Engineering TV : Power

The Batteryless Remote Control

Terry Knight — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:11:00 GMT

Arveni is a European company that has developed a system remote that is powered by the ambient energy the user applies to the buttons on the remote control. While the technology is still being proto-typed, we got an exclusive look at the world's only batteryless remote control.

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The MSP430 Ultra-Low-Power MCU

Terry Knight — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:11:00 GMT
One of Texas Instruments product lines is dedicated to ultra-low-power applications. At the heart of those applications is the MSP430 processor allowing engineers to design radio and other applications from harvested energy. Adrian Valenzuele, a Product Marketing Engineer at TI shows us the technology and some applications.

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EnerChip Applications

Terry Knight — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:11:00 GMT
The EnerChip solid-state battery can be used to store energy from ambient sources, like vibration, solar and heat creating zero-power devices. Steven Grady, VP of Marketing for the Cymbet Corporation shows us a few examples of this technology in use. You can order the kit in this video from Digikey.

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The EnerChip Solid-State Battery

Terry Knight — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:11:00 GMT
The EnerChip solid-state battery is a, “battery-on-a-chip” thin film battery that can provide back-up power ranging from a few hours to several weeks depending on the stand-by current requirements of the system. Steven Grady, VP of Marketing for the Cymbet Corporation gives us an overview of the technology. You can order the kit in this video from Digikey.

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SolarMagic Power Optimizer

CurtisEllzey — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:32:00 GMT
When it comes to solar energy, the power of the solar array is only as strong as the weakest-performing panel. And in real-world conditions, where shade is common from sources like trees, chimneys, power lines and even bird droppings, solar efficiency can be decreased significantly. In fact, as little as 10% shade on an array can result in as much as 50% lost energy. SolarMagic power optimizers maximize the energy potential of each individual panel so as much as 50% of the lost energy can be reclaimed. For more information, visit SolarMagic.

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Wind Turbine Blade Pitch Control

CurtisEllzey — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Moog provides solutions for both hydraulic and electric blade pitch control. Blade pitch control is the system which monitors and adjusts the inclination angle of the blades and thus controls the rotation speed of the blades. At lower wind speeds, the pitching system leads to an acceleration of the hub rotation speed, while at higher speeds, blade pitch control reduces the wind load on the blades and structure of the turbine. For more information, go to: Moog.

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Slip Rings for Wind Power

CurtisEllzey — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Modern wind turbines require delivery of power and signals to and from the rotating blades by a reliable rotary union assembly. Moog Components Group, a sister operating group of the Moog Industrial Group, provides a line of wind power (WP) products that are designed for this application. Slip Rings, utilizing fiber brush sliding contact technology are “no maintenance” rotary devices for transferring electrical power and signals. This fiber brush contact system eliminates the need for common slip ring maintenance procedures such as vacuuming of brush debris, lubrication, regular inspection for wear, and brush replacement. For more information, go to: Moog.

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Variable Input Electric Generator

CurtisEllzey — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Engineering TV interviews John McDonald, CEO of EXRO Technologies, a clean energy company that has invented, designed, and prototyped the world's first Variable Input Electric Generator (VIEG, pronounced veej). Electrical generators are very efficient when the energy source spins their shafts at a pre-specified speed and torque, but their efficiency drops precipitously when the energy source varies up and down. Rather than connecting a string of individual legacy machines together through mechanical gearing, the VIEG is a single machine made up of a series of paired coils combined with high-speed electronic switching. Current modeling estimates show double digit gains in economic output (depending on configuration) after installing a VIEG rather than a traditional generator in a typical MW class wind turbine. For more information, go to: EXRO Technologies.

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Axial Flux Technology for Wind Turbines

CurtisEllzey — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Tom Bowker, CTO of Clean Energy Technologies, describes how their Axial Flux Permanent Magnet (AFPM) technology achieves better efficiencies in wind power generation and is able to produce more power at lower wind speeds due to coreless technology. Where traditional Radial Flux Permanent Magnets (RFPM) orient the magnetic flux outward from the shaft of the turbine, the Axial Flux Permanent Magnet (AFPM) technology works by orienting the magnetic flux along the axis of the turbine shaft. The ability of these generators to eliminate traditional cogging issues makes them ideal candidates for wind turbine applications. For more information, go to: Clean Energy Technologies.

