Wednesday, 31 December 2014
A year of great successes...
2014 has been a year of great successes – this culminated in
changing Woolgar Electrical from being one of the best to being award winning.
The Business Excellence forum award for most environmental business was one of the Highlights of the year
As 2014 comes to a close, we look back on a fantastic year and achieving more great things.
The Business Excellence forum award for most environmental business was one of the Highlights of the year
As 2014 comes to a close, we look back on a fantastic year and achieving more great things.
Watch this space for updates
Tuesday, 30 December 2014
How clean is EV?
DRIVING an electric car confers a badge of greenery, or so the marketing departments of their makers would have you believe.
Yet a report which analyses the life cycle of car emissions (ie, all the way from those created by the mining of materials for batteries, via the ones from the production of fuel and the generation of electricity, to the muck that actually comes out of the exhaust) presents a rather different picture.
A battery-powered car recharged with electricity generated by coal-fired power stations, it found, is likely to cause more than three times as many deaths from pollution as a conventional petrol-driven vehicle.
Even a battery car running on the average mix of electrical power generated in America is much more hazardous than the conventional alternative.
see the rest at http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21636715-why-electric-car-may-be-much-dirtier-petrol-one-cleaner-what
Yet a report which analyses the life cycle of car emissions (ie, all the way from those created by the mining of materials for batteries, via the ones from the production of fuel and the generation of electricity, to the muck that actually comes out of the exhaust) presents a rather different picture.
A battery-powered car recharged with electricity generated by coal-fired power stations, it found, is likely to cause more than three times as many deaths from pollution as a conventional petrol-driven vehicle.
Even a battery car running on the average mix of electrical power generated in America is much more hazardous than the conventional alternative.
see the rest at http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21636715-why-electric-car-may-be-much-dirtier-petrol-one-cleaner-what
Monday, 29 December 2014
Spintronics is not an excercise regime...
What is the future of magnetic memory and logic devices?
Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Cornell University successfully used an electric field to reverse the magnetization direction in a multiferroic spintronic device at room temperature.
SO WHAT you say...
This runs counter to conventional scientific wisdom, points a new way towards spintronics and smaller, faster and cheaper ways of storing and processing data.
the best thing is its massively more energy-efficient so battery life will be better.
The senior author of a paper describing this research in Nature. The paper is titled "Deterministic switching of ferromagnetism at room temperature using an electric field." John Heron, now with Cornell University, is the lead and corresponding author.
Multiferroics are materials in which unique combinations of electric and magnetic properties can simultaneously coexist. They are viewed as potential cornerstones in future data storage and processing devices because their magnetism can be controlled by an electric field rather than an electric current, a distinct advantage on current devices...
Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Cornell University successfully used an electric field to reverse the magnetization direction in a multiferroic spintronic device at room temperature.
SO WHAT you say...
This runs counter to conventional scientific wisdom, points a new way towards spintronics and smaller, faster and cheaper ways of storing and processing data.
the best thing is its massively more energy-efficient so battery life will be better.
The senior author of a paper describing this research in Nature. The paper is titled "Deterministic switching of ferromagnetism at room temperature using an electric field." John Heron, now with Cornell University, is the lead and corresponding author.
Multiferroics are materials in which unique combinations of electric and magnetic properties can simultaneously coexist. They are viewed as potential cornerstones in future data storage and processing devices because their magnetism can be controlled by an electric field rather than an electric current, a distinct advantage on current devices...
Sunday, 28 December 2014
Tiny electrical implant brings hope to millions of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers
Once again, Electricity is the answer...
Breakthrough medical trials of the electronic device bring hope of a cure to 400,000 UK sufferers and millions of others worldwide.
Test patient Monique Robroek’s condition was so bad that she could hardly walk across the room due to crippling pain.
Even the strongest drugs available did little to ease the excruciating discomfort she was forced to endure every day.
The incredible discovery could pave the way for patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis to effectively be cured within a decade.
Researchers in the Dutch trials are celebrating after “more than half” of their test patients saw their condition dramatically improve.
The breakthrough will bring hope to hundreds of thousands of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers in Britain.
