Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category
August 10th, 2010 | 
Author: A lot of discussions are being held in the field of availability of energy which can be procured from the air ” free” of cost.This can be done by using the appropriate technology. Research and development is on in full swing in this context, to see, whether this energy is really present, where is it available, how much will it cost to exploit the atmosphere in order to get this energy, and how long will it last?
One may think that this ” free energy device” is some sort of gadget that may be used to amass and send out energy from a resource that is not accepted by conventional science, or a gadget that amasses energy without having to pay anything for it.Some may even think it is like the legendary perpetual motion machine which once it starts driving never stops- something that is undoubtedly not possible.
Anyway it is possible to discover new ways and means to exploit different energies ” floating” free of cost from the atmosphere.Constant endeavor in the research and development field have made the impossible become possible,as seen in the discovery of getting energy from an atom done after 1940. In the 20th century, we saw The Wright Brothers made the impossible feat of flying human beings possible.
It is said that ” free” energy is available in large quantities and can be procured from the Zero Point Field. This is a state of matter that is quantum mechanical and for a specific system which is achieved when the system is at bottom most state of existence it can possibly be in. It can also be called the” ground State” of the system.
In the year 1913 Otto Stern and Albert Einstein declared that Zero Point Energy (ZPE) also known as ” residual” energy, could also be used as an alternative form of energy.In quantum mechanics it is also called” vacuum energy” and is said to symbolize the energy of absolutely emptied space. According to one of the main researchers of Hal Puthof this energy field has been compared to the froth which is present at the bottom of a waterfall.
Puthof also says that this ” zero point” energy would still remain as is it is even if the whole universe would be cooled down to absolute zero where all thermal agitation effects could be frozen out.There is a lot of research on quantum physics being done by practicing physicists but the inferences of this is still not known by them.
Me, along with a group of physicists and colleagues have been working in research labs and universities to see if it is possible to excavate or ” mine” this store-house of energy and use it as alternative energy source. We are also looking into to see if this energy field could be the reason behind inertia and gravity.
Knowing this will be of great importance as it will tell us if this energy can be controlled along with inertia and gravity leading to some major engineering solutions.After all these studies some developments have been seen in the subcategory of cavity quantum electrodynamics. This has been seen in relation to controlling of the emission speed of highly activated atoms and molecules, mainly studied in laser research and in other places.
One of the Earth’s great renewable energy sources is actually the energy that can be found in all the waves of the ocean. Let’s look at this further.
If you have ever been to the ocean, you were probably fascinated by the phenomena of the waves crashing against the shorelines as the tides came in. The ocean’s tides are the product of gravitational pull of the sun and the moon, as well as, the Earth’s rotation. It causes the ocean waters to be raised and lowered from time to time. The tides have cycles of twelve and one half hours, twice per day, and are easily predictable.
The use of tidal power is seen as early as the twelfth century where tidal mills used the force of the tides to grind grain and corn. The eighteenth century brought competition from windmills and waterwheels. Tidal mills pretty much became extinct with the invention of cheap steam engines. In 1967, France became the first to be able to put tidal wave power to work on a large scale to produce electricity.
The generation of electricity from tidal waves is similar to that of hydroelectric power generation. Bigger dams, known as barrages, are built on the bottom of a tidal basin. Gates on the barrage allow the tidal basin to fill during incoming high tides. Likewise, the basin will empty through a turbine during the outgoing tide. This would turn an electric generator for the production of electricity. There are also systems that generate electricity from incoming and outgoing tides. This system can have a negative effect on plants and animals in the area.
Tidal fences are also used to generate electricity. Vertical axis turbines are mounted on fences. Passing water is forced through the turbines. Ideal locations for these are channels between two landmasses. Tidal fences are cheaper than tidal barrages and cause less of an environmental impact on large marine life.
Tidal turbines are a new technology used for tidal energy. They are similar to wind turbines and are arranged underwater in rows. They work best in areas with strong tides. Although they are heavier and costlier to build, they also are capable of capturing more energy. They are also the least environmentally damaging of all the tidal power technologies, since they do not interfere with migration paths.
