Tag Archives: energy

Technion Maglev

May 8, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Technion Autonomous Systems Program (TASP)

Technion student ingenuity wins 1st prize for Maglev car.

A student at the Technion has developed a magnetic hovering air vehicle

Inventors are not always connected to the ground: They like to dream big. Erez Horev, a student at the Technion, he decided to take it a step further and invented a tool – a vehicle that can hover through the magnet

Shay Zamir

Released: 03:05:11, 11:12

Tools – Magnetic car floating in the air powered tool box keeps track of the owners are two of the projects presented by students in the competition conducted by the Technion Atonomiut modeling unmanned systems within the Faculty of Aerospace.

Erez Horev, a graduate student at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Build Tools – vehicles moving on wheels but can also float in the air using sophisticated magnet. “Tool – based on motor vehicle and six magnets push, rejected the wheels up and allow the vehicle to float in the air travel,” said Horev.

Faster, more economical: magnetic car (Photo: Erez Horev)

Horev worked in the past on Highway 6 project matron (light rail Haifa) where the idea came to him Turnpike futuristic model that could compete with domestic flights and trains.

“It’s like working in Italy and live in Germany and do the distance in 50 minutes,” said Horev. “The car will go at 400 mph and the driver can go to sleep. It’s good long roads with no ports. “

Inventions and innovations

Students at the Technion have developed an elevator into space / Hayadan

Dragonfly flying unmanned aircraft Stealth lunar space elevator are just some outstanding projects created by students and will be presented this week at Jubilee to be held at the Technion Aerospace Sciences

Tool – ordinary vehicles, 99% of the energy used to overcome the friction wheels, so the selection tool – Vehicle compete only with negligible air friction will bring huge savings in fuel.

Other wins the contest, Dorothy light, built a model of the tool box follows the owner. Previously, he worked as a maintenance factory of Kibbutz Dan had to drag him the heavy toolbox. Model planned, could solve this problem by using electro-sensing system – enabling a mechanical trunk accompany its owner.

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1. What is special to you about studying at the Technion?

I was a student of Civil Engineering, which includes a lot of courses in modern physics. I have gained knowledge in physics, mathematics, the building blocks of the physical world such as quantum science, physical organic chemistry. This has made me realize that with mind and will, I can learn and create anything.

2. What are your dreams / plans for the future?

Every day is a new day, and each year I look back, I’m again amazed again how my plans can differ from what happens.

3. What was the inspiration behind the current project?

My idea is to connect all the vehicles with magnetic wheels to reduce friction dramatically the use of energy.

Recently, I worked in two projects aimed at solving transportation problems in Israel, the first project is Highway 6 (Israel’s only toll road) and then I worked in the Haifa matron project (light rail)

I think the combination Between these two projects brought me the idea of another form of mass transport. Looking 20-30 years ahead, it is a very realistic idea and it would only be a matter of time until the amount of roads would decrease significantly.

Today, there is no research in the field of magnetic stability whip (Erez, do you have the English term for this?).

I asked to do my Technion thesis in magnetic stability, but was rejected on the grounds that the field too futuristic and did not represent the existential need of the market in Israel and abroad.

I recently got a lot of ideas in the whip(English?) and I hope to implement them privately in my spare time. This issue is close to my heart, and I’m going to go with it to the end.

4. Are you related to General Amos Horev? 🙂

No, my grandfather changed his name from “Julio” and “multi” when he immigrated to Israel in the 40, I was not involved in the decision 🙂

5. Some biographical info – your parents, where you grew up …

I am 29. I grew up in Netanya at 18 volunteer army performs Achachakcen intelligence,

Today, I am a man of peace and my children very gwa not mobilize the army, Israel has a lot of self-involved companies in the military, I would never work in them, and I try my circle of friends will not be consists of people who work in these companies, the year I started a master’s degree in project management in construction while I’m looking for a job that I could combine my studies came also, dear wife (to win the long life) also is a graduate of Technion, electrical engineer and works at Intel (is successful among us)

6. Something more …

I want to address a huge demand for governments and companies to invest in research and development of new transportation methods and efficiency, since citizens are tired of spending more than two hours in endless traffic jams.

To enhance their research, the Technion established the Technion Autonomous Systems Program(TASP), the only one of its kind in Israel, and the scientific home for dozens of advanced researchers from many faculties. Headed by Distinguished Professor Daniel Weihs, TASP has world-class facilities for application-oriented research and development of complete autonomous systems, including hardware, software, operations principles, and manufacturing and maintenance considerations. Developments in micro- and nanotechnology are also critical to the development and practical application of autonomous systems.

Science of Smart Oil and Gas Engineering

April 21, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Natural Gas and Petroleum Engineering

With the discovery of off-shore natural gas, and the heightened potential for
discovering off-shore oil reserves, Israel is entering a new era of energy production
and consumption. In order to fully utilize these new resources in an efficient and
safe way, the country needs to develop a research and education infrastructure in
natural gas and petroleum studies. An immediate concern is to train experts, and in
particular engineers, in the various fields of natural gas and petroleum engineering.

The Technion has decided to meet this national challenge by immediately opening
a track in Natural Gas and Petroleum (NG&P) Engineering within the framework
of its Masters of Engineering in Energy Engineering program. The latter program
is managed by an Inter-departmental Committee for Graduate Studies that was
established as part of the Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP). The study track
was developed and will be taught in cooperation with Haifa University’s Department
of Marine Geosciences. Initially, many of the courses will be given by guest lecturers,
including some from international universities and schools with leading programs
in the field.

