The General Purpose Inverter Controller (GPIC) from National Instruments is intended to be a reconfigurable design that can be reused and rewired digitally for different grid-tied applications.
An interesting quote in this article: "With solar tracking moving heavily toward simpler, less expensive single-axis solutions to reduce costs". Another article from today (9/17) talks about mounting solar panels on robotic technology. It looks like they are actually implementing both ends of the spectrum.
I agree that we won't outgrow petroleum and other fossil fuels, Bobjengr. As alternative fuels become less expensive, fossil fuels will also go down in price -- demand will decrease. Plus, some fossil fuels such as natural gas are already dirt cheap.
Ann, The key with control technology advances in solar is to help with the dual problem the technology faces: efficiency and reliability. The critical measure for solar is the ability to achieve system payback to justify the initial investment. Obviously this means efficiency of the solar system in terms of energy production, but the systems also need to perform reliably in difficult environmental conditions for 15-20 years. That's why this focus on optimizing solar inverters is important; it addresses both concerns.
Rob--I agree completely. I don't think we will ever "outgrow" our dependence on petroleum or other fossil fuels but we must continue developing alternative sources of energy. I think our future depends upon it. Any improvement in existing technology is the correct and proper course to follow. Right now I'm listening to a local radio station telling me there are 24 countries, mostly in the Middle East, with citizens demonstrating in front of our embassies and consulates. They don't seem to like us at all for whatever reason. That feeling won't go away anytime soon. Also, I just paid $3.82 per gallon to fill up my Toyota Pre-runner. Fifteen gallon tank. We can all do the math. I have no idea as to where the gas prices might go from here. One of my clients is heavily invested in the production of biofuels. I think in the long run, he really has a winner.
It will definitely help in generating energy. It also keep focusing on developing an overall tool chain for renewable energy and clean tech applications.
Mydesign, Al may have a different answer, but the point of increasing efficiency in any solar energy, or other alternative energy, technology is to make it easier for people to switch from traditional petro-based energy technologies.
Al Presher, solar energy is abundantly available in all corners of earth and about 99.9% such energies are wasting without any usage. Only a small portion of it is converting to power using various solar photovoltaic cells. So far I hadn't though any optimization technology in solar energy conversion because its free and abundantly available in our nature.
Nice article, Al. It's good to see automation and control technology making alternative energy sources more viable. This is happening in wind and geothermal energy sources as well.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
The push to achieving more intelligent, integrated manufacturing is putting a strong focus on networking and connectivity as key enabling technologies.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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