In order for tidal power to work successfully it requires a tide difference of at least sixteen feet. Unfortunately there are only a few places where this occurs. This means tidal power plants cannot just be constructed anywhere. There are only a handful of sites on Earth with this type of tidal range. At present, France is the only country that has been successful in using tidal power. It is hoped developments in technology, through research, will be made to allow better use of this, what is now, wasted energy. The future of tidal energy seems hopeful. Tidal power has great potential and hopefully we can make better use of it in the future in our quest to find a replacement for fossil fuels.
STRATTON, Maine – A national environmental group says three of its members who blocked the entrance to a western Maine wind power construction site have been arrested.
Maine Earth First spokeswoman Emily Posner says one woman who was arrested attached herself to a truck hauling a windmill blade. The two others arrested were among about 50 people who blocked the road to TransCanada’s Kibby Mountain construction site Tuesday morning.
TransCanada spokeswoman LeAnne LeBlanc says work continues at the site.
TransCanada is building 22 wind turbines on mountains near where it where it’s already built 22 turbines that are producing power. Maine Earth First says projects like TransCanada’s destroy mountaintops and don’t offset fossil fuel use.
BUENOS AIRES (AFP) –
Marcelo Iriarte has the measured voice, confident stride, even the suit and tie, of a lawyer, but every day he dons the fluorescent yellow garb of a street sweeper.
” I had a double life. I left one world to enter another,” explained 41-year-old Iriarte, whose astonishing story bridges the massive gulf between Argentina's urban elite and poor.
” I had to learn another way of speaking, and when to be quiet so as not to offend,” the suave law school graduate with a deep tan told AFP.
Iriarte is something of a media sensation in Buenos Aires after his charming story was dug up and splashed about on the front pages of the newspapers and on the television screens.
In a country of immigrants and widespread poverty, the tale of the ” street sweeper turned lawyer” has great resonance.
The son of a poor Argentinian family, Iriarte began working on the streets at the age of eight, selling newspapers, sweets, brooms and other knick-knacks on buses.
He recalled bitterly how one day, after failing to sell a single broom on the buses, he decided to go door-to-door to every business on the street. ” They bought them out of pity,” he said.
Iriarte became a bus driver about 10 years later and it was thanks to that job and a chance encounter that he ended up resuming his studies.
” In that building worked a girl who changed my life,” he said, pointing to the ruined factory where Laura, a mystery passenger he regards as his fairy godmother, sprung from. ” I never saw her again,” he added.
Following Laura's advice, Iriarte re-enrolled back in high school at the age of 35 and swept streets during the day to fund his legal studies.
Rising every day at 4 am to make it to a 7 am class, he wouldn't get home before midnight due to gruelling night courses.
” Mine was an ant's progress and I lost a bunch of things along the way,” Iriarte confessed, without elaborating on what he had lost.
As he spoke, a woman selling coffee from a cart yelled out: ” Look how good you look! ” We are proud of you!”
Beatriz Rolon, 54, the coffee-seller, offered Iriarte a cup of coffee, as she had when he did his homework seated next to her little cart. ” You deserve it after so many sacrifices,” she said.
After graduating in December, job offers piled in from a host of law firms, but Iriarte is worried that legal companies may not offer the same long-term security as Cliba, the Buenos Aires cleaning company where he still works.
And anyway, Iriarte explained, material wealth does not interest him, except as a means to improve himself. ” Before, I was mute. Studying gives you freedom to think,” he said.
Returning to the imposing university from which he graduated several months ago, he sprinted up the stairs and pointed to a wall where he saw his name inscribed for the first time.
” You were in the newspapers, I saw you on TV. You're famous!,” exclaimed his bearded, blue-jeaned law professor, Adrian Carta.
” He never needed our help,” said his classmate Elizabeth Villanueva, 39. ” To the contrary, we needed his.”
Iriarte's boss back at Cliba, Miguel Noell, said he hoped the street sweeper would take advantage of the opportunity to have a legal career.
