Novel geothermal technology packs a one-two punch against climate change

University of Minnesota
June 3, 2011

Two University of Minnesota Department of Earth Sciences researchers have developed an innovative approach to tapping heat beneath the Earth’s surface. The method is expected to not only produce renewable electricity far more efficiently than conventional geothermal systems, but also help reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) -- dealing a one-two punch against climate change.

The approach, termed CO2-plume geothermal system, or CPG, was developed by Earth sciences faculty member Martin Saar and graduate student Jimmy Randolph in the university’s College of Science and Engineering. The research was published in the most recent issue of Geophysical Research Letters. The researchers have applied for a patent and plan to form a start-up company to commercialize the new technology.

Established methods for transforming Earth’s heat into electricity involve extracting hot water from rock formations several hundred feet from the Earth’s surface at the few natural hot spots around the world, then using the hot water to turn power-producing turbines. The university’s novel system was born in a flash of insight on a northern Minnesota road trip and jump-started with $600,000 in funding from the U of M Institute on the Environment’s Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE). The CPG system uses high-pressure CO2 instead of water as the underground heat-carrying fluid.

CPG provides a number of advantages over other geothermal systems, Randolph said. First, CO2 travels more easily than water through porous rock, so it can extract heat more readily. As a result, CPG can be used in regions where conventional geothermal electricity production would not make sense from a technical or economic standpoint.
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Neutron analysis explains dynamics behind best thermoelectric materials

Oak Ridge National Laboratory
June 6, 2011

Neutron analysis of the atomic dynamics behind thermal conductivity is helping scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory gain a deeper understanding of how thermoelectric materials work. The analysis could spur the development of a broader range of products with the capability to transform heat to electricity.

Researchers performed experiments at both of ORNL's neutron facilities -- the Spallation Neutron Source and the High Flux Isotope Reactor -- to learn why the material lead telluride, which has a similar molecular structure to common table salt, has very low thermal conductivity, or heat loss -- a property that makes lead telluride a compelling thermoelectric material.

"The microscopic origin of the low thermal conductivity is not well understood. Once we do understand it better we can design materials that perform better at converting heat to electricity," said Olivier Delaire, a researcher and Clifford Shull Fellow in ORNL's Neutron Sciences Directorate.
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Microstructure-induced biomechanical responses of dragonfly wing veins

Physorg.com
June 3, 2011

Wang's research team discovered the sandwich microstructure of dragonfly wing veins and recently revealed the organic junction between these longitudinal veins and membranes of the dragonfly wing. Based on observed microstructural model and previously reported model about the main longitudinal veins and membrane, in which the former is based on the tubular model with sandwich structure in thickness of tubular, and the latter is based on the sample tubular model with the same material in thickness of tubular, they were used to simulate and characterize the biomechanical responses of dragonfly wings under symmetrical loading.

The results indicated that the effect of different microstructural models on the flapping frequency, trajectories, and corrugated and torsional behaviors of the wing cannot be ignored. This is because the sandwich microstructure, consisting of soft matter with fibers in the protein layer and hierarchical structure in the chitin layer, of the longitudinal vein plays an important role in improving aerodynamic efficiency by creating self-adaptability in the flapping, torsion and camber variations of the wing as it twists. Understanding the complete structure of the wing, including the microstructural features and the organic junction between veins and membranes, provides new insight into the flight mechanism of the dragonfly and the wing's biomechanical responses, as shown by the study reported in issue 56 of the Chinese Science Bulletin and to be reported in the future.

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New battery design could give electric vehicles a jolt

MIT News
June 6, 2011

A radically new approach to the design of batteries, developed by researchers at MIT, could provide a lightweight and inexpensive alternative to existing batteries for electric vehicles and the power grid. The technology could even make “refueling” such batteries as quick and easy as pumping gas into a conventional car.

The new battery relies on an innovative architecture called a semi-solid flow cell, in which solid particles are suspended in a carrier liquid and pumped through the system. In this design, the battery’s active components — the positive and negative electrodes, or cathodes and anodes — are composed of particles suspended in a liquid electrolyte. These two different suspensions are pumped through systems separated by a filter, such as a thin porous membrane.

