POWER'S IN THE AIR: Radio waves — we're soaking in them. As they pass through the air they induce a slight current and a slight voltage. It's enough that researchers at the University of Bedfordshire have worked out how to capture the energy from medium wave radio frequencies and use it to run low-power devices such as
clocks. Just like magic. University of Bedfordshire has more information, and there's video here.
IMAGINATIVE WHEELS: Chaotic Moon Labs have found a new way to drive an electric skateboard: think about where you want to go. The Board of Imagination uses an Emotiv EPOC headset to read the wearer's thoughts and a Samsung Windows 8 Tablet to translate brain waves into motor controller actions. An 800 watt electric motor and all-terrain tyres do the rest. Just think and go. More details at
Chaotic Moon Labs and video here.
POWER'S IN THE WHEELS: As planes taxi on the runway they create noise, use aviation fuel and emit pollutants. Taxiing is highly fuel-inefficient. On the other hand, as planes land the disc brakes create waste heat because of friction. Engineers from the University of Lincoln in the UK have suggested capturing the waste heat generated during landing to generate power. Then that energy could be used for
taxiing on the runway, saving fuel and reducing air and noise pollution. After studying various possibilities the team concluded that capturing energy direct from a plane's landing gear and recycling it for the aircraft's own use would work best. It'd be great to
capture the noise of landing too. More information here.
HEAT IS IN THE AIR: Power Felt is a thermoelectric fabric that converts body heat into an electrical current. Tiny carbon nanotubes locked up in flexible plastic fibres create a charge from the difference in temperature between a heat source such as the human body and the environment around it. The fabric could be used in furnishings, roof linings or even clothes to supplement other power supplies or for emergency use. Especially interesting for winter clothes. More details here.
HEAT IS IN THE SEA: The Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion programme from
Oak Ridge National Laboratory aims to produce power from the temperature difference in the world's oceans. For example, in the tropics there may be a 20 degree C difference in the water temperature between the surface and 3km down. That difference can drive a
closed-loop Rankine cycle power plant. The process relies on using the warm water to boil ammonia which spins a turbine-generator. Cool water then condenses the ammonia again. New graphite-foam-based heat exchangers are particularly efficient for this use. At the moment the concept is being studied, with a demonstration planned in 2012. It
sounds easy. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has all the details here.
