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Nasa’s Growing Interest In Low Energy Nuclear Reactions
Posted by ebongeek in Green Tech on January 15, 2012
LENR or low energy nuclear reactions is a promising area of energy research perused by a small number of scientists around the world. LENR is in essence “cold fusion” the term is used because it carries far less historic baggage. Recently scientists at the Langley Research Center posted a video about NASA’s interest and research in LENR. It seems now that if the growing body of research proves viable the worlds energy problems (as well as many others) could take a dramatic turn for the better. According to Dennis Bushnell, Chief Scientist, NASA, Langley there are numerous applications that could emerge as a result of LENR research including;
- Superb light weight power / energy sources for home, industrial and space applications
- Reduced Low Earth Orbit and in space propulsion weights / costs
- Terrestrial nuclear power and energy without Radiation protection or safety issues
- Enables the development of quiet electrically powered VTOL aircraft and extended range electric vehicles.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, according to Bushnell; “depending upon the TBD performance, appears to be capable of Revolutionizing Aerospace across the board. No other single technology even comes close to the potential impacts of LENR upon Agency Missions” (Bushnell)
Read More:
Low Energy Nuclear Reactions Is there better way to do nuclear power by Dr Joseph M Zawodny NASA Langley Research Center
Overview of Low Energy Nuclear Reactions LENR as Implemented by Andrea Rossi and Francesco Piantelli
NASA and LENR by Dennis M Bushnell Chief Scientist NASA Langley Research Center
LENR Presentation by Dennis Bushnell
Also See:
Unconventional Fusion Research The Forbidden Science
The Technology Gateway
A Look at Experiments and Documents
CBS 60 Minutes: “Cold Fusion Is Hot Again”
Dr. Robert Duncan at the Missouri Energy Summit 2009 Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
LENR-CANR.org: Papers on LENR, Low Energy Nuclear Reactions, also known as “Cold Fusion”
Researchers and Labs Perusing Low Energy Nuclear Reactions:
Michael McKubre, Pamela Mosier-Boss,Rusi P. Taleyarkhan, Andrea Rossi, Energetics Technologies
Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR)
Is Volkswagen Really Producing A $600 200mpg Car In China?
Posted by ebongeek in Green Tech on November 9, 2011
By now you have probably seen the rumor yet again all over the net announcing; ”New Car From China for $600.00 US Dollars”…well here is what Ebongeek found. This rumor first made its appearance back in 2002 with the 1-litre car from Volkswagen. It was a prototype single passenger vehicle with an impressive 200+ mile per gallon fuel rating.
Fast forward to the 2009 Frankford Auto Show, VW reveals a much more refined concept vehicle called the VW L1, similar in many respects to the 1-litre car but with the sleek styling and modern design elements we have come to expect from German engineering. According to the VW press release “the L1 Concept – a diesel-electric hybrid vehicle constructed from aluminum and carbon fiber weighing just 380 kg and capable of returning 189 mpg on the combined cycle while emitting just 39 g/km of CO2. The L1 Concept draws inspiration from the original 1-litre car, unveiled in April 2002 when Dr. Ferdinand Piech, then Chairman of the Board of Management, drove the concept between Wolfsburg and Hamburg. At that time producing the carbon fiber reinforced plastic body was simply not viable. With modern production processes, large-scale manufacture of such structures is now possible.” (Notice reference to the “original 1-litre car”?)
This is the vehicle Ebongeek editors believe VW may actually bring to market it’s called the Volkswagen XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle . We estimate that with conventional production methods it would most likely not be economically feasible to bring this vehicle to market for anything under $10,500 us dollars.
Unconventional Fusion Research The Forbidden Science
Posted by ebongeek in Green Tech, Insolitus Politics, Science on August 27, 2011
In science replication of experimental findings and verification of reported claims rules the day. Unless a researchers findings can be reproduced and independently verified it is deemed illegitimate and the research is not only completely abandoned but forever condemned by the scientific world. The mere mention of the men and women that find themselves on the wrong side of the scientific world can cause some to question the judgment and legitimacy of those that even utter their names. In a time when the worlds energy needs are approaching critical levels can we truly afford to so quickly write off such research?
