It was only a matter of time before 3D printers went to other worlds, really. Following a NASA line of questioning, Washington State University has determined that it's possible to print 3D objects from moon rock. Researchers learned that simulated moon material behaves like silica and can be shaped into 3D objects by melting it with a laser, whether it's to form new objects (like the ugly cylinders above) or to patch objects together. Would-be assemblers could also introduce additive materials to vary the composition on demand. No, the results aren't as pretty as certain 3D creations, but they could be vital for future missions to Mars or the Moon: astronauts could fix equipment, or build new parts, without either an elaborate process or waiting for supplies from Earth. Now all we need are the extraterrestrial missions to take advantage of WSU's ideas.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels battled forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad just outside Damascus on Thursday, forcing the closure of the main airport road, and the Dubai-based Emirates airline suspended flights to the Syrian capital.
Residents also reported Internet connections in the capital were down and mobile and land telephone lines working only sporadically in what appeared to be the worst disruption to communications in Syria since an uprising began 20 months ago.
The past two weeks have seen rebels overrunning army bases across Syria, exposing Assad's loss of control in northern and eastern regions despite the devastating air power that he has used to bombard opposition strongholds.
Rebels and activists said the fighting along the road to Damascus airport, southeast of the capital, was heavier in that area than at any other time in the conflict.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a opposition monitoring group, said clashes were particularly intense in Babbila, a suburb bordering the insurgent stronghold of Tadamon.
Nabeel al-Ameer, a spokesman for the rebel Military Council in Damascus, said that a large number of army reinforcements had arrived along the road after three days of scattered clashes ending with rebels seizing side streets to the north of it.
"There are no clashes directly around the airport; the fighting is about 3 or 4 kilometers away," he said via Skype, adding that rebels had taken control of many secondary roads and were expected to advance towards the airport.
He said that he hoped the proximity of the rebels to the airport would dissuade authorities from using it to import military equipment, but the priority now was to block the road.
A Syrian security source told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the army had started a "cleansing operation" in the capital to confront rebel advances.
Residents said the Internet in Damascus crashed in the early afternoon and mobile and land telephone lines were functioning only intermittently.
A blog post on Renesys, a U.S. company which tracks Internet traffic worldwide, said that at 12:26 p.m. in Damascus, Syria's international Internet connectivity shut down completely.
Emirates said it was suspending daily flights to Damascus "until further notice", but other airlines continued operations.
Airport sources in Cairo said an Egypt Air flight that left at 1:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) had landed in Damascus as scheduled.
"The Egypt Air plane has arrived ... and passengers are all safe but the pilot was instructed to take off back to Cairo without passengers if he felt that the situation there is not good to stay for longer," an official at Cairo airport said.
Elsewhere in Damascus, warplanes bombed Kafr Souseh and Daraya, two neighborhoods that fringe the center of the city where rebels have managed to hide out and ambush army units, according to opposition activists.
"NOT LAST DAYS YET"
A senior European Union official said that Assad appeared to be preparing for a military showdown around Damascus, possibly by isolating the city with a network of checkpoints.
"The rebels are gaining ground but it is still rather slow. We are not witnessing the last days yet," the official said on condition of anonymity.
"On the outskirts of Damascus, there are mortars and more attacks. The regime is thinking of protecting itself ... with checkpoints in the next few days ... (It) seems the regime is preparing for major battle on Damascus."
In the north of the country, rebel units launched an offensive to seize an army base close to the main north-south highway that would allow them to block troop movements and cut Assad's main supply route to Aleppo, Syria's biggest city.
The Observatory said that rebel units from around Idlib province massed early on Thursday morning to attack Wadi al-Deif, a base east of the rebel-held town of Maarat al-Numan.
Wadi al-Deif has been a thorn in the side of rebel units who first besieged the station in October but met fierce resistance from government forces, backed up by air strikes.
Assad is fighting an insurgency that grew out of peaceful demonstrations for democratic reform but escalated, after a military crackdown on protesters, into a civil war in which 40,000 people have been killed.
Most foreign powers have condemned Assad but stopped short of arming rebel fighters as they fear heavy weapons could make their way into the hands of radical Islamist units, who have grown increasingly prominent in the insurgency.
Rebels decry their supporters for not providing them with surface-to-air missiles that they say they need to counter the air force. But recent looting of anti-aircraft missiles from army bases has allowed them to shoot down helicopters and jets.
"So far, there is no evidence that any of the surface-to-air missiles used to date have come from outside Syria," said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch.
"The limited number of surface-to-air missiles that have shown up all appear to have come from Syrian military stock captured by the armed opposition."
He said the number of these missiles in rebel hands was probably over 20 but that will rise significantly as rebels are capturing military bases on an almost-daily basis.
The relatively small number of anti-aircraft missiles looted so far means that many rebel-controlled areas of the country remain vulnerable to air strikes. The Observatory said 15 citizens, including children and women, were killed during a bombing in Aleppo's Ansari district on Thursday.
Activist video footage showed the bodies of at least four children, wrapped in red blankets and apparently wearing pyjamas. Another video showed the immediate aftermath of the attack, with the bodies of children in the street and covered in cement dust. Half of one young boy's head was missing.
(Additional reporting by Dominic Evans and Erika Solomon in Beirut; Yasmine Saleh in Cairo, Praveen Menon in Dubai and Justyna Pawlak in Brussels; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
It?s not always easy to find something healthy to eat while you?re on the go. Traveling is not an exception to this as you?re constantly distracted by finding your destination, making sure you have everything packed, enough money and just the basic chaos that traveling can cause.
It?s very easy to slip in your diet and buy something greasy or highly processed just to get some fuel in your body.
You make the excuse that it?s your vacation or that it?s just too hard to find something healthy when you?re in an unfamiliar setting ? and, really, if your first food option is to pull into a drive-thru, then it isn?t likely that you?re going to find organic whey on the menu, let alone something fresh.
Traveling can ultimately be the killer of organic diets. You probably don?t want to waste valuable time hunting for organic food labels or finding organic grocery stores when you arrive. Below are a few things to check off your list to help make an organic diet easier while you travel.
Contact your Hotel
Hotels have been known as information centers for travelers, and now that guests aiming to eat healthy are increasing it?s likely that your hotel will have a few organic food location recommendations in mind for you. If you?re visiting a large city you should be able to even find restaurants more specific to your diet (natural, organic, vegetarian, etc.).
In towns, your best bet is to know when and where the farmer?s markets open up, so you can enjoy the local and seasonal products as well as stay faithful to your organic diet. Even if the hotel doesn?t offer a list of places right away, it is good to make them aware of your dietary needs ahead of time so that they can gather information for you to improve your travel experience.
