Technology Updates

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-14 18:20:15

For SpaceNut ....

This report should be of interest to Earth residents, as well as those planning to spend some time on Mars.

I'm partial to research done by and for the US Army.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/army-found-w … 00988.html

The essence of this story is the idea of heating the upper arm so that blood can circulate to fingers.

Every now and then I am amazed at my having missed such an obvious idea.

Bravo to the individual who came up with the insight, and to the team that did the necessary development and testing.

Individuals working in a near vacuum are STILL going to need an enclosure for hands/fingers, but this technique should allow for the absolute minimum of protective covering.

On Earth, I would expect to soon see versions of this idea showing up for those who work outdoors, including home owners faced with snow.

I've used expedients like hot buckets of water and thick rubber gloves which can be swapped out quickly.

This system seems (as I read the report) potentially a LOT easier to use, and longer lasting.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-01-14 18:25:10

That could lead to less bulky gloves for the space suits.
The hand warmer in the boot does the same to change how cold the feet would be for the toes.

SpaceNut · 2020-01-17 19:04:44

https://rh.gatech.edu/features/12-emerg … wer-future

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-17 21:00:06

For SpaceNut re #28

Awesome! Perfect for this topic!

Hopefully other forum readers will leave comments about specific technologies listed.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-17 21:07:27

Here's another process to pull moisture out of air. According to the summary of the video, the process works in dry climates as well as temperate ones.

However, it might be of interest to Americans who have less than satisfactory ground water (or city water for that matter).

https://www.yahoo.com/news/solar-farm-p … 08937.html

(th)

kbd512 · 2020-01-17 21:24:59

tahanson43206,

Astronauts will need tech like that for their feet as well. It's far easier to move around rugged terrain wearing a pair of sneakers than moon boots. I noticed that when I last took my kids on a hike, my daughter, the only one of us wearing boots, had a tough time making it up a very steep incline littered with loose rocks. The rest of us were wearing hiking shoes and were more easily able to scale the hill. Her boots wouldn't flex enough to grip the terrain, so she could only get "toe holds" on the rocks. As much rough terrain as there is on Mars, I'd imagine that flexible, low-bulk, and "grippy" footwear would be very beneficial for exploration.

SpaceNut · 2020-01-17 22:15:41

We have a solar air to water topic and will give more there,,,

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-18 07:31:35

Got kbd512 re #31

Thanks for your observation about the benefit of heating the forearm to keep hands warm in cold weather.

In another post SpaceNut mentioned leg warmers, and those sound (to me at least) similar to what you've described for Mars.

To all forum readers ... please watch for consumer products along these lines! I am interested in them for hands in particular, because I have to deal with ice jams, and I do that by clearing heavy snow buildup before it has a chance to melt.

I understand that there are technologies to address ice jam situations, and believe me, I'd invest in them if I had the excess funds.

In the mean time, I'm using the time honored Alaskan Snow Rake (that's a generic term, as far as I know) to pull down snow mass.

However, I'll admit that with climate changes underway, it is not clear we'll have heavy snow like that.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-19 20:43:20

The technology described in the link below is under development to address the problem of "forever chemicals" that have entered the water supply around the world since they were introduced decades ago.

While the methods in development are intended for Earth application, I think they are of potential interest for Mars settlers, because Mars will necessarily be a closed system for many years. Contamination of water supplies is possible, if not likely.

Activated carbon is the substance used today to remove harmful chemicals. The new method is not yet competitive but has the potential to become so.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/scientists-f … 00299.html

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-20 07:54:05

The report at the link below describes an unusual cooperation between seafloor mining entrepreneurs and life sciences academics.

The goal is to harvest valuable mineral nodules from a sea floor thriving with life. The robot to be used appears to my eye to be relatively crude compared to what is now possible with modern advanced robotics. If the goal is to collect nodules, why not use optical sensors and small pincers to collect nodules, instead of scooping up sea floor in a crude vacuum device?

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/03 … s-deep-sea

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-01-20 17:03:19

Here is that device for the e-paper
https://www.cnet.com/news/save-a-small- … ternative/

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-22 10:13:14

The story at the link below represents a significant milestone in human understanding of the Universe at the atomic scale. Until now, knowledge of activities at the atomic has been inferred from indirect evidence. Impressive as that accumulated knowledge is, it is still helpful for new humans on the scene to see atoms interacting in real time.

I am impressed that one of the partners in this research is based in England, at the University of Nottingham.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/scientists-c … 58305.html

SearchTerm:AtomsBonding

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-22 10:15:06

For SpaceNut re #36

Thanks for that find! I agree that a pen of this type would be needed to set pixels in a flexible membrane ePaper, were one to ever appear on the market.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-23 13:18:36

Lithium "mining" from geothermal brine

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/0 … -ornl.html

This article describes advances in filter technology.

