| Tuesday, November 22, 2005 |  |
| University of Capetown's Disposable Solar Pane | 0 comments |
| 22 Nov 2005 @ 14:37 University of Capetown's Disposable Solar Panel November 22, 2005 08:25 AM - John Laumer, Philadelphia Researchers at the University of Cape Town SA have developed a protoytpe method for printing solar panels on paper. We wish we had a photograph of their working prototype SPV panel on display, but none yet seem to exist. However, our 'concept bait' picture does fairly represent the designers' intent of producing electricity affordable by the poorest of rural families. The method seems to involve printing with modified color printers, using three or four separate print runs with black, blue, yellow and magenta inks containing tiny silicon particles. They print the metal contacts, then the semiconductor structure, then more contacts. The voltage and power output of the solar cell is determined by the size of the poster. An "A2-sized poster" will deliver up to 100W of power, enough to charge a cellphone, power a radio or provide five hours of lighting, according Prof David Britton. News coverage from SA outlets mentions that 'Shops could stock rolls of solar panel posters, and cut it to meet a customer's needs. The poster could be mounted behind a window or attached to a cabinet'. Apparently the research team is seeking to commercialise the project. Coupling nanotech with AutoCad fast prototyping is about as advanced as TreeHugging gets. Let's hope they're as good at business as they are at inventing because this could help drive down the price much faster than anyone imagined possible. Recalling that paper can be made of various non-woven polymer strands that are entirely water resistant, this seems like it has great potential. Might even be room to recycle the paper at end of life. Guess we're getting ahead of the prototype idea though. Congrads to Professor Britton and his Capetown associates. |
| The Evocatively Named Subaru B5-TPH | 0 comments |
 22 Nov 2005 @ 14:35 :: The Evocatively Named Subaru B5-TPH November 22, 2005 09:11 AM - Warren McLaren, Sydney At the recent Tokyo Motor Show, Subaru showcased a vehicle a tad more sporty than the very cute R1e, which we mentioned before. The B5 TPH Concept (this middle bit means‘Turbo Parallel Hybrid’) is a ‘crossover’ hatchback with the ground clearance of a 4WD. But the bit that interests us here is that it’s a hybrid, There’s an electric generator/motor mounted twixt the 2.0 litre engine and the transmission. “The electric motor itself produces 10 kW and 150 Nm torque while the petrol engine has a 191 kW output with 343 Nm torque.” An unlike most hybrids where the electric elements kick in just for city driving, the B5 TPH’s are capable of operating at cruising speeds too. And its “manganese lithium ion battery charges to 95 per cent capacity in five minutes.” The hybrid engine itself might one day find itself on the road, but the car as shown here is not expected to have a commercial release |