Instead of going to a landfill, wood chips like those pictured above will be used to produce electricity in Kirkwood, MO. Photo: Wikipedia
A patented new technology that turns trash into electricity without creating air pollution will power homes and businesses in Kirkwood, Missouri by the end of the year. At that time, wood chips that may have been destined for the landfill will go instead to a local biomass gasification facility operated by renewable energy company Kirkwood Green, LLC where it will be converted into electricity for the town. Kirkwood Green's process for harvesting energy from wood chips involves a patented gasification technology that, unlike incineration, produces electricity without conventional high levels of air emissions. No new carbon is added to the atmosphere, and nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions are so low they are comparable to emissions coming from standard household appliances. The only byproduct of the process is ash, a much sought-after plant fertilizer rich in minerals. While the Kirkwood project will use only wood chips as its fuel source, future projects will include carbon based materials such as corrugated paper, waste cooking oils, and other rubbish. Kirkwood, population 27,000, has agreed to purchase up to five megawatts of green power from Kirkwood Green – 17% of the town's total usage. It is the first municipality to take advantage of the new technology.
The ReWalk suit is put on in the morning and worn all day. Photo: Argo Medical Technologies
A wearable, motorized robotic suit that mimics the exoskeleton of a crab gives those paralyzed from the waist down the ability to walk, climb stairs, rise from a chair, and sit down again. The device, called ReWalk, uses motion sensors, robotic control algorithms, on-board computers, software, actuation motors, and rechargeable batteries to restore the user's control over his or her mobility. Walking with the assistance of crutches, the wearer initiates movement through subtle changes in his or her center of gravity and upper-body movements.
ReWalk alleviates the myriad of health problems associated with being wheelchair bound and can significantly reduce health care costs, according to its developer Argo Medical Technologies.
Visit http://www.argomedtec.com/ to see a video of the suit in use.
A close-up the Energy Ball at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Credit: Home Energy
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. That’s the constant, rhythmic, monotonous sound of a typical wind turbine and it drives some people living nearby absolutely crazy. The noise results from the huge blades on standard wind turbines that generate most of their turning force at the tips. Those tips slice perpendicularly through the air and create the characteristic whooshing sound.
A smaller, quieter turbine is on the way. Designed for residential applications by Netherlands-based company Home Energy, the Energy Ball moves primarily parallel to the wind because the rotors are bent around in a circular shape. Although it looks similar to the Darrieus wind turbine, which has been around for about 80 years, the Energy Ball operates on a horizontal axis, not a vertical one as the Darrieus does, and employs the Venturi effect to constrict the wind. As the rotors turn, pressure drops inside the ball and air rushes in to fill the void and helps keep the rotor blades spinning.
Energy Balls can be mounted on rooftops, as TV antennas or satellite dishes are, or placed atop poles that run along streets and roads as electric power lines currently do. Each ball can supply up to 1,750 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and are 40 percent more efficient than a propeller-style turbine of the same diameter.
The Energy Balls will be manufactured in McKinney, Texas, by VAWT Manufacturing, Inc. and should cost from $3,500 to $7,000, excluding installation. The company hopes to begin production by the end of this year.
The Lotus Concept Ice Vehicle appears to stride purposefully over icy terrain. Autoblog
For your next trip to McMurdo Bay, consider traveling in style with Lotus's Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV). Reportedly developed for the Moon-Regan TransAntarctic Expedition, the biofuel-powered, propeller-driven CIV is equipped with ice-penetrating radar to detect dangerous crevasses and a spiked "foot" that acts as a brake. Independent suspension helps stabilize the ride as the single passenger skims over rugged terrain on the vehicle’s giant snowshoe-like skis. See the CIV in action on You Tube