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quarta-feira, 12 de fevereiro de 2014
Former Nazi bunker transformed into green energy power plant
The Energy Bunker was originally constructed in 1943 to serve as a Nazi anti-aircraft bunker during WWII (Photo: IBA Hamburg GmbH / Bernadette Grimmenstein)
Energy and utilities company Hamburg Energie has joined forces with IBA Hamburg to transform a former Nazi anti-aircraft flak bunker into a green energy power plant. The Hamburg-based "Energy Bunker" has already begun producing energy for the local community, but once running at full capacity will provide up to 3,000 homes with heating, and another 1,000 homes with electricity.
Originally constructed in 1943 to serve as an anti-aircraft bunker, complete with gun turrets, the 42 m (137 ft) -high building also sheltered local people from Allied bombing raids during WWII. Though the British Army made an attempt to demolish the building on the war's close, blowing up its massively thick walls was deemed too dangerous to nearby buildings. The British ultimately settled on destroying much of the interior, and the bunker remained in this neglected state for over 60 years.
Plans to transform the building into a green energy hub first arose in 2006, with the renovation proper commencing in 2011, following extensive safety tests. The total cost of the project came to €26.7 million (roughly US$36.5 million) and was funded by both the the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Hamburg Climate Protection Concept.
The Energy Bunker is outfitted with several sustainable technologies. The main feature is a 2 million liter (528,000 US gallon) water reservoir that acts as a large heat store and plugs into the existing Reiherstieg district heating network. The reservoir itself is heated by several methods: a biomass power plant and wood chip burning unit which feed into a large boiler, a solar thermal array installed on the roof of the bunker, and waste heat produced by a nearby industrial plant.
A large photovoltaic system is installed on the south-facing facade of the building to produce electricity, and the wood chip burning unit is also used to produce electricity. A peak-load boiler and large battery array ensure that the energy output is kept steady at all times.
In addition to the production of green energy, Energy Bunker also contains a war memorial, cafe, and visitors center, where people can learn more about the building's history.
Source: IBA Hamburg
Pillow nudges sleepers when they begin to snore
The company determined that inflating the pillow to an extra three inches (7.62 cm) in depth was best for providing that subtle and potentially marriage-saving nudge
A habitual snorer is sure to draw the odd night-time prod from their spouse. While these might come at any time and with varying degrees of force, the Snore Activated Nudging Pillow hopes to defuse these late-night, semi-conscious altercations by automatically delivering a gentle nudge when the noise levels start to escalate.
The pillow features a built-in microphone to detect the sonic vibrations particular to snoring. Just as an intermittent snort evolves into deep-rooted nasal rumblings and the partner rolls over to awaken the culprit, the pillow inflates an internal bladder, causing the user to adjust their sleeping position.
While this may not be enough to rouse the heaviest of sleepers, the makers of the pillow determined that inflating the pillow to an extra three inches (7.62 cm) in depth was best for providing that subtle and potentially marriage-saving nudge.
The sensitivity of the microphone can be adjusted to accommodate light to heavy snorers, while the bladder can be manually inflated to anywhere between 4 and 7 inches (10.1 - 17.8 cm) to suit the more upright sleeper.
The Snore Activated Nudging Pillow isn't the only gizmo we've seen that attempts to confront this problem. Back in 2008 we saw a pillow shaped to improve circulation in snoring side sleepers , while the Jukusui-Kun robotic bear pillow takes a more hands on approach.
The Snore Activated Nudging Pillow has a contoured shape for "optimal head positioning" and measures 21.5 x 14 x 4.5 in (54.6 x 35.6 x 11.43 cm). It comes with a 100 percent polyester cover which can be removed for machine wash and is powered by an AC adapter.
The pillow is available through Hammacher Schlemmer's website and costs US$149.95. That could seem a bit steep for a pillow, but if it might be worth it if it actually produces the desired result – a good night's sleep for you and your partner.