Doctors embed the implant into the neck and use it to hack into a patient’s nervous system. The tiny device – the size of a 5p piece – sends electrical impulses into a major nerve which relays brain signals to the body’s major organs.
By firing impulses for just three minutes a day, scientists were able to reduce the activity of the spleen, a key organ in the immune system.
Within days of the trials in Holland, patients’ spleens were producing fewer chemicals that cause the abnormal inflammation in the joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis.
found on mirror web site
Breakthrough medical trials of the electronic device bring hope of a cure to 400,000 UK sufferers and millions of others worldwide.
Test patient Monique Robroek’s condition was so bad that she could hardly walk across the room due to crippling pain.
Even the strongest drugs available did little to ease the excruciating discomfort she was forced to endure every day.
The incredible discovery could pave the way for patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis to effectively be cured within a decade.
Researchers in the Dutch trials are celebrating after “more than half” of their test patients saw their condition dramatically improve.
The breakthrough will bring hope to hundreds of thousands of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers in Britain.
Doctors embed the implant into the neck and use it to hack into a patient’s nervous system. The tiny device – the size of a 5p piece – sends electrical impulses into a major nerve which relays brain signals to the body’s major organs.
By firing impulses for just three minutes a day, scientists were able to reduce the activity of the spleen, a key organ in the immune system.
Within days of the trials in Holland, patients’ spleens were producing fewer chemicals that cause the abnormal inflammation in the joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis.
found on mirror web site
Saturday, 27 December 2014
The Light fantastic, music from light bulbs
Well its another weekend.. how was your Christmas. (that's if you celebrate it...)
Hers something new... Next time you flick on the lounge light, listen closely for the soft buzz of electricity.
You might not be able to hear it but its always there.. coursing through the cables.
Most lamps are designed to be that way
a couple of italian artists makes up Quiet Ensemble, a studio that focuses on sound performance.
For their most recent piece, The Enlightenment, they've taken the soft hum of electricity and turned it into a booming orchestra of sound and light.
The orchestra is made from 96 lamps -- neon tubes, spotlights, theatre rigs and strobes -- all of which produce their own sound. The neon tubes, for example, are meant to mimic the whining sound of a violin, the strobes are percussion.
Salvo and Vercelli rigged each of the lamps with a copper coil that could deliver programmed electrical currents. You can see the choreographed voltage through flashing lights and hear it thanks to sensors which communicate the currents to a computer (through Ableton Live) and amplifies them into an ominous buzz.
The setup is effectively giving lamps a voice.
it just takes a little imagination...
Hers something new... Next time you flick on the lounge light, listen closely for the soft buzz of electricity.
You might not be able to hear it but its always there.. coursing through the cables.
Most lamps are designed to be that way
a couple of italian artists makes up Quiet Ensemble, a studio that focuses on sound performance.
For their most recent piece, The Enlightenment, they've taken the soft hum of electricity and turned it into a booming orchestra of sound and light.
The orchestra is made from 96 lamps -- neon tubes, spotlights, theatre rigs and strobes -- all of which produce their own sound. The neon tubes, for example, are meant to mimic the whining sound of a violin, the strobes are percussion.
Salvo and Vercelli rigged each of the lamps with a copper coil that could deliver programmed electrical currents. You can see the choreographed voltage through flashing lights and hear it thanks to sensors which communicate the currents to a computer (through Ableton Live) and amplifies them into an ominous buzz.
The setup is effectively giving lamps a voice.
it just takes a little imagination...
Friday, 26 December 2014
Friday Fact
Idina Menzel originally auditioned for a role in Tangled but she was passed over. Her audition made an impression with producers, however, and she was later cast as Elsa in Frozen.
I hope you are enjoying your Boxing Day...
I hope you are enjoying your Boxing Day...
Wednesday, 24 December 2014
NEED A LITTLE HELP?
NEED A LITTLE HELP?
Our office is now closed, but we are still here for you.
Electrics gone BANG!!!
We can help you by providing a 24/7 call out cover in the Central Beds area over the festive period
Emergency call number = 07746 243 248
Our experienced and Qualified Technicians – all staff are C&G qualified and CRB checked.
Our office is now closed, but we are still here for you.
Electrics gone BANG!!!
