Bladeless Wind Turbines - இறக்கை இல்லாத காற்றாலை மின்சாரம்

As governments all over the globe continue inching toward renewable energy sources, there continue to be a few sticking points. One company out of Minnesota claims to have a new wind power generation technology that can alleviate most of the world’s concerns. SheerWind says its Invelox system can operate in a wider variety of conditions and is up to 600% more efficient than traditional wind turbines.
Those large wind turbines you’re used to see dotting the skyline in rural areas rely on fairly swift winds to function. Invelox can generate power from winds as gentle as 1-2 MPH. It does this by capturing passing breezes in large scoops at the top of its 40-50 foot tower. The wind is funneled down toward the ground through an increasingly narrow space. When the air is compressed, it speeds up and is used to power a small turbine generator.

The claim that Invelox is six-times more efficient than a turbine is more than a little shocking, so SheerWind is trying to prove its case, but it’s currently doing so with internal testing (so keep that in mind). The company tested its turbine both with and without the Invelox cowling. When it compared the values over time, that works out to energy production improvements anywhere from 81-660%. The average was 314%, but it should be noted this is actually the advantage SheerWind’s turbine gets from being inside the Invelox system. It’s not quite a comparison with “real” wind power turbines.
Fuzzy math aside, the company says it has been able to produce wind power at a cost of $750 per kilowatt, including installation. This brings it in-line with the final cost of energy from natural gas and hydropower. The energy industry is all about value, so if the Invelox technology is legit, it’s going to be huge. Invelox takes up much less space than traditional windmills, and it poses little to no risk to birds or curious children.
Invelox is the product of SheerWind, a company from Minnesota which claims that their new wind power generation technology is a serious contender as a source of renewable energy. Because of its intelligent design, it is capable of functioning in a wide variety of conditions unlike its predecessors which require high velocity winds to generate energy. Invelox can function on a humble 2-4 KPH of wind. The 50 feet tower captures gentle breezes in large scoops and funnels it down towards the ground through a narrowing tunnel. As the air gets increasingly compressed, it gains speed and that is eventually used to power a small turbine generator.

The funnel-based turbine claims a 600% increase in efficiency over traditional wind turbines. Hard to believe as it might be, SheerWind is determined on proving its superiority. The internal testing results show improvements anywhere from 81-660% with an average of 314%. Though it must be noted that SheerWind's turbine resides inside the Invelox system, which might make the comparison to the forerunners a tad unfair. The cost of wind generation is Rs 37,000 per kilowatt, including installation and they take up less space than traditional windmills. Voila! Can't speak for the cities, but this will sure be a boon for rural areas.

 காற்றாலை மின்சாரம் ஒரு மாற்றூ மின்சாரமாக இருந்தாலும் அதில் உள்ள பிரச்சினை காற்றூ நன்றாக அடித்தால் தான் அதில் மின்சாரம் தயாரிக்க முடியும் என்ற எழுதப்படாத விதி இருப்பதால் ஒரு வருடத்தில் 4 மாதம் மட்டுமே இது இயங்குகிறது இந்தியா போன்ற நாடுகளில். ஏன் என்றால் அதி வேக காற்றூ இல்லாத நேரத்தில் இந்த கனமான பெரிய இறக்கைகள் அசையாது அதற்க்கு தேவை நல்ல வேகமான அழுத்தமான காற்றூ. இந்தியாவில் அது பருவ நேரங்களில் மற்றூமே கிடைக்கும். அமெரிக்காவின் ஷியர்வின்ட் என்னும் கம்பெனி புதிய காற்றாலை மின்சார வடிவங்களை அமைத்துள்ளனர். இதில் முதல் இறக்கைகள் கிடையாது. இரண்டாவது வெறூம் 1-4 கிலோமீட்டர் காற்றான மெல்லிய தென்றலே இதற்க்கு போதுமானது.

