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Showing posts from March, 2013

Radio-frequency identification (RFID): A Complete Overview

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RFID Technology: A Complete Overview RFID technology allows non-contact transfer of information (much like the familiar barcode), making it effective in manufacturing and other hostile environments where barcode labels could not survive. Take a look at how it works and what are its pros and cons Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology involves the use of electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling in the RF portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to uniquely identify an object, animal or person. It has established itself in a wide range of markets including livestock identification and automated vehicle identification because of its ability to track moving objects. The technology has also become a primary component of automated data collection, identification and analysis systems worldwide. Architecture and working An RFID system consists of three components: transceiver (often combined into the reader), some sort of data processing equipment, such as a computer,

Nanotechnology--Commercial Applications

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Nanotechnology--Commercial Applications The scope of application of nanotechnology is very wide. Advanced research organisations around the world have identified five key market areas where nanotechnology can bring market-changing competitiveness as detailed here. 1 . High-brightness LEDs   Currently, high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are the most promising light source, as these offer better efficiency, longer life and higher mechanical strength. Because high-brightness LEDs have a typical heat flux of over 100W/cm2, conventional packaging is not suitable. High junction temperature in LEDs substantially degrades the efficiency, colour quality, reliability and life of the solidstate lighting devices. Failure analysis always shows that the failure is not on the LED itself but on different package components due to high operating temperatures. Nanomaterials can play a big role in heat dissipation in LEDs. As shown in Fig. 3, a die-attach adhesive not only attaches

Thumbs down to the nuclear energy-nuclear power means profits, power and politics.

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Thumbs down to the nuclear energy..........nuclear power means profits, power and politics.   Although for decades the arguments against nuclear power have been –and still are- strong and valid, there is an increasing group of nuclear companies supported by scientists and politicians, who say we need nuclear power to fight climate change and to be independent. They also claim that all the problems associated with nuclear power are almost solved or solved. Why do they say this? Because for them, nuclear power means profits, power and politics. Nuclear power produces nuclear waste that is highly radioactive. What exactly is radioactivity and what is radiation? What radiation can do to living organisms was clearly illustrated when the Russian former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned with a tiny dose of polonium-210. It killed him in a few days. Nuclear radiation occurs when unstable atoms decay. It disrupts the functioning of the cells that make up our bodies. High leve

Rural Systems-Solar energy is free, but what does it really cost?

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Solar energy is free, but what does it really cost ?     “ Solar energy is free, but it’s not cheap ” best sums up the major hurdle for the solar industry. There are no technical obstacles per se to developing solar energy systems, even at the utility megaWatt level ( e.g., 14 MW utility scale PV system at Nellis AFB or a 64-MW CSP system in Nevada ); however, at such large scales a high initial capital investment is required. Over the past three decades, a significant reduction of the cost of solar products has occurred, without including environmental benefits; yet, solar power is still considered a relatively expensive technology. For small- and medium-scale uses, in some applications, such as passive solar design for homes, the initial cost of a home designed to use solar power is essentially no more than that of a regular home, and operating costs are much less. The only difference is that the solar-energy home works with the Sun throughout the year and needs smaller m

Hypotheses for Bat Attraction to Wind Turbines-

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Why Bats Are Insanely Attracted To Wind Turbines?   Bat Kills at Wind Turbines-  The cause for this non-collision mortality is believed to be a type of decompression known as barotrauma , Bat Mortality from Collisions and Barotrauma   Bats that fly too close to wind turbines are killed by either direct impact or from major air pressure changes around the spinning rotors. While bats clearly are killed by direct collision with turbine blades , up to 50 percent of the dead bats around wind turbines are found with no visible sign of injury . The cause for this non-collision mortality is believed to be a type of decompression known as barotrauma, resulting from rapid air pressure reduction near moving turbine blades. Barotrauma kills bats near wind turbines by causing severe tissue damage to their lungs, which are large and pliable, thereby overly expanding when exposed to a sudden drop in pressure. By contrast, barotrauma does not affect birds because they have compact, rigid lun

Super Capacitors – Different Than Others

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Super Capacitors – Different Than Others      Equivalent circuit Super capacitors can be illustrated similarly to conventional film , ceramic or aluminum electrolytic capacitors . Figure 3 - First order model of a super capacitor This equivalent circuit is only a simplified or first order model of a super capacitor. In actuality super capacitors exhibit a non ideal behavior due to the porous materials used to make the electrodes. This causes super capacitors to exhibit behavior more closely to transmission lines than capacitors. Below is a more accurate illustration of the equivalent circuit for a super capacitor : Figure 4 - Model of a super capacitor How to measure the capacitance? There are a couple of ways used to measure the capacitance of super capacitors: Charge method Charging and discharging method. Charge Method Measurement is performed using a charge method using the following formula: C = t / R t = 0.632 x V o   where V o is the applied voltage. Figure 5 - Charge an

Surge Protection of Electronic Equipment-Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors

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Surge Protection of Electronic Equipment     Introduction Generally, power circuits have components that have large thermal capacities, which make it impossible for them to attain very high temperatures quickly except during very large or long disturbances. This requires correspondingly large surge energies. Also, the materials that constitute the insulation of these components can operate at temperatures as high as 200 ºC at least for short periods. Electronic circuits, on the other hand, use components that operate at very small voltage and power levels. Even small magnitude surge currents or transient voltages are enough to cause high temperatures and voltage breakdowns. Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor (TVSS) is a device that every data center or mission critical facility should have. Why should every data center have one and what does it do you ask? The purpose of a TVSS is to eliminate or reduce damage to data processing equipment