-friendly timepiece ever?<span class="byline vcard"> By <address class="vcard author">Anna Leach</address> on <abbr class="published" title="2009-11-25T13:06:42+00:00">November 25, 2009<br /><br /></abbr></span>It doesn't need batteries, solar panels or winding, it just needs water. The Water Powered Clock sounds like something out of mythology, but it's real and it's turning H2O into energy somewhere near you. <p>All you have to do to keep the clock ticking is change the water every six months. It uses "the latest electrochemical technology" to power the digital display with water and there are no emissions or waste. Shaped like cans, the clocks are available in four colours. </p> <p>It's not an alarm - water obviously isn't that powerful yet, but it does look quite cute and displays the time on the digital panel at that front. Pair it up with Efergy's <a href="http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2009/11/how_much_water.html">showtime water-use monitor</a> as a green present for the eco-warrier in your life. </p> Even better, get GreenStamp's water-powered clock making kit and let your green friend experiment with what liquids make the clock run. A good one for kids.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2009/11/the_water-power.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">SOURCE</span></a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-752182185352121402009-11-23T20:59:00.000-08:002009-11-23T21:02:19.237-08:00New hydrogen-storage method discoveredSunday, November 22, 2009<br /><br />Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have found for the first time that high pressure can be used to make a unique hydrogen-storage material. The discovery paves the way for an entirely new way to approach the hydrogen-storage problem. The researchers found that the normally unreactive, noble gas xenon combines with molecular hydrogen (H2) under pressure to form a previously unknown solid with unusual bonding chemistry. The experiments are the first time these elements have been combined to form a stable compound. The discovery debuts a new family of materials, which could boost new hydrogen technologies. The paper is published in the November 22, 2009, advanced online publication of Nature Chemistry. <a href="http://www.rdmag.com/News/Feeds/2009/11/materials-new-hydrogen-storage-method-discovered/">Read more...</a><br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/ci-nhm112009.php">http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/ci-nhm112009.php</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-43396430606250600192009-11-10T21:56:00.000-08:002009-11-10T22:04:15.731-08:00A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030A recent article - "A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030" authored by Jacabson and Deluchhi, published in the recent issue (November 2009) of <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-path-to-sustainable-energy-by-2030">Scientific American </a>will be a useful resource for the researchers who do research in the area of energy.<br /><br />Also visit <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/WindWaterSun1009.pdf">here</a> to explore more.Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-50199221786246535882009-10-26T21:48:00.000-07:002009-10-26T21:58:29.311-07:00Interview of Venkataraman Ramkrishnan by Amit Roy of The Telegraph, Calcutta.<strong>No real reason why it can't be done in India<br /></strong>- <em>Venki on his forthcoming visit, why he loves Cambridge and how crucial luck is.<br /></em><strong>Amit Roy</strong><br />Cambridge, Oct. 17: Venkataraman Ramakrishnan, seems happy and settled in Cambridge, where autumn has set in and where the Nobel laureate can admire ancient trees with leaves turning to russet and mauve and gold as he cycles to work every day.<br /><br />But over the past four decades, he has led an itinerant existence. Fame has come at a price.<br /><a href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091018/jsp/frontpage/story_11627922.jsp">Read more...</a><br />Courtesy: <a href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091018/jsp/frontpage/story_11627922.jsp">The Telegraph</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-74980641985798036232009-10-15T02:32:00.000-07:002009-10-15T02:39:17.372-07:00Low-cost electrodes for fuel cellsAFC Energy, the developer of low-cost alkaline fuel cells, has successfully completed trials of its non-platinum-based electrodes for fuel cells. <a href="http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/313576/Low-cost+electrodes+for+fuel+cells.htm">Read more...</a><br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/313576/Low-cost+electrodes+for+fuel+cells.htm">The Engineer Online</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-69596129113193740332009-09-07T04:24:00.000-07:002009-09-07T04:31:25.027-07:00Breakthrough in Battery Technology in the offingScientists in advanced materials and electrochemistry have produced electric storage batteries what could be the single most important breakthrough for clean, alternative energy.