Pack the Snacks
Expecting that everywhere you go they will have all the organic food that you prefer or need is going to get you into a lot of trouble. The organic mindset hasn?t spread everywhere, nor have all of your favorite organic products like organic whey or a specific brand. If you have very specific dietary needs or just don?t want to be left wanting for a favorite brand, we suggest packing some snacks to take with you. That way, you?ll be able to have something quick to eat while you travel and help keep you from overeating or opting for something less healthy.
Enjoy an Eco-Friendly Vacation
One of the best things about the increasing appeal of organic living and eating is that there are now vacations built to please the eco-friendly traveler. If the prospect of sticking to your organic diet while planning a vacation to accommodate it sounds like a harrowing experience, let an eco-friendly vacation package help solve that problem for you.
They offer packages filled with fun and relaxation, and even spa treatments. You don?t have to miss out on a good experience and good food while on vacation and you certainly don?t have to worry about whether or not your next meal is organic because these vacation plans are made for people like you.
Research Is Your Friend
If an organic diet is important to you while you travel, then it?s about time to make research an important part of your life as well. You might dread the very word, but researching on your own can be a lot more reliable than expecting other people to know all the answers. Make a point to learn as much about where you?re going, so you know what to expect and what to plan. That way, you won?t find yourself high and dry once you?ve arrived at your destination.
Maintaining an organic diet can definitely be a great way to make sure that what goes into your body keeps it healthy and happy. Being unaware of the nutrition value of your foods can mean subjecting your body to several toxic chemicals and added hormones that diminish health and cause issues in the long-run. It might seem like a struggle and even a daily inconvenience at first, but you will soon find that eating healthy becomes an easy habit.
Traveling Healthy
Whether you are traveling by air, car or sea, you are likely to encounter disturbances that can bring about discomfort and upset?interfering with your leisure travel or business plans. To help balance systemic health and promote wellness during your travels, Native Remedies offers solutions to suit all your needs including remedies for motion sickness, digestive upset, fear of flying and stress.
Traveling, whether for business or vacation, can attribute to feelings of stress? which can affect your mood and the disposition. Flight delays, lost luggage, traffic, language barriers, and other common causes of stress can become physically and mentally overwhelming. To help cope with the emotions related to these frustrations, natural remedies work to support brain and nervous system health to maintain balanced moods and feelings of well-being? so you can enjoy your travels!
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? ? Simply right click the ebook title above, and choose Save As to save to your desktop!? You can find more FREE Natural Health, Wellness and Pet Ebooks at Remedies4.com!
About Karine Heyden
Karine Heyden is a professional writer. She is a native French, graduated English literature from La Sorbonne, Paris. Fluent in both English and French, she likes books about Vampires and she is a mother of a cute baby. She shares her daily thoughts via her blog
ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2012) ? A new paradigm for understanding the earliest eras in the history of the universe has been developed by scientists at Penn State University. Using techniques from an area of modern physics called loop quantum cosmology, developed at Penn State, the scientists now have extended analyses that include quantum physics farther back in time than ever before -- all the way to the beginning. The new paradigm of loop quantum origins shows, for the first time, that the large-scale structures we now see in the universe evolved from fundamental fluctuations in the essential quantum nature of "space-time," which existed even at the very beginning of the universe over 14 billion years ago. The achievement also provides new opportunities for testing competing theories of modern cosmology against breakthrough observations expected from next-generation telescopes.
The research will be published on 11 December 2012 as an "Editor's Suggestion" paper in the scientific journal Physical Review Letters.
"We humans always have yearned to understand more about the origin and evolution of our universe," said Abhay Ashtekar, the senior author of the paper. "So it is an exciting time in our group right now, as we begin using our new paradigm to understand, in more detail, the dynamics that matter and geometry experienced during the earliest eras of the universe, including at the very beginning." Ashtekar is the Holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Physics at Penn State and the director of the university's Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos. Coauthors of the paper, along with Ashtekar, are postdoctoral fellows Ivan Agullo and William Nelson.
The new paradigm provides a conceptual and mathematical framework for describing the exotic "quantum-mechanical geometry of space-time" in the very early universe. The paradigm shows that, during this early era, the universe was compressed to such unimaginable densities that its behavior was ruled not by the classical physics of Einstein's general theory of relativity, but by an even more fundamental theory that also incorporates the strange dynamics of quantum mechanics. The density of matter was huge then -- 1094 grams per cubic centimeter, as compared with the density of an atomic nucleus today, which is only 1014 grams.
In this bizarre quantum-mechanical environment -- where one can speak only of probabilities of events rather than certainties -- physical properties naturally would be vastly different from the way we experience them today. Among these differences, Ashtekar said, are the concept of "time," as well as the changing dynamics of various systems over time as they experience the fabric of quantum geometry itself.
No space observatories have been able to detect anything as long ago and far away as the very early eras of the universe described by the new paradigm. But a few observatories have come close. Cosmic background radiation has been detected in an era when the universe was only 380-thousand years old. By that time, after a period of rapid expansion called "inflation," the universe had burst out into a much-diluted version of its earlier super-compressed self. At the beginning of inflation, the density of the universe was a trillion times less than during its infancy, so quantum factors now are much less important in ruling the large-scale dynamics of matter and geometry.
Observations of the cosmic background radiation show that the universe had a predominantly uniform consistency after inflation, except for a light sprinkling of some regions that were more dense and others that were less dense. The standard inflationary paradigm for describing the early universe, which uses the classical-physics equations of Einstein, treats space-time as a smooth continuum. "The inflationary paradigm enjoys remarkable success in explaining the observed features of the cosmic background radiation. Yet this model is incomplete. It retains the idea that the universe burst forth from nothing in a Big Bang, which naturally results from the inability of the paradigm's general-relativity physics to describe extreme quantum-mechanical situations," Agullo said. "One needs a quantum theory of gravity, like loop quantum cosmology, to go beyond Einstein in order to capture the true physics near the origin of the universe."
Earlier work with loop quantum cosmology in Ashtekar's group had updated the concept of the Big Bang with the intriguing concept of a Big Bounce, which allows the possibility that our universe emerged not from nothing but from a super-compressed mass of matter that previously may have had a history of its own.
Even though the quantum-mechanical conditions at the beginning of the universe were vastly different from the classical-physics conditions after inflation, the new achievement by the Penn State physicists reveals a surprising connection between the two different paradigms that describe these eras. When scientists use the inflation paradigm together with Einstein's equations to model the evolution of the seed-like areas sprinkled throughout the cosmic background radiation, they find that the irregularities serve as seeds that evolve over time into the galaxy clusters and other large-scale structures that we see in the universe today. Amazingly, when the Penn State scientists used their new loop-quantum-origins paradigm with its quantum-cosmology equations, they found that fundamental fluctuations in the very nature of space at the moment of the Big Bounce evolve to become the seed-like structures seen in the cosmic microwave background.
"Our new work shows that the initial conditions at the very beginning of the universe naturally lead to the large-scale structure of the universe that we observe today," Ashtekar said. "In human terms, it is like taking a snapshot of a baby right at birth and then being able to project from it an accurate profile of how that person will be at age 100."