” All of a sudden a whole new panorama opens up and it is scary. But we don't want to see him over here any more,” Noell said.
Posted in Renewable Energy | 
Tags: Argentine's, double, grad:, law, life, street, sweeper | 
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TEHRAN (AFP) –
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said on Tuesday that Tehran could resume talks from September 1 with world powers over its atomic programme if its conditions were met.
Iran's state news agency IRNA said that Jalili in a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that Tehran needs three questions answered by world powers before it can consider resuming talks.
On June 28, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared a two-month freeze on talks with world powers over Iran's controversial nuclear programme, saying it was a ” penalty” after the UN levied fresh sanctions on Tehran.
Across the world energy is being used at an alarmingly higher rate. This is due to rapid industrialization and increased awareness in the consumers. However, all this is taking toll on the fossil fuel reserves as they are depleting fast and their usage becomes expensive. Due to the depletion of non-renewable sources from the earth, people are exploring more ways to employ natural and renewable energy sources. Let us take a close look at the advantages and disadvantages of green energy.
The biggest advantage is that the renewable energy sources are unlimited and they can be used for millions of years. On the other hand the non-renewable sources are limited as they are contained in a reserved quantity below earth’s surface.
There are certain countries which are employing renewable sources to generate electricity. This has brought development and employment has increased. Apart from the economic benefit is great. There can be a boost in the tourism industry if the area which is benefitting from the green energy is continuously getting supplied by electricity.
As natural energy relies on weather condition, it is difficult to predict how much will be generated on a given day. But you can always store the excess energy in the batteries when the weather is favourable, so that you use it when the weather is not suitable.
Did you know that wind power is one of the oldest energy sources? Its conversion was used to propel the boats in ancient times. Presently wind is used mostly to generate electricity and is one of the most potent renewable energy sources. Wind energy will never pollute the environment and will not have any impact on the climatic changes. To add to this, 1 MW wind turbine will save approximately 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. The wind energy is available abundantly and it is 5 times more than the world’s energy consumption.
Yet another advantage of wind and solar energy is that almost anyone can make equipment that will generate electricity using these sources. You can make enough energy to meet the demand of your home. It doesn’t require having a genius mind to make a wind turbine or a solar panel. There is a lot of information provided on the web to guide you to make your own facility. If you have your own wind turbine, you won’t have to worry about the power cuts. The wind power sector and solar power sector are becoming extremely cost effective with numerous researches being done so as to cut the installation cost and enhance the efficiency of the facility.
There are several countries which have wind power farms or solar power farms. They not only generate good amount of electricity, but they are off the grid. As a matter of fact some of them are supplying electricity to their local grids.
You can construct your own wind turbine or a solar panel in less than $200. There are many guides which can help you easily.
With the continuous energy consumption, the increasing scarcity of resources, the greenhouse effect on human beings become increasingly significant hazards, air pollution on the Earth’s environment more and more serious, saving energy and reducing consumption requirements of the international community is increasing, today’s energy conservation become the most important task. As early as 1996, China officially launched on the green lighting project, the lighting project to save resources, prevent pollution, and our future generations. Over the years, through the joint efforts of all various departments, as a fourth-generation semiconductor light source (LED) lighting products has been rapid development in the energy saving achievements. Chinese road lighting outdoor lighting accounts for a whole 30% of electricity consumption, and it is closely related to production and life. LED street lighting as an important outdoor applications, its advantages:
1. high-power long-life LED street lamp
Members of the focus of great concern, as many domestic and foreign experts and the company’s products described in publicity pictures 5-10 million hours, and optimistic attitude, a matter of fact, high-power LED street lamp life depends on the following points: 1) LED light source chip quality, value-ray attenuation. 2) LED packaging technology, Consistency and reliability. 3) LED light source is a cold light, but the LED semiconductor itself will have heat. LED heat dissipation, LED to ensure good working conditions. (4) power supply, current-driven assure the quality.
