Monday, March 14, 2011

Concept Light bulb














'insight lamp' is a fluorescent bulb that plays a joke on the classic good idea light bulb joke.
read more

hybrid halogen-CFL light bulb


general electric will launch a new hybrid halogen and compact fluorescent bulb that combines the strength of each lighting type in a single design.
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plumen 001 light bulb


known for their repurposed retro phones, hulger has now designed a low energy light bulb with a unique twisting design.
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eric therner: diamond light


the diamond light is a new design by the young swedish designer eric therner which is a light bulb with the iconic form of a diamond.
read more
























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nokero LED light bulb
published 06.13.10


while LED light bulbs are only just emerging in europe, asia and north america, nokero is working on versions designed for use in rural africa and india
read more

GE LED light bulbs


GE is preparing to release two new energy efficient LED light bulbs designed for commercial usage
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toshiba lighting systems at milan design week 09


the installation is a collaboration between toshiba, takram design engineering and architect ryo matsui.
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ingo maurer: euro condom
published 04.23.09



how to protect yourself from stupid rules: the euro condom
as part of milan design week 2009 the german designer ingo maurer unveiled 'the euro condom'
created in response to new EU guidelines that will see frosted light bulbs banned.

read more

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tokyo design week 08: flat bulb by joonhuyn kim
published 11.05.08



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x-ray lights by won-suk cho



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LED lightbulb



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Friday, March 4, 2011

Sustainable urban mobility :MIT media lab

william j. mitchell and MIT media laboratory:





citycar
image © william lark, Jr., MIT media lab, smart cities group

under the direction of william j. mitchell, MIT media laboratory presented 'sustainable urban
mobility through light electric vehicles' at the icsid world design congress during singapore
design week 09
. introduced at the congress are the greenwheel electric bicycle, the roboscooter
electric scooter, and the citycar electric automobile - all of which have been developed and
prototyped in the MIT media lab's smart cities group.

'...we can and should create systems that provide very high levels of mobility service while minimizing
energy consumption and supporting a large-scale shift to clean, renewable, more local energy sources.
lightweight, smart battery-electric vehicles are one obvious and essential part of such systems. recharging
infrastructure is a second part. the integration of electric vehicles and their recharging infrastructure with
smart electric grids – to enhance the efficiency of grids and to make them friendlier to clean, renewable,
but intermittent energy sources – constitutes a third part. the organization of electric vehicles into highly
efficient mobility-on-demand systems is a fourth part. finally, a powerful computational back-end – one
that senses and meters the current state of the system, processes large amounts of information in real time,
computes optimum responses to evolving demands and conditions, and controls overall system operation
– is necessary for effective operation of these systems.

integrating (1) smart battery-electric vehicles, (2) recharging infrastructure, (3) smart electric grids,
and (4) mobility-on-demand through (5) urban-scale electronic nervous systems provides the foundation
for creating smart sustainable cities. these cities achieve high levels of operational efficiency – and, in
particular, energy efficiency and carbon minimization.'
- william j. mitchell


image ©william lark, Jr., MIT media lab, smart cities group

the citycar electric automobile, developed and prototyped by smart cities, weighs less than
a thousand pounds, parks in much less space than a smart car, and is expected to get
the equivalent of 150 to 200 miles per gallon of gasoline. since it is battery-electric,
it produces no tailpipe emissions.

the car does not have a central engine and traditional power train, but is powered by four
in-wheel electric motors. each wheel unit contains drive motor (which also enables regenerative
braking), steering, and suspension, and is independently digitally controlled. this enables maneuvers
like spinning on its own axis (an o-turn instead of a u-turn), moving sideways into parallel parking
spaces, and lane changes while facing straight ahead.

shifting drive to the corners in this way enables the citycar to fold to minimize parking footprint,
and to provide front ingress and egress (since there is no engine in the way). this dramatically
changes its relationship to streets and cities. it can park nose-in to the curb in far less than the width
of a traditional parking bay, and it can park at very high densities. it is possible to park three or
four citycars in the length of a traditional parking bay.


image © william lark, Jr., MIT media lab, smart cities group


image © MIT media lab, smart cities group


© 2007 MIT




the roboscooter folding electric scooter, developed by the smart cities group features in-wheel electric
motors, lithium-ion batteries, and a cast aluminum frame. to minimize parking footprint – which is
a key consideration in many contexts where scooters are popular – it folds up into a very compact
configuration. for contexts where this is not necessary, the roboscooter can also be produced in
non-folding models.

