Heating, Cooling and HVAC

Photo 1: Tighten the packing nut
Tighten the packing nut on the toilet shutoff valve one-eighth turn clockwise to try to seal a leak around the nut. Wrap cloth or masking tape on the plier’s jaws to protect the nut’s finish. Use light, steady pressure so you don’t damage the water lines.

Photo 2: Disassemble the shutoff valve
Disassemble the shutoff valve—leaving the toilet and supply lines intact—then clean and flex the old neoprene washers inside the valve to renew them. Turn off the house water main before taking apart the toilet shutoff valve. Properly sized replacement washers for the shutoff valve are available from plumbing supply houses and better hardware stores that stock a large inventory of repair parts. If this step doesn’t stop the leak, you’ll need to replace the whole valve.

The plumbing supply shutoff valves behind toilets or under sinks can go for years without being turned off and then reopened again. That inactivity can cause the neoprene washers to become either brittle or crusted up with mineral deposits, and they lose their ability to seal leaks.

Occasionally, after shutting off a toilet supply valve to replace the tank plumbing parts, you may find that the shutoff valve leaks through the packing nut once the valve is opened again. To remedy this, most plumbing pros advise first using a groove joint pliers to tighten the packing nut one-eighth turn clockwise (Photo 1). If the neoprene washers are still flexible and clean, this should work to stop the leak.

If the leak persists, before replacing the entire valve, try this. Turn off the water at the house’s main shutoff, then disassemble the problematic shutoff valve without disconnecting the valve from either the water supply line or the line leading to the toilet. Unscrew the handle, the packing nut and the threaded valve stem (Photo 2).

Clean the washers with a cloth and flex the neoprene to try to get it supple again. Avoid gumming up the inside of the shutoff valve; don’t use any pipe dope or plastic tape on the valve stem’s threads. Reassemble the shutoff valve, turn the main house valve back on and check for leaks. If the valve leak persists, turn off the main water shutoff valve, then disconnect the valve and replace it.

Source: The FamilyHandyman

Faulty dip tubes in water heaters made between 1993 and 1997 may cause hot water problems and clogging at faucets. This article tells you how to assess your water heater and solve these problems.

Check for defective dip tubes
If you have hot water problems (loss of water temperature and/or loss of water pressure at water delivery points) and your water heater was made between 1993 and 1997, you have a lot of company. During that time, nearly all the major water heater manufacturers were buying the same defective plastic dip tubes from the same manufacturer and installing them in their gas and electric units. Unfortunately, depending on your water chemistry, its pH and the temperature setting of the water heater, these tubes eventually break, crumble and/or dissolve into various size pieces.

The pieces clog strainers and filter screens on appliances and faucets, and the partial or complete absence of the dip tube severely harms water heater performance.

The role of the dip tube is to direct incoming cold replacement water to the bottom of the tank for heating. While it warms, the dense, cold water stays naturally segregated from the warmer, lighter water floating on top. The water for faucets and appliances comes from the hot layer on top. If the dip tube is missing, the cold incoming water mixes with the hot water at the top of the tank and you wind up feeding the house with tepid instead of hot water.

If you’re having hot water problems, first see if you have a water heater made during those bad dip tube years. Often, the first four numbers on the serial number are the month and year of manufacture. If the third and fourth numbers are 93, 94, 95, 96 or 97, it could be affected. If you have a bad unit, there are two options. First, replace the water heater and flush all the faucet screens and filters throughout the house. (If your water heater is more than 10 years old, it’s nearing the end of its life, so it’s probably worth replacing.) New water heaters have dip tubes that’ll last as long as the water heater.

Or second, replace the defective dip tube with a cross-linked polyethylene one and flush the debris out of the water heater and the screens and filters. You may have to flush the system more than once.

Source:The FamilyHandyman

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You can fix leaky copper pipe quickly and efficiently with special repair sleeves. We show you how to cut and solder copper supply lines.

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Photo 1: Cut out the damaged pipe
Shut off the main water supply valve, drain the damaged water line and use a pipe cutter to cut out a section of pipe that extends about 1 in. to each side of the leak. Start by gripping the pipe firmly in the cutter’s jaws and tightening the cutter’s screw. Rotate the cutter in the direction shown—as you tighten the screw handle—until the pipe snaps.

Photo 2: Clean and flux mating surfaces
Clean corrosion from the inside of the repair sleeve using a wire fitting brush. Clean the outside of the pipe with plumber’s sandcloth or emery paper. Brush flux onto all four cleaned surfaces.

Photo 3: Slide on the repair sleeve
Slide an end of the sleeve first over one pipe and then slip it back over onto the other. You may have to loosen nearby pipe hangers. Center the sleeve over the pipe ends so that about 1/2 in. of each pipe is inside the sleeve

Photo 4: Solder the joint
Hold the tip of the torch flame to one side of the joint and hold the tip of the solder wire to the opposite side. Pull the solder away when enough of it melts to completely fill the joint.

When a copper water pipe corrodes and leaks, or bursts from freezing, you have to fix it fast. If the leak is pinhole-sized and less than 1/2 in. of pipe must be removed, you can make the repair by cutting the pipe and soldering (“sweating”) on an ordinary pipe coupling.

But to repair longer sections, use a “sweat” coupling, which you can find at home centers and well-stocked hardware stores. You can buy a sweat coupling sized to repair 1/2-in. or 3/4-in. copper pipe. Mark the leak, shut off the main water valve and drain (or thaw and drain) the affected pipe. Cut out the damaged section (Photo 1), then measure the gap and, from the sweat coupling, cut a repair piece that’s 1 in. longer than the damaged section.

The key to a good solder joint is to keep the inside of the pipes dry, so keep a cotton rag stuffed in each pipe end to absorb dribbles of water until just before you solder. Open a faucet above that level to keep pressure from building up and dribbling more water into your repair. Then complete the steps shown in Photos 2 – 4 for a leak-proof repair. Once finished, turn the main supply valve on and check for leaks.

Sweat coupling and tubing cutter
Cut the repair sleeve from the 12-in. repair coupling stock. Smooth the rough-cut inside edges of the sleeve by inserting the blade of the pipe cutter into the cut ends and turning the cutter until the sleeve will slide over the pipe ends without snagging. Clean the sleeve’s inside edges for soldering with a 3/4-in. dia. wire fitting brush.

Source :The Family Handiman

Repair a shower faucet that won’t shut off. Most single-handle, cartridge-style faucets can be repaired in an hour or less with basic tools.

Photo 1: Remove the handle cap
Turn off the water supply to the shower. Then pry off the handle cap with a small pocketknife to expose the internal handle screw.

Identifying a cartridge-style faucet

In this article,  fixing a cartridge-style faucet is focused only. Cartridge valves have a single handle and operate when the cartridge slides in and out. Don’t confuse them with single-handle ball-style faucets, which have a dome-shaped casing under the handle.

Replace the old cartridge with an identical new one.

Photo 2: Remove the handle
Loosen and remove the handle screw. Pull off the handle and set it aside.

We won’t deal with two-handle faucets here, which may be either a stem-type valve or ceramic disc valve.

Turn off the water at the fixture shutoff valves or at your home’s main valve. Turn on a faucet to make sure it’s off. Remove the handle as shown in Photos 1 and 2. If the handle sticks, try heating it with a hair dryer set on “hot”. If you still can’t get it off, use a special handle puller — an inexpensive tool available from plumbing parts distributors or home centers.

Now Pull the cartridge

Photo 3: Pry up the retaining clip
Pull off the stop tube. Pry up the cartridge retaining clip with a small screwdriver or awl. Remove the handle washer and then twist the cartridge stem loose and pull it out with pliers.

If it’s stuck, use a special cartridge puller. Unscrew the hex screw and hex nut until threads are visible. Slide the puller over the cartridge stem, aligning the tool ears with the cartridge notches, and twist to loosen.

Virtually every faucet manufacturer has a different method of securing the cartridge to the faucet body. Look for a clip or spring and remove it (Photo 3). Cartridges are often difficult to pull out. Some manufacturers include a removal cap with new cartridges. Align the cap with the old cartridge ears and try to twist the cartridge loose. Then pull it out with pliers.

If you can’t budge the old cartridge, you’ll need a cartridge puller. Make sure the one you buy works on your brand of faucet. Look on the handle or trim for the faucet brand or manufacturer. A knowledgeable person at a plumbing parts store may be able to identify the brand and model from a photo. Review Photos 4 and 5 for instructions on using a cartridge puller. Make sure you twist the cartridge loose before pulling it out (Photo 4). Take the old cartridge with you to a plumbing parts store or a home center to find an exact replacement.

Install the new cartridge
Turn the hex screw by hand until it bottoms out. Snug up the hex nut by hand and tug on the cartridge puller handle. If the cartridge won’t pull out, hold the puller handle steady and tighten the hex nut two full turns. Pull the cartridge out of the faucet body. Buy an identical replacement cartridge, align it properly and reassemble the parts.

Source :The Family Handyman

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New technologies make nuclear energy a clean fuel and next generation reactors safer and more efficient, writes Hari Pulakkat

Only a decade ago, the future of nuclear energy seemed uncertain. Countries such as France relied heavily on this source of energy, but environmentalists in most parts of the world opposed the technology. In the US, no new nuclear power plant had been built since 1978. Europe — with exceptions like France — was dead against nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy seemed at best a fringe option, until it stopped completely when we developed clean energy sources like wind and solar power. People had not reckoned with climate change.

Now as the world heats up, and no good alternative to fossil fuels is in sight, nuclear energy has come back to centre-stage. In the US, a few months ago, energy secretary Steven Chu awarded contracts to two sets of firms to design next generation nuclear reactors. If successful, these reactors could be approved by 2013, started by 2017 and be operational by 2021. In Sweden, always a staunch opponent of nuclear power, Parliament voted to overturn a 30-year ban on building new nuclear power plants. Other European countries like the UK, Finland and Italy are also working on plans to build new nuclear power plants.

However, this time there is a twist to the story: the new generation plants are considered safer. There is no uniform approach, but many countries are pursuing technologies that would result in considerably less radioactive waste. In fact, some of the new designs propose to use existing nuclear waste to run safer and more efficient reactors. Such reactors would still produce waste, but it would last a few hundred years instead of tens of thousands of years.

Current reactors use nuclear fission, in which a uranium nucleus is bombarded with neutrons. This splits the uranium nucleus, generating energy in the form of gamma rays and more neutrons that go and split other uranium atoms. If there are enough neutrons to split enough uranium atoms, the process sustains itself. However, it needs to be contained with the so-called moderators for the material to not explode like in a bomb. In all current reactors, the process exhausts itself after a while, resulting in waste that needs to be removed and stored.

Almost all reactors currently use decades-old technology called the pressurised water reactor. The waste that is removed from these reactors contains almost all the uranium that was originally there, apart from some plutonium that is a byproduct of the fission. Both are dangerously radioactive, apart from being useful materials to make bombs. Disposing of this is a problem, but the new breed of reactors would reduce the problem.

The Generation IV International Forum, a joint venture of sorts between the developed nuclear powers and Brazil, has shortlisted some designs to serve as the fourth generation of nuclear reactors. They include concepts like gas-cooled reactors, molten lead reactors, and those that dissolve the fuel in molten salt. The US programme will try out some of these designs, as will some of the European countries. All of them have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, the so-called sodium-cooled fast reactor uses spent fuel, and is thus useful to get rid of the waste, but can also be used to produce weapons-grade plutonium.

