That makes sense, using it on the stove, Ann. Is that your sole source of heat? If so, does the fan distribute throughout the house or just the room with the stove?
I'm with you--I like finding out about technologies that can be used for other applications. In this case, what I've learned about aerospace composites, specifically carbon fiber types, makes me hesitate to think this one can be applied to them, since fault detection seems so different with them.
yes i agree with you that it is a different set. But i was just trying to explore the possibilities of this smart paint in SHM applications, Thanks for the clear analysis and inputs
vimalkumarp, that's an interesting observation. It may be possible to adapt this paint to detection of cracks in aircraft. However, I'd guess that it's a different problem set with a different solution. That's seems to be true in the case of composite fault detection as I've reported on here:
Thanks, Rob. I have heard about the ones that work by harvesting energy from body movement and/or heat. Somehow that seems easier to immediately grasp than the ones that get charged by ambient vibrations. This article made the ambient vibrations method clear: it's piezoelectric, which makes total sense, and I should have guessed that. On top of my wood stove is a piezoelectric fan that creates electricity from the stove's heat and redistributes that heat faster throughout the room. The efficiency increase actually saves me a bit on firewood.
This smart paint can be of great use in SHM ( Structural Health Monitoring) systems that can be implemented on aircrafts and other aerospcae structures. Smart paint with the WSN ( wireless Sensor Network ) can improve the maintenance operation and will be a boon to the aircraft industry
I first learned about them while doing a story on remote sensors. Self-charging batteries are also being developed for medical applications for devices that are put into people's bodies. Those are chaged based on the temperature difference between the human body and the world outside.
I know next to nothing about how these self-charging batteries work, or what the actual energy harvesting techniques involve. I'd love to know more. It sounds like yet more sci-fi comes true.
Yes, I was very surprised to learn that batteries could be charged by slight ambient vibration -- such as a truck going by on a nearby freeway, or cars traveling over a bridge. I would imagine this is possible in part because the sensors require very little energy.
Rob, self-charging batteries on remote sensors makes a lot of sense, thanks for the input. I think what we're also seeing in this case, as well as the ones you describe, is more attention being paid to designing total systems that are simpler and more self-sustaining. Totally cool! And green without any "washing."
Using almost 200 light-emitting diodes in the front and back of the new 2014 CTS, Cadillac designers are showing how LEDs can change the character of a vehicle.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
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 ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
2 
