Possible power generation with nature's high-efficiency technology

The rapidly growing fuel consumption in engines and turbine that power the world's transportation vehicles and power-generation plants will nearly exhaust the world's supply of petroleum by the end of the next century. These engines and turbines run at high heat-input temperatures because their efficiency is limited by the Carnot cycle. Muscles used for propulsion by animals are not limited in efficiency by the Carnot cycle, so we see dolphins getting 3,000 miles of travel from a food quantity that contains the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. Leaves on plants capture the energy in sunlight to extract carbon from carbon dioxide in the air, and hydrogen form water, to manufacture carbohydrates. Scientists and engineers studying these processes are amazed by the computing power and data storage required to make these processes work. For example, a tiny grape seed contains the data and structural technology required for quickly constructing the plant's fuel-producing leaves and the structures that support them. Even the stiff thorn that discourages intruders from entering the grape bush has an effective design. The data stored in the seed specifies the color of the grape plant's blossoms, commands the production of the sugar-containing fluid that goes into the grapes, and even the data content of the next-generation seeds in the globules of each grape berry. In this report, we explore energy-conversion processes that nature has developed in plants and animals. We explore the possibility of adapting them into techniques that reduce our consumption of petroleum fuels.     

Hydrogen-fueled pollution-free transportation

Hydrogen has been a useful fuel in manned spacecraft, where the only exhaust from the electric power generating fuel cells is useful water. The cost of producing and delivering the hydrogen, though high, was trivial compared to its value in the missions. We have a new problem in our Earth's atmosphere - its growing content of carbon dioxide, 47% of which comes from transportation-vehicle exhausts. Replacing all of the petroleum-fueled transportation with hydrogen-fueled transportation would reduce the carbon dioxide air pollution from transportation to zero. The cost of producing hydrogen during the night by electrolysing water with power from nuclear power plants would be trivial. However, there are added costs in hauling hydrogen in tank trucks to filling stations and carrying hydrogen fuel in cars     

Batteries vs. alternatives for storing energy

Electric utilities need quickly-available sources of power for supplying expected and unexpected peak loads. Among useful sources have been the energy stored in water by pumping it to elevated storage reservoirs, in air compressed into underground chambers, and in batteries. A new power source, tBase-load nuclear and coal-fired steam plants generate off-peak energy for recharging the depleted storage facility. The aero-derived gas turbine, challenges the economics of these traditional energy-storage means. These turbines have been designed for aircraft where quick startup, rapid change in output power, and high reliability are essential. With a 1426°C (2600°F) turbine inlet temperature the available efficiencies are 42% in simple-cycle operation and 60% in a combined-cycle power plant. A recent 84-MW natural-gas-burning peak-power plant cost $204 per kW. Pacific Gas and Electric's Helmes River pumped-hydro plant had cost $656 per kW. The combined-cycle gas turbine plants, with their low manpower requirements, are producing power that costs less than power from nuclear power plants. We examine the performance and economics available from these new power sources     

某民用涡扇发动机飞行包线内吸雨量计算分析

分析吸雨对发动机工作性能的影响,首要的是确定能被发动机吸入的雨量。通过综合考虑适航规章要求的大气雨水分布、环境温度、飞行速度、发动机功率和聚集效应对发动机吸雨的影响,结合完整的推力调节计划,计算分析了某民用大涵道比涡扇发动机在不同推力等级下全飞行包线内风扇进口水气比(WAR)。结果表明:在同一马赫数下,风扇进口水气比在6 100m处达到最大;在该高度以下,水气比随着高度的增加而增大;在该高度以上,水气比随着高度的增加而减小;飞行马赫数越大、环境温度越高,水气比也越大;并且标准天空中慢车推力下的风扇进口水气比最大可达到7.38%。该计算方法可为民用涡扇发动机吸雨适航取证的关键点分析提供参考。     

