A low-energy solution for drying clothes faster

Clothes dryers in the United States use about as much energy each year as the entire state of Massachusetts, according to an estimate from EnergyStar, which is part of the reason the Department of Energy is trying to develop more efficient home appliances.

Among those making significant progress is Ayyoub Momen, a staff scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

Like most Americans, he owns a dryer. But he says he hates using it. He knows it's an energy hog, and it takes so long to dry anything.

Then, one day, he was thinking about ultrasonic humidifiers — a kind of portable room humidifier that uses high-frequency vibrations to turn water into steam without getting hot. And Momen thought: What if I use the same technology on a piece of wet fabric?

“The result was so amazing. It was, like, mind blowing," he says. "In less than 14 seconds, I could dry a piece of fabric from completely being wet. If I wanted to do the same thing with heat, it’s taking somewhere between 20 to 40 minutes."

Momen’s current prototype looks nothing like a conventional dryer. It's basically a small circle of metal called a transducer that he plugs into a battery. He then douses a small piece of fabric in water and places it on top.

The fabric sizzles and steams, and in about 20 seconds, it's dry. Momen says it uses barely any energy.

"This dryer technology has the potential to save somewhere [around] 1 percent of the overall energy consumption of the United States," he says.

Venkat Venkatakrishnan, director of research and development at GE Appliances, calls the technology a "big breakthrough."

"It is not very far-fetched, not very difficult to do," he says. "But it is not an idea that everybody thinks of, because there is a lot of science that goes into it.”

Read more at: http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/low-energy-solution-drying-clothes-faster

Frost & Sullivan Study Finds UK as the Forerunner in Tidal Energy Solutions Development

The growing emphasis on renewable and carbon neutral energy generation has pushed tidal energy into the spotlight. Tidal energy being more reliable than wave energy has a few operational plants with substantial capacity across the globe. New, experimental concepts such as dynamic tidal power, which enable production even in low-tide regions, possess the potential to disrupt existing technologies and make tidal power a key energy resource.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Tidal Energy: Current Status and Future Outlook, finds that the United Kingdom is the frontrunner in the development of newer tidal energy solutions buoyed by an ideal tidal pattern and a supportive regulatory scenario. Canada, China and South Korea are also showing steady progress. The United States is one of the top innovators.

 "The success of smaller demonstration plants will propel the immediate adoption of tidal stream and tidal barrage technologies," says Technical Insights Research Analyst Lekshmy Ravi. "The deployment of hybrid energy systems consisting of a combination of tidal and offshore wind energy seems probable in the long term."

Although the basic technology of tidal energy is similar to that of wind turbines, the harsh conditions of the ocean multiply the issues faced during operation. Hence, parameters such as material strength, performance, maintenance and lifespan of tidal converters are aspects that research and development (R&D) efforts must address. Low capacity factor and high costs are further drawbacks.

The setting up of R&D centres and funding institutions dedicated to the cause of tidal energy generation will be crucial to speed up advancements. For example, the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) is a main driver for the progress of in-stream tidal energy in Canada.

"Stakeholders must build a coordinated, multi-disciplinary strategy for tidal power to continue creating ripples in the renewable energy sector," urges Ravi. "A concerted approach by regulatory agencies, technology developers, funding bodies and infrastructure firms will open the floodgates of development and give rise to tidal energy solutions with significant industrial and societal value."

Tidal Energy: Current Status and Future Outlook, a part of the Technical Insights subscription, provides a technology overview of current and emerging tidal energy technologies evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. The study discusses the technical features in a tidal energy system as well as restraints, drivers, funding, R&D initiatives, technology management strategies, roadmap and tidal energy projects across the globe.

Read more at: http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22228

Energy Management Systems – Technavio Publishes Global Market Drivers, Trends & Forecast

Energy management systems market segmentation including application and geography

Technavio’s report analyses the solutions and products offered by market vendors and presents a comprehensive breakdown in terms of market segmentation for applications, including home energy management system (HEMS), building energy management system (BEMS), demand response (DR) and industrial energy management system (IEMS).

Additionally, analysts have segmented market projections by key geography, focusing on the Americas, EMEA and the APAC region.

“Technological advances are improving the product quality and leading to more user-friendly designs, which do not require any programming experience. These designs require less labor and time to operate, thus reducing maintenance and service costs,” says Faisal Ghaus, Vice President of Technavio.

Energy management systems: Market scope and calculation of market size

This report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects for the global energy management systems market from 2015-2019. A detailed study of the key geographies, including the Americas, EMEA, and the APAC region, and the revenue and growth patterns of IEMS, DR, BEMS, and HEMS are provided in this report.

Industry analysis includes:

• Key Vendors:
• C3 Energy LLC
• Echelon Corp.
• EnerNOC Inc.
• Honeywell Inc.
• Schneider Electric SE

To Read more at: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150629005446/en/Energy-Management-Systems-%E2%80%93-Technavio-Publishes-Global#.Vbi5CLOqqko

New study explores transboundary energy exploration in Gulf

As drilling exploration continues to move into deeper Gulf of Mexico waters, negotiations continue between the United States and Mexico over the allocation of oil and gas discoveries that straddle an invisible international barrier at the bottom of the sea.

Dr. Richard McLaughlin, Endowed Chair for Marine Policy and Law at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, has collaborated with the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law at the University Law Center. He will release the first bi-national study examining the legal issues involved with exploring and exploiting transboundary offshore oil and gas deposits in the Gulf.