<br /><br />It's a new generation of deep-storage battery that's small enough, and safe enough, to sit in your basement and power you home.<br /><br /><a href="http://gconnect.in/gc/technology/breakthrough-in-battery-technology-in-the-offing.html">Read More...</a><br />Source: <a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/news/article_b0372fd8-3f3c-11de-ac77-001cc4c002e0.html">Daily Herald</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-83325304031780830922009-03-04T03:55:00.000-08:002009-03-04T03:58:11.453-08:00Nanotechnology: Lithium-Ion Batteries Have Better Performance With New Electrode MaterialNanotechnology: Lithium-Ion Batteries Have Better Performance With New Electrode Material<br /><br />Need to store electricity more efficiently? Put it behind bars.<br />That's essentially the finding of a team of Rice University researchers who have created hybrid carbon nanotube metal oxide arrays as electrode material that may improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries.<br />With battery technology high on the list of priorities in a world demanding electric cars and gadgets that last longer between charges, such innovations are key to the future. Electrochemical capacitors and fuel cells would also benefit, the researchers said.<br />The team from Pulickel Ajayan's research group published a paper this week describing the proof-of-concept research in which nanotubes are grown to look – and act – like the coaxial conducting lines used in cables. The coax tubes consist of a manganese oxide shell and a highly conductive nanotube core. <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209122554.htm">REA MORE...</a><br />Source: <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209122554.htm">ScienceDaily </a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-85534238621647437242009-02-25T02:10:00.000-08:002009-02-25T02:11:40.760-08:00Methanol fuel cells the latest in portable powerMethanol fuel cells the latest in portable power<br />by Mark Rutherford<br />February 22, 2009 6:00 AM PST<br />A German company has introduced a "wearable" fuel cell that usesdirect methanol fuel cell technology, doing away with the weightymechanical components usually associated with generation of electricalpower.<br /><br />Based on an award-winning unipolar stack technology design, the Jenny600S delivers 25 watts of power for up to 20 hours at a time,according to the company Smart Fuel Cell (SFC).<br />SFC fuel cells took top honors in the U.S. Department of Defense'sWearable Power Competition last October against stiff competition froma host of big-name competitors. But it's not the only game: companieslike UtraCell and Jadoo Power also offer a range of portable fuel celloptions to military customers.<br />The Jenny uses replaceable liquid methanol fuel cartridges and can beworn by soldiers in a vest, where it instantly kicks in from standbymode to automatically recharge batteries when needed. It workssilently in both vertical and horizontal positions, according to SFC.It can also be left in a hands-off mode to automatically power upequipment in the field. The company estimates that the unit couldreduce the weight of the batteries that soldiers must carry on certainmissions by up to 70 percent.<br />And the SFC system uses nonpressurized methanol, which has been giventhe seal of approval in tests by Army Research Lab and Natick SoldierCenter, according to SFC. Low pressure gives it a leg up, in terms ofsafety over pressurized gases like hydrogen, propane, or butane.<br />It's not available to civilians yet, but look for systems like this toshake out in the near future. Mark Rutherford is a West Coast-based freelance writer. He is amember of the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET. Emailhim at <a href="mailto:markr@milapp.com">markr@milapp.com</a><br />Source: <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-10169022-42.html">http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-10169022-42.html</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-83975565734702143792009-02-19T23:14:00.000-08:002009-02-19T23:15:49.619-08:00New freely accessible nanotechnology and nanoscience publications archive<strong>New freely accessible nanotechnology and nanoscience publications archive</strong><br /><br />Research at the nanoscale has the potential to solve many fundamental scientific problems and lead to new developments in different disciplines and application areas such as medicine, electronics, energy, and the environment. Successful outcomes to such research will have a measurable impact on the future well-being of our global society; however this can only be achieved through improving access to information and opportunities for international collaboration. The ICPCNanoNet project is one such initiative in this framework. Funded by the EU under FP7 for four years from June 2008, it provides:<br />an electronic archive of nanoscience publications that is freely accessible to researchers around the globe;<br />an electronic database of nanoscience organizations and networks in ICPC;<br />links to nanoscience researchers and stakeholders across the globe;<br />annual reports on nanoscience developments in eight ICPC regions: Africa, Caribbean, Pacific, Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA), Latin America, Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPC), Western Balkan Countries (WBC);<br />online networking tools (forums, workshops);<br />annual workshops, one in each of EU, China, India, and Russia, which will also be webcast to facilitate greater access.