roboscooters are designed to serve as approximate functional equivalents of 50cc gasoline-powered
scooters. they are, however, clean, silent, and occupy less parking space. they are also much simpler
– consisting of about 150 parts, compared to the 1,000 to 1,500 of an equivalent gasoline-powered
scooter – which simplifies supply chains and assembly processes, reduces vehicle costs,
and simplifies maintenance.

they can be recharged in their racks. their battery packs are also small enough to be conveniently
removable, which opens up the possibilities of charging spare batteries at home, and of battery
vending machines that accept discharged batteries and provide fully charged ones.

roboscooter
image © michael chia-liang lin, MIT media lab, smart cities group





roboscooter folding sequence 01
image © michael chia-liang lin, MIT media lab, smart cities group


roboscooter folding sequence 02
image © michael chia-liang lin, MIT media lab, smart cities group


roboscooter folding sequence 03
image © michael chia-liang lin, MIT media lab, smart cities group


roboscooter folding sequence 04
image © michael chia-liang lin, MIT media lab, smart cities group


image © michael chia-liang lin, MIT media lab, smart cities group


image © michael chia-liang lin, MIT media lab, smart cities group


© 2008 MIT



the greenwheel, developed by the MIT media laboratory’s smart cities group is a compact,
modular hub unit that provides electric assist and regenerative braking, and also contains
lithium-ion batteries. its gearing is arranged to minimize spinning mass, so that it does not
affect the ride dynamics.

greenwheels are mechanically and electrically self-contained, and can be fitted to any
standard bicycle. they do not require bicycle redesign, the purchase and installation of
complex kits, or purchase of entire new bicycles. you just remove the back wheel of
your bike and replace it with a greenwheel.

the electric motor of a greenwheel is digitally controlled, which enables precise management
of the torque. this is usually provided from a wireless controller on the handlebars (much like
a motorcycle throttle), which allows the rider to control the motor with one hand, and eliminates
the need for a wire running to the hub. where local regulations require it, a wire can of course
be added. it is also possible to provide control from the pedals.


image © MIT media lab, smart cities group


image © MIT media lab, smart cities group


 

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Less is the New More: Making the Most of Small Spaces





tumedei loft photo





Good Design For Living in Small Apartments
As people migrate to smaller spaces, good design helps a lot. This is something they figured out in Europe long ago, that if you don't have a lot of horizontal room you can go vertical. Tumidei in Italy makes some of the nicest stuff, like this unit with lots of storage under the bed.
tumidei bed storage photo 

This unit just raises the floor high enough for beds to slide under.

tumidei three beds photo

This one looks a bit clinical, but has two single beds plus a pull-out double bed in between. When you read in the New York Times that professional couples with children are moving into small one-bedroom apartments in Manhattan and sleeping in closets, perhaps this stuff could be useful.

tumidei kids room photo

tumidei two kids room photo

None of this stuff is cheap, nor, as far as I can tell is it available in North America, but there are ideas here that demonstrate how people can share a space and still get a little privacy, a good place to work and a lot of storage in a very small envelope. More to see at Tumedei via: Unclutterer




1 Gigawatt Wind Turbine











maglev_wind_turbine.jpg

It's a vision of a magnetically levitated wind turbine that can generate one gigawatt of power (enough to power 750,000 homes). This is the device proposed by a new Arizona-based company, MagLev Wind Turbine Technologies. The company claims that it can deliver clean power for less than one cent per kilowatt hour using this wind turbine.
Maglev-Wind-Turbine-Technologies.jpg 

Magnetic levitation is a very efficient method of capturing wind energy. The blades of the turbine are suspended on a cushion of air, and the energy is directed to linear generators with minimal fiction losses. But the big advantage with maglev is that it reduces maintenance costs, and increases the lifespan of the generator.

The company also points out that building a single huge turbine like this reduces construction and maintenance costs, and it requires less land space than hundreds of conventional turbines. The company is headed by Ed Mazur, a researcher of variable renewable energy sources since 1981 and inventor of the magnetic levitation wind turbine.

