Archive for the 'Energy' Category
The U.S. Army Wants to Transmit Power to Drones with Lasers
September 8th, 2018Via: Defense Systems: Even as drone technology advances, power constraints limit the amount of equipment unmanned systems can carry as well as the time they can stay in the air. Some drone systems, like the Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications drone from CyPhy Works, deliver power through a tether to keep a small drone aloft […]
Jaguar Will Buy 5 GWh of Cylindrical Batteries Per Year from Samsung for Upcoming EVs
September 5th, 2018Via: Electrek: Jaguar is planning to launch new electric vehicles and it could be in a much bigger way than with the new I-Pace. The British automaker has reportedly signed an important 5 GWh cylindrical battery cell contract with Samsung for upcoming electric vehicles. The Korea Times reported that Samsung SDI won the contract to […]
Electric Cars Exceed 1 Million in Europe as Sales Increase by 42%
August 28th, 2018Via: Guardian: There are now more than a million electric cars in Europe after sales soared by more than 40% in the first half of the year, new figures reveal. Europe hit the milestone nearly a year after China, which has a much larger car market, but ahead of the US, which is expected to […]
Air Pollution Causes Huge Reduction in Intelligence
August 28th, 2018Via: Guardian: Air pollution causes a “huge” reduction in intelligence, according to new research, indicating that the damage to society of toxic air is far deeper than the well-known impacts on physical health. The research was conducted in China but is relevant across the world, with 95% of the global population breathing unsafe air. It […]
Study Reveals Great Pyramid of Giza Can Focus Electromagnetic Energy
August 21st, 2018Book from 1998: The Giza Power Plant: Technologies of Ancient Egypt Paperback by Christopher Dunn. Via: PhysOrg: An international research group has applied methods of theoretical physics to investigate the electromagnetic response of the Great Pyramid to radio waves. Scientists predicted that under resonance conditions, the pyramid can concentrate electromagnetic energy in its internal chambers […]
Stacking Concrete Blocks Is a Surprisingly Efficient Way to Store Energy
August 19th, 2018I like to follow these relatively low-tech methods of energy storage, even though they don’t seem to catch on. It’s interesting to see a modern take on old ideas. The Energy Vault (below) is a similar concept to the Ares, which stores energy by moving a mass up a hill on rails. The Energy Vault, […]
The San Onofre Nuclear Plant Is a ‘Fukushima Waiting to Happen’
August 17th, 2018Via: San Diego Union Tribune: Southern California Edison is keeping 3.6 million pounds of lethal radioactive waste at the shuttered San Onofre nuclear plant in San Clemente. The waste poses a significant threat to the health, safety and economic vitality of the region’s more than 8 million residents. But Edison’s plan for storing it is […]
Airbus’ Solar-Powered Zephyr Smashes Flight Duration Record on Maiden Outing
August 12th, 2018Via: New Atlas: Airbus’ Zephyr program has claimed another record, with a production model unmanned solar-powered aircraft touching down after more than 25 days in the air. That voyage is the longest unmanned flight ever made, and was achieved on this particular vehicle’s maiden voyage, no less. Originally built by British defence company Qinetiq and […]
Cost to Dismantle First Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier: “Up to $1.5 Billion”
August 12th, 2018Via: Popular Mechanics: Six years after decommissioning USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the U.S. Navy is still figuring out how to safely dismantle the ship. The General Accounting Office estimates the cost of taking apart the vessel and sending the reactors to a nuclear waste storage facility at up to $1.5 billion, […]
Older Americans Increasingly Filing for Bankruptcy
August 6th, 2018Via: SSRN: The social safety net for older Americans has been shrinking for the past couple decades. The risks associated with aging, reduced income, and increased healthcare costs, have been off-loaded onto older individuals. At the same time, older Americans are increasingly likely to file consumer bankruptcy, and their representation among those in bankruptcy has […]