"This paper pushes back the genesis of the cosmic structure of our universe from the inflationary epoch all the way to the Big Bounce, covering some 11 orders of magnitude in the density of matter and the curvature of space-time," Nelson said. "We now have narrowed down the initial conditions that could exist at the Big Bounce, plus we find that the evolution of those initial conditions agrees with observations of the cosmic background radiation."
The team's results also identify a narrower range of parameters for which the new paradigm predicts novel effects, distinguishing it from standard inflation. Ashtekar said, "It is exciting that we soon may be able to test different predictions from these two theories against future discoveries with next-generation observational missions. Such experiments will help us to continue gaining a deeper understanding of the very, very early universe."
The research was supported by the National Science Foundation.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Penn State. The original article was written by Barbara K. Kennedy.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Ivan Agullo, Abhay Ashtekar, and William Nelson. Quantum gravity extension of the inflationary scenario. Physical Review Letters, December 11, 2012
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Greener storage for green energyPublic release date: 29-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Patrick Rutter mrutter@seas.harvard.edu 617-496-3815 Harvard University
ARPA-E grant will support research into next-generation flow batteries to solve wind/solar intermittency problem
Cambridge, Mass. November 29, 2012 Renewable energy solutions like wind and solar operate on nature's timetable. When the sun blazes or when the breeze blows, power is plentifulbut not necessarily at the moments when consumers need it, like on a hot, calm summer night.
Storing energy from these intermittent sources has aroused interest, yet practical economics and basic chemistry have limited the wider use of green energy. Storage, to be viable, cannot add much to the price of renewable electricity without making it unacceptably expensive. Fossil fuels remain the world's chief energy source due to their relatively low cost.
To give renewables a fighting chance, a team led by engineers and chemists at Harvard University will use a one-year, $600,000 innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-E) program to develop a new type of storage battery. The grant may be subject to renewal beyond a year, depending on performance. The award is part of a $130-million funding effort by ARPA-E through its "OPEN 2012" program, designed to support innovative energy technologies.
Called a flow battery, the technology offers the prospect of cost-effective, grid-scale electrical energy storage based on eco-friendly small organic molecules. Because practical implementation is a core driver for the program, the researchers are collaborating with Sustainable Innovations, LLC, a commercial electrochemical system developer.
"Storage of very large amounts of energy is required if we are to generate a major portion of our electricity from intermittent renewable sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaics," says lead investigator Michael Aziz, Gene and Tracy Sykes Professor of Materials and Energy Technologies at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). "Currently no cost-effective solution exists to this large-scale storage problem. Flow batteries may make stationary storage viable in the marketplace, and that will enable wind and solar to displace a lot more fossil fuel."
A type of highly rechargable fuel cell, flow batteries are suitable for storing large amounts of electrical energy in the form of liquid chemicals, which are flowed past the electrochemical conversion hardware and stored externally in inexpensive tanks that can be arbitrarily large. This permits the designer to independently size the electrochemical conversion hardware (which sets the peak power capacity) and the chemical storage tanks (which set the energy capacity).
By contrast, in solid-electrode batteries, such as those commonly found in cars and mobile devices, the power conversion hardware and energy capacity are packaged together in one unit, and cannot be decoupled. Consequently they can maintain peak discharge power for less than an hour before being drained. Studies indicate that 1 to 2 days (the cycle of day/night) are required for rendering renewables like wind and solar dispatchable through the current electrical grid.
To store 50 hours of energy from a 1-megawatt wind turbine (50 megawatt-hours), for example, a possible solution would be to buy solid-electrode batteries with 50 megawatt-hours of energy storage. The effective result, paying for 50 megawatts of power capacity when only 1 megawatt is necessary, however, makes little economic sense.
"Not only are existing solid-state batteries impractical for storing intermittent wind and solar energy, but flow batteries currently under development have their own set of limitations," says Aziz. "The chemicals used for storage in flow batteries can be expensive or difficult to maintain."
For example, vanadium redox flow batteriesthe type of chemistry receiving the most attentionhave limited commercial head room because the high price of vanadium sets a floor on the cost per kilowatt-hour of storage. Sodium-sulfur batteries operate with their components in a molten state, requiring the tanks to be kept at very high temperatures in hot houses. Both cost and complexity limit their use.
Aziz believes that using a particular class of small organic molecules may be the key. These molecules, which his team has already been working on, are found in plants and can be synthesized artificially for very low cost. They are also non-toxic and can be stored at room temperature. Furthermore, they cycle very efficiently between the chemical states needed for energy storage.
As an expert in materials science and a developer of high-performance flow cells, Aziz will focus his efforts on molecular and electrode electrochemistry and flow cell development. Joining him will be Roy Gordon, Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Materials Science, who will be responsible for the chemical screening and synthesis of molecules and of practical electrocatalytic and protective coatings. Aln Aspuru-Guzik, an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, will use his pioneering high-throughput molecular screening methods to identify optimal molecules. Trent M. Molter, President and CEO of Sustainable Innovations, LLC, will provide expertise on implementing these innovations into commercial electrochemical systems.
"We think our particular approach could have advantages over other flow batteries, such as higher power density, high efficiency, inexpensive chemicals, and a safer type of energy storage," says Aziz. "The success of this program would render intermittent renewables like wind and photovoltaics dispatchable at will, and thereby permit them to supply a large fraction of our electricity needs."
Aziz foresees using next-generation flow batteries for local energy storage, such as in the basement of a house or office outfitted with rooftop solar panels or, at a larger scale, directly integrated into wind and solar farms. The technology could even out-compete lead-acid batteries for solar energy storage in remote areas without access to a grid.
"While not eliminating fossil fuels, flow battery storage potentially eliminates a barrier to doing so within the existing energy system and market," says Aziz. "The best engineering and chemistry alone are not enough to solve our energy challenges. Compatibility with current infrastructure is almost always essential, and economic viability is always essential. Flow batteries may play a huge role in our transition off of fossil fuels and I am very excited that Harvard has the opportunity to develop a potential game-changer."
###
About the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-E)
ARPA-E was launched in 2009 to seek out transformational, breakthrough technologies that are too risky for private-sector investment but have the potential to translate science into great leaps in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and have large commercial impacts. ARPA-E has attracted over 5,000 applications from research teams, which have resulted in over 180 groundbreaking projects worth nearly $500 million. More information on the program is available at www.arpa-e.energy.gov.
This is the first ARPA-E grant awarded to the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). Simultaneously, a team led by Joanna Aizenberg, Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at SEAS and a Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, is receiving an ARPA-E award through the Wyss Institute. Pamela Silver, Elliott T. and Onie H. Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School and a core faculty member of the Wyss Institute, is also leading a prior ARPA-E-funded project focused on developing new approaches for microbial biofuels.