Two other processes, currently under development, would reduce the waste problem considerably. One is the travelling wave reactor (TWR), which is being developed by a private company called Terrapower. This firm, based near Seattle, has received investments from Bill Gates and has thus become one of the most keenly watched start-ups in the US. However, the concept has several technical challenges to overcome, and could become a reality only after a decade.

A TWR is actually an old concept, but has never been tested. On paper, it is a very useful concept. It eliminates the need for enrichment (and thus the chances of proliferation) and reprocessing the waste. It can use natural or even depleted uranium as fuel. Its champions say it can even be competitive with coal, the cheapest form of energy available. The TWR is named so because the reactor gradually creates the enriched fuel it needs from non-fissile material. Such a reactor could run for 200 years before it needs to be stopped.

The new concepts reduce the amount of waste produced. Yet another method is considered even safer: nuclear fusion. In nuclear fusion, two atomic nuclei fuse with the release of energy. Pure fusion still does not figure in the realm of possibility, but scientists have come up with hybrid methods that are safer than fission. Fusion is not used now to produce energy but it can produce neutrons. These neutrons can be used to sustain a fission reaction. Fission reactors end with a lot of waste because there are not enough neutrons to burn all the fuel.

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have designed a hybrid reactor that would work with modern light water reactors. It can use up 99 per cent of sludge, the most dangerous waste. It can also work in a small room. So the concept is ideal for producing energy as well as reducing nuclear waste. Of course, it takes a long time for a concept to become a reality.

Source:The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

An old deck with a sound structure doesn’t have to be torn down. You can remove the worn out decking and railing, and then replace it with new, low-maintenance decking and railing – a brand-new deck for a lot less money.

STEP-1:.
An old deck with a sound structure doesn’t have to be torn down. You can remove the worn out decking and railing, and then replace it with new, low-maintenance decking and railing – a brand-new deck for a lot less money.

If your existing deck is old, shabby and a maintenance nightmare, you don’t have to tear it all down and start over. Chances are that the structural parts are still in good shape. If so, you can simply remodel it with new decking, rails and stairs, and save tons of money over the cost of a complete rebuild.

In this story, we’ll show you how to replace worn decking, railings, stairs and several other features. We won’t tear out the basic deck framing—instead we’ll describe how to tell if your deck is in good structural shape. We’ll show you how to replace old decking with low-maintenance composite materials and build a new “floating” landing at yard level that expands the deck in an attractive, practical way.

We’ll show you how to make a new set of safer and stronger enclosed stairs and build handsome handrails from cedar and prefinished aluminum spindles. We added a simple privacy screen to shield activities from nosy neighbors and a below-deck skirting system to mask the unsightly posts and ugly area below. We used rough-sawn cedar for all of the exposed wood parts because its rough-hewn surface will hold stain for years.

If you’ve built a deck before, you know that even without the structural work, it’s still a big project that can take several weekends to accomplish. The nice thing about deck work is that you can pick away at it over time without disrupting the house. Just make sure you keep the door that opens onto the deck locked or barred until you’re finished! You’ll need all of the standard carpentry tools, including a 4-ft. level, circular saw, screw gun and carpenter’s square, and tools for the demo work, including a sledgehammer and pry bars. And a power miter saw is almost mandatory for clean, accurate cuts on railing parts.

STEP-2: Is your deck a remodeling candidate?
The No. 1 thing to check before deciding to reuse the deck framework is whether the deck footings, posts and joists are structurally sound. Here are the main things you should examine when making the decision.

A. Sound footings. Start from the ground up by examining the footings. You’ve probably noticed if your deck footings have “heaved” above grade because the deck will appear warped (sometimes only during the winter). That’s a sign of too-shallow footings. If so, replace them with deeper ones. Usually you can dig and pour new ones directly next to the old ones rather than ripping out the old footings, which is a brutal job.

B. Wood condition. Examine your posts and other framing members to see if they’re made of treated lumber or not. Treated wood, the material used to frame most decks, will last for decades. Treated lumber should have a familiar green hue. Look for markings that say “.40 treated” or a CCA label that indicates that the wood has been preserved. If the wood is badly stained and you can’t find any stamps, it may come to cutting a thin sliver off the end of some framing with a circular saw and looking at the fresh end, which should have the green tint of preservative around the edges of the cut. If your deck is framed with cedar or redwood, it’s best to start over and reframe it with treated wood. Neither wood will last nearly as long as your low-maintenance deck improvements. Whether your deck framing is treated or not, if a screwdriver penetrates into punky, soft wood anywhere, indicating rot, it’s best to start your deck from scratch.

C. Structural integrity. Make a drawing of your deck and list the spans and sizes of the joists and beams. Bring it to the building department at your city hall. An inspector will let you know if the framing sizes and spans are adequate. Don’t rely on your own structural analysis. Apply for a deck building permit, and before starting your project, ask the inspector for an on-site opinion to confirm the structural integrity of your deck.

D. Details. There should be at least one 3/8-in. lag screw or bolt into the ledger between each pair of joists for a solid connection, but your building inspector may call for even more depending on the size of the deck they support.

Look for joist hangers on each joist with all of the nail holes filled with galvanized joist hanger nails—not roofing nails. Add joist hangers if they’re missing. They’re not necessary on the ends of joists that rest on a beam, even if they project over the edge.

Look for flashing over the ledger that attaches to the house. It should extend behind the siding and across the top of the deck ledger (Photo 3). There should also be flashing behind the deck ledger at the bottom and over the siding; add it if it’s missing.

Low-Upkeep Deck Materials
This deck features two interesting building systems. The Correctdeck low-maintenance decking uses a completely hidden fastener system. And we’ve teamed up prefinished aluminum spindles with a “Uniball” anchoring system for a rail system that’s foolproof to install and maintenance free as well.

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STEP-3. Out with the old

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Remove the rails and begin prying up the nailed decking boards. Start from the outside and move toward the house so you have a solid, safe platform to work from.

Mark the height of a stair tread on a nearby post or stake for later reference. Then remove the stringers and save the best one for a pattern.

Mark the height of a stair tread on a nearby post or stake for later reference. Then remove the stringers and save the best one for a pattern.

Tearing out the old rails and decking comes first. You can knock off most of the railing with a sledge. But make sure to remove any screws or bolts driven into structural members first because you don’t want to tear up anything you want to reuse. In most cases, it won’t take long for the tear-off. In fact it only took two of us two hours to get this deck down to bare bones.

Have a Dumpster delivered ahead of time so you can throw in the debris right away and keep nail-infested boards out of the yard. A “10-yard” unit will be enough for all but the biggest decks, provided you pack the boards closely and cut up the longer ones. A sledgehammer,a crowbar and a flat bar are the tools of choice.

Start by removing the spindles. If they’re nailed, just hitting each near the deck and the top rail with a light swing of the sledgehammer will knock them free. If they’re screwed on, back out as many as you can and then go back with the sledgehammer to knock off pickets with stripped screwheads. Believe me, they’ll either come free of the wood or the pickets will break around them. If you have 4×4 intermediate posts fastened to the outside of the deck rim, attack them next. Generally that’s just a case of loosening the bolts or removing lag screws.

If decking surrounds the posts, you’ll have to remove the decking first. Clean up any leftover nails by pulling them rather than driving them in where they’ll cause trouble later.

Don’t waste time removing nails from wood that you’ll toss. Just bend them flat so you don’t step on them or get cut during handling. It’s usually not worth the effort to try to back out any leftover screws because by this time, they’ll be too bent to unscrew. Just pull them out with a large crowbar, or if that’s impossible, bend them back and forth a couple of times and they’ll snap off even with the surface.

Tackle the deck boards next. Work from the outside of the deck toward the house so you’ll have an easy way off. If your deck’s nailed down, it’s usually pretty easy to pry up each board with a combination of a flat bar and crowbar, working from one end toward the other.

You may have all kinds of nails left in the joists. Pull them out as you pry up the boards unless you can reach them from the ground later. If your deck is screwed down, the job will take more effort. Screws can be especially hard to back out if heads are stripped or corroded, so be sure you have a drive tip that’s in good shape and matches the screwheads. If some are impossible to back out, try drilling through the head, then pry the board over the shank and break off the screws.

Before you tear off the stairs, drive a stake nearby or suspend a board from the deck and mark the bottom few tread heights (Photo 2). Save the stair stringer (the notched 2×12 that forms the stairs) that’s in the best shape to use as a pattern later for laying out a new set of stringers. The 2x12s are fragile, so use special care when prying up the treads.

STEP-4..Get started with the rail posts

Fasten the new posts:-Cut the 10-ft. 4×4 posts in half, then plumb and clamp them in place. Drill a 1-in. countersink hole 1/2 in. deep, then drill a 3/8-in. diameter hole through the deck rim and post. Install and tighten galvanized hex head bolts and nuts.

Add extra blockibg: Bolster the taller privacy screen 4×4 posts by adding blocks on both sides of each post. Add one more block between the second and the third rows of joists directly behind the double blocks.

Mark your post positions, spacing them evenly on each edge of the deck. Shifting them an inch or two in either direction won’t be noticeable, but keep the post spacing under 6 ft. to prevent sagging. Cut 10-ft. long 4x4s in half (it’s easiest to cut them to their final length after the decking is installed).

Plumb each post, holding them in place with clamps, and then drill 1-in. countersink holes with either a Forstner or a spade bit about 1/2 in. deep to inset the bolt heads. Later you’ll cover them behind fascia boards. Drill 3/8-in. holes through the whole works with a 12-in. long bit (Photo 4) and install and tighten the nuts and bolts. Choose bolts that are 1 in. longer than the thickness of all the wood you’re securing.

Check for plumb again; you may have to loosen the bolts and add shims to accomplish this. If so, use shims ripped from treated wood. Be accurate—you won’t get another chance to plumb the posts once the decking is on. Nail blocking on both sides of the tall privacy screen posts and another block into the next joist to make the posts more rigid (Photo 5 and Figure C).

Add the 1×10 cedar fascia flush with the top of the joists. Set your saw to 45 degrees and miter the outside corners for a clean, handsome look. To protect the cedar and keep it more stable, it’s best to stain all four sides and any freshly cut ends with two coats of latex stain.

Choosing Composite Decking:
Composite decking is chosen  because of the color selection and the nifty hidden fastener system that hides all the screws between the deck boards (Photo 8). It was easy to install and came in lengths long enough to span the whole deck—no butt joints.

However, when you select a composite decking, you’ll often have to buy additional edgings, nosings or elaborate fastening systems that may drive up the cost. It’s best to study printed information first to know what you’re getting into. Also ask your building inspector whether the synthetic decking you’ve chosen is code compliant for your deck.  If your joists are spaced more than 16-in. on center, you may need to add more joists or use wood decking.

STEP- 5: Install the new decking

Photo 6: Notch the decking around the posts
Mark the notches in the first row of decking with a square, allowing for a 1-in. overhang past the cedar trim board.

Photo 7: Attach the hidden fasteners
Slip the hidden fasteners into the decking groove and screw them to the center of each joist.

Photo 8: Lock the next board into the hidden fastener
Tap the decking into the fasteners with a maul, protecting the decking edges with a chunk of scrap 2×4.

Photo 9: Trim the ends
Snap a line on the ends 1 in. beyond the cedar trim and cut off the ends with a circular saw.