மேலே படத்தில் இருக்கும் மேல் தட்டி மெல்லிய காற்றை இழுத்து கீழ் நோக்கி கூம்பு போன்ற ஒரு ஃபனலில் செலுத்தும் போது மிக சிறிய அள்விலான காற்று கூட ஜெட் வேகத்தில் கீழ் நோக்கி வந்து கீழே இருக்கும் வின்ட் டர்பைன் ஜெனரேட்டரை இயங்க செய்யும் தினமும். இதற்க்கு வெறும் 37,000 ரூபாய் தான் 1000 வாட்ஸ் மின்சார தயாரிக்கும் டவருக்கான ஒரு முறை செலவாகும். இது விரைவில் வந்தால் ஒவ்வொரு விவாசயிக்கும், கிராமபுர மின்சாரத்திர்க்கும் கவலையே இருக்காது.

New silicon to boost solar panels

The University of New South Wales

The team found a way to correct deficiencies in silicon - by far the most expensive component used in the making of solar cells. This will mean efficient solar cells can be created that are cheaper but more efficient. Image: Gencho Petkov/Shutterstock Solar engineers from UNSW have developed an innovative method to dramatically improve the quality of low-grade silicon, promising to significantly improve electrical efficiency and reduce the cost of solar panels. The UNSW team has discovered a mechanism to control hydrogen atoms so they can better correct deficiencies in silicon – by far the most expensive component used in the making of solar cells. “This process will allow lower-quality silicon to outperform solar cells made from better-quality materials,” says Scientia Professor Stuart Wenham from the School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW. Standard commercial silicon cells currently have a maximum efficiency of around 19%. The new technique, patented by UNSW researchers earlier this year, is expected to produce efficiencies between 21% and 23%, says Wenham. “By using lower-quality silicon to achieve higher efficiencies, we can enable significant cost reductions,” he says. The solar industry has long been focused on bringing down the cost of silicon. However, cheaper silicon also means lower-quality silicon, with more defects and contaminants that reduce efficiency. It’s been known for several decades that hydrogen atoms can be introduced into the atomic structure of silicon to help correct these defects, but until now, researchers have had limited success in controlling the hydrogen to maximise its benefits or even understanding why this happens. “Our research team at UNSW has worked out how to control the charge state of hydrogen atoms in silicon – something that other people haven’t previously been able to do,” says Wenham. Hydrogen atoms can exist in three ‘charge’ states – positive, neutral and negative. The charge state determines how well the hydrogen can move around the silicon and its reactivity, which is important to help correct the defects. “We have seen a 10,000 times improvement in the mobility of the hydrogen and we can control the hydrogen so it chemically bonds to things like defects and contaminants, making these inactive,” says Wenham. The UNSW team currently has eight industry partners interested in commercialising the technology, and is also working with manufacturing equipment companies to implement the new capabilities. The project, which has been generously supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, is expected to be completed in 2016. UNSW still holds the world-record for silicon cell efficiency at 25%, and last week, Scientia Professor and solar pioneer Martin Green, was elected into the Fellowship of the United Kingdom’s prestigious Royal Society. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

Recovering phosphorus from wastewater

If phosphorus is not removed during wastewater treatment, it can lead to algal blooms in waterways. A CSIRO team has developed a new technique for recovering phosphorus from wastewater. Phosphorus is a precious element, with all life depending on it. It is an essential nutrient for plant growth and an important constituent of fertiliser used in agriculture. Phosphorus is often removed during wastewater treatment because it can lead to algal blooms in waterways. It is traditionally removed from wastewater streams using chemical or biological processes before the water is discharged to the environment. Wastewater streams typically contain low concentrations of phosphorus, making direct recovery of phosphorus both technically and economically challenging. However, a team from CSIRO has developed a technique that can recover phosphorus from these low concentrations to provide a valuable resource. The conventional biological treatment process known as enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) removes phosphorus from wastewater by selectively enriching a group of bacteria known as polyphosphate accumulating organisms. CSIRO’s novel approach, termed enhanced biological phosphorus removal and recovery (EBPR-r), exploits this unique characteristic of the organisms to ‘carry’ the phosphorus from the diluted wastewater stream over to a concentrated recovery stream. The phosphorus concentration in the recovery stream was approximately four times that of the concentration in the original wastewater. The result was a phosphorus concentration in the recovery stream that was approximately four times that of the phosphorus concentration in the original wastewater. The novel approach has applications for wastewater treatment utilities and fertiliser producers alike. Further research is underway to increase the phosphorus concentration in the recovery stream. This research is being delivered through the Urban Water Technologies Stream of CSIRO’s Water for a Healthy Country Flagship. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.