We can help you by providing a 24/7 call out cover in the Central Beds area over the festive period
Emergency call number = 07746 243 248
Our experienced and Qualified Technicians – all staff are C&G qualified and CRB checked.
Tuesday, 23 December 2014
Electrical retailers Currys, Amazon, John Lewis and Argos offering misleading discounts
Its soon going to be sale time when we buy lots of things that we don't really need, I was most surprised to see this on the MK web site..
A new Which? investigation into special offers reveals the dodgy discounts on electrical products that deliver little or no real savings.
Watchdog Which? tracked the prices of more than 100 electrical products online over six months at the major electrical goods retailers Amazon, Argos, Currys and John Lewis and found a number of dodgy deals.
Among the examples, it found:
•Amazon selling a Canon EOS70D camera with lens for £967.99. The offer price, calculated from Amazon’s RRP of £1,239.99, claimed savings of £272. However, compared with Canon’s typical selling price of £959, you would have actually paid £8.99 more.
•A Sony Bravia TV on offer at Currys for £579, with a claimed saving of £170 from the original price of £749. Despite them not breaking any official rules by using a sign showing when the higher price applied, Currys only sold this Sony set at the higher price for three weeks but the advertised ‘offer’ ran for seven months.
•A Nikon D3300 24MP DSLR camera with lens at Argos, had the offer price reduced over time but kept comparing the savings you were making to the original price rather than the offer price from the previous month. However, Argos did make it clear the camera had been previously sold at a cheaper price.
its not all a bargain guys...
A new Which? investigation into special offers reveals the dodgy discounts on electrical products that deliver little or no real savings.
Watchdog Which? tracked the prices of more than 100 electrical products online over six months at the major electrical goods retailers Amazon, Argos, Currys and John Lewis and found a number of dodgy deals.
Among the examples, it found:
•Amazon selling a Canon EOS70D camera with lens for £967.99. The offer price, calculated from Amazon’s RRP of £1,239.99, claimed savings of £272. However, compared with Canon’s typical selling price of £959, you would have actually paid £8.99 more.
•A Sony Bravia TV on offer at Currys for £579, with a claimed saving of £170 from the original price of £749. Despite them not breaking any official rules by using a sign showing when the higher price applied, Currys only sold this Sony set at the higher price for three weeks but the advertised ‘offer’ ran for seven months.
•A Nikon D3300 24MP DSLR camera with lens at Argos, had the offer price reduced over time but kept comparing the savings you were making to the original price rather than the offer price from the previous month. However, Argos did make it clear the camera had been previously sold at a cheaper price.
its not all a bargain guys...
Scheme for adults with learning disabilities opens
A group of adults with learning disabilities are celebrating moving into their new purpose built home this New Year.
The £2.4m development in Dunstable was commissioned by Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) and has been developed by Grand Union Housing Group.
It marks the final stage of its programme to move tenants out of outdated care homes into flats and houses where they can live independently with support.
Aileen Evans, Managing Director of MacIntyre Housing Association who will run the scheme, welcomed the news.
“We are so pleased these tenants will be able to enjoy up to date facilities and thrive independently with support from our housing officers. This is just the sort of accommodation which we are so desperately short of around the country.”
read more on - http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2014-12-22-Scheme-for-adults-with-learning-disabilities-opens
The £2.4m development in Dunstable was commissioned by Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) and has been developed by Grand Union Housing Group.
It marks the final stage of its programme to move tenants out of outdated care homes into flats and houses where they can live independently with support.
Aileen Evans, Managing Director of MacIntyre Housing Association who will run the scheme, welcomed the news.
“We are so pleased these tenants will be able to enjoy up to date facilities and thrive independently with support from our housing officers. This is just the sort of accommodation which we are so desperately short of around the country.”
read more on - http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2014-12-22-Scheme-for-adults-with-learning-disabilities-opens
Monday, 22 December 2014
Anti Hacker jeans
Jeans made that will prevent 'digital pickpocketing' with a special pocket that block RFID signals
A pair of jeans containing material that blocks wireless signals is being developed in conjunction with anti-virus firm Norton.
The trousers are intended to stop thieves hacking into radio frequency identification (RFID) tagged passports or contactless payment cards.
According to security experts this type of theft is a growing problem.