The team acknowledges initial funding on early-stage research from the Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE) and from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Greener storage for green energyPublic release date: 29-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Patrick Rutter mrutter@seas.harvard.edu 617-496-3815 Harvard University
ARPA-E grant will support research into next-generation flow batteries to solve wind/solar intermittency problem
Cambridge, Mass. November 29, 2012 Renewable energy solutions like wind and solar operate on nature's timetable. When the sun blazes or when the breeze blows, power is plentifulbut not necessarily at the moments when consumers need it, like on a hot, calm summer night.
Storing energy from these intermittent sources has aroused interest, yet practical economics and basic chemistry have limited the wider use of green energy. Storage, to be viable, cannot add much to the price of renewable electricity without making it unacceptably expensive. Fossil fuels remain the world's chief energy source due to their relatively low cost.
To give renewables a fighting chance, a team led by engineers and chemists at Harvard University will use a one-year, $600,000 innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-E) program to develop a new type of storage battery. The grant may be subject to renewal beyond a year, depending on performance. The award is part of a $130-million funding effort by ARPA-E through its "OPEN 2012" program, designed to support innovative energy technologies.
Called a flow battery, the technology offers the prospect of cost-effective, grid-scale electrical energy storage based on eco-friendly small organic molecules. Because practical implementation is a core driver for the program, the researchers are collaborating with Sustainable Innovations, LLC, a commercial electrochemical system developer.
"Storage of very large amounts of energy is required if we are to generate a major portion of our electricity from intermittent renewable sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaics," says lead investigator Michael Aziz, Gene and Tracy Sykes Professor of Materials and Energy Technologies at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). "Currently no cost-effective solution exists to this large-scale storage problem. Flow batteries may make stationary storage viable in the marketplace, and that will enable wind and solar to displace a lot more fossil fuel."
A type of highly rechargable fuel cell, flow batteries are suitable for storing large amounts of electrical energy in the form of liquid chemicals, which are flowed past the electrochemical conversion hardware and stored externally in inexpensive tanks that can be arbitrarily large. This permits the designer to independently size the electrochemical conversion hardware (which sets the peak power capacity) and the chemical storage tanks (which set the energy capacity).
By contrast, in solid-electrode batteries, such as those commonly found in cars and mobile devices, the power conversion hardware and energy capacity are packaged together in one unit, and cannot be decoupled. Consequently they can maintain peak discharge power for less than an hour before being drained. Studies indicate that 1 to 2 days (the cycle of day/night) are required for rendering renewables like wind and solar dispatchable through the current electrical grid.
To store 50 hours of energy from a 1-megawatt wind turbine (50 megawatt-hours), for example, a possible solution would be to buy solid-electrode batteries with 50 megawatt-hours of energy storage. The effective result, paying for 50 megawatts of power capacity when only 1 megawatt is necessary, however, makes little economic sense.
"Not only are existing solid-state batteries impractical for storing intermittent wind and solar energy, but flow batteries currently under development have their own set of limitations," says Aziz. "The chemicals used for storage in flow batteries can be expensive or difficult to maintain."
For example, vanadium redox flow batteriesthe type of chemistry receiving the most attentionhave limited commercial head room because the high price of vanadium sets a floor on the cost per kilowatt-hour of storage. Sodium-sulfur batteries operate with their components in a molten state, requiring the tanks to be kept at very high temperatures in hot houses. Both cost and complexity limit their use.
Aziz believes that using a particular class of small organic molecules may be the key. These molecules, which his team has already been working on, are found in plants and can be synthesized artificially for very low cost. They are also non-toxic and can be stored at room temperature. Furthermore, they cycle very efficiently between the chemical states needed for energy storage.
As an expert in materials science and a developer of high-performance flow cells, Aziz will focus his efforts on molecular and electrode electrochemistry and flow cell development. Joining him will be Roy Gordon, Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Materials Science, who will be responsible for the chemical screening and synthesis of molecules and of practical electrocatalytic and protective coatings. Aln Aspuru-Guzik, an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, will use his pioneering high-throughput molecular screening methods to identify optimal molecules. Trent M. Molter, President and CEO of Sustainable Innovations, LLC, will provide expertise on implementing these innovations into commercial electrochemical systems.
"We think our particular approach could have advantages over other flow batteries, such as higher power density, high efficiency, inexpensive chemicals, and a safer type of energy storage," says Aziz. "The success of this program would render intermittent renewables like wind and photovoltaics dispatchable at will, and thereby permit them to supply a large fraction of our electricity needs."
Aziz foresees using next-generation flow batteries for local energy storage, such as in the basement of a house or office outfitted with rooftop solar panels or, at a larger scale, directly integrated into wind and solar farms. The technology could even out-compete lead-acid batteries for solar energy storage in remote areas without access to a grid.
"While not eliminating fossil fuels, flow battery storage potentially eliminates a barrier to doing so within the existing energy system and market," says Aziz. "The best engineering and chemistry alone are not enough to solve our energy challenges. Compatibility with current infrastructure is almost always essential, and economic viability is always essential. Flow batteries may play a huge role in our transition off of fossil fuels and I am very excited that Harvard has the opportunity to develop a potential game-changer."
###
About the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-E)
ARPA-E was launched in 2009 to seek out transformational, breakthrough technologies that are too risky for private-sector investment but have the potential to translate science into great leaps in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and have large commercial impacts. ARPA-E has attracted over 5,000 applications from research teams, which have resulted in over 180 groundbreaking projects worth nearly $500 million. More information on the program is available at www.arpa-e.energy.gov.
This is the first ARPA-E grant awarded to the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). Simultaneously, a team led by Joanna Aizenberg, Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at SEAS and a Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, is receiving an ARPA-E award through the Wyss Institute. Pamela Silver, Elliott T. and Onie H. Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School and a core faculty member of the Wyss Institute, is also leading a prior ARPA-E-funded project focused on developing new approaches for microbial biofuels.
The team acknowledges initial funding on early-stage research from the Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE) and from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
OTC Insurance is an insurance broker in Halifax, Nova Scotia offering travel insurance, and home and auto insurance. This week?s post looks at Canadians and travel insurance.
A recent survey conducted by American Express on the topic of travel insurance had some interesting findings. While over half of those surveyed plan to travel over the next six months, only 59 per cent planned to purchase travel insurance prior to their trip.
The survey results did not mention where people planned on going for their trips.
One of the biggest reasons people purchase travel insurance has to do with paying out-of-pocket medical expenses. The survey found only two per cent of respondents ?would be willing and able to pay $10,000 or more out-of-pocket for medical expenses while travelling, an amount which would likely not even cover the most basic of accidents in many parts of the world.?
The press release goes on to quote a Canadian whose husband was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery after suffering a severe heart attack while travelling. The total cost of the hospital bills was a whopping $300,116, but they were covered by travel insurance.
?Without travel insurance, our medical bills would have left us broke,? said Sue Noble in the press release.
There?s no doubt that travel insurance is an inexpensive and wise investment to purchase before travelling.