Start installing the decking at the edge of the deck opposite the house. You’ll have to notch the first couple of deck boards around the posts (Photo 6). To get a perfectly straight start, snap a guideline to mark the edge of the first deck board, allowing for a 1-in. overhang.

Screw (or nail) down the first board and lay the others, working your way toward the house and leaving the ends hanging over both ends of the deck for later trimming (Photo 7). As you can see, we used decking with hidden fasteners.

As you progress, check the spacing between the house and the deck boards to make sure they stay parallel with the house. Correct variations a little at a time over several rows to avoid large, tapered gaps. When you reach the deck board nearest the house, cut it to width and length (with 1-in. overhangs at each end) before fastening it down. The house wall will prevent you from completely cutting it with a circular saw once it’s in place. Then snap lines on the decking 1 in. beyond the fascia and trim the ends (Photo 9).

Figure A: Landing Framing
The landing rests on floating footings made from 6x6s on gravel beds.

STEP-6 : Frame the landing and mark the footings

Photo 10: Position the landing
Square, position and level the frame of the landing. Outline the 6×6 footing positions (Figure A). Dig trenches 8 in. deep x 12 in. wide.

Photo 11: Add gravel for the footings
Fill and level in gravel about 12 in. below the reference mark. Adjust and level the footing until the timber is level and at the correct height. Use it to set the second timber.

Photo 11: Add gravel for the footings
Fill and level in gravel about 12 in. below the reference mark. Adjust and level the footing until the timber is level and at the correct height. Use it to set the second timber.
Unlike the deck, our landing doesn’t have frost footings. Instead, it “floats” on landscape timbers supported by gravel. This system works best in spots that have little slope. If you have more slope, build a smaller landing or build it on regular footings and posts. If you choose to make a smaller landing, make sure it extends at least 3 ft. in front of the stairs.

Nail the landing frame together first, then square it by adjusting it until diagonal measurements match and brace it to hold it square. Position it and use it as a pattern to lay out the 6×6 footings (Photo 10). Drive positioning stakes so you’ll be able to replace it in the same location later.

Then set the landing frame aside and dig the footing trenches with a fairly level bottom 20 in. below the reference mark. Add about 6 in. of gravel and set the 6x6s so they’re level and at the right height (7-1/4 in. below the reference mark; Photo 11). If you’re building stairs from scratch, just make the final height of the landing at any multiple of 7-1/4 in., measured from the top of the deck framing to the landing framing.

You’ll undoubtedly have to fool around with removing, adding and leveling the gravel to get the 6×6 heights accurate. Adjust the gravel level and then test it again. Start with the timber nearest the deck. Lay the timber on the gravel; check it for level and for spacing down from the reference mark. It’ll take you several attempts to get it right. Then level from the first timber over to the second one to set it at the same height. Then dig the footings and lay in the short 6×6 timbers that support the lower step framing (Photo 12).

Toenail the frame to the timbers and finish framing the landing as shown in Figure A. Then trim and deck the landing.

STEP- 7: Build the stairs

Photo 13: Duplicate the old stringers
Trace the stair layout onto a 2×10 using an old stringer as a pattern. Cut and test-fit the stringer. Then use it as a pattern to cut three more stringers.

Photo 14: Fasten stringers to skirts
Toe-screw the skirt boards to the deck rim, and then screw the hanger board to the deck rim between them. Screw the skirts into the ends of the hanger board. Screw the two outer stringers to the skirts, then align both stringer assemblies and toe-screw them to the deck landing.

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Figure B: Stair construction
Skirt boards add strength and visual appeal to the stair design.

Photo 15: Fasten center stringers
Space the center two stringers equally and screw them to the hanger board from the backside.

Photo 16: Add risers and treads
Cut the risers and nail them to the stringers with 2-1/2 in. siding nails. Plumb and anchor the bottom newel post with screws and blocking. Then cut and add the stair treads.
The ideal tread notch width is 10-1/4 in. (it’s 11-1/4 in. with tread in place, and never less than 10 in.), and the riser height should range between 7 and 7-3/4 in. (never higher). But if you’re new to stair building and don’t want to start from scratch, use the old stair stringers as a pattern for tracing and then cutting new ones. However, the new stringers we show aren’t exactly the same as the old ones.

The stringers will be 2x10s that you’ll reinforce on the sides with 2×12 “skirts” (Figure B). Lay the pattern on the new 2x10s with the points of the stairs along one edge, measuring to make sure the overhanging edge on the backside is even (Photo 13). After tracing, measure and mark the top tread so it’s 1-1/2 in. narrower than the others. And mark the bottom “rise” so it’s 1 in. less than the others.

It’s best to just cut the bottom and top of the first stringer and lay it in place against the deck to make sure the top tread is the correct distance from the deck (the stair height) and that the angles at the top and bottom meet the deck rim joist and landing without huge gaps. Make adjustments as necessary and finish cutting out the stairs, then use the first stringer to lay out the other three.

Use one of the new stringers to lay out the cedar stair skirts (Figure B). When you’re laying out the stair skirts, remember that they extend 1-1/2 in. beyond the top of the treated stringers to hide the end of the hanger board (Photo 15). Mark the stair skirt positions on the deck frame and toe-screw them into place. In our situation, we mounted the outer one flush with the deck’s outer trim board to get maximum stair width.

Pick a solid 2×6 for the “hanger board” that supports the stringers (Photos 14 and 15). Screw it to the deck rim joist with at least four screws. Most of the stair support is provided by the skirts, so make sure you screw them to the hanger board with two 3-in. deck screws at each side and toe-screw them to the deck rim. Attach the treated stringers to the skirts with 2-1/2 in. deck screws from the inside where they won’t be seen.

Tack a spacer board (the length of the hanger board) to the bottom risers and use it to align and square the stringers. Then toe-screw the stringers to the landing. Toe-screw the skirt bottoms to the decking when they’re square to the deck and evenly spaced. Add the middle stringers (Photo 15) and then cut and nail the risers to the stringers so the tops are flush with the tops of the treads. Then anchor the newel post to the bottom outside as shown in Photo 16. The blocking is essential for making the post solid and strong, and it also supports the notched treads.

STEP- 8: Installing the guard and hand rails

..

Photo 17: Rip the rails so they shed water
Cut 2×4 rail stock to rough lengths and rip 30-degree shoulders on it, leaving a 1-1/2 in. flat area on the tops.

Photo 18: Cut the rails
Cut the posts to their final length. Scribe and cut the rails to length. Number the pairs and their matching location so you don’t get them mixed up.

Photo 19: Attach the spindle connectors
Lay out the spindle positions so their spacing is no more than 4 in. apart and screw the Uniball connectors to the rails.

Photo 20: Cut the spindles
Cut the stair spindles to length. Cut the stair angle on one end of the stair spindles, then use an angled stop block to position the spindle for a parallel cut on the other end.

Close up
Cut the stop block at the stair angle.

Photo 21: Assemble the rails and spindles
Toe-screw the bottom stair rail to the posts. Then set the spindles over the Uniballs and drop on the top rail, fitting the top Uniballs into the spindles. Toe-screw the top rail into place.

Photo 22: Support the rails with temporary blocks
Rest the deck bottom rails on 2×4 blocks and toe-screw them into place. Tap the top rail over the Uniballs and toe-screw the top rail into place

Photo 23: Add the top caps
Cut and fit the 2×6 top caps to fit and screw them to each post with two 3-in. deck screws.

Photo 24: Notch the caps at posts
Notch one top cap halfway around a trellis post and screw it in place. Cut its neighboring one with a little deeper notch then scribe and cut it to fit.

Cut the rails to fit between each set of posts and label them so you don’t confuse where they go later.

You don’t have to rip shoulders on the 2×4 rails, but shoulders will help shed water and improve the rail’s appearance. Set the table saw at 30 degrees and adjust the fence so you’ll have a 1-1/2 in. wide flat spot between the bevels. (Rip with the narrow part of the 2×4 resting on the saw table.) Cut the spindles to length with a miter saw fitted with a blade rated for cutting aluminum. The Uniball system simplifies spindle installation. You simply screw them into place (top and bottom; Photo 19) and slip the hollow aluminum ends over them (Photos 21 and 22).

Scribe the rails for the stairs and then cut the proper angles with a circular or miter saw. Lay out and screw the Uniballs in place. Cutting the stair spindles is trickier than the deck spindles because the angle cuts must be parallel. That’s best done with a stop block cut at the same angle as the rails (Photo 20). The stair spindle angles will be the same as the angles at the rail ends.

Rest the bottom rails on 2×4 spacer blocks and toe-screw them to the posts (Photo 22). Then slip the spindles over the Uniballs, and starting at one end, work the top rail Uniballs over each consecutive spindle until the rail is seated. Toe-screw the top rail to the posts. Then cut and fit the 2×6 top caps, hanging them over both sides of the post 1 in., and screw them to the post tops with 3-in. deck screws. Assemble the deck rails and spindles and top caps as you did with the stair rails and toe-screw those assemblies in place.

You’ll also need to attach a “grippable” handrail between 34 and 38 in. high measured directly above the front edge of the stair treads. We used standard fir handrail sold at any lumberyard and screwed it through the top cap spaced with a piece of cedar. Choose the design that works best with your deck. You can use standard handrail and attach it to the posts with brass rail brackets or even buy premade 2×6 cedar handrail that has finger grip coves machined into the sides.

Privacy Screen
Follow Photos 24 and 25 and Figure C for assembling the privacy screen. It’s designed to be covered with climbing vines. Install the second row of rails and spindles, and then cut the privacy trellis posts to length. Rest the 2×8 beams on temporary blocks and screw them to each post with three 3-in. deck screws.

STEP  -9.  : Building the under deck screening

Photo 25: Install the trellis
Install the second row of rails and spindles, and then cut the privacy trellis posts to length. Rest the 2×8 beams on temporary blocks and screw them to each post with three 3-in. deck screws.

Photo 26: Add the screening
Frame a 2×4 support structure for the under deck screen about 6 in. back from the fascia. Cut the 1×8 skirt boards to fit the contour of the ground and nail them to the support frame.

Frame the support structure for the 1×8 cedar skirt boards from treated 2x4s. Space vertical 2x4s about every 3 ft. and screw or nail them to the joists (add blocking where needed). We held ours back about 6 in. from the fascia.

Screw the top horizontal 2×4 to the uprights just under the deck, and the bottom 2×4 a few inches above grade. If your screening is more than 4 ft. tall, add a middle 2×4 as well. Plumb and angle-brace each upright from the underside of the deck framing using 2x4s. Custom-cut each of the 1x8s so theyend a couple of inches above the ground.

Source: The Family Handyman

Regardless of where the faucet is leaking, you can make the  repair by following the steps in this story. It doesn’t take any plumbing expertise, and it’ll finally put an end to that annoying leak.

You can fix the leak in less than an hour. But take your time so you don’t lose the small parts.

Pay attention to how the faucet is assembled so you can put it back together.   Any replacement parts you need will cost less than $20

….

Step-1.
Shut off the water to the sink.

Remove the faucet handles.

Most are held on by retaining screws under the caps on the top of the handles. Our handles were held on with small Allen screws located under the handle. Then unscrew the large nut that holds the cartridge in.

Step-2.
Remove the cartridge and old seat
Pull straight up on the cartridge to remove it. Use pliers if you have to, but be sure to protect the cartridge with tape or a rag. Note the orientation of the cartridge to the notches in the faucet so you can reinstall it the same way. Remove the old seat and spring with a small screwdriver.