2. energy efficient
Lighting is a systems engineering project, whether it is prescribed as the lighting or lighting the atmosphere are converted into electrical energy through light, through the projection lamp to be a partial head-to-head to achieve a certain degree of illumination, uniformity, color, and more than being head-to-head Local synthesis of a complete lighting projects, not simply to compare the use of power, but through an integrated, comprehensive analysis for comparison.
3. the differentiation between conventional lighting and LED lighting
Conventional street lighting is composed by the light shell, light source cavity and electrical room. Because there is sufficient space and the shell activated carbon and foam silicone rubber heat sealing installation to ensure that the working conditions of the source. The light source cavity protection grade IP65, protection rating electrical room IP45. As long as conventional lamps lighting conditions to ensure this protection, you can make any shape, Since the LED street lamp and the semiconductor launched the market, long-life light source, with easy superiority of a reasonable distribution of light, temperature variability, high color-rendering index of the edge, low-voltage, current power supply of the light source with a highly efficient energy-saving trends. Used for LED street lamps have natural advantages, its advantage lies in: 1) LED as a point light source, if the design is reasonable, to a large extent directly address the traditional spherical light-emitting light source has to rely on to solve the second take-ray and optical loss issues; 2.) Light irradiation uniformity surface controlled, in theory, can be done entirely in the target area evenly, which light source to avoid the traditional ” bright light” phenomenon of light waste; 3) Color temperature optional, so the application of different occasions, but also improve efficiency, reduce costs an important way; 4) Technology is still considerable room for improvement.
4. LED streetlights with the rationality of the optical light
LED lights with different traditions, it has a point light source, high brightness, narrow-beam output and so on. LED street lamps so the first thing to consider the limited use of the full flux of radiation to the effective range, street lamps lighting the road asking for is the effect of the open space beyond the surface rather than the effective range of street lighting. Therefore, effective control of the distribution of light, so that LED light into a long strip along the surface with the direction of light spread, glare at the same time take into account the emergence of a new type of LED lighting design of the increasing demands made on staff.
5. the technical performance comparison for current LED streetlight
6. calculating the energy-saving targets (based on 12 hours per day): Energy savings per year = 365 * 12 * (0.5-0.16) = 1489.2 Electricity savings per year = 1489.2 * 0.8 = 1191.36 yuan After transformation of LED lamps, each lamp to save electricity 1191.36 yuan per year. If the entire road use LED street lamps, so the country will save a lot of power, by economic, a lot of money saved.
For more LED lighting, please visit: www.ledke.com
The proton, one of the most well-known and basic building
blocks of matter, turns out to be holding on to a few secrets. A new
measurement found that the radius of the proton is about 4 percent smaller than
previously thought.
Protons are positively charged elementary particles.
Together with neutrons and electrons, they make up the atoms
that build our universe.
Scientists discovered the surprising anomaly by shooting
laser beams at an exotic version of a hydrogen atom, which most often consists
of one proton and one electron. The new measurement has improved the accuracy of
the known proton
radius by a factor of ten, the researchers said.
The finding means that either the theory governing how light
and matter interact (called quantum electrodynamics, or QED) must be revised,
or that a constant used in many fundamental calculations is wrong, the
researchers said.
The scientists detailed their discovery in the July 8 issue
of the journal Nature.
” The authors' measurement uses a novel method that is
more sensitive than any of the earlier methods,” wrote Jeff Flowers of the
U.K.'s National Physical Laboratory in an accompanying essay in the same issue
of Nature. ” But it gives a result that is significantly discrepant from
that obtained by the next most accurate method, throwing doubt on the QED
calculations that underlie both methods.”
Flowers was not involved in the new measurement.
Exotic hydrogen
In the experiment, the researchers used a special version of
hydrogen that contains one proton and one muon – an exotic
cousin of the electron that weighs about 200 times more than an electron.
The muon, just like an electron, is a point-like particle that orbits around
the more extended proton.
