News Archive - Page 8 of 13

The rise of ‘green skyscrapers’

sbondadmin December 24, 2012

With each passing day, strides are being made in alternative energy technologies that paint a bright picture of what the future holds for our planet. Sustainable power sources are highly sought after as replacements for coal and fossil fuels that we currently burn en masse to the detriment of the environment.

As these technologies develop, we are seeing more and more individual projects making use of innovative green approaches to construction and energy efficiency. Take , for example, the new PNC Bank global headquarters expected to be built in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This "green skyscraper" is being designed to take advantage of a series of alternative energy technologies that will not only be better for the surrounding environment, but also provide a more pleasant workplace for company employees.

"The building 'breathes' with a double-skin facade: a natural ventilation system that has a glass outer weather and air barrier and an inner layer with automated air vents, a wood curtain wall, and manually operated sliding doors," writes Ariel Schwartz, a senior editor at Co.Exist. "A series of automatic sensors on both layers open up the building for air when the weather is nice."

Add to this a "solar chimney," which pulls warm air and exhaust up through the center of the building as the double skin draws fresh air in, and this will be a bastion of energy efficiency. Not to mention, there will also be a series of photovoltaic solar cells on top of that chimney.

As Schwartz explains, 91 percent of the building will be lit by daylight, drastically reducing energy consumption from lamps and overhead lighting systems. She also describes her favorite part of the design – glass-walled "outdoor-spaces." These areas, located every five stories, will reflect the season outside. Imagine being indoors but feeling like you're sitting outside in a garden on a beautiful summer day while you eat lunch or collaborate with a colleague.

Thanks to state-of-the-art solar module soldering techniques and other leading alternative power solutions, city skylines may soon be populated with energy-efficient skyscrapers like this one.

DARPA’s ‘robotic mule’ continues to make strides

sbondadmin December 21, 2012

In October, we took a look at an innovative endeavor from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In conjunction with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL) and Boston Dynamics, DARPA is developing a "robotic mule" to assist military personnel in the field.

Known as the Legged Squad Support System, or LS3, it can carry up to 400 pounds of equipment across treacherous terrain at roughly 20 miles per hour. A series of state-of-the-art sensors allow the mule to map out the surrounding area and navigate various obstacles.

For the last two weeks, DARPA and MCWL researchers has been putting it through the paces in the woods of central Virginia to show the progress being made on the project. A video posted online highlights some impressive feats on the part of the mule, including its ability to recognize and respond to voice commands, step over felled trees and follow a human leader throughout a simulated urban environment with narrow passageways.

At one point in the woods, the mule fell down a hill into a muddy ditch and righted itself with no assistance from a human being, then continued on its journey.

"This was the first time DARPA and MCWL were able to get LS3 out on the testing grounds together to simulate military-relevant training conditions," said Lt. Col. Joseph Hitt, DARPA program manager, in a press statement. "The robot's performance in the field expanded on our expectations, demonstrating, for example, how voice commands and 'follow the leader' capability would enhance the robot's ability to interact with warfighters. We were able to put the robot through difficult natural terrain and test its ability to right itself with minimal interaction from humans."

DARPA officials said they even expect U.S. warfighters to be able to use the mule for charging batteries in radios and other handheld devices in the field.

Advanced methods of bonding dissimilar metals will help researchers continue to make improvements in the LS3 program, building future mules that can handle increasingly difficult situations.

Green taxis help save the environment

sbondadmin December 19, 2012

As evidenced by previous posts in this blog, it is impossible to stress the importance of alternative energy technologies enough. Solar and wind power have come a long way in the last decade, and as we continue to develop innovative ways of making these power sources more efficient and affordable, they will play an increasingly significant role in the preservation of our global environment.

Battery and energy storage technologies are perhaps equally important in the struggle to curb climate change and pollution. With the world's population climbing at the fastest rate in history, there are more and more automobiles hitting the streets every day.

Consider major metropolitan areas like New York, Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C. The vehicle traffic alone in these cities accounts for staggering amounts of greenhouse emissions. And, it's not just individual car owners contributing to this. Think of the thousands upon thousands of taxis transporting people to and from points all throughout these cities.