Most NFC-enabled credit card The majority of credit and debit cards are fitted with Near Field Communication chips, a type of RFID tech
Digital forensic firm Disklabs has used similar technology to make a wallet, which, like the Betabrand jeans, blocks RFID signals.
There is technology readily available for anyone to snatch other people's credit and debit card data within seconds.
These apps simply copy the card with all the information on it.
His firm also designs "faraday" bags which block mobile signals. Such bags are often used by police now to store mobile phones taken from suspects.
Last month the BBC reported that several police forces around the country had admitted that some mobile phones confiscated from suspects had been remotely wiped because they had not been stored in a secure way.
Made of cloth woven with metal fibres, the suit was not cheap to make but is washable.
If we are not explicitly blocking these signals there are a lot of things that can go wrong, from stealing contactless payment card details to worse consequences
A pair of jeans containing material that blocks wireless signals is being developed in conjunction with anti-virus firm Norton.
The trousers are intended to stop thieves hacking into radio frequency identification (RFID) tagged passports or contactless payment cards.
According to security experts this type of theft is a growing problem.
Most NFC-enabled credit card The majority of credit and debit cards are fitted with Near Field Communication chips, a type of RFID tech
Digital forensic firm Disklabs has used similar technology to make a wallet, which, like the Betabrand jeans, blocks RFID signals.
There is technology readily available for anyone to snatch other people's credit and debit card data within seconds.
These apps simply copy the card with all the information on it.
His firm also designs "faraday" bags which block mobile signals. Such bags are often used by police now to store mobile phones taken from suspects.
Last month the BBC reported that several police forces around the country had admitted that some mobile phones confiscated from suspects had been remotely wiped because they had not been stored in a secure way.
Made of cloth woven with metal fibres, the suit was not cheap to make but is washable.
If we are not explicitly blocking these signals there are a lot of things that can go wrong, from stealing contactless payment card details to worse consequences
Sunday, 21 December 2014
Ofgem penalises three energy firms
Three energy firms have agreed to pay penalties totalling £4.6m for failing to meet energy efficiency targets, Ofgem has said.
Scottish Power, SSE and generator GDF Suez/IPM have each agreed to pay the energy regulator for missing the government-set environmental targets.
The money will go to charities and funds that will benefit vulnerable consumers, Ofgem said.
Last week, British Gas agreed to pay £11.1m for missing the same targets.
The targets required energy companies to contribute to lower carbon emission by helping to make consumers' home more energy efficient. This meant supplying, among other things, roof and cavity wall insulation free of charge to households in low income areas.
The government required power generators as well as energy suppliers to deliver against individually set targets by the end of December 2012.
Ofgem said SSE would pay £1.75m after it delivered 90.9% of its environmental obligations on time and made up the shortfall by May 2013
Scottish Power, which is paying £2.4m, delivered 70% of its obligations and made up the shortfall by April 2013.
GDF Suez/IPM is paying £450,000. Ofgem said it delivered 38.6% of its reduced obligation on time but was also the fastest to make up its shortfall doing so by March 2013
These penalties are the last that arise from Ofgem's investigations into the six companies that failed their targets.
Over the past three weeks Ofgem has issued penalties worth nearly £55m to these six companies.
It said £49.7m of that money would be used to help vulnerable energy consumers reduce their energy bills. The remaining £5m is a fine to be paid by Drax.
found on the BBC
Scottish Power, SSE and generator GDF Suez/IPM have each agreed to pay the energy regulator for missing the government-set environmental targets.
The money will go to charities and funds that will benefit vulnerable consumers, Ofgem said.
Last week, British Gas agreed to pay £11.1m for missing the same targets.
The targets required energy companies to contribute to lower carbon emission by helping to make consumers' home more energy efficient. This meant supplying, among other things, roof and cavity wall insulation free of charge to households in low income areas.
The government required power generators as well as energy suppliers to deliver against individually set targets by the end of December 2012.
Ofgem said SSE would pay £1.75m after it delivered 90.9% of its environmental obligations on time and made up the shortfall by May 2013
Scottish Power, which is paying £2.4m, delivered 70% of its obligations and made up the shortfall by April 2013.