The methods under development offer hope of recovering lithium from mineral rich waste water from geothermal power plants.

In particular, the geothermal plant near the Salton Sea in California was mentioned as a possible site for deployment of the method.

The Salton Sea plant is of interest because it sits right on a part of the massive fault line that runs up and down California.

A concern is that geothermal waste water injected into the ground by the plant may lubricate the fault.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-24 05:40:22

For SpaceNut ... the research reported in the article at the link below could fit in multiple ongoing topics.

Researchers appear to have found that properties of rhodium make it unusually effective in using a wide spectrum of Solar energy to free Hydrogen for use.

/www.yahoo.com/news/molecule-harnesses-50-percent-more-212500326.html

Scientists have discovered a molecule that can absorb more of the full spectrum of solar energy than ever before. The same molecule is also an effective catalyst to make clean energy in the form of hydrogen.
The new form of self-contained micro-solar panel is made of rhodium, a wildly rare and precious metal coveted by car makers for its role in catalytic converters. Researchers assembled rhodium atoms into a scaffold structure, a term more often used in drug research. The way the molecules are bonded leaves room for sunlight to be “saved,” turning two photons from the sun into two electrons. Since the chemical reaction is direct, even slow or sparse photons from low-energy sunlight are captured.
/www.yahoo.com/news/molecule-harnesses-50-percent-more-212500326.html

Quote from Google:

Source: Rhodium occurs in small quantities in ores metals such as platinum, palladium, nickel, silver, and gold. Commercially, it is obtained as a byproduct of refining nickel sulfide ores from Canada. Isotopes: Rhodium has 24 isotopes whose half-lives are known, with mass numbers from 94 to 117.

Quote from Wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Rhodium
Rhodium - Wikipedia
Rhodium is a chemical element with the symbol Rh and atomic number 45. It is a rare, ... Used nuclear fuel is therefore a potential source of rhodium, but the extraction is complex and expensive, and the presence of rhodium radioisotopes ...
Category:Rhodium · Rhodium compounds · Rhodium(III) chloride · Rhodium(II)

The article reports that because of the rarity of rhodium, researchers will continue looking for molecules that would have similar properties but would cost less and appear on Earth in greater abundance.

(th)

Calliban · 2020-01-24 08:22:55

Interesting tech re hydrogen producing panel. Here is a popular mechanics link on the same tech:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/scienc … ar-energy/

The interesting thing of course is that the panels are directly producing energy that is storable. If this can be done as efficiently as a PV panel and electrolysis stack, then you are exchanging two capital intensive investments for just one. Hence, the hydrogen producing panel could cut out a lot of capital cost, especially in small scale systems where electrolysis is less efficient.

Last edited by Calliban (2020-01-24 08:23:18)

Calliban · 2020-01-24 08:35:13

Another interesting tech that allows very cheap energy storage: the grid interactive storage heater.

https://www.esource.com/ES-WP-18/GIWHs

GIWH is a large insulated tank of water, containing heating elements that are controlled by the grid operator. When supply exceeds electricity demand, the heating elements are switched on. When supply begins to fall short, elements are switched off. The benefit of this technology is that it allows a large part of energy demand to be controlled by the grid operator. A hot water tank just 2m3 in volume, will absorb about 180kWh when heated from 20 to 100C. That is enough heat for an average European dwelling for at least a few days in winter and much longer in summer.

Last edited by Calliban (2020-01-24 08:35:33)

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-24 13:38:53

For Calliban re #42

Thanks for posting this (to me remarkable) report!

Without reading more than your summary, I am hoping this is a way for large numbers of consumers to participate in buffering of excess renewable energy, and thus saving energy costs, by reducing the need for battery or similar storage on the macro scale.

It is probably too much to ask, but it would be ** really neat ** if the energy used for buffering in this way could be delivered at a reduced cost to the consumer, or even zero cost as an incentive to invest in the equipment needed.

Thus, (as I understand the concept) the cost of storage would be distributed over the population, instead of concentrated in a few vulnerable locations.

(th)

Calliban · 2020-01-24 15:36:01

tahanson43206 wrote:

For Calliban re #42
Thanks for posting this (to me remarkable) report!
Without reading more than your summary, I am hoping this is a way for large numbers of consumers to participate in buffering of excess renewable energy, and thus saving energy costs, by reducing the need for battery or similar storage on the macro scale.
It is probably too much to ask, but it would be ** really neat ** if the energy used for buffering in this way could be delivered at a reduced cost to the consumer, or even zero cost as an incentive to invest in the equipment needed.
Thus, (as I understand the concept) the cost of storage would be distributed over the population, instead of concentrated in a few vulnerable locations.
(th)

In the UK, we used to have something called Economy 7. Back in the good old bad old days, when most of our power came from coal burning power plants, with most of the rest being nuclear; night time power usage was lower, but it wasn't considered practical to take generating sets offline. So night time power could be purchased relatively cheaply. People would use it in storage heaters. And they would attempt to run washing machines and tumble dryers at night.