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Bonfiglioli Wind Power Solutions

CurtisEllzey — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Greg Schulte, President of Bonfiglioli, talks about some of their gearboxes used in the latest state-of-the-art wind turbines to control such significant functions like yaw and pitch drives. Bonfiglioli's know-how in the power transmission industry has focused on special applications offering 100% reliability and in particular, on the manufacture of gear motors for mobile machinery translation, slew and wheel drive applications, and gearboxes for wind turbine nacelle and blade rotation. For more information, go to: Bonfiglioli.

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BYD E6 Pure Electric Vehicle

CurtisEllzey — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Chinese automaker BYD's E6 is an all-electric vehicle five-passenger family-oriented crossover vehicle. Featuring BYD's Fe battery technology, the range per charge is expected to be 249mi, without compromising on performance: claimed 0-60mph acceleration is less than 8 seconds with a projected top speed of 100mph. The Fe battery pack in the E6 can be quick-charged to 50 percent of its capacity in 10 minutes, and 100 percent of its capacity in 60 minutes. Also watch this episode: BYD Dual Mode Electric Vehicles. For more information, go to: BYD Auto.

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BYD Dual Mode Electric Vehicles

CurtisEllzey — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD Auto's Henry Li walks us through the F6DM plug-in hybrid sedan's powertrain. BYD's Dual Mode (DM) Electric Vehicles combine a pure-electric mode with a hybrid drive system that incorporates a small gasoline engine. The Dual Mode (DM) Electric Vehicle system integrates an advanced generator and motor controller, which results in lower fuel consumption and emissions, as well as higher power and performance. The F6DM uses a lithium iron phosphate battery that can be recharged to 70 percent of capacity in 10 minutes and BYD claims it can provide a range of 62 miles of electric power before the gasoline engine is needed. Also watch this episode: BYD E6 Pure Electric Vehicle. For more information, go to: BYD Auto.

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Engineering GM's Lithium-Ion Batteries

CurtisEllzey — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:00:00 GMT
Denise Gray, GM's Director of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems Engineering, continues her discussion with Engineering TV, elaborating on efforts to optimize the Chevy Volt's lithium-ion battery, as well as possibilities for increasing the amount of battery capacity per unit volume. GM will open a new automotive battery lab - the largest of its kind - in the United States to further strengthen design, development and testing capabilities. Also watch this episode: Chevy Volt's Lithium-Ion Battery . For more information, go to: Chevy Volt.

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Chevy Volt's Lithium-Ion Battery

CurtisEllzey — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:00:00 GMT
In Part 1 of this Engineering TV interview, Denise Gray, GM's Director of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems Engineering, discusses the Chevy Volt's lithium-ion battery cells. The Volt's 16 kWh T-shaped lithium-ion battery, which is roughly 6 feet long (1.8 meters) and weighs nearly 400 pounds (181 kg), will be supplied by LG Chem. Compact Power Inc., a subsidiary of LG Chem based in Troy, Mich., will build battery packs for Volt prototype vehicles until GM's new battery facility is operational. Also watch this episode: Engineering GM's Lithium-Ion Batteries. For more information, go to: Chevy Volt.

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University of Michigan Energy Systems Engineering

CurtisEllzey — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:00:00 GMT
GM is joining with the University of Michigan to create a new automotive advanced battery lab in Ann Arbor, Mich., and a specialized curriculum within U-M's College of Engineering to develop automotive battery engineers. Building on U-M’s leadership role in energy issues and innovative environmental applications, this new program will prepare engineers to creatively meet the needs of developed and developing economies by adapting the fundamentals of civil power supplies, transportation power and microelectric and portable power. Dr. Ann Marie Sastry, Director of the Energy Systems Engineering Program at the University of Michigan, elaborates further on this multidisciplinary specialization. Also watch this episode: GM Electric Vehicle Engineering. For more information, go to: Michigan Interdisciplinary and Professional Engineering.

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