Ian
priscilla 1Upcoming Technological Innovations
January 4th 2010 01:25
As the current decade comes to a close, Kiplinger asks "What will be the technological breakthroughs of the next decade?"
It appears that ms innovations will be from the energy and transportation sectors. Read the full list here.
Space based power plants are no longer just a science fiction fantasy. Pacific Gas and Electric aims to supply 250,000 customers from one by 2016. The California utility inked a deal with Solaren Corp. for 200 megawatts of electricity -- power to be generated by an orbiting solar cell plant and transmitted as microwaves to Fresno, where it will be converted to electricity.
Solaren, PowerSat, Space Energy and others working on orbital power are getting a lift from state laws requiring more use of renewable sources. And they figure they’ll have a steady customer in the Defence Department, which wants a means of getting power to troops in remote areas.
Spray-on solar cells will shake up the electricity market by 2015. University and private labs in the U.S., Australia, Switzerland and Canada are developing cost-effective plastic coatings containing microscopic particles of copper, indium, gallium and titanium. Painted on building rooftops and exteriors, they’ll absorb sunlight and produce electricity just as bulky solar panels do now.
One big plus: The cell coatings could generate power even on cloudy days, making this solar catcher up to three times more efficient than today’s solar modules. That’ll give them the potential to cut a company’s electricity purchases by 50% to 75% and even offer some companies the chance to sell power to utilities when their own needs ebb.
New technologies to unsnarl traffic are on the horizon: Traffic management systems that combine video devices with computer logic will reduce collisions, reroute motorists and allow real-time adjustments to signals. They’ll be sorely needed to help ease major congestion that not only frustrates motorists but also slows business shipping and delivery.
Think an all-electric car is out of your budget range? Maybe not. A $25,000 model from U.S. upstart Aptera Motors is close to commercial rollout. You’ll know it when you see it -- a bullet shaped three-wheeler about the size of a Toyota Prius. The range: 140 miles. Buyers have already put down deposits on the first 4,000 to come off the assembly lines. Those orders will be filled by August 2010. It’ll take a year or so longer for General Motors, Nissan and Toyota to produce plug-ins, and they’ll cost more and have shorter ranges. GM’s Chevy Volt, for example, will sell for $40,000 after rebates and will go only 40 miles per charge.
Ever heard of thorium power? You will. Thorium is a naturally occurring element, slightly radioactive, that is far more common in the ground than uranium. The first nuclear reactor fuelled by thorium will be built in about five years, with more to come.
Thorium has a lot of practical advantages over the more commonly used uranium, and it can churn out the same amount of emission-free electricity to power the U.S. Thorium is safer, produces less waste and is abundant here in the U.S. Plus it’s less likely to cause accidents and can’t be used by terrorists for dirty bombs.
It appears that ms innovations will be from the energy and transportation sectors. Read the full list here.
Power from Space
Solaren, PowerSat, Space Energy and others working on orbital power are getting a lift from state laws requiring more use of renewable sources. And they figure they’ll have a steady customer in the Defence Department, which wants a means of getting power to troops in remote areas.
Power Spray
One big plus: The cell coatings could generate power even on cloudy days, making this solar catcher up to three times more efficient than today’s solar modules. That’ll give them the potential to cut a company’s electricity purchases by 50% to 75% and even offer some companies the chance to sell power to utilities when their own needs ebb.
Unjamming the Roads
Budget Electric
Powered by Thorium
Thorium has a lot of practical advantages over the more commonly used uranium, and it can churn out the same amount of emission-free electricity to power the U.S. Thorium is safer, produces less waste and is abundant here in the U.S. Plus it’s less likely to cause accidents and can’t be used by terrorists for dirty bombs.
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