Thankfully, several cities are beginning to recognize the benefits of a green cab fleet. As a recent article in The Atlantic Cities points out, a fleet of all-electric taxis is awaiting what many feel is an inevitable approval from the county government to launch next year in Arlington, Virginia.

The city of Chicago started its own green taxi program last year, and across the pond in London they have been embracing hybrid taxis since 2004, the news source reports. In fact, this past summer, the city tested out five zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell cabs that can travel up to 250 miles before needing to be recharged.

Through state-of-the-art bonding of battery terminals and energy storage technologies, the harmful emissions in these metropolitan meccas can be drastically reduced, while air quality improves by leaps and bounds.

Manufacturing industry awaits fiscal cliff resolution

sbondadmin December 18, 2012

Manufacturing in the New York region, including the northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut areas, declined for a fifth straight month in December, according to a recent Bloomberg article. While there exists a healthy optimism about the future of manufacturing in that region over the next six months due to increased consumer spending, the future seems to hinge on the resolution of the fiscal cliff controversy in Washington, D.C.

"The biggest challenge for manufacturing is lack of confidence due to uncertainty in fiscal policy," Tom Simons, an economist at Jefferies Group Inc. in New York, told the news source. "That is slowing down activity. There are reasons for manufacturing to come back but it's going to be a couple of months before we start to see the acceleration."

More than $600 billion in tax increases and budget cuts are set to go into effect in 2013 if lawmakers cannot reach a resolution. The outcome of the ongoing negotiations between Democrats and Republicans on the Hill will directly impact manufacturing, not just in the Tri-State area, but throughout the U.S. and international markets as well.

While a resolution to the fiscal cliff debate that avoids such tax increases and budget cuts would clearly be favorable to the industry, manufacturers must be prepared for the future regardless of what happens in Washington. Innovative technologies that improve process efficiency, lead to higher-quality products and lower manufacturing costs are essential for these markets to flourish.

Take consumer electronics for example. Aluminum has become a popular material used to create lightweight and portable devices. As such, advanced techniques for soldering aluminum have become highly sought-after. And with sapphire-protected camera lenses on smartphones catching on, manufacturers will benefit greatly from cutting-edge sapphire bonding processes.

One way or another, manufacturers will have to find creative ways to build products no matter what economic situation the country finds itself in.

West Virginia pipeline explosion raises controversy over automatic shut-off valves

sbondadmin December 17, 2012

A pipeline explosion destroyed four homes and transformed an 800-foot stretch of Interstate 77 in West Virginia into a blazing inferno last week. It took Columbia Gas Transmission workers roughly an hour to turn off the gas by manual shut-off valves, prompting federal investigators to launch an investigation.

According to the Ithaca Journal, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended the use of automatic or remote valves that can turn off the gas promptly in the event of an explosion, allowing emergency responders quicker access to the scene.

The automatic valves use a series of sensors that gauge changes in pressure, temperature and more, and then the line can be remotely shut down if needed. The pushback regarding this technology has been the cost, though advocates say the cost of not doing so is far greater.

"Safety costs money, and it can either cost money up front, or it can cost innocent lives and untold tragedy to others who are in the proximity of these pipelines when they explode," Jim Hall, chairman of the NTSB from 1994 to January 2001, told the news source. “The price is set. It's just do we pay it [upfront] now or pay it later?"

Thanks to innovative methods of joining dissimilar metals and sensor housing assembly, these valves can be built and installed for far less than they used to cost. And, as many regulators have pointed out, the property and equipment damages alone that results from an explosion can total millions of dollars, not to mention the threat of injury or death and subsequent lawsuits.

Whatever the NTSB investigation uncovers, all can agree that better preparing ourselves for dealing with such incidents is in everyone's best interests.

Solar-powered plane to fly around the world

sbondadmin December 13, 2012

What if someone told you that by the year 2015 an airplane would be flown around the world without burning a single drop of fossil fuel? Instead, the craft will be powered completely by solar energy.