<br />The project brings together partners from the EU, China, India and Russia and aims to provide wider access to published nanoscience and nanotechnology research and opportunities for collaboration between scientists in the EU and International Cooperation Partner Countries. This will be achieved through the creation of an open access electronic archive of nanoscience publications and tools to facilitate networking between scientists in different world regions.<br />The project builds on previous initiatives including Nanoforum (www.nanoforum.org) which provides information on nanoscience and technology in the EU; EuroIndiaNet (http://www2.spi.pt/euroindianet/) which promoted stronger collaboration between EU and Indian nanoscientists and technologists, and NanoforumEULA (www.mesaplus.utwente.nl/nanoforumeula/) which promotes stronger collaboration between EU and Latin American nanoscientists and technologists.<br />ICPCNanoNet is coordinated by the Institute of Nanotechnology (UK) and includes Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (Portugal), St Petersburg Electrotechnical University (Russia), Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (India), Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology (China), MERIT, Universiteit Maastricht (Netherlands), and Malsch TechnoValuation (Netherlands).<br />To register your interest in ICPCNanoNet please contact the project coordinator:<br />Dr <a class="jigluLink" title="See other pages Jiglu tagged with ‘Mark Morrison’" onclick="return(Jiglu.overlayOpen(this))" href="http://nanoguys-tagging.jiglu.com/overlay/421144341f1da002011f5502f6ca5d47/Mark%20Morrison">Mark Morrison</a><br />Institute of Nanotechnology<br />mark.morrison@nano.org.uk<br /><a class="jigluLink" title="See other pages Jiglu tagged with ‘TEL’" onclick="return(Jiglu.overlayOpen(this))" href="http://nanoguys-tagging.jiglu.com/overlay/421144341f1da002011f5502f6ca5d47/TEL">Tel</a>. +44 (0)141 303 8444.<br />or register on the project websites: <a style="COLOR: #0000ff" href="http://www.icpc-nanonet.org/" target="new">www.ICPC-nanonet.org</a> (main project website) and <a style="COLOR: #0000ff" href="http://www.nanoarchive.org/" target="new">www.nanoarchive.org</a> (electronic archive).<br />Source: ICPCNanoNetElectrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-3724007041014992392009-02-01T20:35:00.000-08:002009-02-01T20:36:17.606-08:00New catalyst paves the path for ethanol-powered fuel cells(Nanowerk News) A team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Delaware and Yeshiva University, has developed a new catalyst that could make ethanol-powered fuel cells feasible. The highly efficient catalyst performs two crucial, and previously unreachable steps needed to oxidize ethanol and produce clean energy in fuel cell reactions. Their results are published online in the January 25, 2009 edition of Nature Materials.<br /><br />Like batteries that never die, hydrogen fuel cells convert hydrogen and oxygen into water and, as part of the process, produce electricity. However, efficient production, storage, and transport of hydrogen for fuel cell use is not easily achieved. As an alternative, researchers are studying the incorporation of hydrogen-rich compounds, for example, the use of liquid ethanol in a system called a direct ethanol fuel cell. <a href="http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=9010.php">READ MORE...</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-80627485245844974912009-02-01T20:32:00.000-08:002009-02-01T20:33:40.527-08:00World's highest drug levels entering India streamJan. 26, 2009By Margie Mason, AP Medical Writer Patancheru, India (AP)—When researchers analyzed vials of treated wastewater taken from a plant where about 90 Indian drug factories dump their residues, they were shocked. Enough of a single, powerful antibiotic was being spewed into one stream each day to treat every person in a city of 90,000.<br /><br />And it wasn't just ciprofloxacin being detected. The supposedly cleaned water was a floating medicine cabinet—a soup of 21 different active pharmaceutical ingredients, used in generics for treatment of hypertension, heart disease, chronic liver ailments, depression, gonorrhea, ulcers and other ailments. Half of the drugs measured at the highest levels of pharmaceuticals ever detected in the environment, researchers say. <a href="http://www.rdmag.com/ShowPR.aspx?PUBCODE=014&ACCT=1400000101&ISSUE=0901&RELTYPE=IDN&PRODCODE=00000000&PRODLETT=JJ&CommonCount=0">READ MORE...</a><br /><br />AP National Writer Martha Mendoza contributed to this report from California.<br />SOURCE: The Associated Press.Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-81193191149625918482009-02-01T20:27:00.000-08:002009-02-01T20:29:54.186-08:00UN declares 2011 as International Year of Chemistry<p>UN declares 2011 as International Year of Chemistry<br /><br />New York, Paris, 30 December 2008 - The 63rd General Assembly of the United<br />Nations has adopted a resolution proclaiming 2011 as International Year of Chemistry,<br />placing UNESCO and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)<br />at the helm of the event.<br />Ethiopia submitted the U.N. resolution calling for the Year, which will celebrate<br />the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humanity. The<br />Year will also draw attention to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable<br />Development 2005-2014. National and international activities carried out during 2011<br />will emphasize the importance of chemistry in sustaining natural resources.<br />Chemistry is fundamental to our understanding of the world and the cosmos.<br />Moreover, molecular transformations are central to the production of food, medicines,<br />fuel, and countless manufactured and extracted products. Through the Year, the world<br />will celebrate the art and science of chemistry, and its essential contributions to<br />knowledge, to environmental protection and to economic development.<br />“The International Year of Chemistry will give a global boost to chemical science<br />in which our life and our future are grounded. We hope to increase the public<br />appreciation and understanding of chemistry, increase young people’s interest in science,<br />and generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry,” declared the President of<br />the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Professor Jung-Il Jin. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.iupac.org/web/nt/2008-12-30_IYC">READ MORE...</a></p><p>Source: IUPAC/UNESCO release, 30 Dec 2008</p>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-56344023063734892452008-12-25T20:57:00.000-08:002008-12-25T20:59:39.818-08:00'India will have to reduce energy consumption by 20%’CHENNAI: Some sections view the current economic meltdown as a direct fall-out of consumption exceeding money supply. Power policy makers of the<br />country seem to have stuck on the analogy to caution <a class="kLink" oncontextmenu="return false;" id="KonaLink0" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,0);" style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,0);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,0);" href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Economy/India_will_have_to_reduce_energy_consumption_by_20/articleshow/3868120.cms#" target="_new">energy</a> con-sumption in urban India.<br />“In fact, we need to expand energy con-sumption in this country, mainly to the two-thirds of our population who have scarce or no access to electricity, and non-biomass fuels,” said Planning Commission principal adviser (energy) Surya P Sethi. India’s per capita consumption of power is 20% the world average, 4% that of the US, and 28% that of China. “To achieve a desirable human development index growth, the pres-ent power consumers will have to cut their usage by 20%, by which growth may come down by a percentage point or two”. Speaking at the panel discussion on sustainable electricity in India, at Pan IIT, an IIT alumni conference, at the Indian institute of <a class="kLink" oncontextmenu="return false;" id="KonaLink1" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,1);" style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,1);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,1);" href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Economy/India_will_have_to_reduce_energy_consumption_by_20/articleshow/3868120.cms#" target="_new">technology</a> Madras on Saturday, he said the situation was potentially explosive unless we invest talent, technology and innovation in equitable allocation of basic resources like energy, water and land.To achieve 20% energy <a class="kLink" oncontextmenu="return false;" id="KonaLink2" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,2);" style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,2);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,2);" href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Economy/India_will_have_to_reduce_energy_consumption_by_20/articleshow/3868120.cms#" target="_new">conservation</a> we need to increase the energy efficiency of our appli-ances by 20%, he said. <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Economy/India_will_have_to_reduce_energy_consumption_by_20/articleshow/3868120.cms">READ MORE...</a><br />Source: The Economic TimesElectrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-36308015510081319782008-12-25T20:52:00.000-08:002008-12-25T20:54:11.486-08:00Low-cost fuel cells a step closerLow-cost fuel cells a step closer Chinese researchers develop a nickel catalyst<br />by Helen Tunnicliffe<br /><br />A GROUP OF scientists from Wuhan University in China have developed a hydrogen fuel cell using a nickel-based catalyst and an alkaline electrolyte, which they believe is a viable alternative to expensive platinum catalysts and acidic electrolytes currently in use.