GDF Suez/IPM is paying £450,000. Ofgem said it delivered 38.6% of its reduced obligation on time but was also the fastest to make up its shortfall doing so by March 2013
These penalties are the last that arise from Ofgem's investigations into the six companies that failed their targets.
Over the past three weeks Ofgem has issued penalties worth nearly £55m to these six companies.
It said £49.7m of that money would be used to help vulnerable energy consumers reduce their energy bills. The remaining £5m is a fine to be paid by Drax.
found on the BBC
Saturday, 20 December 2014
Inefficient appliances and other bits
As we have said on this blog before, the EU is now looking at another clampdown on inefficient appliances, with the most inefficient vacuum cleaners banned from sale.
Critics said the EU should not interfere in these matters, but the EU's intervention has been supported by energy experts who say that high voltage cleaners often produce increased heat and noise - but no more suction.
The tightening of standards has been driven by policies to improve energy security and tackle climate change.
A report from the UK Committee on Climate Change said household bills would have increased by an extra £165 between 2004-2013 if the energy savings had not been made.
It said gas use for heat and hot water had declined more than a quarter since 2004 - for a typical household. This reflects improvements in boiler efficiency and pipe insulation.
People also seem to have become more frugal in the recession - turning off radiators in unused rooms, but keeping the rooms they use most just as warm.
Insulation has reduced energy demand too. The number of homes with loft and cavity wall insulation is up from 39% in 2004 to 67% in 2013.
Energy use always drops after oil shocks and in recessions - but this current trend looks different. we can expect an energy spike if we get a cold winter...
Critics said the EU should not interfere in these matters, but the EU's intervention has been supported by energy experts who say that high voltage cleaners often produce increased heat and noise - but no more suction.
The tightening of standards has been driven by policies to improve energy security and tackle climate change.
A report from the UK Committee on Climate Change said household bills would have increased by an extra £165 between 2004-2013 if the energy savings had not been made.
It said gas use for heat and hot water had declined more than a quarter since 2004 - for a typical household. This reflects improvements in boiler efficiency and pipe insulation.
People also seem to have become more frugal in the recession - turning off radiators in unused rooms, but keeping the rooms they use most just as warm.
Insulation has reduced energy demand too. The number of homes with loft and cavity wall insulation is up from 39% in 2004 to 67% in 2013.
Energy use always drops after oil shocks and in recessions - but this current trend looks different. we can expect an energy spike if we get a cold winter...
Friday, 19 December 2014
Thursday, 18 December 2014
People in the UK are using less energy
Increased wealth typically leads to increased energy use - but this link appears to have been broken by technology and government policy.
New analysis of government statistics shows that the average person in the UK is using 10% less electricity than five years ago.
That is despite the boom in large TVs, computers, smartphones and tablets.
EU standards on household appliances have allowed people to do the same tasks with less energy.
A new A-rated model fridge-freezer saves 73% of energy, compared with its 20-year-old counterpart, according to the trade association AMDEA. That is about £100 a year off a household energy bill.
The controversial ban on old-style lamps means an average bulb consumes 29% less electricity in 2013 than in 2008. And LED bulbs look likely to improve the quality of indoor light, as well as reducing electricity demand even further.
found on the BBC website
New analysis of government statistics shows that the average person in the UK is using 10% less electricity than five years ago.
That is despite the boom in large TVs, computers, smartphones and tablets.
EU standards on household appliances have allowed people to do the same tasks with less energy.
A new A-rated model fridge-freezer saves 73% of energy, compared with its 20-year-old counterpart, according to the trade association AMDEA. That is about £100 a year off a household energy bill.
The controversial ban on old-style lamps means an average bulb consumes 29% less electricity in 2013 than in 2008. And LED bulbs look likely to improve the quality of indoor light, as well as reducing electricity demand even further.
found on the BBC website
Friday, 12 December 2014
Wednesday, 10 December 2014
Millions of recalled electrical goods still out there...
The average success rate of an electrical product recall in the UK is only 10-20%.
This means that there are potentially millions of recalled electrical items still in UK homes.
As most of these products have been recalled because they offer a risk of electric shock or electrical fire, they present a serious risk.
The Electrical Safety First product checker contains the details of electrical products that have been recalled since 2007.