Step 3:

Install the new cartridge
Drop the new spring into the recess and push the new seat in with your finger. Spread a thin layer of plumber’s grease around the cartridge. Push the cartridge into the faucet, aligning it with the notches. Then tighten the large retaining nut with the wrench and replace the handles.
They sure don’t make ’em like they used to—and when it comes to faucets, it’s a good thing. In the old days, repairing a leaky faucet could be as simple as replacing a rubber washer, but more likely it involved struggling with corroded screws and stripped valve stems.

New faucets are easy to take apart, and replacement parts are readily available at most hardware stores, home centers and plumbing supply stores. Of course, there are still many different brands and styles, so it’s best to shut the water off, disassemble the faucet, and take the parts along to assure a perfect match.

If your faucet leaks from the spout, replace the seats and springs (Steps 1 – 3). If it continues to drip from the spout after replacing the seats and springs, replace the cartridge, too. If your faucet leaks around the handles, the O-rings on the cartridge are bad. Buy a new kit that includes a new cartridge and O-rings.

Kits containing faucet repair parts are readily available at hardware stores and home centers. You may  spent $3 for a set of seats and springs that fit both Delta and Peerless faucets. You’ll also need a small tube of plumber’s grease (Step- 3). Leaks usually develop on the hot side, but replace the seats on both hot and cold sides while you’re at it.

Source: The Family Handyman

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This is an car made with so high technology that even a blind person can drive.
....
Researchers at Virginia Tech have taken technology developed by the military and packed it onto a dune buggy that tells the driver exactly where to go.

“It was great!” exulted Wesley Majerus, an access-technology specialist with the National Federation for the Blind, according to a Virginia Tech press release.

The car has a laser range finder to estimate distance, and counts down before turns to let drivers know when to turn the wheel. A vibrating conveys other commands — when the whole thing buzzes, it’s time to slam on the brakes.

“We are not only excited about the vehicle itself, but also the potential spinoff technologies from this project that could end up helping the blind,” Virginia Tech researcher Dennis Hong told Wired.com.

The ultimate goal, according to the representatives from the National Federation for the Blind: Changing street-traffic laws to let the blind drive full-time.

“Blind people have brains, the capacity to make decisions,”said Mark Riccobono, executive director of the NFB’s Jernigan Institute, in the press release. “Blind people want to live independent lives — why would they not want to drive?”

You may click to see the following articles:-

• Virginia Tech press release.

•  Blind Driver Challenge Web site.

•  Wired News’ writeup.

Source: Fox News.July 27.2009

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Energy, or the potential for creating it, is all around us. It is being tapped at an incredible rate from sources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight and wind.
…..
But there is one other energy resource – that which exists in moving bodies, called kinetic energy. Certain energy devices actually use the kinetic energy of nature. Wind turbines basically use the kinetic energy of passing wind to power turbines. Some tidal power devices do the same with moving water.

Most new kinetic energy research and development tends to focus on two possible power sources – human motion and vehicular traffic. There have been a number of exciting developments in each area.

Human motion power

At the Tokyo Station, one of the world’s busiest train stops, trials are underway with what are called Hatsudenyuka tiles which convert the pressure and vibration of commuter footsteps into electricity to power lighting. It is hoped that eventually the flooring will power the station’s other fixtures such as automatic ticket barriers and display panels.

The tiles feature piezoelectricity, the ability of some materials to convert applied strain to create electric potential.

At the University of Leeds in England, engineers are also looking at human feet power, but not just in people walking at their own pace; they are taking advantage of the pace of marching soldiers.

The “soldiers’ pace” helps eliminate one of the difficulties in harvesting walking power, which is the fact that normal walking patterns tend to be varied and different and may not always give the same amount of pressure needed to trigger the piezoelectric materials.

The Leeds devices use high-tech ceramics and crystals as piezoelectric devices to turn the pressure of footsteps into an electric charge.

The ultimate goal of the Leeds device is to create a renewable and portable source of energy, in this case for the army to reduce the burden of soldiers’ packs. The devices can be placed on the backpack straps or around the knees to capture energy when legs are bent, joints are compressed or boots strike the ground. Having these devices will help keep the weight of soldiers’ packs down as it does away with the need for batteries for their electronic gadgets.

These technologies are so far in trial runs, but others might just reach commercial success. Mobile phone company Orange, for one, has been testing kinetic motion charging devices for phones. These include a 180-gram charger the size of a pack of cards that users can strap to their bicep. The unit creates an electric current as users move their arms.

The device actually harvests more electricity through activities like dancing, and was featured in the Glastonbury Festival, the annual British rock concert.

But human-powered kinetic energy devices tend to be gimmicky and rather small, mostly because the source is not very reliable. The variations inherent in natural movement can cause some problems with the devices mostly because humans get tired eventually.

Vehicular movement:    Vehicular movement could be the relatively more stable source of kinetic energy. With millions of vehicles on the road every day, setting up kinetic energy devices at points that could be triggered by the pressure of a rolling tire has the potential to provide a stable renewable source of energy.

British grocery chain Sainsbury’s is looking to power their checkouts with kinetic energy using “kinetic road plates.” When cars drive over the plates, they create a rocking motion under the road surface which turns generators. The system, launched in Sainsbury’s Gloucester Quay store last year, is set up at the car park and is expected to produce 30 kilowatts of energy an hour.

The company New Energy Technologies, meanwhile, is banking on its MotionPower technologies. The company has two versions of its system. One can be triggered by the motion of cars and light trucks and another can be operated by heavier vehicles such as trucks and buses.

The system basically uses multiple treadles embedded in roads to resemble a rumble strip or a speed bump. When a vehicle passes over these areas, the tires press down the metal strips on the surface and the system converts this into electricity.

New Energy Technologies (OTCBB:NENE) recently announced that they are testing the heavy version of this system at Heller Industrial Parks’ flagship site in New York, one of the East Coast’s largest maritime cargo center and the third largest port in the United States. The constant influx of trucks and other commercial vehicles will give the company ample opportunity to monitor their system’s capabilities.
As new technologies in piezoelectricity and kinetic power harvesting develop, it is interesting to see how they will be incorporated in people’s daily lives.

Source:ECOSEEDS :June 22. 2010

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It’s just plain smart to tune up your lawn mower every spring. According to manufacturer Briggs & Stratton, a tune-up can increase fuel economy by a third, extend the life of the engine, reduce repair costs and decrease emissions by up to 50 percent.

Tune your lawn mower in 3 easy steps. It’ll run better, last longer and burn fuel more efficiently and cleanly.

The three main components involved in a mower tune-up are the air filter engine oil and spark plug , all of which must be changed. The needed parts and supplies can be found at home centers and hardware stores.

Change the oil and air filter:
—————————————

Loosen the air filter cover screw and drop the cover down. Pull out the old air filter and press in the new one (make sure the paper pleats are facing out). Replace the cover and firmly tighten the cover screw.

A clean air filter helps maintain the proper fuel/air ratio, allowing the mower to burn less gas. Swap out the old air filter (picture- 1).

Start by changing the engine oil and Run the engine for a few minutes to warm up the oil so it’ll drain better. Stop the engine, remove the drain plug and empty the old oil (tilt the mower back to get it all out, if necessary). Replace the drain plug and fill the mower with oil until it’s visible through the oil fill hole, or check the level on the dipstick, if so equipped.

Install a new spark plug

————————————————–

Pull off the spark plug wire and remove the old plug with a spark plug wrench or deep socket (13/16 in. or 3/4 in., typically). Hand-turn the new plug until the threads catch. Ratchet the plug down until it stops, then turn it another quarter turn (cranking down too hard can break the plug or render it nearly impossible to remove).

Next, remove and replace the spark plug (Photo 2). If the plug’s rusted tight, spray it with a penetrating lubricant like Liquid Wrench or JB80. Let it soak in for 10 minutes before trying to loosen the plug again.

The spark plug will be factory gapped, but make sure there is a gap between the electrode and overhanging arm. If you drop the plug and the overhanging arm bends tight to the electrode, the mower won’t start.
Source: The Family Handyman

It is very much essential to have daily baths and showers, but by doing so we are polluting water supplies, partly due to the increasing usage of toiletries, a new research has claimed.

…

Earlier it was believed that sewage is the source of chemical pollution after researchers found substances from prescription drugs, shampoos, gels and other skin products in water supplies.

Scientists have also found traces of the active ingredients of birth control pills, antidepressants, and scores of other drugs in waterways. Some end up in drinking water — at extremely low, trace levels. But the new research at the US Environment Protection Agency suggests that waste from showers and baths should also be looked at.

Ilene Ruhoy, who co-authored the study, said that scientists have long known that bathrooms are a portal for release of APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) into the environment. “We’ve long assumed that the active ingredients from medications enter the environment as a result of their excretion via urine and feces,” the scientist said. “However, for the first time, we have identified potential alternative routes for the entry into the environment by way of bathing, showering, and laundering”.

“These routes may be important for certain APIs found in medications that are applied topically, which means to the skin. They include creams, lotions, ointments, gels, and skin patches”, Ruhoy said.

Ruhoy and her team identified this potential new source of APIs through a review of hundreds of scientific studies on the metabolism and use of medications. They focused on APIs in medications that are applied to the skin or excreted from the body via sweat glands.

Some APIs enter the environment in a form that may have greater impact than those released in feces and urine, they said.

TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF OUR NEXT GENERATION WE SHOULD TRY TO REDUCE USING  EXCESSIVE TOILETRIES

Source:The Times Of India. March 20.2010

Three scientists from Purdue University in Indiana have modified a strain of yeast that can eventually improve biofuel production from cellulosic plant materials.

Nancy Ho, a research professor of chemical engineering, Nathan Mosier, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, and Miroslav Sedlak, a research assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, were able to create a yeast strain that can ferment all five types of plant sugars.

According to Ms. Ho, after whom the yeast strain was named, the new yeast can ferment the sugar arabinose in addition to xylose, galactose, manose and glucose.

The researchers used genes from a fungus to re-engineer a yeast strain that Ms. Ho originally developed. The addition of new genes to the new Ho yeast strain will increase the amount of ethanol that can be produced from cellulosic materials.

Arabinose makes up about 10 percent of the sugars contained in plants. It is broken down in the same way as the other four sugars, but adding the fungus genes allowed the new yeast strain to create necessary enzymes that will include arabinose into the chain, said Mr. Mosier.

In addition to creating the arabinose-fermenting yeast, the researchers were also able to develop yeast strains that are more resistant to acetic acid.

Acetic acid is the main ingredient in vinegar. It is released with sugars before the fermentation process during the production of ethanol.

However, acetic acid also gets into yeast cells and slows down the fermentation process, making ethanol production more expensive.

“It doesn’t produce as much biofuel, and it produces it more slowly,” explained Mr. Mosier. “If it slows down too much, it’s not a good industrial process.”

The researchers studied the genes in more resistant strains to determine which genes made the yeast more resistant to acetic acid. They improved the expression of the identified genes to increase the yeast’s resistance.

The team will continue to work on the yeast to make it more efficient during industrial ethanol production and more resistant to inhibitors.

Their findings on acetic acid were published in the June issue of the journal FEMS Yeast Research, while their arabinose research was published in the early online version of the journal Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

Source:ECOSEED : June.09,2010

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Nature seems to be the favored source of inspiration for future renewable energy developments.
………………
The newest technologies depend on either harnessing the natural forces of the elements, such as the kinetic motion of tides, or mimicking natural systems, such as the photosynthetic abilities of plants for better solar cells or more efficient biofuel or hydrogen production.

