US – Page 252 – TechConnect Briefs

Advanced Low-Temperature Geothermal Technology

Thomas D., Trimodal Group, US

Trimodal has developed a revolutionary new highly efficient engine design which is our (LTPC) Engine-expander, which is a positive displacement, compounded, Organic Rankine Cycle expander operating on a binary system. The prime energy sources are [...]

A New Computational Model for Fluid-Structure Interaction Phenomena in Wind-Turbine Blades

Ponta F.L., Otero A.D., Lago L.I., Michigan Technological University, US

Limitations in the current blade technology constitute a technological barrier that needs to be broken in order to continue the improvement in wind-energy cost. Blade manufacturing is mostly based on composite laminates, which is labor-intensive [...]

Sustainable Energy Opportunities with the Geothermal Continuum

Thorsteinsson H., Augustine C., Anderson B.J., Moore M.C., von Rohr P.R., Tester J.W., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US

The publication of “The Future of Geothermal Energy” in 2006, which resulted from a comprehensive assessment of US geothermal potential, brought renewed interest in Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) worldwide. The magnitude and accessibility of the [...]

Overview of Developments and Applications of Thermoelectrics Integrated with MEMS

Takahashi M., Omron Silicon Valley, US

We are faced with many energy and environmental problems such as the running out of fossil fuels, rapid increase in energy consumption by emerging-economy countries, global warming, etc. Against such a background, development of advanced [...]

An “Atmospherically Healthy” Recipe for Carbon-Neutral Fuels: A synthetic fuel made from sunlight, CO2, and water

Littau K., Palo Alto Research Center (Parc), US

Although carbon capture and storage has been proposed as an effective means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, this is not a realistic solution for mobile emitters where the capture system would need to be carried [...]

The case for Vertical Axis wind turbines

Sankar T.C., Robert Morris University, US

The Case for Vertical Axis Wind Turbines ABSTRACT Extensive studies have shown that there is enough wind globally to satisfy much, or even most, of humanity’s energy requirements – if we could harvest it effectively [...]

Solar-Electric Commuting Trike with Manual Pedaling

Mil’shtein S., Srinivasan B., UMass Lowell, US

With dwindling petroleum resources and concerns about global climate, it is imperative to find better suited modes of commute for the future. In the United States, studies have shown that 50% of the travel on [...]

Mesoporous TiO2 thin-film for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) Applicationv

Vats A., Shende R., Swiatkiewicz J., Puszynski J., South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, US

The DSSC is a low-cost device as compared with the conventional ‘p-n’ junction devices. This device utilizes about 5 m thick film of TiO2 nanocrystals to form a ‘bulk’ junction with a large surface area [...]

Enhanced Photocurrent in Transparent Lead Zirconate-Titanate Thin Film Capacitors Under Sun Light Illumination

Ocola L.E., Li H., Auciello O., Argonne National Laboratory, US

A report will be presented on research focused on developing transparent Pb(ZrxTi1-xO3) (PZT)–based capacitor for photovoltaic device applications. The transparent PZT-based capacitors exhibit high photocurrents when exposed to Xenon (Xe) light that has wavelengths from [...]

Design of a Tandem Conjugated Polymer Bulk Heterostructure Solar Cell

Valenzuela J., Mil’shtein S., UMass Lowell, US

The use of conjugated polymers in solar cell applications has drawn a lot of attention as a way of bringing the high cost of electricity produced by inorganic solar cells to competitive levels. Different research [...]