The survey also asked people what deters them from purchasing travel insurance. Here is what American Express found:
72 per cent weren?t sure if they were getting a good deal.
66 per cent don?t understand what the coverage includes and there?s too much jargon.
65 per cent think it?s too complicated to compare one product to another.
PHOENIX (AP) ? Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has decided against creating a state-run health insurance exchange required to implement a key part of President Barack Obama's federal health care law.
Brewer's decision announced Wednesday means the federal government will set up an online marketplace for the state, offering subsidized private health coverage to the middle class.
Brewer, who reiterated her opposition to the health care overhaul, said there are too many costs and questions associated with a state-run exchange.
Federal requirements mean the state "would wield little actual authority over its 'state' exchange," she said in a statement.
"The federal government would maintain oversight and control over virtually every aspect of our exchange, limiting our ability to meet the unique needs of Arizonans and the Arizona insurance market," she said.
Brewer sent a federal official a one-page letter disclosing her decision.
Her announcement preceded a Dec. 14 deadline for states to declare whether they'd run their own exchanges.
A decision to create an exchange would have been subject to approval by the Republican-led state Legislature.
Though the Nov. 6 election results reduced the size of Republicans' majorities in the state House and Senate, a Brewer push to create a state-run exchange would have faced a fight from GOP lawmakers who oppose the law.
An alliance of hospitals, insurance companies and business groups wanted Arizona to have a state-run exchange, arguing that it would increase coverage while giving the state flexibility in designing a program to its liking.
Conservative advocacy groups such as the Goldwater Institute stand in opposition. They say Arizona shouldn't help implement a law that could foist new expenses on the state and raise health insurance prices for residents.
Brewer's administration spent two years planning for a possible exchange, accepting approximately $31 million of federal funding to pay for the advance work.
As part of that planning, Brewer in September selected a minimum benefits package for a state-run exchange based on current insurance coverage for state employees. She noted in a Sept. 28 letter to the Obama administration that the package she chose excludes abortion coverage.
While some Republican governors in such states as Texas and Maine have balked at creating state-run exchanges, others in Nevada and New Mexico have opted to proceed.
On another implementation issue with state versus federal considerations, Brewer has decided it was better to have the state run its own program to review health insurance rates, rather than leave that to the federal government. The state has formally approved rules for a rate-review program.
Brewer still must decide whether to expand eligibility for the state's Medicaid program as called for by the law.
Have you always dreamed of your own pet, maybe a horse or a mystical dragon? Now you can not only have a pet but you can take them everywhere with you on your Android device or iPhone. There is a wide selection of virtual pet apps available, so we have chosen five top apps for both Android and iPhones. You can now download your favorite pet, care for them, watch them as they grow and keep them happy.
Cool Virtual Pet Apps For Android
Android has a selection of great apps including a choice of virtual pet apps. Find your pet, download him or her now and start caring for them and raising them as you would if you had a real pet at home.
Drago Pet
Drago Pet lets you raise your own mystical dragon. You start by keeping your little dragon egg warm until it hatches. Once your cute dragon hatches you are responsible for feeding it, cleaning its den and playing with it.
The advantage is that your Android device will let you know when your dragon needs your care, even if you aren?t in the game at the time. Drago Pet can be downloaded from the Play Store.
Pet Care
Pet Care lets you take care of your pet throughout his or her life, play games, feed him and ensure your pet is always fit and healthy. Collect coins, buy food and give your pet loads of love. Just like having a real pet in the house.
Virtual Pet Cat
The virtual pet cat has some Android users loving it while others find the animation a little slow. But if you have always dreamed of having a kitten in the house, this is the cleanest and easiest way to do it. Keep your kitty on your Android device as you play with them, feed them and keep them healthy. This app can be downloaded at
Tiny Farm
Have you always wanted to throw on your Wellies and dungarees and get your hands dirty managing a farm? Well now you can from the clean warmth of your home with Tiny Farm Android app. Take control of your own virtual farm where you must take care of your chickens, cows, horses and sheet. Breed your own animals and see what you come up with and then socialize with your friends, visit their farms.
iQuarium
Source
Decorate your own virtual aquarium. Unlock items through the easy point system while you care for your fish by feeding them and keeping them healthy. This app is great fun for anyone who longs for a fish tank but can?t afford one, take your fish tank anywhere with you by downloading the app at
Now For Virtual Pets for iPhone
iPhone users can also enjoy the benefits of having great virtual pets at their fingertips.
My Horse
If you have always wanted a pony but never been able to afford one now is your chance. My horse is a true horse simulation game where you can bond with your horse as you groom for it. Feed your horse and maintain its paddock as you would a real horse. You can unlock tasks to ensure your horse remains happy and healthy and then you can enter show jumping events. There are up to eight horses for you to collect.
Pet Puppy
There is nothing better than having a puppy in the house. With Pet Puppy you can customize your pet and then take them to the park which is designed just for you. The aim of the game is to keep your puppy entertained, fed and cared for. You can buy a selection of toys and accessories to make your puppy your own.
Touch Pet Dogs 2
After the original game was such a big hit, the second game has been released with even more features and your pet dog is more interactive and much more fun to play with. The new game is exactly the same as touch pet cats which is also a free iPhone app. Feed and care for your pet and be sure to play with them to keep them happy.
Pocket Frogs
Pocket frogs is the ideal game for boys where you can raise, breed and trade your frogs. Customize your frog?s habitat, keep them healthy and happy and then try breeding all the different types to come up with something unique to trade.
Dragoo
Dragoo is your own 3D dragon that lives in your iPhone or iPad. He is a virtual pet that you will need to raise through his three stages of growth. Once your dragon is able to fly and breathe fire, you can enter him or her into a selection of mini games.
This article has been contributed by Invisible Fence? Brand, specialists in electronic pet containment systems.
Huge, late October hurricane turned into a superstorm that savaged much of the eastern United States
By Stephen Ornes
Web edition: November 26, 2012
Huge, late October hurricane turned into a superstorm that savaged much of the eastern United States
By Stephen Ornes
Web edition: November 26, 2012
Enlarge
Sandy the superstorm hit the U.S. East Coast just before Halloween, devastating cities in New Jersey and New York.
Credit: Robert Simmon/NASA/NOAA GOES Project science team
Two nights before Halloween, as kids were putting the finishing touches on their costumes, an immense hurricane called Sandy crashed into New Jersey. It came ashore near Atlantic City. The storm, which had already killed 69 people as it powered through the Caribbean Sea, pummeled nearly one-third of the eastern United States. It caused tens of billions of dollars worth of damage and killed more than 100 additional people. A number of unusual conditions contributed to Sandy becoming so destructive.