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The Engineer Articles, "Developing autonomous fighting machines", "Will nuclear U-turn leave an energy gap? " and "Removing shock from the system with magnetic fluids"

The Engineer
June 6, 2011


Developing autonomous fighting machines

War machines: Accelerating the development of autonomous defence systems raises both ethical and technological questions

If you’re the sort of person who takes Hollywood blockbusters seriously, then defence research is an inherently risky thing. Advanced weaponry rarely works and it’s left to plucky mavericks to save the day. Most risky of all are autonomous robotic defence systems; according to the Terminator films, they’re bound to become self aware, decide that humanity is a threat and unleash a nuclear armageddon to wipe pesky Homo sapiens off the face of the planet.

In reality, autonomous systems are firmly in place as an integral part of the armed forces’ arsenal. For instance, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) often referred to as drones are regularly used to perform reconnaissance and attack missions, with BAE Systems’ Mantis among the systems carrying out observation and the General Atomics Predator capable of using missiles and other weaponry.
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Will nuclear U-turn leave an energy gap?

Germany’s announcement that it is to abandon nuclear power and pursue renewable technologies to meet its energy generating needs isn’t a surprise. The country has always had an ambivalent attitude towards nuclear, unlike the diehard atomic enthusiasts next door, and the strong representation of the Greens in the German parliament, along with the general shocked reaction to the Fukushima crisis, meant that a retreat on the return to nuclear policy was always likely.

The country will have a struggle on its hands to match the generating capacity of nuclear reactors with renewables. There is much speculation that it will return to coal in the short term, or will end up surreptitiously buying nuclear electricity from excess French capacity; the new reactors in Flamanville are coming along and there’s no sign of the Paris parliament backing off from its nuclear built policy.

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Removing shock from the system with magnetic fluids

Magnetically reactive fluids are offering smoother operation across a vast range of industries

At first glance, magnetorheological (MR) fluid isn’t that exciting. It’s grey, oily and about three times denser than water. Left to its own devices, it slowly spreads over a surface, forming a thick pool of liquid. Place this liquid close to a magnet, however, and a remarkable transformation takes place.

Within milliseconds of coming close to the magnet, the once free-flowing MR liquid hardens into a near-solid state. The particles suspended in the fluid line up in long chains along the lines of magnetic flux, restricting the movement of the liquid and increasing its viscosity. The process is reversible and when the magnetic field is removed, the solid once again becomes a fluid.
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Industry Helps Engineering Students Reanimate Robotic Mine Vehicles

University of Arizona College of Engineering
May 24, 2011

In just 10 weeks, a group of University of Arizona engineering students took five crates of surplus hardware and two heavy-duty test vehicles, which didn’t run, and mixed them with youthful enthusiasm, tenacity and many long hours to build a couple of robotic vehicles that recently drove themselves around UA’s test mine.

This was no easy task, and some faculty predicted that the job was too big for the one-semester course: ENGR 450/550, autonomous vehicle systems. But they didn’t factor in the can-do attitude of 23 undergraduate and graduate students, who were willing to put in late nights following classes and day jobs.

“It’s amazing what happens when you say, ‘Here’s our goal, here are the resources, now go for it,’” said Sean Martinez, a systems engineering master’s student and teaching assistant for the course. “This is what engineering is truly about. The enthusiasm was wonderful. The students just said, ‘This is what we want to do. Let’s make it happen.’”
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Alstom delivers its first 3rd generation Duplex TGV train set to SNCF

Engineerblogger
June 6, 2011

Alstom has delivered the first set of third-generation Duplex TGV trains to the French National Railway Corporation (SNCF).

These are interoperable, very high speed trains capable of travelling on all European rail networks.

SNCF had previously ordered 55 train sets from Alstom in June 2007 to operate on the new Rhine-Rhone high-speed line, which is scheduled to open in December 2011.

The trains will be able to travel up to a speed of 320km per hour on networks in France, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

The new-generation double-decker trains are designed to meet the latest requirements in terms of interoperability, comfort, operation and total cost of ownership.

The entire fleet of trains are scheduled to be delivered by 2014.