If we went for a large scale renewable or nuclear generating system, we would presumably bring back something similar. Storage heaters could be rigged to switch on at a certain price or could be directly controlled by the grid operator. Whilst it doesn't solve all of the problems associated with renewable electricity, it does make things easier. Below is a set of graphs showing UK wind power production for the past month and past year.

https://gridwatch.co.uk/Wind

If grid controlled storage heaters consume the top 50% of the wind power generation curves, the bottom half is far more more dependable for base load power functions. To fill the relatively small lulls, open cycle gas turbines could be used, burning a mixture of natural gas, biogas and hydrogen.

A wind powered system like this would still be problematic. For the UK, we would need an area of about 20,000km square, in addition to about a third of that area covered with solar PV, to provide both baseload power and heating requirements. It would take at least a dozen times more steel and concrete than an equivalent fleet of nuclear reactors. But with such a cheap storage and backup power system, it looks a little less impossible.

Last edited by Calliban (2020-01-24 15:52:42)

SpaceNut · 2020-01-24 18:40:11

As a business that operated energy creation you are doing so with the least amount pf personnel and buildings so while the convention of feeding the energy into water works its the limitation of use that is not shareable back to a community that would normally pay to generate there own hot water for a price. Heat disapation is a surface area to isolation factor so if we try to pipe it to near by places for a fee we are going to end up with not very hot water at the end until it runs for a while and if you are paying for water then that is a bad thing..
Its the low speed spin of a windmill in which the energy is dumped into water as its not high enough in wattage to push it out onto the line for others to use.

louis · 2020-01-24 18:44:37

Hmmm...that article is 6 years' old and I think we can safely say that sort of storage (except in very marginal uses) hasn't taken off.

So far chemical battery seems the most effective sort of storage. But my view is that if you can reduce the price of green energy even further - maybe by another 50% then manufacture of methane from air and water becomes a possibility...and even before that hydrogen manufacture might become commercial for central electricity generation.

Calliban wrote:

Another interesting tech that allows very cheap energy storage: the grid interactive storage heater.
https://www.esource.com/ES-WP-18/GIWHs
GIWH is a large insulated tank of water, containing heating elements that are controlled by the grid operator. When supply exceeds electricity demand, the heating elements are switched on. When supply begins to fall short, elements are switched off. The benefit of this technology is that it allows a large part of energy demand to be controlled by the grid operator. A hot water tank just 2m3 in volume, will absorb about 180kWh when heated from 20 to 100C. That is enough heat for an average European dwelling for at least a few days in winter and much longer in summer.

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-25 07:40:14

For Louis on renewable power in general ...

The article at the link below reports on a conference in the UAE (United Arab Emirate) which featured renewable energy exhibits and discussions.

What I find heartening is that the nation's leadership is taking what appears to be an enlightened approach to planning for the future. One detail that I was surprised to see is a statement that the cost of PV power in that oil rich nation is now half of the cost of power from gas. The nation is planning to add nuclear power to the mix, and is actively seeking to solve the problem of variability of renewable power.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/elec … 00100.html

(th)

Last edited by tahanson43206 (2020-01-25 07:40:45)

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-28 09:40:45

This is from a technology newsletter .... I don't know what either of these items means, but I'll bet they mean changes are coming ...

COM-HPC is On the Way
The revised Computer-on-Module standard is slated for approval in the next few months. It will facilitate the high-computing performance demanded by 5G networks, artificial intelligence, and increased automation.
Preparing for Photonic Integrated Circuit
A gap between the current electronic integration industry and photonic integrated circuit technology is present under the subtle tension between “introductory delay” and “collapsing to zero.” Printed optical board may be the best solution.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-01-28 17:48:35

The first has to do with bandwidth data rate needing to be faster to handle the softwares none assembly level coding but software that compiles to that code with lots of extra lines which are for timing.
The next is for fiber optic data transmission rather than the slower copper wire which is used still. Most cable companies are changing out copper for fiber optics.

tahanson43206 · 2020-01-29 18:45:33

The article at the link below seems far fetched.

I'm posting it because I'm hoping someone (or perhaps several?) can validate the possibility the described system actually works.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/brazilian-ma … 11779.html

The system is described as paint rolled onto brown paper to generate a small amount of electricity from ? moisture ? in air ?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/brazilian-ma … 11779.html

(th)

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