Environmental Solutions
their dependence on the grid. Customers who purchase Bloom’s systems can expect a 3-5 year payback on their capital investment from the energy cost savings. Depending on whether they are using a fossil or renewable fuel, they can also achieve a 40-100 per cent reduction in their carbon footprint as compared with the US grid. Customers to date include drinks processors, banks and major corporations. Since the first commercial customer installation in July 2008, Bloom’s Energy Servers have collectively produced more than 11 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, with carbon dioxide reductions estimated at 6.5m kg - the equivalent of powering approximately 1000 US homes for a year and planting one million trees. “Bloom Energy is dedicated to making clean, reliable energy
affordable for everyone in the world,” said KR Sridhar, principal co-founder and ceo of Bloom Energy. “We believe that we can have the same kind of impact on energy that the mobile phone had on communications. Just as cell phones circumvented landlines to proliferate telephony, Bloom Energy will enable the adoption of distributed power as a smarter, localised energy source. Our customers are the cornerstone of that vision and we are thrilled to be working with industry leading companies to lower their energy costs, reduce their carbon footprint, improve their energy security, and showcase their commitment to a better future.” Founded in 2001, Bloom Energy can trace its roots to the NASA Mars space programme. For NASA, Sridhar and his
team were charged with building technology to help sustain life on Mars using solar energy and water to produce air to breath and fuel for transportation. They soon realised that their technology could have an even greater impact here on Earth and began work on what would become the Bloom Energy Server. The Bloom Energy Server converts air and nearly any fuel
source - ranging from natural gas to a wide range of biogases - into electricity via a clean electrochemical process, rather than dirty combustion (Fig 1). Even running on a fossil fuel, the systems are approximately 67 per cent cleaner than a typical coal-fired power plant. When powered by a renewable fuel, they can be 100 per cent cleaner. Each Energy Server consists of thousands of Bloom’s fuel cells - flat, solid ceramic squares made from a common sand-like powder. “Today we are witnessing something special,” said John
Doerr, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Bloom Energy board member. “This is new kind of product announcement. It comes long after a product has shipped and it comes
directly from marquis customers. For years, there have been promises of new energy solutions that are clean, distributed, affordable, and reliable; today we learn that Bloom, formerly in stealth, has actually delivered. Americans want clean, affordable, energy, 24/7 - and all the jobs that go with it. Bloom’s boxes are a breakthrough, serving energy, serving demanding customers, and serving our country.” n
Researchers develop energy-harvesting mat
M
organ Technical Ceramics and Glyndwr University are undertaking a project to develop a mat that can
harvest energy from people walking across it Morgan Technical Ceramics is undertaking a Shorter Knowledge Transfer Partnership (sKTP) project with Glyndwr University in Wales. The project will last 26 weeks and aims to design and build an energy-harvesting demonstration system.
Morgan Technical Ceramics is an expert in piezo-electric ceramics for applications including ultrasonic cleaning and welding, sonar and medical imaging. It is now carrying out this research to create a system based on piezo- electric devices connected to a mat for collecting and storing energy from footfall. The project will specifically look at how to best match the electronics to the piezo-ceramic to develop more efficient energy harvesters.
The company is working with academics at Glyndwr University to prove this alternative energy source by constructing a proof-of-concept prototype. Morgan Technical Ceramics turned to the University for its expertise in computer aided design (CAD), finite element analysis (FEA), electrical power systems, power electronics and
PCB design, all of which are essential for this new application. Dr Ashley Darby, business manager for piezo shapes at Morgan Technical Ceramics, comments: “Industry is under increased pressure to find alternative renewable energy sources and to improve energy efficiency. By carrying out this sKTP in collaboration with Glyndwr University we can share our knowledge and expertise to innovate and identify opportunities for energy harvesting utilising piezo-electric ceramics.” Samantha Clutton, business engagement executive at Glyndwr University, adds: “We are delighted to be working with Morgan Technical Ceramics on this short KTP (sKTPs). This project will allow us to learn from each other and together we can push boundaries in the field of energy harvesting.”
sKTPs, which are part-funded by the Government, enable companies such as Morgan Technical Ceramics to gain access to qualified people and experts within the UK’s universities to help take an organisation forward and work in new areas. Through undertaking this sKTP both organisations can promote the practical application of alternative energies. The company says its wide range of advanced ceramic materials offers superior
dimensional stability, strength and stiffness. The resistance of the materials to chemical and physical wear, corrosion and extreme heat makes them ideally suited for use in harsh processing environments. Its custom multilayer, bimorph actuator and sensor capabilities are ideal for valve applications. Piezo ultrasonic sensors can be combined with optical, temperature, pressure and other sensors to provide OEMs with a complete multi-functional integrated sensor package from a single source.
Ultrasonic sensors can be used for accurate measurement of a wide range of critical parameters such as level, flow, vibration and pressure.
Piezo materials are ideal for use in accelerometers, for the measurement of vibration in aerospace applications for example, because of their excellent stability and high sensitivity. Ultrasonic air-in-line sensors, doppler flow and ultrasonic bubble sensors offer very high reliability for the detection of air bubbles in liquid flows in medical dosing and a variety of other
applications. n
For more information, visit www.morgantechnicalceramics.com
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