Now French scientists from the Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble have tapped another natural source for power – glucose found in living animals.

Glucose is a simple sugar used by cells as a source of energy. It is one of the main products of photosynthesis, and most forms of biofuel depend on accessing glucose from crops or biomass.

However, the French research team, led by biomedical engineer Philippe Cinquin, developed a biofuel cell that draws glucose from animal systems, and possibly soon, from humans.

The team successfully implemented the glucose biofuel cells in living rats, and found that the devices could produce up to 6.5 microwatts, with a maximum output of 24.4 microwatts per milliliter. The electrical output can remain stable at 2 microwatts for 11 days.

The scientists claimed that the biofuel cell could have significant applications in medicine. For example, the device can power a pacemaker as its output exceeds that of a pacemaker’s requirement of 10 microwatts.

This would allow the cell to last longer, and would also eliminate the need to surgically remove the device to be replaced as glucose could provide a potentially limitless source of energy.

The device uses enzymes to convert energy from glucose and oxygen found naturally in the body. Previous attempts of using such a device have failed because the enzymes required acidic conditions or were inhabited by charged particles in the fluid surrounding the cells.

The team was able to overcome these obstacles by confining selected enzymes inside graphite discs placed in dialysis bags. Glucose and oxygen flowed into the cell, but the enzymes remained in place and catalyzed the oxidation of glucose to generate electricity.

Mr. Cinquin is optimistic that the efficiency of the device could be improved and he sees no reason why the devices could not work in people.

He believes that the biofuel cell could be used in humans within five years to 10 years. Aside from pacemakers, the device could be applied in insulin pumps, artificial urinary sphincters, biosensors, bone growth simulators and drug delivery devices.

Source  :ECOSEED : June.08,2010

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Businesses’ view of corporate social responsibility continues to evolve. A decade ago, few businesses would have thought that they need to plan with the environment in mind. Yet today, sustainability has never been more important.

…………

Considering public health alongside the environment is tricky at these times since governments around the world are preoccupied with the hottest issue in the global agenda – climate change

Leading United States retailer WalMart Stores Inc., for instance, has been aggressively cutting emissions in its global operations while EBay Inc. sells second-hand goods to promote sustainable consumption. The Bank of America, the largest bank holding company in the United States, has allotted $20 billion for sustainability initiatives alone for the next 10 years.

Protecting the environment, prompted by climate change, has grown to become a corporate liability. Companies today make extensive efforts on energy efficiency and renewable energy as they realize that these are vital to the solution, inevitable even as the world moves away from dependence on oil.

After surveying 15,000 people in 11 countries, Edelman, a global public relations firm, found out that the next big issue that companies need to face could be health. Three out of four people, or 73 percent, believe health is as important as protecting the environment.

In addition, 69 percent of respondents pointed out that businesses should be as engaged in maintaining and improving public health as it is with the environment.

“Business has gone ‘green’ – now it’s time to go ‘health,’” said Nancy Turett, global president of Edelman’s health practice.

“For a company to be prosperous and relevant in the future, it has to factor health into its business strategy, not only to fulfill its social contract with all stakeholders but to realize its full market potential.”

Nearly three-quarters, or 72 percent, of the respondents said they would be more willing to trust, do business with and even invest in companies that are engaged in health issues, indicating that a focus on health is a smart business strategy.

However, 51 percent said that business in general is doing only a fair or poor job in this issue while only 36 percent believe companies to have health as a part of their priorities.

Considering public health alongside the environment is tricky at these times since governments around the world are preoccupied with the hottest issue in the global agenda – climate change. However, as more countries engage in environmental issues, they will realize that the environment is intrinsically linked to health.

The World Health Organization pointed out that climate change is a significant and emerging threat to public health, and it changes the way we must look at protecting people’s health.

Changing weather patterns have already caused death and injury in many parts of the globe through natural disasters, such as heat waves, floods and droughts. In addition, many diseases develop due to changing temperatures and rainfall.

The World Bank has approved a $200 million development policy loan for Indonesia to help the country counter climate change impacts such as rising sea levels, unpredictable weather and the spread of water- and vector-borne diseases.

The United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences warned that climate change is a growing threat to health, from heart disease to heatstroke to illnesses carried by water to bugs.

Propitiously, the measures needed to make the necessary reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are those needed to protect and improve global health, according to Mike Gill and Robin Stott, co-chairs of the Climate & Health Council based in Britain.

Environmentalists and health professionals alike promote a low-carbon lifestyle, which covers many aspects of modern life such as transportation and how buildings are made. Some people connect going green with being vegetarians to avoid large carbon emissions made from meat processing

A national survey from WSP Group P.L.C., a British management and consultancy firm, reveals substantial popular support for commitment to a low-carbon future in Britain – provided the right incentives are in place.

A resounding 86 percent of 2,097 respondents said that they have a clear idea of what a low-carbon future looks like and are motivated to achieve it. In fact, 72 percent felt that a low-carbon lifestyle would not reduce their standard of living and would instead enhance their personal well-being.

Seventy four percent of the people surveyed expect to see energy efficient buildings in their towns but nearly half of the respondents, or around 43 percent, worry that it could cost them too much money.

Over 68 percent of respondents agree that giving out incentives to encourage energy efficiency is necessary.
; May 28.2010
Creating the necessary framework will take time and will be very costly. The Group of 77 developing countries recommend at least $150 billion for a fund that will stimulate low-carbon development.

Climate change already contributes to the global burden of diseases and impedes economic growth.

It would be no surprise if more companies look at the environment differently, and specifically through the lens of public health care.

Source:ECOSEED May 28. 2010

Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the air changes plant physiology in a way that they contribute to global warming.

………….

Plants are perhaps the most useful thing on earth. They are involved in several key biogeochemical cycles like the carbon cycle, water cycle, nitrogen cycle and oxygen cycle. They are also thought to be a key weapon in our fight against global warming, as they can help reduce the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere. Recent studies, however, reveal that plants too suffer under increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and even contribute to global warming.

..You may click & watch videos on line

Two unrelated studies    looked at how plants would behave if the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rose. One investigated how they can impact global temperatures. The result was surprising — changing plant physiology can contribute to global warming by as much as 30 per cent of the total warming in some places. The findings of the second study were as disturbing: when carbon dioxide levels go up, the nutritive content of plants goes down.

The first study was done by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore and Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford University. The scientists found that plants would transpire less when the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere increases. That’s because the plant stomata, through which it loses water, opens less when the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere increases. Just as we sweat less when our skin pores close, plants also sweat less when stomata open less.

This seemingly trivial mechanism has a significant effect on the planet if carried out on a global scale. Says G. Bala, IISc professor and a co-author of the study: “We have so far been looking at the effect of carbon dioxide only on global temperatures. We now know that the effect of plant physiology on warming can be significant.”

In fact, say the scientists, this effect is significant even if there was no greenhouse effect warming the earth (carbon dioxide traps the heat escaping the earth just like in a greenhouse). Plants transpire about 25cm of water in a year under pre-industrial levels of carbon dioxide. If the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere double, as is expected to happen within 30-40 years, they would transpire only 20cm in a year. The contribution of this reduced transpiration to global warming is at least as much as that of deforestation or diversion of water for irrigation, say the scientists.

When averaged over the earth, this physiological effect can contribute as much as 15 per cent of the expected warming by 2050 (the rest is through greenhouse effect). But the impact of the changing plant physiology is greater in some places. For example, in North America and East Asia, plant physiology can contribute as much as 30 per cent of the expected warming. There could be one positive effect of sorts; as plants transpire less, rivers would get more water through run-off. Changing plant physiology could contribute as much as 65 per cent of the expected increase in water run-off. (If less water is lost through transpiration, more water is available on the surface.)

While this would cause concern in many circles, the other study could be more disturbing, especially to developing countries like India. Arnold Bloom at the University of California in Davis found that the nutritive content of many crops would decrease with increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. This effect can be seen in all but four crops: corn, sugarcane, sorghum and amaranth. These crops have an additional metabolic pathway that is not affected by increasing levels of carbon dioxide. In all other crops, rising carbon dioxide levels would affect their ability to convert soil nitrates into proteins.

Nitrogen is an element that is vital to plant growth. In fact, it is the element required in greatest quantity for plants to thrive. Plants get most of their nitrogen from the soil. Bloom used five different methods to study the impact of higher carbon dioxide levels on nitrogen assimilation. All the methods found that the ability of plants to use soil nitrates reduced, with the result that the protein content of crops declined. In wheat, the phenomenon could reduce the protein content by as much as 11 per cent in the grain and the total protein content (in the plant) by 20 per cent. Wheat and rice provide 21 per cent and 14 per cent of the protein in our diet, and reduced protein content in these crops can affect many people around the world.

We might be tempted to counteract this effect by adding more fertiliser, but this practice has its deleterious effects too. Since these effects are not seen in four crops, there is some effort now to genetically engineer other crops to improve their ability to use nitrates under higher carbon dioxide levels. “This is a sophisticated problem and may not be solved within our lifetimes,” says Bloom.

There is another aspect to this problem. Insects that eat crops would need to eat more to maintain their nutritional levels. And this could have an adverse effect on agriculture too.

Source: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

IInstead of harvesting wind energy from wind turbines, a research group from Cornell University has found a way to generate electricity from vibrations caused by even the gentlest of breezes.

………….

The low-cost vibro-wind system mainly consists of a panel mounted with oscillators made out of foam that amplify small vibrations from the wind. Photo from Cornell University

While traditional wind energy generation requires large and expensive turbines, the low-cost system developed by the Vibro-Wind research group mainly consists of a panel mounted with oscillators made out of foam. The foam helps amplify small vibrations from the wind.

A piezoelectric transducer, a device made of ceramic or polymer that emits electrons when stressed, converts the mechanical energy produced into electricity. The team is exploring the use of electromagnetic coils as an alternative to the transducer.

The Vibro-Wind system holds various advantages over wind turbines and other traditional means of wind power. Compared with existing facilities, the Vibro-Wind panels require a faction of the space needed, create less noise and are cheaper.

“The thing with turbines and windmills is that you need wide open space, and you need it to be away from the city, because people don’t like the way they look,” explained Rona Banai, a chemical engineering major and the chief student engineer of the Vibro-Wind group

Harvesting energy from vibrations is nothing new, but according to Frank Moon, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the leader of the Vibro-Wind research group, interest in the technology has branched out to different areas such as defense and civil infrastructure in the past years.

For example, soldiers could exchange their heavy batteries with piezoelectric devices to create electricity just by walking. Similarly, civil engineers could install buildings with sensors powered by vibrational energy to detect fires and other instabilities.

The research group did not specify when the design might be commercialized, but the group hopes to see buildings outfitted with Vibro-Wind panels, in the same way solar panels are installed in many rooftops today.

“We are taking research that’s been in progress, and we are trying to extend it into a new type of energy harvesting,” Mr. Moon said.

The Vibro-Wind study is funded by a $100,000 grant from the Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future’s academic venture fund.

Source :ECOSEED. May 28.2010

BaleHaus@Bath” was built with prefabricated panels filled with straw bales inside to carefully evaluate the natural material’s performance as a sustainable building component. Photo by the University of Bath A low carbon house made of straw bale panels continues to stand in the campus of the University of Bath after withstanding hurricane-like winds.