If you have searched for a product that you own and it is not listed, this means that it has not been recalled and should be safe to use.
However, if you do have concerns about its safety, contact the retailer or manufacturer to alert them to a potential problem.
If you find that you are in possession of a recalled product, the notification should give you details of what to do next. If no details are shown, you should contact either the seller or Citizens Advice.
http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/
This means that there are potentially millions of recalled electrical items still in UK homes.
As most of these products have been recalled because they offer a risk of electric shock or electrical fire, they present a serious risk.
The Electrical Safety First product checker contains the details of electrical products that have been recalled since 2007.
If you have searched for a product that you own and it is not listed, this means that it has not been recalled and should be safe to use.
However, if you do have concerns about its safety, contact the retailer or manufacturer to alert them to a potential problem.
If you find that you are in possession of a recalled product, the notification should give you details of what to do next. If no details are shown, you should contact either the seller or Citizens Advice.
http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Germany Will Miss Electric Car Target
Germany looks set to fail in its ambitious plan to put a million electric cars on the road by 2020.
An expert panel has warned that only half the target number will be achieved unless the government spends millions to make electric cars more attractive to buyers.
The panel made up of experts from industry, science and politics said in a report that the government should invest more money in research and development, and let businesses deduct half the purchase price of electric cars from tax.
At present, just 24,000 electric cars are registered in Germany.
Daily Die Welt reported that the government plans to place 400 charging stations along Germany's Autobahn network to ensure electric cars can travel the length and breadth of the country.
An expert panel has warned that only half the target number will be achieved unless the government spends millions to make electric cars more attractive to buyers.
The panel made up of experts from industry, science and politics said in a report that the government should invest more money in research and development, and let businesses deduct half the purchase price of electric cars from tax.
At present, just 24,000 electric cars are registered in Germany.
Daily Die Welt reported that the government plans to place 400 charging stations along Germany's Autobahn network to ensure electric cars can travel the length and breadth of the country.
Monday, 8 December 2014
Who Electrocuted Some Turkeys For Science?
Can you Guess
If your from the UK he's not exactly a household name...
Benjamin Franklin's famous kite-flying in a thunder storm dude. Before that, he tested electric shocks on some farmyard birds. As he wrote to botanist Peter Collinson in a letter dated 1749, "A Turkey is to be killed for our Dinners by the Electrical Shock.
Unfortunately, he did not entirely kill the turkeys, at first. "The turkeys, though thrown into violent convulsions and then lying as dead for some minutes, would recover in less than a quarter of an hour," Watson wrote. Another shock did kill the 10-pound birds. "[Franklin] conceited, as himself says, that the birds killed in this manner eat uncommonly tender."
A Turkey is to be killed for our Dinners by the Electrical Shock; and roasted by the electrical Jack
Franklin also accidentally electrocuted himself that day, receiving a shock nearly as large as the one that killed his hens. He described the experience in a letter dated 1750:
The Company present (whose talking to me, and to one another I suppose occasioned my Inattention to what I was about) Say that the flash was very great and the crack as loud as a Pistol; yet my Senses being instantly gone, I neither Saw the one nor heard the other . . . . I then felt what I know not how well to describe; an universal Blow thro'out my whole Body from head to foot . . . . that part of my hand and fingers which held the Chain was left white as tho' the Blood had been Driven Out, and Remained so 8 or 10 Minutes After, feeling like Dead flesh . . . .
.
He stayed sore for a week.
Franklin's work, including several experiments besides the turkey one, was a boon to science, Watson concluded in his report, which the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A published. "Upon the whole, Mr. Franklin appears in the work before us to be a very able and ingenious man," Watson, a fellow of the Royal Society, wrote. He continued:
He has a head to conceive and a hand to carry into execution, whatever he thinks may conduce to enlighten the subject matter of which he is treating; and although there are in this work some few opinions in which I cannot perfectly agree with him, I think scarce any body is better acquainted with the subject of electricity than himself.
found at http://www.popsci.com/benjamin-franklin-once-electrocuted-some-turkeys-science
If your from the UK he's not exactly a household name...