Visit the new?Science News for Kids?website?and read the full story:?Evolution of a Frankenstorm
Citations
A. Witze. How the Frankenstorm came to life. Science News Online, October 31, 2012. [Go to]
Of all brain-training techniques used by people for motivation, inspiration, improving self-confidence and self-esteem, the most powerful has been found to be hypnosis. Hypnosis is a very powerful technique that many people use on a day-to-day basis for self-motivation, confidence, positive attitude and inspiration. The reason why hypnosis is effective as a mind-development and self-improvement technique is that it provides people with a way to communicate directly with their subconscious minds. It is in the subconscious mind that problems arise when it comes to doing certain things, like lethargy, procrastination, superstitious beliefs, hesitation, self-berating attitudes, etc. This is not a ?fault?; it is simply the way the mind works. Through hypnosis, this problem can be worked around or even overcome. When the subconscious mind is made to agree with our conscious thoughts, whatever we do goes smoothly, and without a hitch. Think of your conscious thoughts as Dr. Jekyll, and the subconscious, his alter-ego, Mr. Hyde. They are sworn enemies and have completely opposing views and beliefs, despite the fact that they both occupy the very same body. Dr. Jekyll, the equivalent of our conscious thoughts, is meek and submissive, and gives in to Mr. Hyde?s torments, demands and ultimatums. Hypnosis does not aim to give our conscious thoughts enough power to retaliate against the subconscious mind ? this could have very drastic consequences that would only make the problem worse. Instead, we have a frank talk directly with the elusive subconscious mind, and convince it to agree with our conscious thoughts. Self-hypnosis teaches you how to talk to your own personal Mr. Hyde, while hypnotherapy involves having a therapist speak to your Mr. Hyde. Both methods work very well, but working with a certified hypnotist may be a better option as they are trained to help clients overcome a variety of challenges.
Hypnotherapy essentially consists of relaxing the mind and going into a semi-conscious state, wherein the subconscious mind is exposed to all external stimuli. Then, direct and or indirect suggestions are given to the subconscious mind that will convince it to agree with the persons conscious thoughts voluntarily. If there is trouble convincing the subconscious, then it may be necessary to go back in time through memories and identify situations or incidents that may have caused the disparity between the conscious and subconscious minds. Once this problem is rectified, the two ?minds? are ready to co-operate and co-exist. The person can then come out of the semi-conscious trance state and resume normal activity, and visibly observe changes in their attitude and/or personality. Eli Bliliuos is the founder of The New York Hypnosis Institute. He is a New York native whose interest in hypnosis dates back over 25 years. Eli is a Certified Master Hypnosis Trainer, an NLP Practitioner (Neural Linguistic Programming), and a Consulting NYC hypnotist who has been certified by the International Association of Counselors and Therapists as well as the prestigious National Guild of Hypnotists. To learn more about hypnosis, click here Hypnosis NYC New York Hypnosis Training NYC Weight Loss Hypnosis Stop Smoking Hypnosis Fear Hypnosis Phobia Hypnosis New York Hypnosis Institute LLC 241 West 30 street New York, NY 10001 877-800-6443 To learn about hypnosis training, click here Hypnosis Training New York Learn Hypnosis NYC
Related Articles ? Hypnosis New York, Hypnotherapy New York City,
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Internet business owners often wonder what they can do to improve their sales and get more profitability out of their business. If you would like to know this as well, consider using the tactic of email promoting. Read on to find out more about what this can do for your business.
See what the competitors do with email promoting to get ideas. You can do this easily by signing up for their e-mail lists. Seeing first-hand their email messages will allow you to make your email communication much better than theirs. Try to see what is missing in their campaigns and develop it in your own. If they offer promotions, make your promotions more attractive.
You should try and make your email messages as personal as possible. By making the email seem personalized, and less like a form letter, the recipient is less likely to ignore it. It is very easy to add their first name to the message, but take additional steps. Figure out why and when they subscribed to your emails. This kind of information can be folded into your email.
TIP! Getting accused of spamming can kill a web-based business quickly, so double-check that a visitor wishes to opt in to your mailing list by creating a confirmation procedure. Providing an opt-in option on your website will make subscribers confirm their interest in receiving emails from you.
Only send messages to those you know and those who have signed up. When you do a mass mailing to random recipients, they are often received in a spam filter. People will not recognize your brand and will not trust you at all. It?s likely that they?ll just delete your email, which simply wasted your precious time.
Ensure you have the permission from the customer if you are going to send them any emails. If you start spamming people with emails, you are going to cause customers as well as prospective customers to disregard your business altogether. Some say that they might end up not desiring to work with your company any longer.
Emails that contain only boring marketing and sales copy are mush less likely to be read than those that also include useful information. Make sure that your subscribers receive special articles that are only available via email. Also give your valued subscribers some exclusive offers only available for people on your mailing list. Always send out holiday greeting and specials. You shouldn?t simply send out emails just when you are wanting something from your customer base.
TIP! It is imperative that you never add anyone to your email list who doesn?t want to be there. People may just consider you as a spammer if you do not do this, and that will make them ignore and delete your emails.
Increasing sales on a small budget might sound daunting, but it can be done with the right email marketing campaign. Don?t fault yourself for not doing this already, but take the initiative now and get to work! Use the tips offered here and you can see your business grow.
BMW is excited and confirmed rumors floating around that their new i8 Concept Roadster will be making its appearance at 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show on 28th November. While this two seater is being introduced, BMW will also be bringing out a new 'i' model which will be a sportier version of the BMWi3. Previously seen at Beijing Motor Show, the concept will have same carbon fiber construction as seen in i8 coupe which is also scheduled for launch in 2013.
The roadster is a two seater with a sloping roofline and same drivetrain as the coupe which means that it will sport a 1.5 liter turbocharged three cylinder petrol engine offering 220 bhp while an electric motor will have around 134bhp driving its front wheels. Being a front, rear and all wheel drive is what will make this roadster efficient while at the same time working in combustion, electric and combined modes will further augment performance.
Battery pack is located in the central tunnel which enables a 50:50 weight distribution. The roadster will have a 4.6 second acceleration time from 0 to 60 mph and a top speed of 155 mph. Its battery pack allows for electric driving upto 20 miles on a full recharge which can be achieved in 1 hour and 45 minutes through a high voltage outlet. Production is expected to commence in late 2014 while prices will range around ?80,000.
Under the banner of its sub-brand BMW i, the BMW Group is developing a range of purpose-built vehicle concepts and complementary mobility services which meet the changing needs of customers and redefine the understanding of personal mobility. As well as adopting intelligent technologies and innovative design, BMW i is pursuing an all-embracing approach defined to a significant degree by sustainability throughout the value chain.
Following the presentation of the BMW i3 Concept and BMW i8 Concept, the BMW Group introduces the BMW i8 Concept Roadster to the mix. This third BMW i model embodies the future of cutting-edge and emotionally appealing mobility concepts. Its sporting design headlines the qualities of an open-top two-seater blending lightness, dynamic capability and efficiency with a very special aesthetic allure.
