GC: n CT: Silicon has been used as an electrical component for many years. It was while someone was trying to improve this element’s ability to conduct electricity (by adding impurities into its structure and then exposing it to the sun) that the silicon solar cell was born. This happened
GC: n CT: S: (last access: 12 July 2016) N: 1. coined 1863 in German from silico-, comb. form indicating the presence of silicon (onmetallic element, 1817, coined by British chemist Thomas Thomson from silica (silicon dioxide), from which it was isolated), + -one (chemical suffix, from Greek -one, female
GC: n CT: Small hydropower. Voith is a full-line supplier for small hydropower plants. With its over 100 years of experience, the company is an established industry provider both for the construction of new plants and for the modernization of existing power stations. Environmentally-friendly precursor for social development Small hydropower
GC: npl CT: Blind people have long relied on sound as a substitution for sight, and some even use echolocation to navigate around objects. But it turns out that sound can be specifically designed to convey visual information. Now, that phenomenon is being used in an attempt to build better
GC: n CT: “Smart grid” generally refers to a class of technology people are using to bring utility electricity delivery systems into the 21st century, using computer-based remote control and automation. These systems are made possible by two-way communication technology and computer processing that has been used for decades in
GC: n CT: Missouri wants to make a 200-mile stretch of Interstate 70 the nation’s first smart highway. What exactly that means, and how such a project would be paid for, remains unclear. On Wednesday, Stephen Miller, chairman of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, announced the state’s “Road to
GC: n CT: Smart meters are the next generation of gas and electricity meters. They are part of our plan for upgrading the UK’s energy system. We aim for all homes and small businesses to have smart meters by 2020. Energy suppliers will be required to install smart meters and
GC: n CT: A smart work zone is a construction zone in which intelligent transportation technology has been deployed to increase safety and provide information to motorists. Smart work zones often use side-fire radar or other sensor technology to detect the presence and speed of vehicles approaching a work zone.
CG: n CT: Modern high-end mobile phones combine the functionality of a pocket-sized communication device with PC-like capabilities, resulting in what are generally referred to as smartphones. These integrate such diverse functionality as voice communication, audio and video playback, web browsing, short-message and email communication, media downloads, gaming and more. The
CG: n CT: Information technologies can assist the elderly in their daily lives and thus improve their quality of life. Here, we present a system that was developed within the framework of the EU H2020 project IN LIFE to make the elderly feel more secure. The system consists of a
GC: n CT: Scientists have designed a new type of cathode that could make the mass production of sodium batteries more feasible. Batteries based on plentiful and low-cost sodium are of great interest to both scientists and industry as they could facilitate a more cost-efficient production process for grid-scale energy
GC: n CT: The behaviour of the soft brown coal from the Kostolac Mine (Serbia, Yugoslavia) was investigated during hydroliquefaction carried out in a batch reactor by direct catalytic hydrogenation of the pulverized coal (−160 μm) dispersed in tetralin. The effects of temperature (ranging from 365 to 440°C), pressure (13.5
GC: n CT: Software can be thought of as the variable part of a computer and hardware the invariable part. Software is often divided into application software (programs that do work users are directly interested in) and system software (which includes operating systems and any program that supports application software).
GC: n CT: Soil pollution can lead to water pollution if toxic chemicals leach into groundwater, or if contaminated runoff reaches streams, lakes, or oceans. Soil also naturally contributes to air pollution by releasing volatile compounds into the atmosphere. Nitrogen escapes through ammonia volatilization and denitrification. The decomposition of organic
GC: n CT: Light shining on the solar cell produces both a current and a voltage to generate electric power. This process requires firstly, a material in which the absorption of light raises an electron to a higher energy state, and secondly, the movement of this higher energy electron from
GC: n CT: The solar chimney power plant basically operates like a hydroelectric power plant, but instead of water it uses hot air. The principle is a relative simple one. A round ascending glass roof with a diameter of several thousand metres is used as a collector. A chimney in
GC: n CT: One of the biggest complaints about solar energy is that the setups aren’t very attractive. A team of material engineers at Michigan State University have developed solar concentrators that are completely transparent, which means they can be used on windows without disturbing the view or even on
GC: n CT: Solar Cooling. Solar energy can also be used to generate cool air. There are two kinds of solar cooling systems: desiccant systems and absorption chiller systems. In a desiccant system, air passes over a common desiccant or “drying material” such as silica gel to draw moisture from
GC: n CT: Solar power is energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy. Solar energy is the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available, and the U.S. has some of the richest solar resources in the world. Modern technology can harness this energy for
GC: n CT: Solar farms, or solar parks, are the large-scale application of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) installations used to generate electricity. They often cover large areas of land (between 1 and 100 acres) and therefore they are usually developed in rural locations. Approximately 25 acres of land is required for
GC: n CT: Use the solar energy factor (SEF) and solar fraction (SF) to determine a solar water heater’s energy efficiency. The solar energy factor is defined as the energy delivered by the system divided by the electrical or gas energy put into the system. The higher the number, the
GC: n CT: Solar power can be used in many extraordinary ways. One of the most majestic applications of solar thermal energy is the solar furnace. These are enormous installations that make use of solar thermal energy for extreme high heat processes (temperatures as high as 3500oC/6330oF). The technology is