Graphene Paint Helps Solar Power Homes and Electronics

      Scientists from University of Manchester have discovered the potential of Graphene, which is a one-atom thick layer of graphite, with the combination of transition metal dichalcogenides, a material that is able to react in light, holds the capacity to create a product that can generate electricity from sunlight. They can form thin sheets of the product which can be placed on buildings to harvest sunlight and convert it into electricity.

       The product can give solar panels a run for their money, but the scientists don't plan to stop there. They intend to discover a way to use the technology to produce a paint that can be used for homes as well as other objects. However, Professor Kostya Novoselov, one of the scientists whom had discovered Graphene, stated that the development of the paint will not be established until much later on in the future.
       The Graphene paint can be used to power a variety of devices, establishing an emphasis on mobile cellular devices. The scientists also hold the belief that Graphene paint would bring in a "new generation" of mobile phones that are solar-powered and are ultra-thin. Not only can Graphene paint be used to power objects, but scientists believe that they will be able to make it change colors on-demand as well.
       The scientists are optimistic for the development of the Graphene paint as the material is harder than a diamond, able to conduct electricity and holds many possible opportunities for it. Professor Novoselov stated that they would be able to use Graphene to develop different types of products with a variety of properties other than producing solar powered energy. He states, "We have been trying to go beyond Graphene by combining with another one-atom thick materials. What we have been doing is putting different layers of these materials one on top of the other and what you get is a new type of material with a unique set of properties. It is like a book -- one page contains some information but together the book is so much more. The implementations would go much further than simple solar-powered cells."

Solar-Powered Clothing made of Natural Fibers

     Designers at Colorado State University at work in designing and developing solar-powered clothes from natural fibers that holds the ability to charge a variety of devices, including phones, tablets, and GPS units. Professor Eulanda Sanders and associate professor Ajoy Sarkar in CSU's department of design and merchandising, as well as four of their students, are making prototypes for solar-charging apparel that can be worn while biking, snowboarding, skiing or hiking.
     Clothing with solar panels have been done before so the concept of it is not amazing as it was perceived before, but they usually rely on petroleum-based materials rather than natural fibers. A prime example would be seen in California-based Silvrlining's GO Solar Power Collection, which puts solar power into microsuede clothing. While certainly looking fashionable, the director's jacket alone amounts to a total of $1,180.
    Instead of the traditional standard of making clothing relying on petroleum-based materials, Sanders and Sarkar have the desire to produce clothes from cotton and linen that are safe and strong enough to handle the elements. According to the university, the group was able to modify natural materials to make them more durable. From that procedure, they continue on to incorporating flexible solar panels within the apparel. Their goal with these greener clothes is ultimately to make solar clothing not only comfortable and fashionable, but also to be highly functional and easy to clean.

Recyclable Solar Cells Created using Trees

       Researches have developed recyclable and efficient solar cells using natural substrates from plants like trees. Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University researchers wrote in the journal Scientific Reports about how the solar cells can be recycled quickly in water at the end of their lifecycle. The team's solar cells are capable of reaching a power conversion efficiency of 2.7%.
       During the recycling process, the solar cells are immersed in water at room temperature, and within minutes, the CNC substrates on which the solar cells are fabricated can be separated easily into its major components.
       Georgia Tech College of Engineering Professor Bernard Kippelen, who led the study, said the method opens up the door for a truly recyclable, sustainable and renewable solar cell technology. "The development and performance of organic substrates in solar technology continues to improve, providing engineers with a good indication of future applications," Kippelen, who is also the director of Georgia Tech's Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE), said in a statement. "But organic solar cells must be recyclable. Otherwise we are simply solving one problem, less dependence on fossil fuels, while creating another, a technology that produces energy from renewable sources but is not disposable at the end of its lifecycle."
       Current organic solar cells are fabricated on glass or plastic, but neither is easily recyclable or very eco-friendly. If cells fabricated on glass were to break during the manufacturing process, the material would be difficult to dispose of. The team's cells are made from wood and are green, renewable and sustainable. "Our next steps will be to work toward improving the power conversion efficiency over 10%, levels similar to solar cells fabricated on glass or petroleum-based substrates," said Kippelen. The US forest product industry projects that tens of millions of tons of cellulose nanomaterials from wood could be produced once large-scale production begins in the next 5 years.
        Another new manufacturing method for producing solar cells was unveiled in the journal Advanced Materials in February. MIT researchers described a new process that allows scientists to passivate silicon at room temperatures, which helps with the high price of manufacturing computer chips and solar cells. In the MIT team's process, they decompose organic vapors over wires heated to 572 degrees Fahrenheit. Heating these wires requires less power than illuminating an ordinary light bulb. This process not only opens the door for cheaper solar panels, but also new applications for computer chips.

Source : Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com -- Your Universe Online

Solar storm can throw us back 100 years

     Michio Kaku, whom is an American theorist physicist, author and host of his show on the Syfy Channel, is featured in an interview with Fox News. He claims that there is to be a predicted solar storm hitting earth in this year. He claims that every 11 years, North and South Pole flip to release a burst of radiation and every 100 years or so, a monster tsunami from the sun emerges, which can cause trillions of dollars in property damage.
     In 1859, there was a gigantic solar storm that knocked out telegraph wires in the United States and Europe, causing widespread fires. If this storm was to happen, it would knock out satellites, power stations, and cause food riots because refrigerators would not function because there would be no power source.

Let's take a look at what Professor Michio Kaku says about this storm.

Even NASA has given a warning of the coming solar storm in 2013. Encaptured footage of a giant sun eruption in 2012 but predicts a larger coming storm this year.