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No Heat? No Problem: Ultrasonic Dryer
Department of Energy We spend $9 billion each year powering our clothes dryers. That’s a lot of money and energy (up to 4% of America’s residential energy use) we’re wasting. But scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are about to change all that – and the way that you do laundry. They recently developed an ultrasonic drying concept that uses vibrations instead of heat to dry clothes. This technology is expected to be up to five times more efficient than today’s products and will dry clothes in half the time. In about two years, researchers took this basic science concept and developed it into a full-scale press dryer and clothes…
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5 Common Myths About Robotics Debunked
Department of Energy Since the first industrial robot was designed by George Devol in 1954, the use of robotics has led to a number of major energy and economic advancements. It helps companies remain competitive through greater efficiencies and is widely used in industries today ranging from manufacturing and agriculture to national defense and security. So what’s the big deal about robots? With the rise of robotics in both entertainment and the general marketplace, we decided to set the record straight on some common robot myths. MYTH: ROBOTS ARE A MODERN INVENTION Robots date back to 1495 when Leonardo da Vinci drew up plans for an armored humanoid machine. His vision…
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Energy Department Investment Brings Crescent Dunes To Life
Department of Energy The same visionary scientists responsible for pioneering space exploration are also behind a national effort to commercialize concentrating solar power (CSP) plants with integral energy storage. After years of research, testing, and validating the technology, in late 2015 scientists working on the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project (Crescent Dunes)—a Nevada-based CSP plant—successfully reached commercial operation. The journey to commercialization began nearly three decades ago. Back in the 1990s, a group of scientists at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne worked with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop breakthrough technology to collect the sun’s thermal energy and then store it in molten salt. From 1994 to 1999, Rocketdyne…
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Five Common Fuel Cell Myths
A fantastic article by the Department of Energy regarding fuel cells. This is a perfect article for our Education Saturday agenda. Department Of Energy Fuel cell electric cars are some of the most advanced vehicles on the road today – and they’re here in the United States. Toyota, Hyundai, and Honda all have models commercially available. We recently added two fuel cell electric vehicles to our fleet (the first for a government agency) and are using them for public outreach. What we’re finding out is that there’s a lot of interest in these cars – and some misconceptions. So, in order to separate fact from fiction, we decided to tackle…
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Department Of Energy News: WTPO Director – Bioenergy Tech – Solar & National Grid System
Department of Energy Editor Note: Three different items coming in from the Department of Energy. Water Power: The Future Vision Under New Director Alejandro Moreno: Alejandro Moreno recently joined the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) as director and will lead the hydropower and marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) portfolios. The Energy Department (DOE) is nothing new to Alejandro, who worked as a team lead at DOE for Hydropower and Ocean Energy from 2008-2012. Even at an early age, water was important to Alejandro and he fondly recalls playing in the waterfalls as a child below the Falls Village Hydro Station in New England—one of the oldest hydropower plants in the United…
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American Institute Of Chemical Engineers To Lead New Manufacturing USA Institute
US Department Of Energy Acting Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Friedman announced that the American Institute of Chemical Engineers will lead the tenth Manufacturing USA Institute to be stood up during the Obama Administration. This announcement represents a critical step in the Administration’s effort to double U.S. energy productivity by 2030. Acting Assistant Secretary Friedman announced the new institute at the U.S. Council on Competitiveness’ 2016 National Competitiveness Forum.Leveraging up to $70 million in federal funding, subject to appropriations, and an additional $70 million in private cost-share commitments from over 130 partners, the Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification…
