SUPRAPOWER is an EU FP7 founded research project focused on a major innovation in offshore wind turbine technology by developing a new compact superconductor-based generator. The project aims to provide an important breakthrough in offshore wind industrial solutions by designing an innovative, lightweight, robust and reliable 10 MW class offshore wind turbine based on a […]
Automotive/Transportation
GM and Ford unveil app maker programs, but voice integration with some apps still a far cry
LAS VEGAS (AP) — It’s not wise to Google the nearest gas station, compose email, or use your smartphone to check the latest sports scores while driving. But many Americans do. Drivers have grown so accustomed to their on-the-go tasks that automakers are increasingly trying to make those things easier to pull off with both […]
BP Oil Spill Settlement Payments Exceed $1B Mark
Businesses and individuals who claim BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico cost them money have been paid more than $1 billion through the company’s class-action settlement with a team of private plaintiffs’ attorneys, court-supervised claims administrator Patrick Juneau said. Juneau said the payments reached the $1 billion mark before the end of 2012. […]
Google Invests $200M in Texas Wind Farm
Google is investing $200 million in a Texas wind farm, the Internet search leader’s latest big bet on the future alternative energy. The commitment to the Spinning Spur Wind Project announced Wednesday brings Google’s total investments in alternative energy to more than $1 billion. The company has backed 11 different projects with a combined capacity […]
A New Point of Reference for Offshore Energy Development
A new Department of Energy research facility could help bring the U.S. closer to generating power from the winds and waters along America’s coasts and help alleviate a major hurdle for offshore wind and ocean power development. Will Shaw, an atmospheric scientist at DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will describe plans for the facility at […]
World’s First Subway Marks 150 Years in Operation
LONDON (AP) — Busy, congested, stressful. This is how the world’s first subway system was depicted by London newspapers in 1863. It’s a situation that would be familiar to nail-biting passengers of the present as the Tube turned 150 years old Wednesday. “The constant cry, as the trains arrived, of ‘no room,’ appeared to have […]
Concentrated Solar Power Can Help Utilities’ Bottom Line
The storage capacity of concentrating solar power (CSP) can add significant value to a utility company’s optimal mix of energy sources, a new report by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) suggests. The report found that CSP with a six-hour storage capacity can lower peak net loads when the sun isn’t […]
Grounded Shell Oil-Drilling Ship Refloated
A Shell oil-drilling ship that ran aground near a remote Alaska island has been refloated, officials said early Monday. Royal Dutch Shell’s Kulluk was floated from the rocks late Sunday night and teams were assessing its condition, the Unified Command said. Once they’re satisfied that the vessel is seaworthy, it will be towed 30 […]
Researchers seek longer battery life for electric locomotive
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Norfolk Southern Railway No. 999 is the first all-electric, battery-powered locomotive in the United States. But when one of the thousand lead-acid batteries that power it dies, the locomotive shuts down. To combat this problem, a team of Penn State researchers is developing more cost-effective ways to prolong battery life. The […]
Volvo Truck’s New Fuel Advice
Volvo Trucks’ new Fuel Advice service helps haulage firms reduce their fuel costs. A fuel advisor assists them with both planning and follow-up of their fuel consumption. The results are long-term, with savings as high as 5 percent. Fuel costs represent between 25 and 35 percent of total haulage firm costs. At the same time, […]