The 'chemputer' that could print out any drug
Professor Lee Cronin is a likably impatient presence, a one-man catalyst. "I just want to get stuff done fast," he says. And: "I am a control freak in rehab." At the same time, one branch of that thinking has itself evolved into a new project: the notion of creating downloadable chemistry, with the ultimate aim of allowing people to "print" their own pharmaceuticals at home. The idea is very much at the conception stage, but as he walks me around his labs Cronin begins to outline how that "paradigm-changing" project might progress. A couple of years ago, Cronin was invited to an architectural seminar to discuss his work on inorganic structures. Cronin prides himself on his lateral thinking; his gift for chemistry came fairly late – he stumbled through comprehensive school in Ipswich and initially university – before realising a vocation for molecular chemistry that has seen him make a series of prize-winning, and fund-generating, advances in the field. What would this mean?
RepRap
TEDxEWB Talk: Adrian Bowyer at Imperial College, London, introduces RepRap RepRap is humanity's first general-purpose self-replicating manufacturing machine. RepRap takes the form of a free desktop 3D printer capable of printing plastic objects. Since many parts of RepRap are made from plastic and RepRap prints those parts, RepRap self-replicates by making a kit of itself - a kit that anyone can assemble given time and materials. It also means that - if you've got a RepRap - you can print lots of useful stuff, and you can print another RepRap for a friend... RepRap is about making self-replicating machines, and making them freely available for the benefit of everyone. Reprap.org is a community project, which means you are welcome to edit most pages on this site, or better yet, create new pages of your own. RepRap was the first of the low-cost 3D printers, and the RepRap Project started the open-source 3D printer revolution. RepRap was voted the most significant 3D-printed object in 2017.
Plug-in Hybrids
Plug-in hybrids, sometimes called Plug-in Hybrid-Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), are hybrids with high-capacity batteries that can be charged by plugging them into an electrical outlet or charging station. They can store enough electricity from the power grid to significantly reduce their petroleum consumption under typical driving conditions. Different Kinds of Plug-in Hybrids There are two basic plug-in hybrid configurations: Series plug-in hybrids, also called Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs). Plug-in hybrids also have different battery capacities, allowing some to travel farther on electricity than others. Benefits and Challenges The environmental benefits of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles increase if they are powered by electricity from 'green' sources such as solar, wind or small-scale hydroelectricity. Find out more about green power and how you can purchase it in your state. Less Petroleum Use. Less Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Higher Vehicle Costs, Lower Fuel Costs. Videos
Graphene 3D Printing
Since its discovery in 2004 by a pair of scientists at the University of Manchester, England, graphene has been sitting around the lab waiting for applications like a genie in a bottle waiting for someone to make some wishes. That genie will soon be very, very busy fulfilling the latest wish being asked of it—“Make me whatever I want, whenever I want it, and delivery it wherever I want in the world.” And the genie made of graphene says, “Your wish is my command.” American Graphite Technologies Inc. The 3D printers they produce will mean nothing less than the mass production of genies. Current 3D Printing Current 3D printers use liquids, powders, paper, or sheet materials to manufacture objects by pouring or adding one layer upon another according to an item’s blueprints. Since these blueprints can be downloaded from the Internet, objects can be manufactured, or printed, anywhere on the planet that has Internet access—even in one’s own garage. Graphene’s Advantages
Solar vehicles and efficient vehicles
The Accelerated Composites Aptera will be produced as an all electric and as a plug in hybrid. Seating for two adults + an infant seat behind. Zero to 60 in 10 secs, top speed around 85 mph. Drag coefficient of 0.05., weight 850 lbs, range 120 miles(?). While it is licensed as a motorcycle, they have put a lot of emphasis on safety including air bags and front, side, and rollover protection. Their goal is to offer the EV version in late 2008 and the hybrid version in late 2009 -- prices projected to start at $27K.
EV Car Kits - Welcome!
Enginer | Solar Powered Prius Plug-in PHEV Conversion Kit with Lithium-Ion | Hybrid
Plug-In Hybrid Retrofit Kit Could Greatly Improve Gas Millage For Only $3000
From Earth Techling's Nino Marchetti: The bright minds of young college students and their mentors are at work again in the world of green technology. This time around the scene is Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and the item being developed is a plug-in hybrid retrofit kit said to work with almost any car. Professor Charles Perry and a rotating group of MTSU students associated with the university’s Department of Engineering Technology have, for the last few years, been developing a wheel hub, plug-in hybrid retrofit kit. Perry’s wheel hub technology, according to MTSU, was recently outfitted on a 1994 Honda station wagon and helped this research vehicle to see a gas mileage increase anywhere from 50 to 100 percent. In a video which you can watch below, Perry describes how the technology works. The technology is designed for what would be around town usage. Also on HuffPost:
Turn Your Car Into a Plug-In Hybrid for $3,000 | Autopia
Photo: MTSU After five years of research, students at the University of Middle Tennessee have installed a full plug-in hybrid kit in a stock 1994 Honda Accord. The setup gives between 50 and 100 percent better gas mileage with two electric motors delivering power directly to the rear wheels, leaving the engine-powered front wheels to work with little effort. The price of all the parts comes to about $3,000 and can be applied to almost any car. Energy for the motors comes from a lithium ion phosphate battery that sits in the trunk. The twin three-phase DC brushless motors sit in the empty interior around the rear brakes. Perry said, “The whole point was to demonstrate the feasibility of adding the electrical motor to the rear wheel of the car without changing the brakes, bearings, suspension — anything mechanical.” Perry says that the design is aimed at “around town” drivers, as range is limited to about 35 miles per charge, and once the car hits 40-plus mph, the system cuts off.