The combination of intelligent lightweight design and state-of-the-art hybrid technology imbues the BMW i8 Concept Roadster with genuine sports car performance, yet its fuel consumption is no higher than you would expect from a small car.
Among the most eye-catching features of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster are the upward-swiveling, windowless doors and a range of purpose-oriented on-board equipment including electric kickboards stowed under a transparent tailgate. The sports car is based around the innovative LifeDrive architecture, itself underpinned by a lightweight modular construction and the use of high-quality high-tech materials. The BMW i8 Concept Roadster is a plug-in hybrid powered by an eDrive drivetrain combining a high-performance electric motor and petrol combustion engine. The lithium-ion battery supplying the motor with power can be recharged in an extremely short space of time from any domestic power socket. Together, the car's minimized weight, low center of gravity and finely judged balance, coupled with a combined system output of up to 260 kW (354 hp), promise unbeatable dynamic capability, exceptional efficiency and unbridled driving pleasure. BMW i8 Concept Roadster with eDrive ? driving pleasure with unbeatable efficiency and dynamics.
Barely a year after the unveiling of the 2+2-seater BMW i8 Concept, BMW i is presenting the second variant of this innovative hybrid sports car, a machine designed to light up the path to compelling and purpose-oriented mobility. Like its Coupe sibling, the emotionally charged BMW i8 Concept Roadster combines intelligent lightweight design with the leading-edge drivetrain technology eDrive, while its open-top two-seater construction delivers an even more intense driving experience. This is a car in which outstanding performance potential goes hand-in-hand with extremely low fuel consumption and emissions.
Compared with the Coupe variant of the BMW i8 Concept, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster has a slightly shorter wheelbase and overall length. With its compact dimensions and distinctive exterior paintwork, the sports car exudes a feeling of dynamism before it so much as turns a wheel, while striking features of its design include upward-swiveling, windowless doors and a transparent glass panel at the rear. Underneath this cover two electric kickboards are stowed, providing a visual showcase for the fun factor in mobility and adding another layer to the car's recreational appeal. Inside, a revised material and color concept provides an extra dose of sportiness. Like the Coupe, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster with eDrive is a high-performance plug-in hybrid, and it fuses the specific advantages of an electric motor and combustion engine to optimum effect. Exceptional efficiency and dynamic capability are the upshot. Modular LifeDrive architecture offers a preview of the future.? Like the Coupe, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster is also built around the innovative LifeDrive architecture, a fusion of independent functional units. For example, the carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) Life module gives the car an extremely lightweight passenger cell, while the Drive modules ? made primarily from aluminum components ? bring together all the car's operational driving functions, such as the powertrain, chassis and safety structure. Impressively extensive use of high-tech materials allows this innovative concept to chart new territory in terms of weight minimization, structural rigidity and crash safety. This is good news not only for the car's dynamic performance, but also for its range and fuel economy. Intelligent lightweight design, encompassing the use of innovative materials, has allowed the unavoidable additional weight of the high-output hybrid drivetrain to be cancelled out in full. Plus, the LifeDrive architecture has been carefully adapted to the sports car character of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster. The front and rear axle modules are connected by an "energy tunnel", which houses the hybrid battery. This allows the engineers to give the car a low center of gravity and ideal balance.
The distinctive two-way split of the LifeDrive concept is also reflected in the car's design, which renders the basic elements of the body clearly distinguishable. Expressive surfaces and precise lines create a harmonious transition from one module into another. This overlap and interlocking of surfaces and lines ? "layering" in BMW i speak ? is displayed both on the body and in the interior of the new car. Latest interpretation of the BMW i design language.? The BMW i8 Concept Roadster's emotion-led design vividly spotlights the car's qualities, with lightness, dynamic capability and efficiency highlighted to particularly prominent effect. For example, the two-seater embodies the perfect synthesis of technology and aesthetic appeal, and exudes unbridled driving pleasure even when stationary. Key to creating this impression of sporty dynamics are large body panels, a hunkered-down stance and numerous aerodynamic elements such as contact surfaces, spoiler lips, Air Curtains and aero flaps. These features substantially reduce the hybrid car's Cd and enhance both efficiency and range. Dynamic front end.? The front end offers a particularly revealing window into the open-top two-seater's dynamic talent. One defining element is the headlights with pioneering laser light technology, which follow the hallmark BMW i U-shaped design template. A semi-transparent "V" opens out from the front end of the flat bonnet towards the windscreen and beckons the eye to the electric motor below. A spoiler lip positioned on the windscreen frame guides the airflow over the heads of the passengers. And for journeys when the weather cannot quite be trusted, the planned two-section folding roof might well come in handy. Athletic silhouette.? Short front and rear overhangs and a low-slung silhouette define the side view of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster and underline its athletic character. Alluring lines and forms generate a strong forward-surging stance even before the car powers off the line. The doors, which open by pivoting forwards around the A-pillar axis, further enhance the BMW i8 Concept Roadster's emotional impact. Below the doors, the side skirts create a powerful wedge shape which opens out towards the rear. At the same time, the open-top two-seater cuts a light and flowing figure and appears as if carved from a single mold. Striking rear. Like the front end, the rear also sits low to the road. Its headline feature is a transparent cover revealing the two folded electric kickboards accommodated below. Adopting the hallmarks of BMW i design, the kickboards are perfect for relaxed cruising along promenades and paths or around city squares. There can be few more attractive advertisements for individual mobility. A visually imposing rear diffuser, three-dimensional air outlets and the U-shaped rear lights give the BMW i8 Concept Roadster an extremely wide appearance and emphasize its sporting credentials. Functional aesthetics: layering in the interior.? The interior of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster is defined by three levels showcasing its various functions. As with the car's body, the interlocking of surfaces and lines is also one of the stand-out features of the interior design. The outer layer frames the supporting structure, while the inner "comfort" layer comprises seat surfaces and stowage compartments. The cockpit fills the third "technical" layer, bringing together the instrument panel, steering column and steering wheel with the instrument cluster, central information display and control elements. The prominent driver focus of the cockpit and the low seating position, which adds further depth to the open-top two-seater's credibility, are particularly eye-catching. All the controls are in just the right position and, like the other functional components of the interior, designed to further enliven the driving experience. An 8.8-inch (22.4 cm) screen displays all the relevant driving information in three-dimensional, high-resolution quality.
The color and materials concept also provides some stand-out touches. The Roadster's interior is defined by a mixture of plastic, carbon and leather, with the off-white of the outer layer and the bold orange tone of the naturally tanned leather generating a sporting atmosphere rich in contrast. The cockpit and center console also show slight modifications over the Coupe. The overall effect of the interior is one of quality, purity and emotional appeal. Plug-in hybrid: The perfect alliance of dynamic capability and efficiency.? Like the Coupe, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster with eDrive is a plug-in hybrid combining two different power sources and employing the specific advantages of its electric motor and combustion engine to optimum effect. The hybrid drivetrain's key components gel together with outstanding smoothness, allowing it to offer peerless dynamic capability and maximum efficiency. In other words, the open-top two-seater produces the performance of an out-and-out sports machine yet posts the fuel economy of a small car.