High efficiency dynamic radioisotope power systems for spaceexploration-a status report

Background on the space exploration program is discussed, and the currently identified NASA exploration missions are contrasted with the missions that were being planned a year ago. Developments in high-efficiency dynamic radioisotope power systems are discussed: and Brayton and Stirling power conversion cycles are compared for the missions planned for the next decade. Issues related to the use of high-efficiency radioisotope (HER) power systems are identified. It is noted that HER power systems are approximately three times as efficient as current radioisotope thermoelectric generators(RTGs) and are therefore significantly cheaper. Additionally, the world's supply of ²³⁸Pu is extremely limited. Currently discussed missions would cut deeply into this supply if powered by RTGs     

航空涡轴发动机发展趋势

基于国际上典型航空涡轴发动机的发展历程,概括了航空涡轴发动机产业发展趋势,其所呈现的系列化、军民两用化和国际合作化特点十分鲜明,国家层面实施的发展计划对航空涡轴发动机的发展起到了重要引领作用。基于统计分析,展望了航空涡轴发动机结构布局和性能发展趋势。研究表明:在结构布局方面,航空涡轴发动机朝着结构紧凑化方向发展,压气机和涡轮级数呈现不断减少的趋势。1 500 kW级以下的航空涡轴发动机将更普遍地采用单级/双级离心压气机和单级涡轮,1 500 kW以上的航空涡轴发动机将更普遍地采用轴流+离心组合压气机和双级涡轮,同心轴前输出功率型式成为主流功率输出型式。在性能方面,未来先进航空涡轴发动机的压比将达到30,涡轮前温度将达到1 900 K,油耗将低至0.20 kg/(kW·h),单位功率将达到400 kW/(kg/s),功质比将达到14 kW/kg。      

To development of air heat pumps for operating in Russian climate

The air heat pump (HP) driven from GTP, created on the basis of aircraft GTE removed from service, is considered. The heat pump uses ambient air from negative (?40 °C) to positive (+15 °C) temperature values as a low-grade heat source and provides heating temperature in a range from 100 to 250 °C with the performance factor 2.5–3.2. The high technological burning of gas decreases its consumption for heating on the average by a factor of 1.5 in comparison with an ordinary boiler-house. Cold HP exhaust within the range of ? 50 … ? 80 °C is fed both to a drive GTP and an integrated electric energy generating GTP, this increasing their specific power by a factor of 1.2–1.4 and efficiency up to a factor of 1.05–1.1. In standard HPs designed for operation with low-grade heat sources from +5 to +10°C, the heating temperature does not exceed +60 … +65 °C for the performance factors indicated.     

一种手持设备的低功耗技术

根据一台手持系统的设计实践,介绍了MCS－51系列单片机低功耗系统的设计方法,给出了一种电源控制电路部分的实现方案及系统低功耗控制程序的设计。     

AMTEC electrochemical heat-to electricity conversion defies secondlaw

Sacred among the mechanical engineers is the “second law of thermodynamics,” which defines the maximum possible efficiency of an engine that converts thermal energy into mechanical power. The second law value is the difference between the engine's heat-source temperature and its heat-sink temperature, divided by the absolute value of the engine's heat-source temperature. For example, an engine setting on 0° C ice and running on steam from 100°C boiling water is not allowed to have more than 26.8% efficiency. Power-generating violators of the second law efficiency-limit range from horses to fuel cells. They do not burn fuel to generate mechanical or electrical power. The latest second law violator is the alkali-metal thermal-to-electric converter. Its efficiency approaches 25 percent. AMTEC cells and their variations were the topics of 12 papers at the 35^th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC) in July 2000     

Brazil uses fuel cells to supplement utility power

Growing electric loads and the dearth of new power plants have created severe worldwide power shortages, as well as a crisis in the nation of Brazil. Analysis and modeling has shown that the crisis could be relieved in a fast and practical manner by placing fuel cells at optimum locations and carefully scheduling their operation. Acquiring the needed data for the model and optimizing the model took a lot of effort. For example, the time when the peak load occurs varies among the types of power consumers. In some residential neighborhoods of Brazil, the peak load occurs when people shower with electrically-heated water. There the fuel cells can be best located where their heat losses can be used to heat water.     

