Almost a year ago, the National Ignition Facility (The "NIF") started down the path to create a sustained fusion reaction, a cold fusion reactor. Over 200 tons of laser glass distributed across 192 lasers are used in the core. The goal is to start a fusion chain reaction in hydrogen pellet fuel. The heat produced the fusion will boil water that turns turbines.

The issue so far is the amount of power the lasers consume. One test fire, which was for a fraction of a second, used more power than the whole of the United States (during that fraction). According to the BBC, NIF Director Ed Moses said that other fractional tests consumed more power than the entire world combined during that time period.

Another issue is the amount of hydrogen fuel the reaction will need. Approximately 10 pellets per second, or over a million a day. However, 1,300 pounds of fuel could provide as much electricity as 2 million metric tons of coal.

Moses said we all should see major developments at NIF over the next 10 years. See more informative videos in NIF's Youtube channel.

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(Artist concept of the reactor. via Galaxy Wire)

NASA and the DOE are set to create a new type of power system for use in future space exploration. The concept is a mini-fission reactor that is 1.5 feet wide and 2.5 feet high.  "[It is] about the size of a carry on suitcase," said project leader James E. Werner at the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Werner continued, "The biggest difference between solar and nuclear reactors is that nuclear reactors can produce power in any environment. Fission power technology doesn't rely on sunlight, making it able to produce large, steady amounts of power at night or in harsh environments like those found on the Moon or Mars. A fission power system on the Moon could generate 40 kilowatts or more of electric power, approximately the same amount of energy needed to power eight houses on Earth."

No exact word was said about how the actual device operated past saying it had a power conversion system. With a device that size, and lack of water in the destined locations, a steam turbine could not be used. From what I can gather, it will use some sort of thermal heat to electricity method. A Peltier junction, for example, could do exactly what they need.

Space exploration is not ended like NASA's shuttle program, it is just waiting for advancements like this mini-reactor to become reality.

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Rooftops globally are millions of acres of under tapped surface area prime for solar conversion. The structures are, in most cases, connected to the grid's of their respective countries, so energy distribution is built in. Many large companies are making the installation a standard for their sunniest stores. A certain new partnership seeks to make long roofing panels with integrated solar elements an option to traditional materials.

One of the world's top 10 steel manufacturers Tata Steel Corporation has partnered with a leading supplier of 3rd generation solar technology, Dyesol, in creating the world's largest dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC)thin-film panel. The module measures over 3 meters in length and is 1 square meter in overall photovoltaic surface area. The innovative manufacturing process allows the Tata/Dyesol collaboration to print the solar cells directly to the steel. This allows for the manufacture of large volumes of cost effective cells to be made to exactly fit the shape of the structure. Tata Steel Operations Manager states that they have already "successfully produced hundreds of meters of printed steel and polymer film" used in the prototypes.

Dye-sensitized cell construction is printed in the following layers. The top layer, anode, is made of tin dioxide (SnO2:F) deposited on the back of glass. Below this is a layer of iodide electrolyte, sometime platinum, and is sealed with the next layer to prevent leaking. The next, and final, is a conducting layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2), dipped in a photosensitive dye, ruthenium-polypyridine.

The possibility for an electron to re-enter the dye after absorption is quite slow compared to the transfer from the platinum layer to the electrolyte. This differential is favorable allowing the cell to work in low light and cloudy day conditions. Even though DSSC panels have a 5%-12% efficiency rating the ability to charge for longer periods of time may make the cells more productive than their silicon counterparts (silicon cells rate at 12%-15%).

Tata/Dyesol finished the 3 year joint project in this June, 2011. 20 more people are needed for the team while they prepare for the pre-industrialization phase of the project. Like not recycling, the ease of the Tata/Dyesol panels make it almost a crime not to use rooftop solar collection. Great job Tata and Dyesol.

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Picture via Tata/Dysol

A Canadian Wind Farm

I had asked this questions before, do wind farms effect the global environment? I now have the answer.

Alex Kleidon of the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemisty, Germany, theorizes that the overuse of wind/wave farms would have an impact as great as doubling the atmospheres concentration of CO2.

Kleidon states as we seek to replace the 17 Terawatts (TW), of the global 47 TW power consumption, of burning fossil fuels with renewable, we may end up depleting the amount of "Green Energy" the planet has to offer. It is a thermodynamic principal, as our wind farms generate electricity, it saps energy from the global system.

Energy from the sun hits the earth's atmosphere, and portions of it cause wind and ocean currents, evaporates water, moving condensation up into the atmosphere before it drops again. And the majority of the rest of the energy comes as heat, most of which is not harnessed. He says using wind/wave farms use a large portion of the sun's energy that reaches the earth.

Using models, Kleidon shows that the energy potential of wind power is reduced by a factor of 100 when wind farms are taken into account. He also shows that up to 70 TW of energy could be harvested from wind, but would destroy the natural global processes at the same time.