Product page: Hammacher Schlemmer
Sensor system lights up wind turbines only when aircraft approaches
The Parasol system uses passive radar sensors and mathematical algorithms to determine if there's an airplane in the vicinity, switching on a beacon warning system only as they approach With aspirations to claim 80 percent of its power from renewable sources by the 2050, it follows that Germany is taking a proactive approach to its clean energy transformation. Wind farms, while set to play an important part in achieving this goal, often meet impassioned opposition from disgruntled neighbors piqued by their perpetually blinking beacons. In an effort to address this issue, researchers have developed a sensor system for wind turbines which detects nearby aircraft, switching on a beacon warning system only as they approach. Dubbed Parasol, the project is a collaborative effort from the Fraunhofer Institute, commercial concern Industrial Electronics and wind farm engineers Dirkshof Wind GmbH. Citing complaints of the beacons' incessant blinking from residents, though hamstrung by their necessity in preventing collisions with low-flying aircraft, the collective set to work in devising a solution which catered to all concerned. By using passive radar sensors, meaning that they don't emit a radar beam themselves, the system is able to use local radio station frequencies to determine not only if there is an airplane in the vicinity, but its distance, position and velocity. According to Fraunhofer, the format of typical digital signals used by radio stations, such as DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) and DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting -Terrestrial), are useful in discerning between different objects and therefore well suited to this project. Each of the system's three sensors attached to the mast has an antenna unit. Signal processing is undertaken within the mast and a CPU at each wind farm evaluates the data. As the radio station's transmitters send out signals, these reflect off airborne objects. The system uses mathematical algorithms to differentiate between the reflections and the signal they would usually receive. "The collision warning lights only switch on when an airplane is within a radius of four kilometers (2.5 miles) and flying below an altitude of about 2,500 ft (700 m)," says Heiner Kuschel, department head at Fraunhofer's Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques. "We use the passive radar sensors to essentially extend a protective umbrella over the wind farm like a parasol." The team has successfully tested a prototype at one of Dirkshof's wind farms at Reußen-Köge near Husum, and is currently optimizing the signal detection algorithms in anticipation of the system being fully operational by 2015. "We hope that more local residents will agree to construction of wind farms through the installation of the collision warning lights," Kuschel continues. "The goal of Parasol is to advance the state of renewable energy and make Germany more competitive in the economic arena." Source: Fraunhofer |
Charged polymers unlock door to deliver nanoparticles to cancer cells
Immunofluorescence image shows nanoparticles targeted to endothelial cells – the red particles turn orange when overlapping with the green caveolin in the lipid rafts of the cells (Image: Julia Voigt / Prasad Shastri)
In recent years, we've seen various research efforts looking to specifically target cancer cells as a replacement for the shotgun approach employed by chemotherapy that also damages healthy cells. The trick is to develop a delivery vehicle that identifies and targets only cancer cells, while ignoring the healthy ones. Researchers have found charged polymers have this ability, opening the door for nanoparticles containing cancer-fighting drugs to deliver their payload directly to the cancer cells.
Previous approaches we've seen rely on coating nanoparticles with molecules that are recognized by receptors on the cancer cells that grant access for the delivery of drugs into the cancer cell. However, scientists at the University of Freiburg in Germany say these receptors can change, cutting off access to the cancer cell. The research team has developed a new approach that doesn't rely on these receptors.
The team targeted the endothelial cells that make up the blood vessels that supply tumors with constant nourishment. The cell membrane of endothelial cells contains a large amount of a structure called caveolae, which are "lipid rafts " and act as one of the gatekeepers to the cells. The research team, led by Prof. Prasad Shastri, found that decorating nanoparticles made of lipids with negatively charged ions allowed the nanoparticles to preferentially enter the cancer cells through this door.
"How exactly these charged polymers enable the nanoparticles to unlock this door we are not sure yet, but we feel confident that with further studies this method could usher in a new approach to delivery of drugs in general,” said Shastri. "This is a remarkable discovery, as it allows for the first time to target a specific cell type purely through biophysical principles, and without using the traditional ligand-receptor approach."
"By going after endothelial cells that make up these blood vessels, we can starve the tumor or kill it with one payload," added Jon Christensen, a co-author on the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
Source: University of Freiburg
Killing cancer: Novel brain tumor treatment inspires hope
Killing cancer: Novel brain tumor treatment inspires hope Stefan Bossmann and Deryl Troyer at Kansas State University are developing a novel materials treatment method for persons with brain cancer that uses a type of white blood cell to deliver anticancer drugs to particularly virulent brain tumors.
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