The two-story “BaleHaus@Bath” was built with prefabricated panels filled with straw bales inside to carefully evaluate the natural material’s performance as a sustainable building component.

“Straw is a very environmentally friendly building material because it is renewable and uses a co-product of farming,” said Prof. Pete Walker, director of the university’s Centre for Innovative Construction Materials and head of the project’s research team.

The BaleHaus system uses straw panels that are carbon negative in manufacture and also contain high insulating properties that helps reduce additional heating requirements, which in turn helps lower heating bills by up to 85 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent.

Prof. Walker’s team has been monitoring the BaleHaus’s thermal condition and humidity levels since October last year. Now the team has tested the house’s ability to resist winds of up to 120 miles per hour.

The research team simulated the wind load by using hydraulic jacks that push horizontally against the walls with a force exceeding four tons, equivalent to the force of a hurricane.

The team recorded that the walls moved no more than four millimetres under peak loads, as expected from the design.

“The recent test result is excellent as it has confirmed the robustness of BaleHaus and validated the computer model, so avoiding the need for further tests and providing basis for safe and efficient structural design,” said Prof. Walker.

The researchers will use the data to make a theoretical computer model of the house and simulate how a three-story BaleHaus building, or even higher, will resist such winds.

The team has previously conducted similar tests on individual panels to determine their racking strength. It was the first time they conducted the test on a whole house made of straw.

Sustainable buildings

These data are expected to help strengthen the case for the mainstream building industry to switch to more sustainable building materials, such as straw.

Straw locks in carbon dioxide as it grows through photosynthesis and keeps the carbon atom to produce cellulose while giving off oxygen atoms to the atmosphere.

This feature allows straw to become a carbon “bank” and is present in the structure of each BaleHaus system.

This natural process reportedly banks an equivalent of 42 tons of carbon emissions per house to prepare a negative carbon home before anyone moves in.

According to the research team’s data, this carbon credit is enough to offset 10 years of BaleHaus energy requirements using fossil fuels and more than 40 years if renewable sources are used.

“If we are completely serious about being ‘carbon free’ we need to rethink the design of our buildings on a large scale,” said Craig White, director of ModCell, adding that the house can meet the challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent by 2050. ModCell constructed the straw house used in the tests.

The BaleHaus project involves a total of eight industrial partners and has received funds from the Technology Strategy Board and Carbon Connections.

The straw house’s properties give it a great market potential, according to Iain Gray, chief executive of the board.

The BaleHaus, which started construction in June 2009 and completed in September, can be dismantled, reused and recycled at the end of an estimated over 100 years of life, its promoters say.

Source: ECOSEED

California-based Pythagoras Solar has developed a new green building material that combines energy efficiency with high density solar power generation in an aesthetically appealing package.

Unlike conventional building-integrated photovoltaic products, the new glass unit simultaneously blocks solar radiation, concentrates sunlight and converts it into solar energy. Photo from Pythagoras Solar

The company’s new photovoltaic glass unit is a combination of patent-pending advanced glass material, high efficiency crystalline silicon and simulation model software..

Unlike conventional building-integrated photovoltaic products, the new glass unit simultaneously blocks solar radiation, concentrates sunlight and converts it into solar energy. This cuts the need for centralized cooling system, a major source of a building’s energy consumption.

The glass unit is also designed to filter harsh sunlight and excessive heat while providing favorable natural lighting, thus minimizing the use of artificial lighting during the day.

Pythagoras’ glass units can be easily incorporated into conventional building construction and will not affect the buildings’ aesthetic value.

“Our new technology finally bridges the gap between energy efficiency and energy generation – enabling the architecture, engineering and construction sectors to accelerate the deployment of cost-effective distributed power generation and to advance aesthetically-pleasing net zero energy buildings,” said Gonen Fink, cofounder and chief executive of Pythagoras Solar.

Research firm NanoMarkets predicted that the global market for building-integrated photovoltaic products would be worth more than $8 billion by 2015. Banking on this boom, Pythagoras Solar is taking measures to scale up its operations for commercial production and distribution.

The privately-held company has already raised a total of $11 million in seed and venture capital funding to date, including $10 million from a Series A funding round led by Israel Cleantech Ventures.

Pythagoras Solar also established partnerships with chemical company Arkema, solar developer China Sunergy (Nasdaq:CSUN) and manufacturing services provider Flextronics Industrial.
The company’s photovoltaic glass units will be available for curtain walls, skylights and windows in the second half of the year.

Source:ECOSEED. May 27.2010

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A new analysis of U.S. health data links children’s attention-deficit disorder with exposure to common pesticides used on fruits and vegetables.
……………
While the study couldn’t prove that pesticides used in agriculture contribute to childhood learning problems, experts said the research is persuasive.

“I would take it quite seriously,” said Virginia Rauh of Columbia University, who has studied prenatal exposure to pesticides and wasn’t involved in the new study.

More research will be needed to confirm the tie, she said.

Children may be especially prone to the health risks of pesticides because they’re still growing and they may consume more pesticide residue than adults relative to their body weight.

In the body, pesticides break down into compounds that can be measured in urine. Almost universally, the study found detectable levels: The compounds turned up in the urine of 94 percent of the children.

The kids with higher levels had increased chances of having ADHD, attention -deficit hyperactive disorder,   a common problem that causes students to have trouble in school. The findings were published Monday in Pediatrics.

The children may have eaten food treated with pesticides, breathed it in the air or swallowed it in their drinking water. The study didn’t determine how they were exposed. Experts said it’s likely children who don’t live near farms are exposed through what they eat.

“Exposure is practically ubiquitous. We’re all exposed,” said lead author Maryse Bouchard of the University of Montreal.

She said people can limit their exposure by eating organic produce. Frozen blueberries, strawberries and celery had more pesticide residue than other foods in one government report.

A 2008 Emory University study found that in children who switched to organically grown fruits and vegetables, urine levels of pesticide compounds dropped to undetectable or close to undetectable levels.

Because of known dangers of pesticides in humans, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limits how much residue can stay on food. But the new study shows it’s possible even tiny, allowable amounts of pesticide may affect brain chemistry, Rauh said.

The exact causes behind the children’s reported ADHD though are unclear. Any number of factors could have caused the symptoms and the link with pesticides could be by chance.

The new findings are based on one-time urine samples in 1,139 children and interviews with their parents to determine which children had ADHD. The children, ages 8 to 15, took part in a government health survey in 2000-2004.

As reported by their parents, about 150 children in the study either showed the severe inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity characteristic of ADHD, or were taking drugs to treat it.

The study dealt with one common type of pesticide called organophosphates. Levels of six pesticide compounds were measured. For the most frequent compound detected, 20 percent of the children with above-average levels had ADHD. In children with no detectable amount in their urine, 10 percent had ADHD.

“This is a well conducted study,” said Dr. Lynn Goldman of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a former EPA administrator.

Relying on one urine sample for each child, instead of multiple samples over time, wasn’t ideal, Goldman said.

The study provides more evidence that the government should encourage farmers to switch to organic methods, said Margaret Reeves, senior scientist with the Pesticide Action Network, an advocacy group that’s been working to end the use of many pesticides.

“It’s unpardonable to allow this exposure to continue,” Reeves said.

Source:http://www.thedigigliareport.com/

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New Energy Technologies Inc. has completed a commercial-scale prototype that can generate electricity from the motion of vehicles such as trucks, cars and buses.

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The MotionPower system uses multiple treadles, which can be embedded in roads to copy a rumble strip or be elevated to resemble a speed bump. The treadles are then placed parallel to the direction of moving traffic.

When a vehicle passes over the treadles, its tires depress the surface. The system then discreetly captures excess energy generated by the movement of the tires on the surface and converts it into electricity.

The system harnesses the kinetic energy of slowing vehicles only at points where they are required to slow down or stop. Thus, the energy required for acceleration would not be absorbed by the system.

New Energy Technologies claimed the vehicles will still experience smooth driving over the MotionPower systems.

The technology uses an innovative application of peristaltic or wave-like action to ensure nondisruptive drive over the systems. Fluid-driven systems are used to harness the vehicle’s excess energy, eliminating the use of mechanical parts. This makes the system immune to mechanical inefficiency and failure.

The system is also equipped with self-regulating capabilities, which allow it to identify and react to various vehicle characteristics, behaviors and movements without human guidance.

New Energy developed two types of the energy-generating system, the MotionPower Heavy, which is designed for heavy commercial vehicles such as long-haul rigs and buses, and the MotionPower Auto, which is for smaller vehicles such as cars and light trucks.

Another variation of the system, MotionPower Express, is suitable for vehicles moving at higher rates of speed at high-traffic sites such as airport entrance and exit points, airport car-rental facilities, tollbooth approaches and highway off ramps.

You may click to learn more:New Energy Technologies Unveils Device that Can Generate Electricity from Moving Vehicles.

Source: EC0SEED. April30. 2010

Ford will manufacture more environment friendly vehicles by increasing the use of renewable and recyclable materials in an effort to reduce its environmental footprint while accelerating the development of advanced fuel-efficient vehicles.

The company uses polyurethane foams based on organic materials such as soy for seat cushions, seatbacks and headliners of 11 vehicle models. Two million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles with biofoam seats and currently on the road can cut petroleum use by 1.5 million pounds.

In addition, seat fabrics on the Ford Escape and Escape Hybrid consist of recycled yarns, which can cut energy use by 64 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent compared with the use of new yarns.

Ford also use recycled resins from detergent bottles, tires and battery casings to make underbody systems, such as aerodynamic shields, splash shields and radiator air deflector shields, avoiding the disposal of between 25 million pounds to 30 million pounds of plastics in landfills in North America.

The company’s 3-liter Duratec engine also recycles used nylon carpeting as cylinder head covers. The cylinder head cover will be used in the current Fusion and Escape car models.

Such efforts reportedly saved Ford approximately $4.5 million in 2009. The company also claimed that its vehicles are now 85 percent recyclable by weight.

Cars built out of recycled materials do not mean they compromise quality, a crucial factor that Ford protects amidst recent criticism thrown at the world’s largest automaker Toyota Motors Company.

Ford’s material engineers are developing standardized specifications for sustainable materials while collaborating with purchasers and suppliers of parts to use their green components in different markets.

“Sustainable materials need to meet the same high standards for quality, durability and performance as virgin material; there can be no compromise on product quality,” said Valentina Cerato, Ford materials engineer in Europe.

The company aims to explore other sustainable material applications, such as a biobased fiber glass that Ford claims to be lighter, can deliver improved acoustics and can neutralize odor. Natural fiber composites can substitute for glass fibers in plastic car parts to make them stronger, improve fuel economy and cut down emissions while reducing the vehicle’s weight.

Researchers are also looking into ways to use plastics made entirely from sustainable resources, such as corn, sugar beets, sweet potatoes and other vegetables, to reduce the company’s dependence on petroleum.

“We have to entertain the thought of bioreplacement in baby steps, looking at every aspect of a car that could be green,” said Debbie Mielewski, technical leader of Ford’s plastics research.

“One day I hope to see the world of automotive plastics go totally compostable, removing petroleum by 100 percent,” she added.

Automobiles are said to be among the most recycled consumer products in the world. More than 95 percent of all vehicles in the United States that reach the end of their life cycle are recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

In contrast, only 52 percent of paper and 31 percent of plastic soft drink bottles are reused.