Although wind would not stop, his models have shown wind farms will effect turbulence, precipitation, and the amount of solar energy reaching the earth, over time. As Kleidon says, [as bad as] "doubling atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide."

What is a better option? More passive devices. A recent photosynthesis like breakthrough would not rob the world of kinetic energy at all. Plants have been doing it since the beginning.

Cabe

Read Alex Kleidon's abstract here.

A recent research project wants British soldiers to wear solar photovoltaic cells and a thermoelectric system to harness light or heat for 24/7 power. The goal is to lighten the packs soldiers carry by 50% and reduce the number of return trips to the base for recharging. An added benefit of the system is that after the various sources absorb all the energy across the electromagnetic spectrum, the soldiers will appear less obvious to infra-red surveillance equipment.

This project is a collaboration between the University of Glasgow and Strathclyde, Leeds, Reading, Loughborough, and Brunel Universities. Funding support is also coming from The Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Many different disciplines are at work on this project, including chemists, material science, process, electrical, and design engineers. As you can see, everyone is quite serious about this endeavor.

Solar PV will harness light in the day, and thermoelectric devices will take over the same task at night. "Advanced" storage schemes will be used to store excess energy while still providing continuous power. Side note; the thermal harvesters should run 100% of the time. Daytime heat and the active soldier will generate much more power than in the evening, but the team will discover this soon.

Professor Ducan Gregory of Glasgow said they are planning to have a prototype within 2 years. He hopes the technology will filter into other categories, like medical transportation, satellites, or other space applications.

Good luck, see you all in 2 years.

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Two years after the hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans, Louisiana, Brad Pitt toured the area and noticed most of the 4000 homes that were destroyed were not fixed, and the area abandoned. He promised the families he met there that he would "Make It Right." Like many, Pitt was let down by the lack of governmental help in the wake of the disaster. After meeting with local community groups and families Pitt established the "Make It Right Foundation," a non-profit organization set to build 150 green, affordable, high-quality homes that were closest to the levee breach, the lower 9th ward.

Bill Clinton and Brad Pitt at the ground breaking in 2008

Make It Right broke ground in 2008, and since then have completed 70 homes. 21 local, national, and international architects designed the new homes, and donated the plans to the project. The designs have many green attributes. The homes feature a 2.7 to 3.0 kilowatt solar PV system, low-VOC paints, carpets, and other finishes, and recycled materials are used throughout. Metal roofs are used to reduce heat gain, it is hot down there, and capture rain water. Some feature green roofs. All internal materials are certified by Forest Stewardship. The homes have tankless waterheaters, Energy Star Rated appliances and light fixtures. The windows and doors have "low-e" coatings, to help reduce heat flow into the home.

2 of the finished homes. They look amazing.

Other interesting features include kevlar reinforced windows, advanced framing and engineered wall sections, all to withstand up to 130mph hurricane winds. And all the homes are built 6 to 8 feet off the ground to help in case of another flood.

Brad Pitt and Microsoft's Bing have pledged, together, $10 million dollars in matching funds for the project. For more information and links to donate, go to the Make It Right webpage.

I just found out about this program, and I am definitely going to donate.

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I am conflicted. I want this to the future, and I also do not.

Ohio University's Geradine Botte, has demonstrated that "the most abundant waste on earth" can produce hydrogen with less than half the energy need with water. “During the electrochemical process the urea gets adsorbed on to the nickel electrod= surface, which passes the electrons needed to break up the molecule,” said Botte. The breakthrough comes in urine's constituent "urea." In which 4 loosely bonded hydrogen atoms are present per molecule. The required energy to break the molecule of Urea is 0.37V, while water needs 1.23V to split.

Botte wants to upscale the idea to be used in treating waste water. I wonder if Newcastle University included this sizeable volume of waste water in their calculations.

See more at the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Chemical Communications.

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image via RSC Publishing

Solar thermal has come to residential customers directly. SolarTron Energy Systems Inc,  a division of EG Energy Controls, in an attempt to enter the alternative energy industry with the "SolarBeam Solar Concentrator." This device is being marketed as a efficient way to heat water. In fact, it is 262% more efficient than hot water panels, and 98% more efficient than evacuated tube technology, according to SolarTron. The SolarBeam can provide 10kW/hour up to 13kW/hour (44,000 BTUs) of heat throughout a sunny day, and can even run air-conditioning using and absorption chiller. As of 2011, the SolarBeam will also produce 4kW/hour of electricity. The SolarBeam sits on top of a 12 foot pole, or on a flat roof. The system also tracks the sun to provide the most optimal performance. The systems account for seasonal changes, and can withstand the element, and 140km/hour winds.

If you do not mind the 1980's satellite dish look in your backyard, this is a great options for you. However, it will take up to 6 years for the device to pay for itself. After that, it is all profit.

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