July/August 2010
Editorial
In transit: :: The energy inefficiency of light rail
If you quizzed the general public about what modes of transportation were the most energy efficient, you'd likely get back an answer mentioning rail lines...
Features
EnergyStar or no, power supplies deliver
Though the Energy Star standard for power supplies is going dark, the broader issue of energy conservation continues to steer high-efficiency designs....
Sensors get a new role as energy scavengers
Sensor makers are warming up to the idea that their products can double as generators of electricity. Now they are starting to get creative....
Modeling wind-turbine gearboxes
Why do these efficient, highly-engineered mechanisms often fail sooner than expected...
Practical design considerations for piezoelectric and thermal energy harvesting
It's hard not to get excited about what's going on today in the energy harvesting field. Consider: New devices now coming to market can transform as little...
News
Composite material does double duty as auto body panel, battery
Heavy batteries are one of the downsides of hybrid and electric vehicles. In the Tesla roadster, for example, they account for a third of the car's weight....
Get ready for an ISO standard on energy efficiency
ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, is one step closer to finalizing its new energy management standard, ISO 50001. In July, the...
Plugless plug-in hybrids,thanks to induction charging
To make it easier to recharge the battery packs in hybrid and all-electric cars, engineers at Evatran LLC, Wytheville, Va., have developed a wireless...
Foundations of Environmental Physics — Understanding energy use and human impacts
Though this book has the word in its title, it is not your classic balls-on-springs, equation-heavy physics book. Chapters on subjects such as population...
Legislation
Greenhouse gas legislation: Job killer or job creator?
Legislation enacted in California often promulgates across the country in one form or another. With that in mind, consider the Golden State's biggest...
Invention of the month
Hybrid air conditioner cuts energy use by 50 to 90%
Engineers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colo., have combined evaporative cooling with desiccants or drying agents into a more efficient...
Energy figures of the month
On the Energy Front
Domestic wind power continues to grow Last year, the U.S. wind industry installed 10,010 MW of generating capacity, breaking U.S. installation records...
Energy myths
Burning saltwater for fuel?
Many people were amazed when they saw TV news footage of John Kanzius apply RF waves to a beaker of saltwater and then set it on fire. If they believed...
Ethanol is not the answer
Turning plants into fuel might sound good, but crunching the numbers makes it look kind of pathetic. According to energy journalist Robert Bryce in his...
Heating that morning cup of coffee
Some folks believe a microwave oven is the most efficient way to heat water for a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. They're wrong, at least according...
New products
Hybrid bearings for wind-turbine generators
XL hybrid bearings are designed specifically for wind-turbine generators...
Brushless 8-mm motor hits 70% efficiency
The new brushless 8-mm dc motor offers continuous current up to 0.95 mNm, speeds to 80,000 rpm, and a 70% efficiency rating...
Linear RMS power detector extends battery life
A new linear root-mean-square (RMS) radio frequency (RF) power detector from National Semiconductor Corp. offers extremely high precision with up to 40 dB dynamic range...
High-efficiency power adapters
The V-Infinity line of high-efficiency external power adapters includes 12 and 24-W wall adapters and a 12-W desktop adapter...
Battery-monitoring IC suits hybrid vehicles
Maxim Integrated Products introduces the MAX11068, a high voltage, 12 cell, battery-monitoring IC for hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and any system that stacks long series strings of batteries...
Advertisement
In This Issue
Advertisement
Videos
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and The SmartHome Project
Featured Suppliers
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
