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Rebirth of Battery Power

Ginnie Jester
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The batteries we depend on to power our electronic lives may be on their way to becoming a thing of the past. A new plastic development could open doors of creativity for product designers and do away with the major design constraint batteries pose.

As of yet, batteries are bulky, chemically dependent, and have a decidedly less than desirable life span. British developers, however, have created a thin plastic sheet that can store and release energy more efficiently than batteries currently on the market. The plastic development is as thin as a wafer and spans a whopping 5x5 inches approximately. A layer of glass fiber rests sandwiched between two layers of carbon fiber, one conducting a positive charge, and the other conducting a negative charge. According to Dr. Emile Greenhalgh from Imperial College London's Department of Aeronautics reports,  the wafer power pack is not a battery at all, rather it is a supercapacitor- an extremely fast charging energy storage unit. The prototype his team has produced charges in five seconds from a normal power supply and can power an LED for 20 minutes.

Other possibilities for the supercapacitator Dr. Greenhalgh is exploring are powering laptops, mobile devices and even vehicles. Currently involved in a £3 million project with Volvo to use the product in hybrid vehicles, Dr. Greenhalgh said, "'We think the car of the future could be drawing power from its roof or even the door, thanks to our material. The applications for this material don't stop there  -  you might have a mobile that is as thin as a credit card because it no longer needs a bulky battery, or a laptop that can draw energy from its casing so it can run for longer. The material charges and discharges electricity quicker than a conventional battery, and does not use chemical processes  -  giving it a longer lifespan."

What if you had a computer screen that you could fold up like a piece of paper and put in your pocket? The technology could lead to such developments. Additionally, researchers are looking into the possibility of putting the power packs on clothing to generate and store power that could then produce heat for the wearer when necessary.  Dr. Greenhalgh is optimistic that within ten years the development could replace batteries altogether.

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Solar Paint

Submitted by willgubb on Thu, 03/25/2010 - 04:17.
Good Will A South African Company has developed a coating system that captures light and turns it into electrical energy. Having worked in the coatings industry, entrepreneur Gill Lightbody has used plastic sandwich technology to create a coating that absorbs the energy ion sunlight and is able to store it in the walls of a building for when it is needed as lighting, heating, or to run appliances.  The system is a 5 layer system consisting of a base coat, a micro mesh, a layer of polymer containing prismatic solar PV cells which automatically connect to the grid, a filler coat and a sealer coat which gives the observer the colour which ranges from deep green to deep blue, gold, black or grey /white. “You literally roll it on with a standard roller and any painter or handyman can do it”, says Gill. The system can be used on roofs walls, floors, and fences and can generate enough power from 100 sq meters to power all the appliances in an average house during the night. “Households can earn $ 100-200 dollars a month in feed in revenue and the system pays for itself in 6-12 months” he claims. The company seeks funding from investors to commercialise the technology which is said to revolutionise the world’s energy supply, putting power back into the hands of the individual and saving billions in electricity bills. Households can now supply power to the grid instead of drawing from it” says Gill who will be conducting a world tour to implement the rollout and IP of the technology and seeking venture capital for this new energy invention. “Those who get involved now, will ride a wave of prosperity that will make Bill Gates look like a hotdog salesman.” Says Gill who has launched prior inventions that made 80 people $ millionaires and 6 $ billionaires in a space of 5 years. “The investment is very little compared to what can be earned on the upside like a factor of 6000%” For people wanting more info or to get involved with the company contact the writer. will@wiredcommunications.co.za

Will Gubb continues on quest for solar paint development

Submitted by willgubb on Sun, 09/18/2011 - 01:17.
Will Gubb The concept of a paint that contains light absorbing qualities is becoming closer to reality, as scientific breakthroughs are made in thin film technology. The above article was written by Will Gubb and the alias or pen Name Gill Lightbody is the pseudonym for Will Gubb. I have not given up on the hope that this dream of a freely available energy resource is possible, and the increase in research for solar voltaic energy production is hotting up. When the previous article was written on the 3rd of March 2010 the $ value of oil was R $60 per barrel. At the current time of writing it stands at $115 per barrel, almost twice what it was, which drives research and development into alternative sources of energy. In the December issue of Popular Mechanics, of the same year, it is reported that a Californian company, Caltech, has broken through with R&D on solar paint by holding PV cells in a polymer that absorbs 90% of light. "The cells are flexible enough to be applied to roof tiles or curtail walls." well isn’t this amazing. The same idea as mine! By ex tells me that I absorb the ideas from the universal consciousness, the ether. Romans 8 ; “For they that have the spirit do the things of the spirit.” Walking with the spirit is a mindset that works with the spirit of God. God created the world and the universe, I have set my mind on this and the knowledge of the universe is downloading knowledge to enable this break through to set us all free. It is now September 2011 - I have been sidelined by other more immediate work, but I will now contact this company to continue the research and develop practical ways to use the technology. The time has come the walrus said to think of better things. Wish me luck in my quest to change the world so that we can live in a free and prosperous society, and break free from the chains of slavery to the capitalist economic system, into the corner we have painted ourselves. I look forward to the day when I can plug my car into the pavement. Will Gubb - social entrepreneur and inventor seeker of a new reality