Lifeboat Foundation

Distillation of water using solar energy is considered one of the most popular desalination methods today.

Power engineers at Ural Federal University (UrFU), together with colleagues from Iraq, have developed a new desalination technology, which is claimed to be much more effective than others, by incorporating a rotating cylinder. The method proposed by the UrFU power engineers will significantly reduce the cost of desalination and will increase production volumes by four times.

The experimental new solar distiller incorporates a rectangular basin, inside of which is a horizontally oriented black steel cylinder. The basin is filled with undrinkable water, and the cylinder is slowly rotated by a solar-powered DC motor.

The Australian company LAVO has developed a hydrogen storage system for domestic solar systems. It is the world’s first integrated hybrid hydrogen battery that combines with rooftop solar to deliver sustainable, reliable, and renewable green energy to your home and business. Developed in partnership with UNSW, Sydney, Australia, and Design + Industry, the Hydrogen Battery System from LAVO consists of an electrolysis system, hydrogen storage array, and fuel cell power system rolled into one attractive cabinet. When the electricity from the solar system on the roof is not needed, it is stored in the form of hydrogen. This then serves as fuel for the fuel cell when the solar system is not supplying electricity.

However, LAVO’s hydrogen hybrid battery delivers a continuous output of 5 kW and stores over 40kWh of electricity – enough to power the average Australian home for two days on a single charge. The system is designed to easily integrate with existing solar panels, creating a significant opportunity for LAVO to have an immediate and notable impact. There are Wi-Fi connectivity and a phone app for monitoring and control, and businesses with higher power needs can run several in parallel to form an intelligent virtual power plant.

Hydrogen is often incorrectly seen as an unsafe fuel, usually due to the 1937 Hindenburg disaster. However, the company says any leaks will disperse quickly, though, making it inherently no more dangerous than other conventional fuels such as gasoline or natural gas. This innovation has a lifespan of approximately 30 years, which is three times longer than that of lithium batteries, thanks to its reliance on hydrogen gas rather than the chemicals in a conventional battery.

Continue reading “World’s first home hydrogen battery powers an average home for two days” »

ABB said Thursday it would deliver an integrated electric propulsion system and vessel control technology for Crowley’s pioneering eWolf tug, built for sustainable and safe operations at the Port of San Diego.

Upon delivery by Alabama-based shipbuilder Master Boat Builders, Inc. (MBB) in mid-2023, Crowley Maritime Corporation’s new 82-foot (25-meter) vessel will support ship arrivals and departures at the Port of San Diego in California.

It will be the first all-electric, battery-powered harbor tug ever built and operated in the United States and only the third of its kind to enter operations worldwide, ABB said.

But does it want to be the “Tesla of boats?”

A new startup called Arc wants to revolutionize the boating world with a battery-powered craft made for watersports. The small startup, which employs a handful of former SpaceX employees, has designed a sharp but pricey boat with a big battery and an aluminum hull.

Adapters, dynamic pricing, and a big expansion.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has always talked about opening up his company’s vast network of Supercharger charging stations to other EVs, but now he’s shared some details about how it might actually work.

What i would suggest is landing Atlas robots in waves on the Moon, the first wave builds a solar panel farm for power, the second repairs the first wave, the third joins the first two to begin building large scale runways, the fourth joins the first three to begin building permanent structures.

The Moon is close enough for teleoperations, and in the 2030s, when we actually do Mars, the AI could repeat the whole thing there.

Continue reading “Robots are making progress on space exploration, along with billionaires” »

Elon Musk recently hinted at a very welcome and simple update for Tesla’s vehicles, especially those which have already replaced their 12-volt batteries in the past. According to the CEO, Tesla would be looking into the idea of equipping older vehicles with a 12-volt lithium-ion battery, similar to the Model S Plaid.

Musk’s update came as a response to Tesla owner Rich Teer, who inquired if it was possible to have the company’s older vehicles be equipped with the company’s newer 12-volt lithium-ion battery. This was a good point considering that the conventional 12-volt lead-acid battery used in vehicles like the Model 3 and Model Y tend to get discharged, in some cases, multiple times per year.

In his response, Musk stated that Tesla would try to roll out such an initiative, especially as it would be beneficial for the company’s cars. A 12-volt lithium-ion battery would last far longer than a conventional lead-acid battery, after all, and according to Musk, Tesla’s goal is to reduce service in its vehicles anyway. “Unlike other makers of cars, our goal is *not* to profit from service. Best service is not needing service in the first place,” Musk noted.

It is among the longest flights by an electric aircraft.

The company, which is backed by Toyota and recently acquired Uber’s flying taxi division, has said that it plans to have a full-scale air taxi service in operation by 2024, including regional trips. The point of the 150-mile flight was to demonstrate how far its aircraft could fly on a single charge, to allay concerns about the vehicle’s range and battery. If you want to fly from New York City to Montauk, Joby wanted to show that it can get you there without running out of juice.

Continue reading “Watch Joby Aviation’s electric air taxi complete a 150-mile flight” »

Roads that can charge electric cars or buses while you drive aren’t a new concept, but so far the technology has been relatively expensive and inefficient. However, Indiana’s Department of Transport (INDOT) has announced that it’s testing a new type of cement with embedded magnetized particles that could one day provide efficient, high-speed charging at “standard roadbuilding costs,” Autoblog has reported.

With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), INDOT has teamed with Purdue University and German company Magment on the project. They’ll carry out the research in three phases, first testing if the magnetized cement (called “magment,” naturally) will work in the lab, then trying it out on a quarter-mile section of road.

In a brochure, Magment said its product delivers “record-breaking wireless transmission efficiency [at] up to 95 percent,” adding that it can be built at “standard road-building installation costs” and that it’s “robust and vandalism-proof.” The company also notes that slabs with the embedded ferrite particles could be built locally, presumably under license.