Sending troops into foreign lands with superior technology gives them an edge against hostile aggressors and terrorists. However, the latest pieces of technology—laser range finders, global positioning systems, and imaging displays—are worthless if they run out of electrical power. Bigger batteries are not the solution: The bigger the batteries, the heavier the soldier's pack becomes. That's why Ed Baker, a project manager at Pacific Northwest National Labs, is helping develop a new power generator that weighs approximately one-tenth of what lithium batteries would weigh if required to produce the same amount of electrical power. "Our system produces the hydrogen that fuel cells need to create power," says Baker. The power generator's fuel processor consists of a combustor, vaporizer, primary conversions reactor, and a gas clean-up device. A proprietary catalyst produces hydrogen from hydro-carbon fuels. Reactions take place in a catalytic converter. For more information, send e-mails to inquiry@pnl.com.
Inforbix is leveraging its CAD and product data access technology to power up a free iPad app that lets mobile users search and access engineering data.
Unlike his friends in engineering programs, blogger Jon Titus had little need for calculus except in a few of his college physical-chemistry labs and classes.
In the wake of the Chevy Volt fire investigations, sales are down, and General Motors' (GM) CEO Dan Akerson is blaming the downturn on a spate of bad publicity.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
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