The word “laser” is an acronym for “light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation.” Lasers of all kinds consist of several basic components: an active medium, an outside energy source, and an optical cavity with carefully designed mirrors on both ends. One of the mirrors is 100 percent reflective while the other is somewhat less reflective, so a beam can be emitted. The active medium is inside the optical cavity and is excited with an external energy source (typically electricity). For the cavity to emit laser radiation, the active medium has to achieve an unusual energy state called “population inversion.” (more…)
The first known laser was made by Theodore Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California, in 1960, but the seeds ...
Different lasers use different materials as the active medium. The medium can be either solid, liquid, or gas, and there are ad ...
There are literally thousands of uses for lasers. One of the largest applications is telecommunications—sending a signal throug ...
It is known that laser printers print faster, but swallow a large amount of energy, even if the printer is in the energy saving ...
Fabrication techniques developed for integrated circuit (IC) production have been refined to the extent of supporting a multi-b ...
It is easier and less costly to fit insulation in a new home than to retrofit. However, many existing houses have little or no insulation, and they will benefit from any improvements that can be made to the levels of insulation. In most houses, insulation can be reasonably easily added to roof spaces and under timber framed floors. It is more difficult to retrofit insulation to walls. It is advisable to add insulation during any renovation, and it can also be cost effective – especially in colder parts of the country – to remove internal linings in order to add wall insulation. (more…)
You must perform some sort of tour and visit of your home and property to find out exactly where it may need in applying insulation ...
Imprinted on every batt or blanket of insulation or on every bag of loose insulation is its R-Value. The higher Insulation R-Value, ...
If your house has no attic (most flat-roof houses don’t), chances are there’s a cockloft, a space between roof and ceiling, at ...
You know where to insulate, but there’s still one more thing you need to know about—vapor barriers. Well-insulated attics, craw ...
There are many efforts to make building more comfortable and to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from buildings. For many years ...
Because a nuclear explosion in a nuclear power plant is impossible due to the low fuel enrichment, the worst conceivable accident is a severe loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), leading to a core meltdown. Although the nuclear fission and fusion process would be immediately stopped by a control rod insertion, the radioactive fission products would continue to generate decay heat in the fuel. Thus, a LOCA producing core uncovering could cause the fuel to melt. In the most extreme case, a molten mass would fall to the bottom of the reactor, melting through the reactor pressure vessel and the underlying concrete, and eventually coming to rest about 6.1 m (20 ft) underground. (more…)
Nuclear fission and fusion Research and Development continues to account for nearly half of the total spending by IEA countries, al ...
ITMA Foundation, a group of researchers formed by Javier Belzunce, José Manuel Artimez, Ana Moran and Ruben Coto, has developed the ...
In the United States, Department of Energy has determined that nuclear power accounts for about 21% of the total electricity ge ...
Nuclear power plants have many different designs and shapes. Early technology restrictions in nuclear power plants make huge ...
Sir Arthur Eddington’s general address on subatomic energy at the 1930 World Power Conference in Berlin stirred the imagination of ...
Heating and Cooling systems can be a major contributor to a homes energy costs and associated greenhouse gas emissions. For some homes, just keeping the place comfortable can mean leaving the heater or air conditioner on for the majority of the day - using a lot of energy in the process! Save energy and reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by: (more…)
In today's day and age there are millions of people who generate their own green energy at home by learning how to build windmills ...
Wind is a natural and inexhaustible source of energy, wind does not have to be imported or mined from deep down the earth. Wind ...
Spring is here, which means that the summer heat is already here in Arizona. We all know how essential having an effective air ...
The main reason why there is an on and off attempt of oil prices is due to depletion of our conventional energy. Our fossil fue ...
Ceiling fans are a popular room addition; comfort can be easily obtained with a flip of a switch. An immediate cooling breeze is cr ...
Micro technology can be employed to produce miniaturized refrigeration and cryocooling systems. Although process intensification is typically the route used for miniaturization, micro technology can also be used for reducing the size of mechanical components that are necessary for operation. For example, to create a small-scale vapor compression refrigerator, (more…)
Many small-scale energy systems require effective miniaturized pumps and expanders. These devices are responsible for conveying ...
The most fundamental process from an energy systems standpoint is heat transfer to (or from) a working fluid. This unit operation t ...
Many characteristics of traditional engines make them attractive for use in power generation and propulsion technology. They tend t ...
Heat-actuated heat pumps are cooling systems requiring no electricity for operation. Rather, a heat source is used, avoiding the ne ...
Microtechnology-Based Energy and Chemical Systems will most likely employ combustion for driving processes such as vapor generation ...
Spring is here, which means that the summer heat is already here in Arizona. We all know how essential having an effective air conditioning system in the home is to our comfort during an Arizona summer - as well as how expensive it can be to cool a home through the long, hot days, when temperatures can reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit!
Replacing that old air conditioner or upgrading to a central air conditioning system instead of using window units could save you a lot of money this summer and for many summers to come. (more…)
Global warming, CO2 emissions, deforestation and loss of biodiversity on the planet are just side effects of our carbon footprint. ...
Heating and Cooling systems can be a major contributor to a homes energy costs and associated greenhouse gas emissions. For som ...
You’re paying a lot more for energy of all kinds these days—oil, gas, and electricity cost double (and in some cases, nearly tr ...
Ceiling fans are a popular room addition; comfort can be easily obtained with a flip of a switch. An immediate cooling breeze is cr ...
Don't sweat it out when you don't have to. Got your A/C running and still feel warm? Here are some tips that will help keep you ...
Heat-actuated heat pumps are cooling systems requiring no electricity for operation. Rather, a heat source is used, avoiding the need for batteries. This consideration is critical for portable applications because on a weight basis, a stored liquid fuel has anywhere from 35 to 300 times the energy content of batteries, depending on the battery technology considered. Thus, although the simple solution of combining an electric motor, a battery package, and a vapor compression refrigerator may sound appealing, it actually suffers a severe volume and weight disadvantage when compared with a heat-actuated system. (more…)
Separation is a unit operation used in absorption heat pumps and chemical processing applications such as solvent extraction and pr ...
Many small-scale energy systems require effective miniaturized pumps and expanders. These devices are responsible for conveying ...
Micro technology can be employed to produce miniaturized refrigeration and cryocooling systems. Although process intensificat ...
Numerous other parts are needed for a complete fuel cell engine suitable for motor vehicles. These auxiliary components include man ...
The idea of using an absorption fluid as a refrigerant carrier derived from the drawback of VCR (vapor–compression refrigeration) s ...