August 1, 2012

Good Morning,

We all know that while they are a good idea, there are some major problems with wind turbines as a source of energy. The first article in this issue suggests a new orientation that may solve some of the problems.

Until Next Time,
Erin

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Vertical wind turbines a better option?

ALBUQUERQUE - Vertical axis wind turbines have the potential to solve some of the problems of generating energy from offshore breezes, U.S. researchers say. The economics of offshore wind power are different from land-based turbines due to installation and operational challenges, and VAWT architecture could transform offshore wind technology, scientists at the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratory reported. VAWTs offer three big advantages over horizontal windmill type turbines that could reduce the cost of wind energy, they said; a lower turbine center of gravity, reduced machine complexity and better scalability to very large sizes. A lower center of gravity means improved stability afloat and lower fatigue loads, and with the drive train on a VAWT at or near the surface, maintenance is potentially easier and less time consuming, researchers said. "VAWTs are elegant in terms of their mechanical simplicity," Josh Paquette, a principal investigator on the Sandia project, said. "They have fewer parts because they don't need a control system to point them toward the blowing wind to generate power." Sandia is conducting the research under a 2011 Department of Energy program to identify advanced rotor technologies for U.S. offshore wind power generation.


Phone app can measure wildfire danger

VICTORIA, British Columbia - A smartphone app intended to prevent forest fires by identifying hazardous areas is being tested in British Columbia forests, researchers say. Designed by University of British Columbia forestry scientists, the app is designed for both professionals and members of the public such as homeowners, a university release reported Tuesday. The app contains images of potential fire hazards such as fallen wood, brush, or a thick carpet of needles on the forest floor, and once similar conditions are identified users can take pictures and upload them with additional information and global positioning system coordinates to a database, the researchers said. "One of the most effective ways to reduce wildfire hazard is to reduce the amount of fuel that is available to burn," forestry doctoral student Colin Ferster said. "By putting this tool in hands of many people, we can collect more information about the current status of the forest, and at the same time increase awareness and cooperation, which will help reduce the threat of wildfire in the community." A field trial of the app is currently under way in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, the researchers said.


Wireless system could make bridges safer

BALTIMORE - Five years after a bridge collapse in Minneapolis, wireless sensor technology to prevent such tragedies has become "affordable and practical," engineers say. On August 1, 2007, Minneapolis' I-35W Bridge collapsed, sending more than 100 cars into the Mississippi River, killing 13 and injuring 145. Engineers at the University of Maryland say a new generation of wireless sensors could prevent another tragedy by monitoring the nearly 150,000 U.S. highway bridges -- about one in four -- listed by the federal government as either "structurally deficient" or "obsolete." "We no longer need to roll the dice when it comes to the structural integrity of the nation's highway bridges," research engineer Mehdi Kalantari said. "Technical advances in wireless sensors make real-time monitoring both affordable and practical."
Researchers have developed a system of tiny, long-lasting, energy-efficient low-maintenance wireless sensors and software that analyzes real-time data collected, a university release reported Tuesday. Many bridges, including the replacement span in Minneapolis, now used use wired networks of sensors to detect problems, but these wired systems are generally too expensive to retrofit all the old bridges that need them, Kalantari said. A few dozen tiny wireless sensors, strategically placed on small to medium-sized bridges, could measure prime factors such as strain, vibration, deformation, pressure, tilt, inclination, displacement, crack activity, humidity and temperature at less cost than current technology, he said.


Microsoft confirms Surface tablet release

REDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft has revealed Oct. 26 as the release date for its Surface tablet computer, to coincide with the U.S. release of Windows 8. The date was included in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing by Microsoft, ZDNet reported Tuesday. "The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012," Microsoft said in its filing. "At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices." No release date for the Surface had been given at the time the tablet was announced in June, although it was widely expected to coincide with Windows 8 availability. Microsoft has not yet announced if the Oct. 26 release date covers the United States only or if it will include international markets.

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