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01.10

Tech News Digest
Compiled By IEEE-USA Staff

The following is a roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported during December 2009.  Items are excerpted from news releases generated by research universities and government agencies. Highlighted topics include:

1. Current Space Launch Vehicle Industrial Capacity Deemed “Adequate”

2. DARPA to Study Removal of Debris from Earth’s Orbit

3. Glitter-sized Solar Photovoltaics Produce Competitive Results

4. Impact of Wind Power Projects on Residential Property Values

5. Power Factor Correction Devices Demystified

6. Demonstration Network Planned for Public Safety 700 MHz Broadband

7. NIST Contributions to Laser Science Highlighted

8. Controlling Casimir Forces in Nano-Scale Devices

9. Cockroaches Offer Inspiration for Running Robots

10. New Research Funded

1.  Current Space Launch Vehicle Production Capacity Deemed “Adequate”

In a mandated report to Congress, the President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy reviewed U.S. capabilities for design and production of space launch vehicles and concluded that the “U.S. space launch propulsion industrial base provides a diverse range of capabilities and more than adequate production capacity to meet more currently identified U.S. government and commercial requirements for space launch vehicles. “  They attributed use of foreign sourced engines for the Atlas V and Taurus II launch vehicles to development cost and performance issues, and not production limitations.  See:  www.ostp.gov/galleries/press_release_files/OSTP%20Letter%20on%20Space%20Launch%20Propulsion-12%2022%2009.pdf

2.  DARPA to Study Removal of Debris from Earth’s Orbit

The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) is performing a study to better understand the issues and challenges involved with removing man-made debris from earth orbit. The study, known as Catcher’s Mitt, is intended to address the increasing hazard from orbital debris faced by all U.S. and international space assets.  See:  www.darpa.mil/news/2009/OrbitalDebris.pdf

3.  Glitter-sized Solar Photovoltaics Produce Competitive Results

Sandia National Laboratories scientists have developed tiny glitter-sized photovoltaic cells that could revolutionize the way solar energy is collected and used.  The tiny cells could turn a person into a walking solar battery charger if they were fastened to flexible substrates molded around unusual shapes, such as clothing.  See: www.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/glitter-sized-solar-photovoltaics-produce-competitive-results/

4.  Impact of Wind Power Projects on Residential Property Values

A major new Berkeley Lab report finds that proximity to wind energy facilities does not have a pervasive or widespread adverse effect on the property values of nearby homes.  See:  www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/dbnl-nwi120209.php

5.  Power Factor Correction Devices Demystified

If you’ve seen an Internet ad for capacitor-type power factor correction devices, you might be led to believe that using one can save you money on your residential electricity bill. However, a team including specialists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have recently explained why the devices actually provide no savings by discussing the underlying physics.  See: www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_1215.htm#power

6.  Demonstration Network Planned for Public Safety 700 MHz Broadband

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) have announced plans to create a demonstration broadband communications network for the nation’s emergency services agencies using a portion of the radiofrequency spectrum freed up by the recent transition of U.S. broadcast television from analog to digital technologies.  See: www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_1215.htm#network

7.  NIST Contributions to Laser Science Highlighted

A new web site highlights important contributions to laser science by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), as part of a yearlong celebration called Laserfest (www.laserfest.org) launched by the American Physical Society, Optical Society of America, SPIE and IEEE Photonics Society.  See:  www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_1215.htm#lasers

8.  Controlling Casimir Forces in Nano-Scale Devices

Researchers at the DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory are developing a way to control the Casimir force, a quantum mechanical force, which attracts objects when they are only hundred nanometers apart.  Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) are nano-meter size mechanical devices that can be used for actuation or sensing at the nano-scale. Many NEMS devices are currently being developed for unique applications in sensing, telecommunications, signal processing, data storage, and more. In the macro world, the Casimir force is so small that it can be barely detected, but at the nanoscale it becomes a quantum effect that scientists cannot currently control.  See:  www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/dnl-ast121009.php

9.  Cockroaches Offer Inspiration for Running Robots

The sight of a cockroach scurrying for cover may be nauseating, but the insect is also a biological and engineering marvel, and is providing researchers at Oregon State University with what they call “bioinspiration” in a quest to build the world’s first legged robot that is capable of running effortlessly over rough terrain.  Their latest NSF-supported research outlines how animals use their legs to manage energy storage and expenditure, and why this is so important for running stability.  See:  http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2009/dec/cockroaches-offer-inspiration-running-robots

10.  New Research Funded

• NIST Funds Technology Innovations:  On Dec. 15, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced funding for 20 new research projects under its Technology Innovation Program (TIP), including projects ranging from unmanned, hovering aircraft for inspecting bridges to a high-speed sorting system for recycling aerospace metals to nanomaterials for advanced batteries.  See:  www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_1215.htm#tip

•  Smart Grid:  Waukesha Electric Systems, SuperPower, University of Houston, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Southern California Edison are partnering in a $10.7 million smart grid demonstration project award announced by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu on November 24 to manufacture a fault current limiting (FCL) superconducting transformer for electric utilities that will boost the reliability of the nation's power grid.  See:  www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2009articles/december2009/1221WaukeshElectric.php

• Electric Car Batteries:  Sandia National Laboratories received $4.2 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to modify and enhance its existing Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory (BATLab), with the goal of developing low-cost batteries for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.  See:  www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/dnl-sba121609.php

• Net-Zero Energy Buildings:  Berkeley Lab will build and operate a new National User Facility for Net-Zero Energy Buildings using a competitively selected award of $15.9 million in stimulus funds from the US Department of Energy.  See: www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/dbnl-bla121009.php

• National Open Topography LiDAR Facility: The San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego and Arizona State University have been awarded a $1.7 million grant from the National Science Foundation to operate an internet-based national data facility for high-resolution topographic data acquired with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology. The facility will also provide online processing tools and act as a community repository for information, software and training materials.  See:  www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/uoc--nas121509.php

• Environmental Monitoring With Cell Phones:  UC San Diego computer scientists are creating a network of environmental sensors that will help you avoid air pollution hot spots in everyday life. This is "CitiSense" -- the vision of computer scientists from the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. The team won a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to solve the technical challenges that stand in the way of applications that merge our cyber and physical worlds.  See:  www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/uoc--ctc120409.php

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