Benjamin Franklin's famous kite-flying in a thunder storm dude. Before that, he tested electric shocks on some farmyard birds. As he wrote to botanist Peter Collinson in a letter dated 1749, "A Turkey is to be killed for our Dinners by the Electrical Shock.
Unfortunately, he did not entirely kill the turkeys, at first. "The turkeys, though thrown into violent convulsions and then lying as dead for some minutes, would recover in less than a quarter of an hour," Watson wrote. Another shock did kill the 10-pound birds. "[Franklin] conceited, as himself says, that the birds killed in this manner eat uncommonly tender."
A Turkey is to be killed for our Dinners by the Electrical Shock; and roasted by the electrical Jack
Franklin also accidentally electrocuted himself that day, receiving a shock nearly as large as the one that killed his hens. He described the experience in a letter dated 1750:
The Company present (whose talking to me, and to one another I suppose occasioned my Inattention to what I was about) Say that the flash was very great and the crack as loud as a Pistol; yet my Senses being instantly gone, I neither Saw the one nor heard the other . . . . I then felt what I know not how well to describe; an universal Blow thro'out my whole Body from head to foot . . . . that part of my hand and fingers which held the Chain was left white as tho' the Blood had been Driven Out, and Remained so 8 or 10 Minutes After, feeling like Dead flesh . . . .
.
He stayed sore for a week.
Franklin's work, including several experiments besides the turkey one, was a boon to science, Watson concluded in his report, which the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A published. "Upon the whole, Mr. Franklin appears in the work before us to be a very able and ingenious man," Watson, a fellow of the Royal Society, wrote. He continued:
He has a head to conceive and a hand to carry into execution, whatever he thinks may conduce to enlighten the subject matter of which he is treating; and although there are in this work some few opinions in which I cannot perfectly agree with him, I think scarce any body is better acquainted with the subject of electricity than himself.
found at http://www.popsci.com/benjamin-franklin-once-electrocuted-some-turkeys-science
Sunday, 7 December 2014
Audi to go EV by 2017
According to Auto Express, Audi is planning to release it's new electric powered family car in 2017.
Audi are working towards a range of 450km (280 miles)," Audi's technical development chief Ulrich Hackenberg told Auto Express.
According to Auto Express reporter Jonathan Burn, a new body design is allowing bigger and better batteries to be stored under the floor of the car, providing what a family car needs most, large baggage and passenger space.
In order to achieve 280 miles range, Audi's all-electric car will use next-generation batteries.
Saturday, 6 December 2014
Christmas Electrcal Safety
Inspect your electrical flexes and cords.
This includes ones for Christmas lights
make sure it is not damaged or showing signs of getting hot and no parts that are melted, nothing where the inside cords are showing,
Electrical cords should not be knotted up, and the plug prongs are straight so they'll plug in properly.
Also, be sure to grab electrical plugs by the base, not by the cord, when plugging them in or pulling them out.
Check your socket outlets in your home.
Just as important as checking your electrical cords is checking the outlets that they plug into.
Make sure that there's no burn marks, char marks around your sockets and make sure the switches work and they are not cracked.
Use space heaters responsibly.
If you're using a space heater inside your home, look it over to make sure nothing has slipped in that can burn when the heater is plugged in and turned on.
Make sure there is nothing within a metre of the space heater when it's running.
You should always unplug your space heater whenever you're not home.
Finally - RCDs / Earth trips - better be safe than sorry. a properly functioning RCD can prevent a fire.
how do you know its functioning? press the yellow test button!
This includes ones for Christmas lights
make sure it is not damaged or showing signs of getting hot and no parts that are melted, nothing where the inside cords are showing,
Electrical cords should not be knotted up, and the plug prongs are straight so they'll plug in properly.
Also, be sure to grab electrical plugs by the base, not by the cord, when plugging them in or pulling them out.
Check your socket outlets in your home.
Just as important as checking your electrical cords is checking the outlets that they plug into.
Make sure that there's no burn marks, char marks around your sockets and make sure the switches work and they are not cracked.
Use space heaters responsibly.
If you're using a space heater inside your home, look it over to make sure nothing has slipped in that can burn when the heater is plugged in and turned on.
Make sure there is nothing within a metre of the space heater when it's running.
You should always unplug your space heater whenever you're not home.
