1 U.A.E to Adopt Nuclear Power?

"The massive development underway in Dubai means that 43 percent of world's cranes now reside there (China has 37 percent). With that comes a thirst for raw materials, manpower and, of course, electrical power. While attempts to capitalize on solar power are well underway, it's not going to keep up with the expanding energy requirements of buildings and the desalinization plants needed to supply fresh water from the Gulf for residents.

I took this top photo on the way to the Bab al Sham resort for dinner, and got into a conversation with Joe Desposito, editor in chief of Electronic Design, on the benefits of nuclear power, in general, and for the region, in particular. We agreed that it would be a good idea, politics aside. They must've heard us. The next day the move to nuclear power was announced on page 1 of "The Gulf" newspaper (bottom). Smart people!"

Courtesy : EE Times

Read more here : EE Times, Technology In The Dubai Desert, Patrick Mannion

0 U.S Earthquake Engineers Travel to China

Courtesy : NY Times

"Due to the extensive use of unreinforced masonry and nonductile concrete construction in this region, heavy damage is wide spread. Added to this is the concentration of population and structures along large rivers where liquefaction is a significant problem. That's why damage is occurring as far away as Chongqing -- 220 miles away, - Tom Chan, Vice President of Miyamoto International.

In response to the earthquake in Sichuan, China on May 12, Miyamoto International has dispatched a team of earthquake engineers. They will assess the structural integrity of existing buildings and infrastructure, collect data, and provide support to clients on damage assessment, loss estimation and recommendations to mitigate further business interruption."

Read more here : Industry Week, 'U.S Earthquake Engineers Travel to China'

1 Verizon Implements Opto 22 Monitoring Systems

Telecom leader Verizon's "central office of the future" uses Opto 22 products to monitor and control vital electrical and mechanical systems. A senior Power Engineer at Verizon talks about the downfalls of electrical switching in the networks and explains the implementation of a new prototype at the Garden City switching and administrative office for reducing energy costs. Complete details of this procedure can be read here. Video courtesy Design World.

0 Flipperons for Improved Aerodynamic Performance

"The underlying concept of using flipperons and other flipperlike actuators to impart desired characteristics to flows is not new. Moreover, elements of flipperon- based active flow-control (AFC) systems for aircraft had been developed previously, but it was not until the development reported here that the elements have been integrated into a complete, controllable prototype AFC system for wind-tunnel testing to enable evaluation of the benefits of AFC for aircraft.


The tests showed that with appropriate actuation of flipperons, lift was increased and drag reduced, by amounts of the order of a percent. Data from these tests were then used to estimate the benefits that could be obtained by adding flipperon-based AFC systems to transport airplanes in two tests cases. In one case, it was found that the addition of the flipperons to the vertical stabilizer of a Boeing 777 (or equivalent) airplane would make it possible to reduce the size of the vertical stabilizer, thereby reducing the drag, by an amount sufficient to enable a reduction of fuel consumption by as much as 1.7 percent. In another case, it was found that by exploiting the ability of a flipperonbased AFC system to delay the onset of stall, one could safely increase the angle of attack (thereby increasing lift) while reducing the size of the wings (thereby reducing the weight) of a blended-wing/ body airplane by an amount sufficient to enable a reduction of fuel consumption by as much as 0.6 percent."

Read More Here : NASA Tech Briefs "Flipperons for Improved Aerodynamic Performance"

0 Geothermal Bridge Monitors Deck Temperature

Piping grid in road bed circulates geothermal fluid (Canada)

"Bridges and overpasses lose heat faster overnight than neighboring roads because they are surrounded by air. Black ice forms in minutes when moisture in the air freezes into a thin, virtually invisible layer of ice on a bridge deck; this happens even though approach roads may be bare.

The system works to cool the bridge deck in the summer time and heat it during the winter, reducing the temperature extremes and associated thermal expansions and contractions that stress and cause wear to the bridge structure. A heated bridge deck not only eliminates 24/7 rapid response by city crews to treat black ice, but it also reduces snowplow damage to the bridge, reduces damaging thermal stresses, and reduces maintenance requirements. Further, because salt is not required to make the bridge safe for driving, the bridge is expected to have a life span up to 25 years greater than the typical 50 year bridge life span."

Read more here : Sensor Mag

0 Danish Engineers Design Gripper For Small Objects

"The most daunting challenge of automating assembly of very small products, such as hearing aids, is how to feed and manipulate tiny screws and other parts. These parts are so small that gravity becomes less dominant than other forces, such as Van der Waals forces, surface tension and electrostatic energy. These forces cause tiny parts to stick to the gripper, creating problems with centering and alignment.

Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark in Lyngby have designed a gripper and an automatic screwdriver that overcome this challenge. Led by Asta Gegeckaite, Ph.D., the researchers developed a mechanical gripper that can successfully pick up and release a small push button for a hearing aid. The researchers discovered that reducing the surface area of the gripper reduces the stiction effects and makes the gripping process more efficient."

Read more here : Assembly Blog

0 The HyperCar Model of Efficiency

"Two decades ago, physicist and energy expert Amory Lovins came up with a notion he called "Hypercar," a general class of vehicles so fuel-efficient it might, Lovins hoped, radically reduce oil consumption in the U.S. and worldwide. A tailpipe dream? Perhaps not. While the Hypercar SUV that Lovins and colleagues designed in 2000 remains a one-of-a-kind concept vehicle, many automakers are beginning to embrace the underlying principles of Hypercar. In this audio slideshow, Lovins describes the key characteristics that any Hypercar would have, and he offers a glimpse of a Hypercar-like Toyota vehicle that may soon be driving through your neighborhood."—Susan K. Lewis

View the hyper car slideshow here, given by a chief scientist of Rocky Mountain Instritute. Courtesy of PBS.

Go to the official site of Hyper Car here