Magnetic braking of the Earth's rotation

The Earth's rotation is decelerating at a rate of 8.8×10 exp-20 rad/s. Thus, a leap second is added to the year every two to four years. This deceleration is small, but the Earth weighs 6×10 exp 24 kg. A prony brake that achieves this deceleration would release 5.14×10 exp 11 kW, the equivalent of 514,000 1-GW nuclear power plants. Tides, volcanos, Coriolis-generated ocean currents and winds cannot absorb this much power. This leaves the induction generation which produces the Earth's magnetic field as the most likely absorber of the deceleration power. The efficiency of this inaccessible induction generator cannot be calculated. However, it is thought that correlation of the Earth's deceleration with its 0.09% weakening magnetic field could provide insight into the power generation process     

Accelerating hypersonic airplanes with ground-power

The possible benefits of using ground power to accelerate the airplane on a launch ramp are quantified. A passenger-carrying hypersonic airplane leaving its loading ramp carries fuel for acceleration, cruise and landing. For example, a 230-passenger plane starting a Mach 5 trans-Pacific flight will be loaded with 80 metric tons of liquid hydrogen, up to 40% of which is burned in generating kinetic energy. Catapulting this airplane to cruise speed with ground power would reduce weight and liquid-hydrogen volume. However, there are limits. A ramp for launching a 150-metric-ton vehicle to Mach 5 with 4 g acceleration would be 38 km long and require up to 10 GW of power. In the final second, 2.8 MWh of energy is consumed along 1720 m of ramp. Possible scenarios and acceleration mechanisms are evaluated     

Power Generation?Some Tasks and Goals

Generating capacity additions planned for the 1970's and beyond include a high percentage of nuclear power plants. The light water reactor is the dominant type of commercial nuclear reactor being installed during the 1970's. Advancement to more efficient designs, such as the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, is expected around 1980. Prospects for the breeder reactor and fusion energy systems dictate a major research and development effort. Attempts to control effluents from fossil-fired plants have resulted in a sharp increase in the use of low sulfur fuels. Research and development efforts are being intensified in an attempt to obtain a breakthrough in methods of stack emission control.     

Electric-vehicle batteries

Electric vehicles that can't reach trolley wires need batteries. In the early 1900's electric cars disappeared when owners found that replacing the car's worn-out lead-acid battery costs more than a new gasoline-powered car. Most of today's electric cars are still propelled by lead-acid batteries. General Motors in their prototype Impact, for example, used starting-lighting-ignition batteries, which deliver lots of power for demonstrations, but have a life of less than 100 deep discharges. Now promising alternative technology has challenged the world-wide lead miners, refiners, and battery makers into forming a consortium that sponsors research into making better lead-acid batteries. Horizon's new bipolar battery delivered 50 watt-hours per kg (Wh/kg), compared with 20 for ordinary transport-vehicle batteries. The alternatives are delivering from 80 Wh/kg (nickel-metal hydride) up to 200 Wh/kg (zinc-bromine). A Fiat Panda traveled 260 km on a single charge of its zinc-bromine battery. A German 3.5-ton postal truck traveled 300 km with a single charge in its 650-kg (146 Wh/kg) zinc-air battery. Its top speed was 110 km per hour     

基于飞行时间的三维成像研究进展和发展趋势

随着数字成像技术的发展,三维成像已被应用在许多领域中,如自动驾驶汽车、机器人和生物医学成像。基于飞行时间(Time of Flight, TOF)的三维成像相机在记录强度和深度信息的同时,在成像速率、功耗、体积等方面有突出的优势,这也使得TOF相机在诸如计算机图形、机器视觉、机器人控制中的应用越来越多。介绍了TOF相机的发展情况,详细分析了TOF相机的成像原理、误差来源,总结了当前基于TOF相机的研究及应用情况,最后阐述了TOF相机的发展趋势。     