Finally - RCDs / Earth trips - better be safe than sorry. a properly functioning RCD can prevent a fire.
how do you know its functioning? press the yellow test button!
keep your family safe this Christmas
Friday, 5 December 2014
Thursday, 4 December 2014
Electricity really could grow on trees!
Boffins have been working overtime in France... and have unveiled prototype 'wind tree' that uses turbines hidden inside plastic leaves to create power
The 'Wind Tree' uses tiny blades housed in the 'leaves' that turn in breezes
A French team of engineers has developed an artificial tree that can generate electricity using the wind.
It uses tiny blades housed in the 'leaves' that turn in the wind - regardless of its direction - and has the added advantage of being completely silent.
The tree, which will sell for £23k can generate electricity on twice the number of days as a conventional wind turbine because it can generate power on winds of just 4.5mph.
Its still work in progress, but we would love to see further R&D
The 'Wind Tree' uses tiny blades housed in the 'leaves' that turn in breezes
A French team of engineers has developed an artificial tree that can generate electricity using the wind.
It uses tiny blades housed in the 'leaves' that turn in the wind - regardless of its direction - and has the added advantage of being completely silent.
The tree, which will sell for £23k can generate electricity on twice the number of days as a conventional wind turbine because it can generate power on winds of just 4.5mph.
Its still work in progress, but we would love to see further R&D
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Do you know what the 'lumpy' bit does...
its a Ferrite bead
A what?
We all have a basic idea about the purpose of each wire going in and out of our computer. But a few wires seem a bit off when it comes to their appearance. They have a cylindrical bead dangling near the end. So what’s this bead doing on that wire and what purpose does it serve? Today, we are going to unravel this mystery for you.
You will not only find this bead at end of charging cables but also mouse, keyboard and other peripheral cables. It turns out that lump’s called a ferrite bead or, more generically, a choke. It’s a fancy name for what’s basically an electromagnetic wave-bouncer. If you open this bead, you will not find any complex circuits but only a ferrite cylinder that is magnetic in nature. It is this magnetic quality of the bead that serves the purpose.
So basically, when current passes through any cable, it generates electromagnetic interference (EMI). Your electronic gadgets also produce EMI during operation. For example, if you connect a camera to your monitor, the camera would produce intereference and cause your monitor to flicker without the presence of a ferrite bead. If left unabated, EMI can wreck havoc with your computer peripherals.
electromagneticMagnetic Field
These ferrite chokes ensure that signals are only sent in the intended directions and no EMI is transmitted between the peripherals. The choke dampens these EMI waves by acting as an EMI blocker. The blocking is most effective when it is near the source of the EMI, thats why you will only find these ferrite beads near the end of the cables. So, this little mystery is now solved! These tiny cyst-like beads make sure that our computer peripherals work properly and don’t cause any issues for the computer itself.
I hope that is clear...
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
An Electric Jag?
Is Jaguar going to build an electric car?
Jaguar has filed for the trademark name of "EV." Could that spell an electric car in the future?
The news that Jaguar has filed for the trademark of the nomenclature “EV” has sparked some speculation that the company might be getting into the “green” side of car making with either an all-electric car or a hybrid
A lot of car manufacturers today have used the “E” to signify some type of electric car or maybe advertise the Eco friendly side to the carbon pollution folks (or those who care about that kind of stuff).
It could be that Jaguar intends to release some type of more Eco-friendly low emission vehicle that would appeal to this niche market.
The type of trademark they filed for in the US and Europe has to be used within three years before it expires, so we will know what it stands for before too long.
Jaguar has filed for the trademark name of "EV." Could that spell an electric car in the future?
The news that Jaguar has filed for the trademark of the nomenclature “EV” has sparked some speculation that the company might be getting into the “green” side of car making with either an all-electric car or a hybrid
A lot of car manufacturers today have used the “E” to signify some type of electric car or maybe advertise the Eco friendly side to the carbon pollution folks (or those who care about that kind of stuff).
It could be that Jaguar intends to release some type of more Eco-friendly low emission vehicle that would appeal to this niche market.
The type of trademark they filed for in the US and Europe has to be used within three years before it expires, so we will know what it stands for before too long.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)