Drive and generate power simultaneously

Do you like driving? Do you like driving over speed bumps (if you do, you may need medication). For those that answered yes to the latter, then there is a new technology for you (http://www.hughesresearch.co.uk).

In simple terms, one way to generate electricity is to take a conductor, a magnetic field, and motion. It doesn't really matter whether the conductor or the magnetic field moves. So if you take a conductor and embed it in a speed bump that is allowed to move up and down with passing cars, then place a magnetic field near the speed bump, voila, you have the ingredients to generate electricity. Ingenious.

There is a little more to the technology, but the concept is being tested in the UK. So maybe soon, that thumping sound comping from the road may do more than just wear out your car's suspension. It might be powering the auto repair shop where you can get that fixed.

Ever had an idea?

Have you ever thought of some new gadget or device but failed to act on it then finding out soon after that someone actually built your idea and made millions? It has happened to me more than once.

The latest was an idea I had a few years ago to have a mat where you could set down your blackberry, cell phone, i-pod, laptop or any other battery powered device and have them recharge just by setting them there. Of course, I didn't do anything about it and lo and behold, someone builds it!!! (http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/19894/?a=f)

The point of this rambling post is that technology developments move so fast that any good idea will likely come to many minds at the same time. Succes typically comes to first movers.

I have more ideas and hope to act on them before someone else does. In the meantime, I have to go. My laptop battery is dying and I dont have a power mat.

Capturing Sunlight

There is a lot of hype these days about solar power. Along with that hype goes government/public funding. Unfortunately, it seems that when people - even those in government - think of solar power, they only think of the black shiny photovoltaic panels (or PV in industry jargon) that adorn highway emergency call boxes and old school calculators. But solar power is more than that.

Take the company Ausra (www.ausra.com). They design and build solar thermal system using 'compact linear fresnel' technology. Basically, sunlight is concentrated by a series of mirrors onto a closed circuit of tubes containing a liquid (usually water). The liquid is converted to steam and expanded through a steam turbine to generate electricity.

Ausra's approach to converting sunlight to electricity may not be as glamorous or sexy as the PV. But at least for the near future, it has much better power generating potential and can be more cost effective. My point is, let's prioritize government funding to commercialize the best and most cost effective technology, not just the sexiest.