超声速氩气流磁流体发电初步实验研究(英文)

利用激波风洞,采用氦气驱动氩气,在平衡接触面运行方式下得到高温气体,通过在低压段注入电离种子K2CO3粉末,实现高温条件下导电流体的产生,开展了超声速氩气流磁流体功率提取初步实验研究。在喷管入口总压0.32MPa、总温6504K,磁场强度约0.5T、喷管出口气流速度1959m/s的条件下,对分段磁流体功率提取通道电极的感应电压和短路电流进行了测量,实验测量结果与理论计算相吻合,并由电压电流计算得出了平均电导率约20S/m左右,在负载系数为0.5的情况下,磁流体功率提取通道最大的功率密度可达4.7971MW/m3,最大焓提取率为0.34%。最后分析并给出了气体状态参数T1,M1,T2,M2的测试原理与方法。     

中国石油安全问题的战略思考

随着我国国民经济的快速发展，石油消费量的快速增长，对外石油依赖度将会日益提高。石油安全已成为我国国民经济安全和社会可持续发展所面临的重大战略问题。我们要统筹考虑制定符合中国国情的能源安全战略：建立安全稳定的国家石油储备机制；展开积极的资源外交；加强海上防务，确保运输安全；立足国情，科学指导，开源节能。     

智慧温室群远程监控系统通信设计

温室监控系统是对温室环境中温度、湿度、光照度等环境因子实施监测与调控的农业设施,可确保农作物获得最适宜的生长发育环境。针对现有温室监控系统在通信上存在距离受限、组网复杂、能耗高且基本仅能实现单个温室控制的问题,设计了一种基于LoRa和NB-IoT相结合的智慧温室群远程监控系统通信模式。该模式以STM32F103C8T6单片机为核心控制器件,采用ATK-LoRa SX1278和NB-IoT模块自组无线通信网实现数据的远程交互。测试结果表明：采用该通信模式可实现温室群中各温室间距离在2km范围内的数据采集、处理和传输,其通信距离远、功耗低,数据传输可靠性符合现代化农业物联网的需求。     

First Mars outpost power systems

Research into potential power systems for the First Mars Outpost (FMO) was performed. The author examined a representative mission architecture which was developed by NASA to determine power system requirements. Power system options including nuclear, isotope, photovoltaic (PV), chemical heat engine, and regenerative fuel cell (RFC) concepts were identified for potential Mars surface applications. A top-level characterization study was conducted to determine power system mass and area for each application. It is seen that PV systems are generally not suited for Mars surface applications due to the large surface area required and higher mass than a closed Brayton cycle SP100 reactor system. A reactor is currently being considered by NASA Lewis Research Center to provide power for base architectures including an ISRU (in situ resource utilization). An oxygen/methane powered heat engine would provide 40 kWe of emergency power for the habitat. A dynamic isotope power system (DIPS) is the current choice for a long-duration pressurized rover due to the excessive size of a PV/RFC system and higher mass of a heat engine system. DIPS has advantages for other low power systems due to its neatly immediate availability and flexibility (night or day power; no recharging required)     

一种动态电源供电系统的设计实现方法

为将动态电压调整技术应用于设计中进行功耗优化,阐述了动态电源调整技术、电压识别技术、PMBus总线等基础知识,提出了一种动态电源供电系统的设计方案。采用UCD9222控制器和UCD7242驱动器的设计实例,介绍了动态电源供电系统的配置管理和实现方法,实现了对处理器内核供电电压的动态供电,具有通用性和易用性等优点,可以有效降低系统功耗,满足动态电源供电的设计需求。