There has been speculation that turbines like these would use "full-permanent" magnets, meaning there are no electromagnets, only cleverly placed permanent ones (probably Halbach arrays).

China already has Maglev wind turbines in operation, see: The World's First "Magnetic Levitation" Wind Turbines Unveiled in China.

This article by WorldChanging goes into the technical details of using maglev in wind turbines.







Web site: MagLev Wind Turbine Technologies




Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wind power technology



as climate change continues to wreak havoc on the planet, people are seeking more efficient sources
of renewable energy. while new technologies are developed each year to combat the issue, one ancient
source of energy continues to surpass them all. that’s right, wind power continues to be one of the most
cost-effective and efficient sources of sustainable energy available. however this simple technology has
been perfected over the years and new and improved models continue to emerge. here is a look at the
state of wind power today, from the biggest most ambitious projects to small and humble designs for
personal use.

 


-
loopwing




the straight wing wind turbine design is by far the most ubiquitous, but the ‘loopwing’ surpasses it is
capturing energy from light winds. this japanese design also takes up less vertical space than the
conventional form. its unique blade design operates with very little vibration increasing its efficiency,
achieving 43% power performance at a wind speeds of 8m/h. the design is intended to be used for
small scale power generation, rather than large-scale wind farms. the ‘loopwing’ was also a winning
entry in the 2006 good design awards.

http://www.loopwing.co.jp

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energy ball




like the ‘loopwing’, the ‘energy ball’ is a small scale wind turbine designed for home and commercial
use. the design is manufactured by the swedish company home energy. the design uses the venturi
principle to funnel wind within the turbine’s blades, allowing the machine to operate with high
efficiency and low noise. the turbine uses a set of six curved blades that spin around the center axis
to create a sphere. because the blades are able to funnel a large amount of wind into a smaller area,
the ‘energy ball’ remains efficient in low wind scenarios.

http://www.homeenergy.se/vindkraft.aspx

-
aerocam




manufactured by broadstar, the ‘aerocam’ wind turbine aims to provide a large wind catching surface
in a compact volume. the design features a series of long blades arranges around a circular frame,
similar to a water-wheel. the blades catch the wind and spin the turbine around a horizontal axis.
the design is suited for personal as well as wind farm applications and claims to be the first turbine to
break the 1 usd/watt cost barrier. the device also has a low rotational speed to keep noise levels down.
the product could be a viable alternative to the high cost of traditional flat-blade turbine’s but it remains
a prototype at this point.

http://www.broadstarwindsystems.com/home.php

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helix wind




like the previous examples, ‘helix wind’ is a wind turbine designed to operate at low speeds.
the ‘helix wind’ features a unique sail-like form that catches the wind over a broad surface area
from all directions. this form allows the electric generator to spin with a smooth and powerful
force. the design can be installed at lower heights than most wind turbines because of its form
and can be used both on and off grid. the vertical spinning axis helps keep noise low and the
compact size is ideal for urban areas as well as more rural. additionally, because the scoops are
more solid than individual blades, birds and other wildlife are much safer.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9flSPAdOLk&hl=en&fs=1]http://www.helixwind.com

-
magenn air rotor




while we are all familiar with ground level wind turbines, but it may surprise you to know that these designs
are only 20-25% efficient. the magenn air rotor is a prototype wind turbine that is made from an inflatable
blimp. the helium filled blimp floats in the air at 600-1000 ft, tethered to the ground. because winds are much
stronger at higher altitudes, the air rotor can operate at closer to 50% efficiency. the air rotor generate several
megawatts of power and runs cheaper than grounded designs.

http://www.magenn.com

-
sky serpent




up until now wind turbines have always been installed as individual units, but doug selsam is an american
inventor who developed a method for joining multiple turbines together. while normal turbine designs are
big and powerful, they are also expensive and difficult to install. selsam took a smaller approach, linking
multiple rotors onto the same shaft. this idea allows small and inexpensive designs to be deployed,
that aren’t as powerful as the big ones, but quite efficient. each rotor captures wind increasing the efficiency
of the whole and if aligned correctly can use one tenth the material to produce the same wattage as the big
boys. popular science magazine even named the ‘sky serpent’ the invention of the year in 2008. selsam is
now conceptualizing ways to deploy his design on a larger scale like open sea water.