In Europe, automakers are required to recycle the vehicles they produce at the end of the vehicles’ lifetime. Ford (NYSE:F) currently has end-of-life recycling facilities in 16 European markets and is involved in 10 industry collective systems in the region.
Making cars more fuel efficient and eventually run completely on clean and renewable energy is a great goal. However, it is important to clean up the materials and processes used to make the cars themselves.

“In theory, end-of-life vehicles are nearly 100 percent recoverable,” said John Viera, Ford’s director of sustainability and environmental policy.

“In practice, however, the cost in energy and labor to recover all vehicle material often exceeds the value of the materials and offers insignificant value to the environment.”

Source:ECOSEED. April 22nd. 2010

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Experts warn that natural gas might not be as clean as it seems, in light of a bill that would use it to replace diesel in heavy vehicles for the sake of curtailing oil imports and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Natural gas, consisting primarily of methane, is said to be substantially cleaner than diesel and results in 25 percent less emissions when used.

Methane can trap heat 72 times more effectively in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide per molecule and stays there for approximately nine to 15 years.

However, using natural gas rather than diesel in vehicles might not be worth the cost or the hassle and could actually increase climate change, says Robert Howarth, a professor at Cornell University.

“You’re aggravating global warming more if you switch,” he said

Preliminary analysis revealed that accounting for natural gas that leaks during production and distribution, along with the carbon dioxide that comes out of a tailpipe when burning the fuel, could paint natural gas as significantly worse than diesel or even coal.

Considering combustion alone, natural gas emits the equivalent of 33 grams of carbon dioxide per megajoule. In contrast, gasoline emits 18.6 grams, diesel fuel spews 18.9 grams and bituminous coal releases 24 grams.

The professor stressed that the leakage of methane gas during production, transport, processing and use is a significant contributor to overall emissions.

It was estimated that 4.5 grams of carbon dioxide per million joules of energy will be added to the total greenhouse gas emission impact of the gas. Meanwhile, the greenhouse gas emissions from obtaining, processing, and transporting diesel fuel and gasoline are around 1.5 grams.

The worst part is that methane can trap heat 72 times more effectively in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide per molecule and stays there for approximately nine to 15 years.

While Professor Howarth’s analysis is just the first of a series of studies, it will have a profound effect on a crucial bill being discussed in Congress.

Introduced just this month by Democratic Representatives John Larson from Connecticut and John Sullivan of Illinois, the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act, or Natgas Act, expands the use of natural gas as an alternative to conventional transportation fuel.

Provisions under the bill include an 18-year extension of three tax incentives that focus on natural gas as a transportation fuel; purchase of natural gas-fuelled vehicles; and installation of natural gas refueling pumps.

Source:ECOSEED April 19,2010

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The rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere means far more energy is coming into Earth’s climate system than is going out, but half of that energy is missing and could eventually reappear as another sign of climate change, scientists said .

In stable climate times, the amount of heat coming into Earth’s system is equal to the amount leaving it, but these are not stable times, said John Fasullo of the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research, a co-author of the report in the journal Science.

The gap between what’s entering the climate system and what’s leaving is about 37 times the heat energy produced by all human activities, from driving cars and running power plants to burning wood.

Half of that gap is unaccounted for, Fasullo and his co-author Kevin Trenberth reported. It hasn’t left the climate system but it hasn’t been detected with satellites, ocean sensors or other technology.

It might lurk in deep ocean waters in areas sensors don’t reach. Some of it could be the result of imprecise measurement or processing of satellite or sensor data. But the greenhouse-caused heat gap is definitely there, the authors said.

“The heat will come back to haunt us sooner or later,” Trenberth said. “It is critical to track the build-up of energy in our climate system so we can understand what is happening and predict our future climate.”

By pumping climate-warming greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, humans have caused this imbalance, and “it is this imbalance that produces ‘global warming,’” the authors wrote.

WARMING OCEANS, MELTING ICE :-

Much of the heat gap is evident in warming ocean waters, melting polar ice and other signs of climate change, but half of it is nowhere to be found, Trenberth and Fasullo reported.

That doesn’t mean it’s gone. It could show itself as an abrupt El Nino pattern, where tropical Pacific waters warm up and influence weather in North and South America.

“There is a wide range of possibilities for what may end up happening with the missing energy,” Fasullo wrote in an e-mail interview. “It is clear however that the system cannot sequester heat indefinitely without a surface temperature response.

“The potential impacts of such a response are likely to be as diverse as those associated with climate change, in my view,” he wrote.

These potential impacts of climate change include increased droughts, floods and wildfires, rising sea levels and more severe storms, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported.

Last year was one of the five warmest on record, and the decade from 2000-2009 was the warmest decade on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization, but Trenberth said there has recently been some stagnation in global surface temperatures, including some cold spells in Europe, Asia and the United States this past winter.

He said this stagnation was due to natural variability, while at the same time, sea levels have continued rising at the same rates as previously, while the melting of glacial and Arctic sea ice has picked up.

Source: The Times Of India

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A solar-powered aircraft has finally made its maiden flight in Switzerland, moving one step closer to its goal of carrying out a zero-emission flight around the world in 2012.

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The Solar Impulse HB-SIA plane executed a series of maneuvers as part of its 87-minute initial flight exercise, before touching down on the Swiss canton on Vaud.

The plane is a product of the Solar Impulse project, a brainchild of Bertrand Piccard, the first man to ever fly a balloon around the world without stopping.

The aircraft stands at 6.40 meters and measures 21.85 meters from nose to tail end. Its wingspan is similar to that of a Boeing 747-400, stretching over a length of more than 64 meters – almost three times more than the plane’s length.

However, despite its immense proportions, the aircraft boast of an incredibly light weight of only 1,600 kilograms.

Mounted on the plane’s wings and on the horizontal stabilizer are 11,628 silicon monocrystalline solar cells that provide power to four electric engines, each with a maximum power of 10 horsepower. With this amount of energy, the plane could achieve a takeoff speed of 35 kilometers per hour and fly at an average speed of 70 kph.

The key to the success of the whole project is energy. The developers determined that each square meter of land surface receives the equivalent of 1,000 watts or 1.3 horsepower of light energy during midday. This averages out at just 250 watts per square meter over 24 hours.

The developers calculated that with photovoltaic spread across cells and 12 percent propulsion efficiency, the plane’s motors could achieve only 6 kilowatts of power at the maximum. The aircraft will have to make do with this amount of energy when it attempts to fly around the world nonstop without fuel.

“Our future depends on our ability to convert rapidly to the use of renewable energies. Solar Impulse is intended to demonstrate what can be done already today by using these energies and applying new technologies that can save natural resources,” said Mr. Piccard.

Solar Impulse now aims to complete a 36-hour flight, which would require the addition of lithium-polymer batteries that will store solar energy collected during the day to allow the plane to fly during the night. The development of a second aircraft is already in the pipeline in a bid to make several consecutive 24-hour flight cycles.

Clearing both stages of development would be needed before an attempt at trans-Atlantic crossing can be made. But Mr. Piccard is optimistic over progress of the project.

“We still have a long way to go until the night flights and an even longer way before flying round the world, but today, thanks to the extraordinary work of an entire team, an essential step towards achieving our vision has been taken,” he said

Source: ECOSEED, April 15. 2010

Engineers from Princeton University jumped over technical hurdles to produce malleable and lucent electricity-conducting plastics, opening doors to a wider and cheaper range of electrical devices like solar panels.
…………..
The plastic is a result of a new production technique developed by Princeton researchers led by Yueh-Lin Loo, an associate professor of chemical engineering. Since the plastic produced can make unnecessary indium tin oxide, an expensive electricity-conducting material used in solar panels, it could drastically cut the cost of manufacturing solar panels.

Conductive polymers or plastics usually lose the ability to conduct electricity when they are shaped for a particular use. But the research team found a way to get around this obstacle.

“We have figured out how to avoid this tradeoff. We can shape the plastics into a useful form while maintaining high conductivity,” said Ms. Loo.

Ms. Loo and her fellow researchers discovered that during the process of making the polymers moldable, their material compositions are trapped in a rigid form, preventing electrical current from travelling through the plastics.

The research team thus developed a process of relaxing the structure of the plastics. In this process, after shaping them in the desired form, plastic is treated with acid that results in the creation of a plastic transistor, a significant electronic component which amplifies and switches electronic signals.

The new technique holds the promise of low-cost mass production aside from presenting an alternative to solar panels’ primary conducting material, indium tin oxide which collects the electricity generated by solar cells.

“To bring down the costs of plastic solar cells, we need to find a replacement for indium tin oxide. Our conducting plastics allow sunlight to pass through them, making them a viable alternative,” Ms. Loo said.

The researchers also believe the plastics may be relevant to other electronic devices in fields like biomedical sensors. Ms. Loo claimed it will probably be useful in developing countries that cannot equip their people with expensive advanced medical facilities.

The research was backed up by National Science Foundation, the W.M. Keck Foundation and the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. The paper was published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: ECOSEED April 07.2010

Changes in land use linked to the growing of crops like soybeans and palm oil may cancel out the benefits of biofuels in terms of emissions savings, according to an official French study released on Thursday.
………..
Biofuels may even have a worse emissions profile than traditional fossil fuels, said the authors of the study commissioned by French energy and environment agency Ademe.

Factors such as the clearing of forests to grow crops could cut the emissions benefits of both non-European biofuel production and also output in Europe through the indirect effect of importing biofuel components, they said.

Critics of the current generation of biofuels, made using grains, sugar or oilseeds, say they encourage environmentally damaging land clearance. This issue has also been raised by the European Commission in its own analysis.

“The significance of these effects … warrants further work in order to establish how to take into account land use changes in the (emissions) balances of products made with agricultural raw materials,” the French study said.

In an updated version of a study first released in October, the authors reiterated substantial emissions savings from biofuels versus standard fuels when land-use changes are not measured, with savings ranging from 24 percent to 91 percent.

You may click to see:->

Biofuel Displacing Food Crops May Have Bigger Carbon Impact Than Thought

Biopact

Biofuels: All You Need to Know for a Bar Discussion

Think twice before using palm oil

Source: ECOSEED.April 9. 2010

The first-ever robotic underwater vehicle powered by the ocean’s heat has been demonstrated by NASA along with other research institutes, marking an important breakthrough, for now at least, in ocean exploration.

……………….

The underwater vehicle, Solo-Trec, uses a recharging engine powered by natural temperature differences found at varying ocean depths.

It has been hailed as a breakthrough in underwater vehicles, which are especially needed for ocean monitoring in climate and marine animal studies, exploration and surveillance.

“People have long dreamed of a machine that produces more energy than it consumes and runs indefinitely,” said Jack Jones, a NASA jet propulsion engineer and Solo-Trec scientist.

“While not a true perpetual motion machine, since we actually consume some environmental energy, [this] prototype… can continuously monitor the ocean without a limit on its lifetime imposed by energy supply,” Mr. Jones said.

The vehicle makes use of waxy substances known as phase-change materials that are contained in 10 external tubes which house material.

The material melts and expands as the vehicle surfaces and encounters warm temperatures. As it dives and enters cooler waters, the material solidifies and contracts. The expansion of the wax pressurizes the oil stored inside the float.

The oil drives a hydraulic motor that generates electricity and recharges the vehicle’s batteries. The energy generated powers the float’s hydraulic system, which changes the float’s volume and buoyancy, allowing it to move vertically.

Solo-Trec actually stands for “sounding oceanographic lagrangrian observer thermal recharging.” It was first tested off the coast of Hawaii and can now be scaled up or down for use in other robotic oceanographic vehicles.