In 2009, Solar Impulse took to the skies for the first time. The following year, its pilot, Andre Borschberg, set an endurance record after flying the uniquely designed plane for 26 consecutive hours. All this was done, as a recent article in Popular Mechanics explains, thanks to solar power and state-of-the-art onboard batteries that stored the energy for use even after the sun had set.

The news source reports that Borschberg and his colleague, Bertrand Piccard, have set even loftier goals for Solar Impulse and its presently under-construction sequel, Solar Impulse 2. In May of 2013, Borschberg will pilot the aircraft in 20 to 30-hour stretches from the Bay Area in California across the nation, landing at a several points along the way to New York City with an ETA of late June.

In 2015, Solar Impulse 2, which is currently halfway through the construction process, will set out on a journey around the globe. Borschberg told Popular Mechanics that the real challenge lies in building a plane that weighs as much as a car but uses the same amount of energy as a scooter and can fly for up to five consecutive days at a time – not exactly something you would expect to circuit the Earth in.

"In the 21st century, explorers have the responsibility of bringing solutions to the big problems of humanity," Piccard added, saying that Solar Impulse is about showing that you don't need fossil fuels to fly.

We've talked about alternative energy technologies in many forms throughout this blog, but powering an airplane with solar energy is a first. In a project like this, the aircraft must be designed and constructed with precision or it and the pilot will be in grave danger. Since something like this is not typically done, innovative solar panel soldering techniques are critical for the project's success.

Drones used to prevent illegal poaching

sbondadmin December 12, 2012

The African continent is littered with the carcasses of elephants, rhinoceros and other species that poachers are slaughtering to the point of near-extinction. An August 2011 article in Vanity Fair estimated that the elephant population in Africa during the 1970s and 1980s was cut from 1.3 million to roughly 600,000. This time is commonly referred to as the "great elephanticide."

In recent years, it has been estimated that there are 36,500 elephants poached on the continent for their ivory tusks every year. As the article explains, the rapid growth of the middle class in China has placed a premium on ivory and and animal skins, and poachers are all too willing to accommodate the increasing demand.

Johnny Rodrigues, a conservationist in Zimbabwe, told the news source about a watering hole from which all manner of creature drink.

"Elephant, giraffe, zebras, sable, kudu, warthog, baboons, buffalo, even hyenas and jackals – all your different species came, and each took its turn to take a drink," he said. "It was like Noah's Ark. And after all had a drink they came back a second time, each in its turn. And you say to yourself, Why can't humans learn from that? We'd kill each other to get to the water."

Now, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is taking a technology commonly associated with targeted killings and trying to prevent villainous criminals from poaching these majestic animals into extinction.

With a recent infusion of $5 million from Google's Global Giving Awards, the WWF is using unmanned aerial vehicles, more commonly known today as drones, to monitor and report illegal poaching activities across both Africa and Asia. The idea, according to a recent article in The Atlantic, is to detect and deter this criminal activity. With too few resources and such wide expanses of land, drones can cover ground that conservation and animal rights groups simply cannot.

But, unlike the drones used in military applications, these ones are unarmed. Thanks to state-of-the-art metal joining methods, the unmanned vehicles are lightweight, maneuverable, durable, and possibly a last line of defense for these endangered animals.

Survey says semiconductor industry to rebound in 2013

sbondadmin December 11, 2012

Semiconductors are critical to the performance of mobile electronic devices. Without them, your smartphone wouldn't be quite as smart.

Despite the wave of recent product launches in the consumer electronics industry, the recession had a significant impact on the semiconductor market. However, analysts are now predicting an upturn in 2013.

Venturebeat cites a survey conducted by audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG, which shows that about 75 percent of industry executives expect revenue growth to increase next year. This is up from 63 percent in a similar KPMG survey from one year earlier. Furthermore, roughly 66 percent anticipate their workforces will grow, while that number was at 48 percent last year.