<br /><br />Shanfu Lu, Jing Pan, Aibin Huang, Lin Zhuang and Juntao Lu developed an alkaline electrolyte - the polymer quaternary ammonium polysulphone – which can conduct hydrogen ions. They used silver for the positive electrode and chromium-decorated nickel for the negative electrode.<br /><br />“The surface electronic structure of nickel has been tuned to suppress selectively the surface oxidative passivation with retained activity toward hydrogen oxidation,” states the abstract.<br /><br />In other words, the chromium has changed the surface electronic structure of the nickel to prevent it from being oxidised (which would otherwise reduce its effectiveness) while still allowing the catalysis of the reaction of hydrogen ions which produces the electrical current.<br /><br />Most hydrogen fuel cells in use today are acidic and corrode metals. Most research has, therefore, concentrated on catalysts made from precious metals, usually platinum, which are stable in acidic conditions. However, their high cost has prevented a greater uptake of the technology. The scientists believe their discovery to be an important advance in fuel cell technology.<br /><br /> The paper was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).<br />Source: <a href="http://www.tcetoday.com/tcetoday/NewsDetail.aspx?nid=11312">tcetoday</a>, Friday 26 December 2008Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-61566576194052783622008-12-17T20:49:00.000-08:002008-12-17T20:50:24.510-08:00Scientific output in nanoscience increased by nearly 16% per year during the last decade(Nanowerk News) Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Nanotechnology - World R&D Report 2008 - Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology" report to their offering. This bibliometric report examines scientific activity in nanoscience using scientific papers, as well as intellectual property in nanotechnology using patents granted by the USPTO. The central aim of the scientometric and technometric analyses is to identify areas in which high-output, high-intensity, and high-impact research is being conducted. For this purpose, emphasis is placed on ranking research at the country, company and university levels. In addition, the report examines how nanoscale research and technology are evolving over time and features detailed analyses of eight non-mutually exclusive domains of nanoscale R&D. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are hotbeds of R&D wherein emergent properties of matter, which are present only at extremely small feature scales, are discovered and exploited. R&D Reports uses bibliometric indicators calculated on peer-reviewed papers in the Scopus database and granted patents in the USPTO database to produce multicriteria rankings and collaboration networks of countries, universities and companies. These show, at a glance, the leaders' scientific and technological positions in eight key domains of nanoscience and nanotechnology: General Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Materials Electronics and Computing Optics and Photonics Nanoelectromechanical Systems (NEMS) Medicine and biology Energy Environment Metrology<br />Key findings include: The scientific output in nanoscience increased at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 16% during the last decade. The scientific output in Republic of Korea and China exhibit spectacular growth. The number of patents granted has also grown rapidly (10%). Nanomaterials, nanophotonics, nanoelectronics and nanoscience in medicine & biology represent the largest concentration of R&D. Growth is particularly fast in emerging domains, namely NEMS, energy and environment.<br />For more information visit <a href="http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5e25cc/nanotechnology_w">http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5e25cc/nanotechnology_w</a><br /><br />Source: Research and MarketsElectrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-27789056772988788352008-12-10T21:23:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:25:07.603-08:00New Polymer Coatings Prevent Corrosion, Even When ScratchedImagine tiny cracks in your patio table healing by themselves, or the first small scratch on your new car disappearing by itself. This and more may be possible with self-healing coatings being developed at the University of Illinois.<br /><br />The new coatings are designed to better protect materials from the effects of environmental exposure. Applications range from automotive paints and marine varnishes to the thick, rubbery coatings on patio furniture and park benches.<br /><br />"Starting from our earlier work on self-healing materials at the U. of I., we have now created self-healing coatings that automatically repair themselves and prevent corrosion of the underlying substrate," said Paul Braun, a University Scholar and professor of materials science and engineering. Braun is corresponding author of a paper accepted for publication in the journal Advanced Materials, and posted on its Web site. <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081209125929.htm">READ MORE....