“[The concept] is unique in that its stored energy gets renewed naturally as the platform traverses ocean thermal gradients, so, in theory, the system has unlimited range and endurance. This is a very significant advance,” said Thomas Swean, program manager for Solo-Trec.

“Most of Earth is covered by ocean, yet we know less about the ocean than we do about the surface of some planets,” explained Yi Chao, principal engineer at NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory and Solo-Trec’s principal investigator.

“This technology to harvest energy from the ocean will have huge implications for how we can measure and monitor the ocean and its influence on climate.”

The United States Navy and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography worked with NASA for the project.

Source: ECOSEED; 9Th. April. 2010

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Carbon capture is just the first stage of the technology for keeping emissions from thickening the atmosphere.
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After the emissions from a power plant or factory are captured, it needs to be contained in such a way that it does not leak out into the atmosphere. This is where carbon storage comes in.

Proper forestry and reforestation is still considered one of the best methods of storing carbon and keeping it out of the atmosphere.
Carbon storage or carbon sequestration is the technique used to ensure that the carbon dioxide captured after the capture are stored safely to prevent them from accumulating in the atmosphere as greenhouse gases.

Geologic carbon sequestration is when the captured carbon is stored in deep underground geologic formations. The majority of geologic formations used for carbon storage are deep saline or depleted oil and gas reservoirs.

Click to see Carbon Capture and Storage

A good geologic area for carbon storage needs layers of porous rock capped by layers of nonporous rock above them. A well is drilled down into the rock and the pressurized carbon dioxide is injected into the formation.

At depths bellow 800 meters to 1,000 meters and under high pressure, carbon dioxide develops a liquid-like quality. Thus it can move through the porous formations. It also tends to be buoyant and will flow upward, which is why the nonporous rock is important as it traps the carbon.

Another possible geologic area would be coal seams. Coal absorbs carbon dioxide, keeping it from being released into the atmosphere. This also results in the release of methane gas. Methane gas is technically a natural gas and a potential source of fuel – thus carbon storage this way can also help increase an area’s fuel production potential.

However, methane is also considered a greenhouse gas and burning it releases carbon dioxide, negating the desired effects of storing carbon this way.

Deep saline formations :-
Deep saline formations are also considered for carbon storage. Saline formations are layers of porous rock saturated with brine. They contain minerals that can react with injected carbon dioxide to form solid carbonates that trap the gas.

This is a relatively new form of carbon capture and most researchers caution that further studies are required to ensure that it will not escape from the formations. One worry is that the process could contaminate water.

One of the earliest and so far successful saline carbon capture project began in 1996, when the Norwegian oil company, Statoil began injecting approximately one million tons of captured carbon dioxide a year into the Utsira Sand, a saline formation under the North Sea.

Another property of carbon dioxide is that it is soluble in ocean water. The world’s oceans absorb and carbon dioxide naturally, but the natural processes are thought to be too slow to keep up with the increasing rates of carbon dioxide in the world. There is also concern that sequestering carbon dioxide in the oceans could kill marine organisms and disrupt the marine ecosystems and the industries dependent on it.

Examples of ocean sequestration include iron fertilization which introduces iron to the ocean causing massive plankton growth and removing carbon from the atmosphere. There is also direct injection of carbon dioxide into deep areas of the ocean where – much like in geological sequestration – the seabed would trap and keep the carbon.

Other ways :-
Research is also being done in the recycling or reuse of captured carbon dioxide.

The United States Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory announced a $2.4 billion funding for a range of industrial carbon capture and energy efficiency improvement projects, of which $100 million is for the reuse concept.

Carbon dioxide reuse concepts include carbon mineralization to carbonates through conversion of carbon dioxide in flue gas, use of carbon dioxide from power plants or industrial applications to grow algae or other biomass, and conversion of carbon dioxide to chemicals.

Much like ocean sequestration, terrestrial sequestration involves enhancing the carbon absorbing and carbon storing abilities of forests, agricultural land, deserts and even wetlands. It is considered the cheapest form of carbon storage and can be used as emissions offsets. About 220,000 acres of forest land could offset emissions form an average-sized power plant.

Terrestrial sequestration is conceptualized for use in conjunction with carbon capture and storage to provide fossil-fired power generation with zero net greenhouse gas emissions.

Terrestrial sequestration efforts include tree planting and forest preservation as well as modifying agricultural practices to emit less carbon or else to enhance crops carbon absorption by planting crops specifically for carbon absorption alongside those for harvest.

Other research into terrestrial sequestration includes the development of fast-growing trees and grasses and deciphering the genomes of carbon-storing soil microbes. The technology laboratory’s terrestrial sequestration R and D is focused on reforesting and amending min elands and other damaged soils and analyzing various land management techniques, including no-till farming, reforestation, rangeland improvement, wetlands recovery, and riparian restoration.

Source: ECOSEED. Jan 29. 2010

At first glance, the Toyota Scion sitting in the University of Delaware parking lot looks like a normal boxy car.

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But a second look shows it lacks a tailpipe, and has an electrical outlet set into the grille below the hood. Inside, the Scion’s identity as an electric car is revealed by the lack of a fuel gauge, and by a dashboard display showing that it has used 54.3 kilowatt hours to drive 210 miles.

But this is no ordinary electric car because, in addition to recharging its battery when not being driven, it also gives power back to the grid.

Professor Willett Kempton, who is leading the university’s Vehicle to Grid (V2G) program, believes electric car batteries will represent a vast, reliable source of energy for the grid in a future when the national power supply will increasingly rely on renewable but fluctuating sources like sun and wind.

“Because in future, electricity will come more and more from sources that fluctuate, we need some form of storage that can reliably supply the grid, and electric car batteries are the most cost-effective form of that,” he said.

One typical electric car can put out more than 10 kW, the average draw of 10 houses, according to university researchers, and the power is readily available, since cars are idle on average for 95 percent of each day.

Giving back to the grid:-
Since 1997 the V2G program has been promoting the idea that electric or hybrid vehicles, if widely adopted, could give back to the grid during the many hours when they are not being driven.

With three converted Scions now in service and using V2G technology, and another four owned by the state of Delaware, the Center for Carbon-free Power Integration is proving not only that the vehicles are contributing energy to the national grid but also that the owner gets paid for his or her contributions.

On a laptop in his office, Mr. Kempton points to a display showing real-time data on the charging status of five V2G vehicles, including the power that each has put back into the grid, and the money that contribution has earned.

During March 1 to March 25, one of the vehicles had earned $143.53 for the university from PJM, the local grid operator.

A key to the program is a cable that can transmit power to or from the car, and which is connected in a campus parking lot from the radiator grille outlet to a socket that looks like a recreational vehicle hook-up.

In the ideal world of V2G, such hook-ups would be commonplace at highway rest stops or parking lots where electric-vehicle drivers can recharge. Overnight, a fully charged battery can give back to the grid.

Auto Port Inc. of Wilmington installs the V2G technology in the Scions.

The power needs of both the battery and the grid at any moment are determined via an internet signal carried down the connector, allowing each end to communicate with the other, Kempton said.

To help lay the groundwork for V2G in Delaware, the state passed a 2009 law – the first of its kind in the world – requiring utilities to compensate electric car owners for power sent back to the grid at the same rate they pay to charge the battery.

At a current cost of about $75,000 per Scion – including V2G conversion and the basic car – the vehicles are beyond the reach of most drivers. But Mr. Kempton argues that costs will fall as production increases. With all costs optimized, a V2G car should eventually sell for $3,000 to $5,000 more than an equivalent gasoline model, he said.

Mr. Kempton boosts his vision with a prediction that most American cars will be hybrid or pure electric in 30 years’ time because of the rising cost of gasoline.

“There’s not going to be enough oil, and China is going to buy it all,” he said.

Source: ECOSEED: March 31st. 2010

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Scientists are very close to producing electricity from the energy generated from walking and other body movements.
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Human beings need energy to survive. But most of the time, we aren’t aware that we too generate a considerable amount of energy through our actions. Imagine the energy produced as we walk and step on things. Even the beating of our hearts produces energy. What if we could convert all this mechanical energy into electricity? Scientists are taking the first steps towards doing that, paving the way for small devices to power themselves.

At the University of Princeton, the US, assistant professor Michael McAlpine has developed ceramic nanoribbons embedded in silicon sheets that produce electricity when flexed even gently. In the near future, they could be placed in shoes to charge mobile phones, or embedded in cardiac pacemakers. Last week, the US Patent Office published a patent by Nokia for a self-charging phone using similar principles. And at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Professor Zhong Lin Wang is using zinc oxide and other materials to convert tiny flutters into electricity. “We have crossed most of the technological hurdles for commercialisation,” says Wang.

Small devices have penetrated our lives in a big way. They are charged usually by electricity or powered by small batteries. In many cases this presents problems. For example, using batteries inside our bodies is risky because they can leak. And if they drain out, replacing them is a problem. How do you periodically pierce the skull and change batteries of implants in the brain? Moreover, there are many situations where external devices need to be charged when electricity is not available. The ability to convert even small amounts of mechanical energy into electrical energy is useful in these circumstances.

Consider the work of McAlpine. Two months ago, he published research in the journal Nano letters. This was purely about the science behind a method to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. McAlpine and his team used ribbons of lead zirconate titanate on rubber sheets. This material has one of the highest efficiencies known for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, but it usually crystallises only at high temperatures. The Princeton scientists, with help from those from the California Institute of Technology, developed a scaleable process for making these materials.

Lead zirconate titanate belongs to a category of materials called piezoelectric. These materials produce a voltage — and hence a current — when flexed. And when a voltage is applied to them, they flex. These properties make them very useful, if we know how to exploit them. Some piezoelectric materials are biocompatible and hence suitable for use inside the body.

In the last two months, McAlpine has made a small device using these principles and applied for a patent. He has had enquiries from private companies, including a major shoe manufacturer. “You can use this method to light up the shoe without batteries,” says McAlpine. He has in mind more serious uses as well, including charging cell phones by walking. Putting these devices in malls — anywhere where people walk — to generate electricity is also not a far-fetched idea. If you walk briskly, each strike of the heel, in theory, can generate 67 watts. If you convert a small fraction of this power into electricity, it would be enough to power many devices.

The major advantage of McAlpine’s method is the efficiency — it can convert 80 per cent of the mechanical energy into electricity. At Georgia Tech, Wang has prototype devices that can already do this job, but by using a material called zinc oxide. They are not as efficient as lead zirconate titanate, but Wang has now developed a new method using a material called gallium nitride. This is 10 times as efficient, and the work is going to be published soon. Wang has floated a company called Piezodyne to commercialise his technology.

Wang, who has recently been elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is pursuing a dream: to power a network of sensors around the world. In the next few years, sensors are going to proliferate in our world for many reasons. They will provide inputs about the electricity grid, the weather, security, resources, our health and other vital data. Such data will be essential for the smooth running of our society.

Powering these sensors will be a major problem as their number could run into millions over the years. Many of them would be in places — like mountaintops — where electricity is not available. Moreover, they could be in places where it is not wise to use batteries. Unless we develop a method to power these sensors safely, reliably and in an environment-friendly way, we may not be able to deploy them widely.

“People never used to worry about such things a few years ago,” says Wang. “Now energy is one of the most critical issues facing us.”

Wang’s dream is to power these sensors through piezoelectrics. And he feels this will soon come true, as there are no more major technology hurdles.

Source : The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)