"Our survey findings bolster the belief that we will see the rebound beginning in 2013, with a gradual recovery picking up steam in the back half of next year," said Gary Matuszak, global chair of KPMG's Technology, Media and Telecommunications practice. "And unlike past recoveries, this one won't be driven by wireless handsets and wireless communications alone, as other applications are becoming increasingly important revenue drivers, such as power management given the proliferation of wireless devices."

KPMG officials also cite the proliferation of new automobiles equipped with mobile computing and communications technologies as a contributing factor to the resurgence of the semiconductor industry. And, with power management becoming a top priority, battery technologies are a growing focal point, as well.

In light of this recent study, it is obvious that cutting-edge techniques for the bonding of battery terminals and joining methods for metals will play integral roles in the revitalization of the semiconductor market. Additionally, this increase in demand bodes well for the industries that rely on these chips for their core products.

Space debris threatens satellites orbiting Earth

sbondadmin December 5, 2012

We often think of space as a vast expanse of mostly unexplored celestial bodies millions of miles away. It's hard to imagine that one could use the word "cluttered" to describe it. But, that's exactly what it is – at least when it comes to Earth's immediate orbit.

The first satellite launched into space was Russia's Sputnik in 1957. Since then, thousands of others have followed suit, though not all survived intact. According to a video feature for NASA Tech Briefs, there are currently about 700 known active satellites orbiting our planet.

Those vessels are constantly under the threat of impact by the remnants of satellites that are no longer functioning but never fell out of orbit and crashed back to Earth's surface.

As the video's narrator points out, an American satellite was struck by such an object in 2009, destroying the $55 million piece of equipment and creating thousands of new pieces of debris for others to contend with.

"Something has to be done about this problem," said Swiss Space Center Director Volker Gass. "Collisions between satellites and debris are bound to happen, and as one collision multiplies the [amount] of debris and can create up to 2,000 additional [pieces], there is going to be an avalanche effect and more and more satellites are going to be kicked out or destroyed in orbit."

As the threat of impact increases, insurance premiums climb. The average cost to insure an active satellite today is around $20 billion, the news source reports.

In response to this problem, scientists at the Swiss Space Center are developing a new series of satellites that can enter space, use a mechanical arm or other mechanism to retrieve debris and then return safely to Earth, thereby reducing the risk to current and future satellites. The project is called ClearSpace One.

This will likely be the first of many similar projects around the world and, for them to succeed, researchers will rely on innovative methods of joining dissimilar metals to build these devices in order to reduce manufacturing costs and improve stability.

Mars rover offers several reasons to be excited

sbondadmin December 4, 2012

The atmosphere of the 1960s and our goal to put a man on the moon inspired a generation of future scientists to tackle the great mysteries of the universe. Now, the Mars rover Curiosity has reinvigorated the country's passion for science and space exploration.

With Curiosity's launch in August, millions of people have been waiting to see what it uncovers and if the Red Planet may have once been home to organic matter. A few weeks ago, rumors of a "game-changing" discovery hit the Web. NASA put out a press release last week assuring the public that it had not found proof of life on Mars.

However, NASA did announce yesterday that, while analyzing Martian soil samples, Curiosity detected "water and sulfur and chlorine-containing substances." The agency cautioned the public that it still has to determine if these chemicals are indigenous to Mars or if they found their way there from Earth via the rover or materials that fell from space to the planet's surface.

There is still room for excitement, though. The first and most obvious reason is the fact that we may have found complex chemical compounds that could be indigenous to both Mars and Earth. The implications of such a definitive discovery would be huge. The second reason to be happy about this news is that it serves as a testament to the quality of scientific work being done here on Earth.

In previous blog posts, we have discussed the various technologies aboard Curiosity and their functions on the current mission. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite and the Chemical and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument have proven that they can successfully collect samples and conduct highly detailed analysis in an environment that humans have never been able to experience firsthand.

The worlds greatest minds have combined these technologies with the most advanced sensors and methods for joining metals and put Curiosity on the Martian surface in order to usher in a new era of scientific discovery. If that's not a reason to get excited, what is?

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