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

See solar thermal collector

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

GC: n CT: Solar Irradiance is a measure of how much solar power you are getting at your location. This irradiance varies throughout the year depending on the seasons. It also varies throughout the day, depending on the position of the sun in the sky, and the weather. Solar insolation

GC: n CT: Solar water pumps are high efficiency pumps specifically designed to run from solar panels. Coupled with a suitable pumping maximiser or controller, they continue to pump in low light conditions such as cloud cover, early morning and late afternoons. The most common variety of solar pumps are

GC: n CT: Solar radiation is radiant energy emitted by the sun, particularly electromagnetic energy. About half of the radiation is in the visible short-wave part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The other half is mostly in the near-infrared part, with some in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. The portion

GC: n CT: Each object that converts solar radiation into heat can be considered a solar thermal collector. As such, the earth itself or even human beings are prominent examples. In a more technical sense, however, a solar thermal collector is a device that converts incoming radiation into some technically