The 96 kW (131 hp) electric motor on the front axle works in tandem with a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine sending 164 kW (223 hp) through the rear wheels. Both units are in-house BMW Group developments and generate an aggregate system output of 260 kW (354 hp) and peak torque of 550 Newton meters. That is enough to accelerate the BMW i8 Concept Roadster from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in five seconds on the way to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Despite this performance, the two-seater burns just three liters of petrol per 100 kilometers (equivalent to fuel economy of 94 mpg imp) in the European test cycle.
The electric motor sources its energy from a lithium-ion battery which can be fully charged from a domestic power socket in less than two hours. The high-output battery is located in the energy tunnel between the front and rear axle modules in order to keep the car's center of gravity as low as possible ? and therefore to maximize the car's dynamic performance. The space-saving and well-balanced packaging of this and other drive and chassis components gives the sporting two-seater ideal 50:50 weight distribution. With its battery fully charged, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster can cover up to 30 kilometers (19 miles) on electric power alone. As such, far from filling in as a bit-part player, the electric motor plays a role equal to that of the petrol engine. If required, a high-voltage alternator hooked up to the combustion engine generates extra power, which is then stored in the hybrid battery. This range-extending function during the course of a journey allows the two-seater to travel further between charging stations.
Another special feature of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster is the ability to send power through the front, rear or all four wheels at the same time. Intelligent control electronics ensure that the optimum drive configuration is available for the situation at hand. The driver can view the driving mode currently engaged and monitor the activity of the two drive sources on the large information display in the cockpit. Furthermore, the electronic systems ensure maximum energy recuperation under braking or when coasting. All of which means that the driver can enjoy maximum dynamic performance, unbeatable directional stability and minimal consumption and emissions at all times. Connectivity: the perfect link between mobile living environments.? BMW i sums up the idea of mobility geared to the demands of the future and the needs of its customers. To this end, BMW i drivers will have a new generation of driver assistance systems at their disposal which significantly enhance both safety and comfort. For example, the camera-based proactive Collision Warning system, Parking Assistant and Traffic Jam Assistant ensure all on board can enjoy a safe and relaxed journey.
In addition, BMW i is developing an array of innovative connectivity functions which provide a seamless link between its models and their owners' lives outside the car. Remote functions accessed via a smartphone help users to locate their car in large car parks (Car Finder), show nearby charging stations, allow the battery to be charged at pre-set times and inform drivers on the current status of their vehicle. Plus, the battery and interior can be brought up to peak operating temperature before the driver sets off on a journey. The Last Mile Navigation function, meanwhile, assists drivers after they have parked their car, with route instructions transferred directly onto their smartphone directing them along the last leg of their journey on foot ? to a museum or restaurant, for example. And the Intermodal Route Planning function effectively integrates the car into the local public transport network and provides information on current parking availability at the driver's destination. Interface design aids intelligent mobility.? Two large displays inside the BMW i8 Concept Roadster make up the interface between the car, its passengers and the outside world. Positioned alongside the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, the central information display flags up all relevant information and assists the driver in the use of connectivity applications. A third display shows the automatic climate control settings currently engaged. All the screens display their information in 3D, and the cutting-edge, visually appealing graphics are also impressively clear.
Instrument cluster. The instrument cluster displays important driving data using two variable-form ellipses. Positioned alongside the digital speedometer, the efficiency display allows drivers to view how much energy they are currently using ? or recovering through the recuperation process. Added to which, the display also contains extra navigation details and information on the car's range when running purely on electric power, its range when powered by the combustion engine alone and its range using both power units in tandem. If the driver switches to energy-saving ECO PRO mode, the display turns blue in color to signal the shift in functional emphasis, and the ellipses now also vary in form. By the same token, moving into SPORT mode treats the driver to an emotional orange hue. As well as the changes in color, the displays also provide information tailored to the driving mode selected and to assisting the driver as effectively as possible. Central information display. The central information display in the BMW i8 Concept Roadster makes a key contribution to intelligent mobility. It allows the driver to view the current status of the hybrid system, provides a platform for menu navigation and route guidance, and uses innovative connectivity functions to offer drivers a gateway into their lives outside the car. This ensures drivers remain up to speed at all times on how the combustion engine and electric motor are being used, while also being able to monitor the energy flow within the system.
Forward-thinking analysis of the driving situation. The car's power electronics are linked up to intelligent navigation and traffic guidance systems to enable the hybrid drive system to work at maximum efficiency. In this way, information on route profile, speed limits and unavoidable traffic congestion are incorporated into the calculations of the energy management system so that the hybrid system's operating strategy can be adapted accordingly. For example, proactive charging of the hybrid battery allows the BMW i8 Concept Roadster to negotiate a traffic tailback on the road ahead using electric power alone ? and therefore without producing any emissions. In addition, handy displays such as fuel consumption history allow interesting reflections on past journeys and help to optimize the driving style of the individual at the wheel.
Perfectly prepared at all times thanks to diary synchronization. Intelligent connectivity functions open the door to a host of other practical solutions when it comes to preparing the BMW i8 Concept Roadster for its daily workload. One example of this is automatic diary synchronization with the driver's smartphone. The system registers upcoming appointments and, when plugged into a power socket, ensures that the battery is topped up overnight so that the car is ready for action with a fully charged battery the following morning. The BMW i concept.? BMW i is about the development of visionary vehicles and mobility services, inspiring design, and a new premium perception strongly guided by sustainability. Under the banner of the young sub-brand, the BMW Group is developing purpose-built vehicle concepts which redefine the understanding of personal mobility. Key elements include groundbreaking technologies, intelligent lightweight design and the innovative use of materials, all with the aim of creating vehicles with extremely low weight, the greatest possible range, generous interior space, poised and authoritative driving characteristics, and exceptional safety. The BMW i8 Concept Roadster follows in the tire tracks of the BMW i3 Concept and BMW i8 Concept Coupe as the third concept car created under the BMW i sub-brand.
Sustainability plays a paramount role in the BMW i concept. It is an issue that runs like a thread throughout the value chain ? all the way from purchasing, through development and production to sales and marketing. And when it comes to the efficient manufacturing of its vehicles, BMW i goes a step further still.
The Leipzig production plant will see an additional 70 per cent reduction in water use and 50 per cent drop in energy consumption per vehicle over the years ahead. And the energy that is used will be sourced 100 per cent from renewable sources. Specifications. BMW i8 Concept Roadster.
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It?s not always easy to find something healthy to eat while you?re on the go. Traveling is not an exception to this as you?re constantly distracted by finding your destination, making sure you have everything packed, enough money and just the basic chaos that traveling can cause.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 29-Nov-2012
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