” Think of the proton as a fuzzy cloud of charge,”
described the lead researcher, Randolf Pohl of Germany's Max-Planck Institute
of Quantum Optics. ” It's not a hard surface, not a ball.”
In fact, the muon can even pass straight through the proton,
which contains lots of open space between its constituent building blocks -
three particles called quarks.
The muon can exist in different energy states that affect
the way it orbits the proton. The size of the proton affects these states and
how much energy is required to knock a muon out of one and into another.
And these effects are amplified by the larger mass of the
muon compared to an electron, allowing the researchers a chance to peer into
the orbital mechanics of the atom.
Blasting with lasers
To home in on the size of the proton, the scientists finely
tuned a laser
beam to blast their hydrogen atoms with very specific amounts of energy,
hoping to stimulate the muons to jump from one energy state to another.
For a long time, they observed no effect in the range they
expected, and assumed their laser was faulty. Finally the researchers tried an
energy range completely removed from the expected region, and found exactly the
transition they were looking for.
” When it wasn't in the reasonable region, we extended
our search region to the unreasonable, and then we had this indication of a
signal,” Pohl told LiveScience. ” We were really stunned.”
If the new value is confirmed, it could mean some rewriting
of basic
physics is in order.
Perhaps the value of the so-called Rydberg constant, which
is used to calculate the proton's size, is off. If that is the case, other
fundamental calculations will need revising, too.
Or, perhaps the entire theory describing this and other
particles – quantum electrodynamics – is misunderstood.
” If experimental discrepancies are confirmed rather
than errors being found, high-accuracy work such as that by Pohl and
colleagues, not the high-energy collisions of giant accelerators, may have seen
beyond the standard model of particle physics,” Flowers wrote.
Twisted Physics: 7 Recent Mind-Blowing
Findings
Album -
Behind the Scenes at the Largest U.S. Atom Smasher
Quest
Aims to Create Bigger Atoms and New Kinds of Matter
Original Story: Proton is Smaller Than Thought, New Measurement Finds
LiveScience.com chronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology. We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short, provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzes and Top 10s. Join our community to debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climate change and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters, register for RSS feeds and get cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.
(Photo: Rick Stemmler /
Getty Images)
SYDNEY (AFP) –
A boat made from 12,500 plastic bottles will leave New Caledonia for Sydney this week on the final leg of a voyage across the Pacific to raise environmental awareness, organisers said Tuesday.
The ” Plastiki” , inspired by the 1947 Kon-Tiki raft expedition, has already sailed 6,944 nautical miles (12,860 kilometres) in 108 days from San Francisco to the French Pacific territory, via the Line Islands and Western Samoa.
The voyage, to highlight the dangers of plastic pollution, over-fishing and climate change to the world's oceans, is expected to start its last and most challenging leg on Wednesday after arriving in New Caledonia last week.
” It looks like tomorrow they will be leaving,” a spokeswoman told AFP.
” They just watch the weather patterns basically, and plan their journey around the weather patterns so that's why they're leaving tomorrow, good sailing conditions (are forecast).”
British adventurer and ecologist David de Rothschild, the youngest heir to Britain's Rothschild family banking fortune, dreamed up the idea of a fully recyclable performing vessel after reading a UN report on ocean ecosystems.
He said it was partly inspired by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl's trans-Pacific Kon-Tiki expedition from South America to Polynesia on a raft made from carved-out balsa husks.
The Plastiki's bottles are packed together in a ” pomegranate-like” structure and fixed to pontoons, giving the catamaran 68 percent of its buoyancy, and it uses fully renewable energy sources including solar, wind and sea turbines.
It is held together with a fully recyclable plastic called Seretex and an organic glue made from cashew nut husks and sugarcane, while its sails are also made from recycled plastic.
The Plastiki has already stopped in the Line Islands and Western Samoa and its final stretch to Sydney, estimated to take about 10 days, will be its most challenging, the spokeswoman said.
” The Plastiki crew hope to inspire the world to reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink and ultimately refuse our use of wasteful disposable plastics such as bags, styrene foam and bottles,” she said.
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