Monthly Archives: April 2011
Producers of biofuels made from terrestrial biomass crops have difficulty breaking down some fibres and extracting fermentable sugars. The harsh pretreatment processes needed to release the sugars result in toxic byproducts and inhibit subsequent microbial fermentation. On the other hand, marine biomass can be easily degraded to fermentable sugars and production rates and range of distribution are higher than terrestrial biomass. However, making biofuels from most seaweed has been problematic because the process yields both glucose and galactose and, until now, galactose fermentation has been very inefficient. Now Yong-Su Jin, a University of Illinois assistant professor of microbial genomics, and … Continue Reading
A team of students from the UK’s Newcastle University has genetically modified bacteria to repair cracks in concrete. The microbes only start germinating when triggered by the specific pH of concrete. Once the cells have germinated, they swarm down the fine cracks in the concrete until they have reached the bottom where they start clumping. This clumping activates the cells to differentiate into three types: cells which produce calcium carbonate cells which become ffilaments and cells which produce a glue. The calcium carbonate and bacterial glue combine with the filamentous cells, ultimately hardening to the same strength of the surrounding … Continue Reading
ICL, Mitsubishi Chemical and Nippon Fruehauf have co-developed an idling/stopped air conditioning system for trucks that uses photovoltaic cells and batteries. The air conditioning system uses a Nippon Fruehauf mount to install Mitsubishi Chemical’s PV cell modules on the container of the truck. It stores electricity in an ICL storage battery while the truck is moving and uses it when the engine is not in operation, The system can save about 1.8 litres of diesel per hour when the truck is not moving. In a normal 10 tonne truck, the air conditioning system can save about 1,500 litres of diesel … Continue Reading
Videos
Renewables News- New Aussie Technology to Clean Polluted WaterScientists from Deakin University, together with French colleagues, say that they have manufactured a lightweight and reusable material that can absorb up to 33 times its weight in a wide range of spilt oils, chemical solvents and dyes, while repelling … Continue Reading → […]
- Aussie Researchers Make Efficient Solar Cells from Low-grade SiliconResearchers at the University of New South Wales have found a way to make very high efficiency solar cells out of cheap, low-grade silicon. It has been known for several decades that hydrogen atoms can be introduced into the atomic … Continue Reading → […]
- First Aussie “Hot Rocks” Power Plant Begins ProducingThe first power plant in Australia to produce electricity using an enhanced geothermal ("hot rocks") system has begun producing electricity in the far north-east of South Australia. The one-megawatt Habanero pilot plant near outback Innamincka is operated by Geodynamics. Geodynamics … Continue Reading → […]
- New Aussie Technology to Clean Polluted Water