Read more:
Sonofusion
A Look at Experiments and Documents
CBS 60 Minutes: “Cold Fusion Is Hot Again”
Dr. Robert Duncan at the Missouri Energy Summit 2009 Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
LENR-CANR.org: Papers on LENR, Low Energy Nuclear Reactions, also known as “Cold Fusion”
Researchers and Labs Perusing Low Energy Nuclear Reactions:
Michael McKubre, Pamela Mosier-Boss,Rusi P. Taleyarkhan, Energetics Technologies
Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR)
Jacque Fresco’s Inspiring Vision Of A Future
Posted by ebongeek in Design, Green Tech on August 20, 2011
He may be one of the most underrated visionary design futurists of the 20th century. Born in Brooklyn New York in 1916; Jacque Fresco is a self-educated structural designer, philosopher of science, concept artist, educator urban planner and futurist. During his life Fresco, created thousands of design ideas, he holds numerous patents on architectural designs, transportation systems and medical devices. What started as an effort to match design concepts with form and function evolved in to an entire design philosophy that takes a human centered approach to industrial design and large scale social planning. Fresco has created entire city systems that are visually stunning, functional, elegant and resource efficient. His design approach extends the planning, resource usage and automated assembly systems required to implement his ideas. Although his designs are ambitious, future focused and functional some that have seen Fresco’s work consider him to be a nothing more than a utopian dreamer. Others see his work as simply too impractical, merely conceptual or simply too unrealistic to ever come to fruition. According to Fresco; “We do not believe in the erroneous notion of a utopian society. There is no such thing. Societies are always in a state of transition. We propose an alternative direction, which addresses the causes of many of our problems. There are no final frontiers for human and technological achievement.” The fact is Jacque Fresco is a big thinker, his work seeks to redesign human civilization from the ground up.
Read more:
http://www.thevenusproject.com
Solazyme and the Future of Fuel
Posted by ebongeek in Green Tech on May 30, 2011
With gas prices in the US on the rise there is growing interest in alternative fuels. Solazyme a small California company may have an answer. Solazyme uses microalgae to make oil that can be refined into fuel for many different types of vehicles including jets, land vehicles and naval ships. In 2010 the US Navy conducted a power test using a 50/50 blend of Solazyme microalgae bio-fuel and NATO F76 fuel in a United States Navy Riverine Command Boat as part of the Navy’s Green Fleet effort. By taking advantage of microalgae ability to turn sugars into oil Solazyme is able to use non-food based feedstock like switch grass, wood chips and other waste stream biomass to produce its finished fuel product. One of the advantages of microalgae bio-fuel is that much of the worlds current fossil fuel oil infrastructure can continue to be used for refining, transportation and storage. Pipelines, tanker trucks and storage tanks that store conventional oil could just as easily store microalgae bio-fuel.
Read more and check out media coverage of Solazyme
The first trillionaires will make their fortunes in space
Posted by ebongeek in Green Tech on May 3, 2011
Under our current system we treat nature as if it is a subset of our economy, we assume that we can continue to extract natural resources from the Earth, transform those resources into usable goods and return them back to the Earth in a toxic form. The reality is there are limits to this form of commerce,resources on this planet are finite, ultimately we will use up all the gold,silver, coltan, and iorn ore the Earth has to offer. However the mineral resources in space are vastly greater than those available on Earth. According to Peter Diamandis “There are twenty-trillion-dollar checks up there, waiting to be cashed. The things we fight wars over, such as metals, minerals and real estate, exist in infinite quantities in space.” He believes that the first trillionaires will make their fortunes in space.
Michael Pritchard’s water filter turns filthy water drinkable
Posted by ebongeek in Design, Green Tech on April 10, 2011
“Too much of the world lacks access to clean drinking water. Engineer Michael Pritchard did something about it — inventing the portable Lifesaver filter, which can make the most revolting water drinkable in seconds. An amazing demo from TEDGlobal 2009.” Source. Ted.com
More info here and more on Michael Pritchard
Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR)
Posted by ebongeek in Environment, Green Tech, Science on March 13, 2011
Liquid fluoride thorium reactors could provide safer form of nuclear energy to solve the worlds growing energy problems. With ongoing research in nuclear waste recycling thorium reactors could play a critical role in our move away from crude oil based fuels.
The LFTR is unique, having a hot liquid core thus eliminating fuel fabrication costs and the need for a large reactor. It cannot have a nuclear meltdown and is so safe that typical control rods are not required at all. This design topples all the conventional arguments against conventional energy sources in such areas as:
* Waste Production
* Safety
* Proliferation
* Capital Costs and Location
* Environmental Impact
* Social Acceptance
* Flexibility
* Grid Infrastructure
* Efficiency
Google backed green tech start up Transphorm could enable significant energy savings across the grid
Posted by ebongeek in Green Tech on February 27, 2011
According to the company “More than 10% of all electricity is ultimately lost due to conversion inefficiencies. The scale of this loss exceeds the world’s entire supply of renewable generation by an order of magnitude. Every electron comes with a hidden cost. As power is switched and balanced to meet the demands of our modern electrical systems and devices, countless terawatt-hours are lost as heat. 
In fact, inefficient power conversion wastes tens of billions of dollars every year. Transphorm is redefining power conversion. Leveraging breakthroughs in modern materials and unmatched expertise, Transphorm’s ultra-efficient power modules eliminate up to 90% of all electric conversion losses. From HVACs to hybrids; servers to solar panels Transphorm enables significant energy savings across the grid.” Transphorm is a Google ventures company.
Read more
A personal Fuel Cell Charger?
Posted by ebongeek in Green Tech on February 13, 2011
This technology from PowerTrekk could be a game changer read more and check out the video.
Bloom Energy unveils its new fuel cell power system
Posted by ebongeek in Green Tech on January 6, 2011
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