</a><br />Source: ScienceDailyElectrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-70900035904720954452008-12-10T21:21:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:23:01.146-08:00Now, chromium-free coatings to protect cars against rustA new chromium-free coating can help protect cars against rust, reveals new study.<br />Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institutes for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg and for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU in Chemnitz, developed an alternative anti-corrosion method based on nanocomposites as against the long-standing chromium plating prohibited since 2007.<br />The boffins along with colleagues at the Institute for Corrosion Protection Dresden GmbH had submerged steel sheets into a coating sol, applied a power coating and exposed them to various tests to produce the new nanomaterials.<br />While the steel sheets were kept in a chamber filled with atomized brine for 360 hours, or 15 days, at a temperature of 35 degrees, the metal sheets had also been placed in an environment chamber with a relative humidity of 100 percent for 240 hours, or 10 days.<br />ISC project manager Dr. Johanna Kron said: “These coatings protect most galvanized materials almost as well as commercial yellow chrome plating. Indeed, the new coatings are often even more effective than the chromium-free system and chromium(III) passivation currently on the market.”<br />The study also found that the chromium-free coated metal sheets, which were less than a thousandth of a millimeter thick, could be formed in exactly the same way as yellow chrome plated sheets.<br />Kron revealed that the corrosion-proofing system could be expected to hit the market in around five years. (ANI)<br />Source: <a href="http://www.freshnews.in/now-chromium-free-coatings-to-protect-cars-against-rust-103493">http://www.freshnews.in/now-chromium-free-coatings-to-protect-cars-against-rust-103493</a>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-90006466327110790622008-12-10T21:16:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:20:41.816-08:00A new water treatment method<strong>Treating industrial wastewater with scrap iron can be a cheap and effective way to reduce pollution from factories</strong><br /><br />SCRAP conjures up visions of rusting junkyards on the wrong side of the tracks. But this image could soon be given a green makeover. Researchers have found that iron filings from factories can be a cheap and efficient way to clean up polluted water. Because such scrap is widely available, the idea could be particularly useful in developing countries.<br /><br />The new approach is being used to treat wastewater in the Taopu Industrial District of Shanghai, which is home to many small pharmaceutical, petrochemical and textile factories that discharge water contaminated with dyes, phosphorus and nitrogen. The project, which began in August 2006, now treats about 60,000 cubic metres (about 13m gallons) a day of industrially contaminated water—which is about the volume of municipal wastewater that a small town generates. <a href="http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12673203&subjectID=348924&fsrc=nwl">READ MORE...</a><br /><p>Source: <em>The Economist</em></p>Electrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092869956233877643.post-70447252848189408242008-12-07T21:08:00.000-08:002008-12-07T21:10:46.292-08:00Fusion breakthrough will boost power outputFusion breakthrough will boost power output<br />Dec. 4, 2008David Chandler, MIT News OfficeResearch carried out at MIT's Alcator C-Mod fusion reactor may have brought the promise of fusion as a future power source a bit closer to reality, though scientists caution that a practical fusion powerplant is still decades away.<br />Fusion, the reaction that produces the sun's energy, is thought to have enormous potential for future power generation because fusion plant operation produces no emissions, fuel sources are potentially abundant, and it produces relatively little (and short-lived) radioactive waste. But it still faces great hurdles."There's been a lot of progress," says physicist Earl Marmar, division head of the Alcator Project at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC). "We're learning a lot more about the details of how these things work."The Alcator C-Mod reactor, in operation since 1993, has the highest magnetic field and the highest plasma pressure of any fusion reactor in the world, and is the largest fusion reactor operated by any university. <a href="http://www.rdmag.com/ShowPR.aspx?PUBCODE=014&ACCT=1400000101&ISSUE=0812&RELTYPE=PSC&PRODCODE=00000000&PRODLETT=AT&CommonCount=0">READ MORE...</a><br /><br />The story is also available in the Dec. 3, 2008, edition of MIT Tech Talk, <a href="http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/techtalk53-10.pdf">http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/techtalk53-10.pdf</a><br /><br />SOURCE: MITElectrochemical Science and Technology Informationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824872336493020108noreply@blogger.com0