McLaughlin and Guillermo J. Garcia Sánchez, a doctorate candidate at Harvard Law School, have completed the first research study sponsored by the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law. The study is titled "The 2012 Agreement on the Exploitation of Transboundary Hydrocarbon Resources in the Gulf of Mexico: Conformation of the Rule or Emergence of a New Practice?" The Houston Journal of International Law will publish the paper this summer. A downloadable version of the study is available here.

 “There is a maritime boundary between the U.S. and Mexico, and the question we had as a nation is, what do you do when you have these boundary-straddling reservoirs of oil and gas and how do you exploit these resources efficiently and still be in compliance with international laws?” McLaughlin said. “This has become increasingly important as we have discovered oil and gas reserves that very likely cross this boundary.”

To Read more at: http://www.wdam.com/story/29652802/new-study-explores-transboundary-energy-exploration-in-gulf

Breazeale Nuclear Reactor to host 60th anniversary open house

The Penn State Breazeale Nuclear Reactor (PSBR) is holding an open house Aug. 18 to celebrate 60 years in operation. The PSBR, housed in the Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC), is the longest operating research reactor in the United States. It is the only research reactor in Pennsylvania and one of only 31 licensed research reactors in the U.S. The open house includes public tours as well as an anniversary program highlighting the history, accomplishments, and future of the reactor.

The open house and anniversary program are open to the community. Tours of the RSEC will run from 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. The anniversary program will be held in 100 Thomas Building from 3 – 4:30 p.m. Visit the anniversary website for additional information.

Penn State was one of the first universities to take advantage of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace program. Eric A. Walker, then-dean of engineering and architecture, proposed the University construct a reactor for research and education purposes. Penn State President Milton Eisenhower (brother of President Eisenhower) enthusiastically supported this endeavor. On July 8, 1955, the Penn State Reactor received the first research reactor license issued by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

The facility has a long history of providing nuclear science and engineering outreach activities to the local, national and international communities. In 1956, Penn State was one of only two universities established as an International School of Nuclear Science and Engineering. As part of this program, a total of 175 scientists and engineers from 39 countries were educated at Penn State from 1956 to 1959. The PSBR also educated and trained more than 900 reactor operators for nuclear power plants from the mid 1960s to the 1990s.

In the late 1960s the Pennsylvania Department of Education approached the newly formed Penn State Department of Nuclear Engineering to instruct and provide certification for high school teachers interested in teaching nuclear science and technology as a part of their science curricula. And in the 1980s Penn State developed a course called Exploring the Nuclear Option to educate teachers near Three Mile Island about nuclear energy and applications.

Today, the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor educates more than 3,000 visitors a year about the benefits of nuclear technology. These groups range from K-12 students, college students, and teachers and educators, to scientists and government officials. Each year, the facility conducts badge workshops for Boy and Girl Scout troops.

To Read more at: http://news.psu.edu/story/363703/2015/07/22/public-events/breazeale-nuclear-reactor-host-60th-anniversary-open-house

Start of test with solar energy generating noise barriers alongside highway

Alongside the A2 highway near Den Bosch, The Netherlands, two test noise barriers are installed that generate solar energy. The aim of this practical test, that was officially launched 18 June is to assess the economic and technical feasibility of this form of energy generating noise barriers. Playing a key role in the test are the LSC panels, developed by researcher Michael Debije at TU/e.

The translucent, colored panels are a new type of energy source, developed jointly by TU/e. These 'luminescent solar concentrators' (LSCs) receive sun light and guide it to the side of the panels. There, it lands in concentrated form on traditional solar cells. "Thanks to their many colors the LSC are visually very attractive, which makes them ideal for use in many different situations in the built environment", explains Debije of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, who has carried out years of research into these panels. "Further benefits are that the principle used is low cost, they can be produced in any desired, regular color, is robust, and the LSCs will even work when the sky is cloudy. That means it offers tremendous potential." Debije published his latest research findings on this subject last March in Nature.

On 18 June a one-year practical test started in 's-Hertogenbosch, led by the building company Heijmans. The researchers intend to assess the feasibility of generating electricity using solar cells integrated in noise barriers or SONOBs (Solar Noise Barriers). This is the first time in the Netherlands that a practical test of this kind is being carried out at real-life size. The aim is to provide better understanding of how much electricity these semi-transparent acoustic screens can generate under different conditions. Aspects like vandal-resistance and maintenance requirements also form part of the test.

Read more at: http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2015/06/start-test-solar-energy-generating-noise-barriers-alongside-highway

WVU begins monitoring shale gas well activity

West Virginia University began the nation’s first integrated research initiative on shale gas drilling last week after months of study and preparation in an effort to monitor well activity.

The well is the cornerstone of the MSEEL, Marcellus Shale Energy and Environmental Laboratory, which was launched by the university last year in partnership with Ohio State University, Northeast Natural Energy, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

The five-year, $11 million project is the first comprehensive field study of shale gas resources in which scientists will study the shale drilling process from beginning to end, a press release from WVU states.

On Friday, Charleston-based Northeast Natural Energy drilled a tip hole for the well at the Morgantown Industrial Park using an air-rotary rig, which drills more than 6,000 feet into the earth. The well is cased following West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection standards for Marcellus Shale Development.

Teams of scientist from WVU and other institutes will use the well and surface location to monitor the impact shale gas drilling and production activities have over an extended time. The well will also be used to evaluate new technologies for increased efficiency and resource development.

“The project represents the power of collaboration and the potential for research with great impact,” said Brian Anderson, director of WVU’s Energy Institute. “The work that starts this weekend is the next big step in this groundbreaking project. It is exciting to see the progress that has been made to this point, and it is a real testament to the hard work that all the project partners have done thus far.”

For more details click here: http://marcellus.com/news/id/125334/wvu-begins-monitoring-shale-gas-well-activity/