http://www.selsam.com

-
flying electric generator




like the magenn air rotor, the flying electric generator by sky windpower is a flying wind turbine
which takes advantage of the increased wind speed at high altitudes. the flying electric generator
aims to literally go higher than the magenn, floating at upwards of 30,000 feet from the ground.
the design is deployed at this height to capture energy from the ultra-powerful jet-stream winds.
the device weighs around 1,100 pounds and could produce energy at around 2 cents /kwh.
the design features four horizontal rotors which are all mounted to a frame and tether to the ground.
sky windpower envisions even large models to be used as floating wind farms.

http://www.skywindpower.com/ww/index.htm

-
nano vent skin




while some wind turbines go big and some go small, agustin otegui’s go nano. that’s right, the mexican
designer has created wind turbines at a nano scale. ‘nano vent skin’ features a series of micro turbines
combined together into a fabric that can be deployed in a variety of applications like on buildings or
vehicles. while each turbine only generates a tiny amount of power, the net effect is huge, equaling that
of bigger turbines. the simplicity and small size allows the design to be deployed almost anywhere
similar to solar panels.

http://nanoventskin.blogspot.com

-
GROW




GROW is a hybrid source for sustainable power, gathering energy from both the wind and sun through
its ivy-inspired design. The project combines photovoltaic and piezoelectric technologies into one system
that can be fully monitored by the user. The cell-like design allows the system to be installed on the exterior
of buildings, adapting easily to the building's typology. It is manufactured using recycled and reclaimed
materials whenever possible to minimize its environmental impact. SMIT, the sustainable design start-up
behind the GROW project has been working on it for over two years and is currently working toward
a market-ready version.

http://s-m-i-t.com/#grow_target

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hy mini




the conventional wisdom is ‘the bigger, the better’, but the ‘hy mini’ proves maybe small has its place.
unlike the other turbines we have highlighted, the ‘hy mini’ takes a decidedly smaller approach to wind
power. the handheld device uses a small plastic fan blade to generate a small amount of power, which is
sufficient to power small gadgets like your phone or mp3 player. the device has a small battery inside
which stores the power generated by the fan and makes it available to your electronics. the fan can be
blown in a number of ways like walking, biking or just waving it around in the air.

http://www.hymini.com

-
wind tunnel foot bridge




designed by architect michael jantzen, the ‘wind tunnel footbridge’ is a conceptually idea for a wind power
generator that is more than just a turbine. the design uses a series of horizontal wind turbines similar to the
‘aerocam’ model, except it arranges them around a footbridge. the design is able to generate wind power but
at the same time allows pedestrians to cross the bridge. the bridge would be made from steel and aluminum
and feature five wheels which would turn in two directions, three one way to two the other.

http://www.humanshelter.org

-
wind architecture




while michael jantzen’s wind tunnel footbridge takes wind power to a new level, a number of new
buildings are going a step further by integrating wind turbines into their design. the ‘bahrain world trade
center’ is one building using power from embedded wind turbines. it was completed last year and features
three massive 29m turbines installed between its two towers. these turbines now produce around 10%-15%
of the structure’s power.

http://www.atkinsdesign.com



in london, a new residential tower in the city’s elephant & castle neighbourhood is being construction,
which had three large turbines embedded in its peak. the eco-forward development aims to regenerate
the area with its design. the peak will hold three 9m turbines that when combined with a grey water
recycling system and a district heating scheme, will make the development one of the city’s most
sustainable when it is complete.

http://www.hamiltons-london.com

-
wind vehicles




much like the inclusion of wind in buildings, there is also a growing trend toward wind powered land
vehicles. however this technology is rather new and won’t be in a dealership anytime soon, if ever.
one of the leading examples is a prototype vehicle called the ‘greenbird’. this super aerodynamic car
owns the title of the fastest wind powered vehicle on earth. its bullet like design can be used on both
dry land and ice. by using solid sails to capture the wind, the vehicle can accelerate to speeds
3 to 5 times higher than the actual wind.

http://www.greenbird.co.uk



not to be outdone, mercedes benze has designed their own wind powered land vehicle. ‘formula zero’
is a shiny shark like vehicle which was designed for the los angeles challenge, a car race that takes
energy efficiency into account. the design not only features a large solid sail, but also a solar panel skin
which helps drive sustainable energy to the wheels.

more via emercedesbenz.com