Using solar power to clean up industrial oxidation reactions

By Rob Aid
9 June 2011

kevin-moeller-using-solar-power-to-clean-up-industrial-oxydation-reactions-1A group of researchers from Washington University in St. Louis came up with an idea to combine two existing technologies in order to clean up industrial oxidation reactions. They are using photovoltaic cells to power electrochemical reactions to eliminate the toxic byproducts of reactions commonly used in chemical synthesis — and with them the environmental… »

Green architecture – Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center

By Damir Beciri
7 June 2011

rio-salado-audobon-center-1Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, a free-admission nature education center in the Río Salado Habitat Restoration Area, located less than two miles from downtown Phoenix, earned LEED Platinum certification and became the first building of that kind in Phoenix. Opened in fall, 2009, the center is operated by Audubon Arizona – a non-profit… »

Smart Solar International develops cheaper sun-chasing solar panels

By Damir Beciri
2 Comments4 June 2011

japan-solar-tracking-solar-panelsUnlike the heliotropic technology from MIT which uses difference in temperature to turn the photovoltaic panels in the right direction, a group of researchers from Japan developed moving mirrors that follow the sun throughout the day. The developers from Smart Solar International claim that devices can generate twice the electricity compared to other currently available… »

Caltech researchers made the largest synthetic DNA biochemical circuit yet

By Damir Beciri
3 June 2011

caltech-dna-biochemical-circuitsResearchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have built the currently  most complex biochemical circuit created from scratch, made with DNA-based devices in a test tube. Engineering these circuits allows researchers to explore the principles of information processing in biological systems, and to design biochemical pathways with decision-making capabilities. “We’re trying to borrow the… »

New nanomaterial can change its strength nearly at the touch of a button

By Damir Beciri
2 June 2011

nanomaterial-strength-1The material properties of metals and alloys are set once and for all during production, and it forces engineers to compromise during the selection of the mechanical properties of a material. A group of researchers came up with a material which is capable to change its strength nearly at the touch of a button. The… »

See-through organic electroluminescent display to be mass produced by TDK

By Damir Beciri
3 Comments1 June 2011

tdk-hd-see-through-organic-electroluminescent-displayIn our previous articles we wrote about a variety of see through displays, and TDK Corporation has started mass production of a newly developed see-through display. Based on a passive matrix type Quarter Video Graphics Array (QVGA) organic electroluminescent (EL) display, its main application will be focused onto mobile phones and other small mobile electronic… »

Researchers use birds for models of future UAVs

By Rob Aid
One Comment31 May 2011

ucsd-perching-uavBirds routinely land on small surfaces, using wing morphing and flapping techniques. The UC San Diego engineers, led by mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Tom Bewley and graduate student Kim Wright, analyzed slow motion videos of birds landing to generate a working hypotheses for how biomimicry of wing morphing and flapping can be used for… »

Green architecture – 21 Queen Street building, Auckland, New Zealand

By Damir Beciri
One Comment30 May 2011

21-queen-street-building-1For several years Auckland’s leading businesses have been moving towards the regenerated waterfront area, and careful reuse of existing structure enabled the 21 Queen Street building architects to apply the latest energy saving technology and sustainable materials. AMP NZ Office Trust (ANZO) constructed this building to conform the New Zealand Green Building Council’s strict requirements… »