Science of Smart Oil and Gas Engineering

April 21, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Natural Gas and Petroleum Engineering

Happy Passover from Technion President Peretz Lavie.

April 3, 2011 admin Leave a comment

HAPPY PASSOVER 2011 FROM ALL THE TECHNION FAMILY!

Passover 2011 Message from Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie.

“Only when we have the courage to regard ourselves as a nation, only when we respect ourselves, can we win the respect of others; or rather, the respect of others will then come of itself.”

Technion founding father Albert Einstein, 1931.

Welcome to the April 2011 Passover issue of TechnionLIVE. At Technion, we are deeply aware of the central themes of freedom and national realization embedded within the Passover story. We were slaves in Egypt. We could have continued that way for generations, but there was a critical shift in attitude. We stopped seeing ourselves as the “problem”, and we became the solution. We took responsibility for our position, individually and as a whole, and we took an unconditional movement into our own integrity. Together, the entire Jewish workforce of Egypt got up and left. The reward for this act of responsibility and unity was great: it initiated a process in which we were to receive the land of Israel.

At the opening of the last century, we were again scattered around the planet, enduring antisemitism, persecution, and exclusion. We could complain and mourn injustice, or we could take responsibility. Embedded in the vision of Theodore Herzl was a movement into vision, responsibility and application in which freedom will always be the outcome.

The inspired question then, as ever, was: “How do we do it?” How do we build a nation from nothing? Jews were barred from technical universities and professions, and there just wasn’t the skilled manpower to begin laying the foundations of an independent state. Back then, we took responsibility, and the answer was a technical university in Haifa. 99 years ago, in 1912, the first cornerstone was laid. Nearly 100 years later, millions of people in Israel and across the world feel the reward of this freedom.

Gathering to lay the 1st cornerstone of the Technion, 1912.

This is the spirit of Technion. We don’t see problems, we see opportunities. We take responsibility for real concerns, and stone by stone, we build the basis of our freedom.

One person who for many of us, really embodied this wisdom, was the great philanthropist and unshakeable friend of the State of Israel and the Technion Henry Taub, who sadly passed away on April 1st, 2011. A giant of his generation, Henry left his imprint on every aspect of Technion life and shaped the building of its campus. We have lost a true and beloved friend.

The past month has revealed many global challenges. In Japan, nature has shown us how truly powerful it is, unfortunately, with devastating effects. One of our former students of physics from Japan, Shumon Mor, wrote to us of the “nightmare” happening in his country. We send our sincere hopes that recovery will come swiftly and as painlessly as possible. We also thoroughly believe and trust in the ability of our Japanese colleagues to find even smarter ways to rebuild their nation, and to meet the challenge of finding ways to heal the wounds, creating a Japan that will be stronger than ever before.

Events in Japan highlight the energy choices facing nations today. The depletion of fossil fuels brings a serious risk of war, terrorism and poverty. Events in Japan have shown that the nuclear power alternative has grave drawbacks. New energy sources – such as wind, solar, hydrogen and biofuels – need researching, improving and developing in order to power tomorrow’s world. We also need to research smarter, cleaner and more efficient ways to use conventional energy sources, including oil, coal, and Israel’s newfound gas resources. Also here, in the establishment of the multidisciplinary Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP) we took a critical step of responsibility and vision, through which we will gain our freedom in the future.

Following events in Japan, an understandable response is to ask: “Could it happen in Israel?” The answer, unfortunately, from a top Technion disaster expert Prof. Avi Kirshenbaum, is: “Yes, it could.” It is our task as scientists to come with the simulations, crisis research, building codes, sensors, and systems that will make the difference should Israel ever face a similar challenge as its friend, Japan.

Across Technion, spring is in the air and the green spaces have become a forest of spring flowers. The Zielony Graduate Student Village is getting its final touches, as it will soon become a thriving community of top graduate researchers, their partners and young children. Some of them will be pursuing advanced multidisciplinary degrees in Nanotechnology or Energy Science. These are the graduates with the spirit of responsibility and freedom that have made Israel great, some of whom you can read about at TechnionLIVE.

We sincerely wish you all a Happy Passover, and that you will feel your strength and unity with the whole Technion Family. Together, we take responsibility for our shared future, and together, we celebrate in freedom.

US V China ~ Oil & War ~ scientists speak at Technion.

March 31, 2011 admin 1 Comment

Prof. Amos Nur (left) with GTEP Prof. Gideon Gradar (right)

Stanford expert lecture at the Technion:

WAR between the U.S. and China likely – due to oil shortage.

So warns Amos Nur, Professor of Geophysics Department at Stanford University, who lectured at the Nancy and Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program on March 28th. Eight wars or “skirmishes” have been fought over the past 20 years, according to Noor. “If Libya didn’t have oil,” he said, “No-one would have cared.”

There is an increasingly high risk of confrontation between the world’s largest economic powers – the United States and China – due to struggles for control of oil resources, says Amos Nur, Professor of Geophysics Department at Stanford University and an expert on global oil resources.

Nur said that many wars are being waged directly a a result of depleting oil resources and the competition for foreign supplies. The first Gulf War, he said, was intended to cause a regime change in Iraq – which has the second largest oil reserve after Saudi Arabia.

The September 11 attacks in America, resulted directly, says Nur, from bin Laden’s distaste for U.S. support of the Saudi royal family which controls the oil resources for personal enrichment. The crisis in Egypt, says Nur, was also a result of the energy crisis in the shadows.

Astronomical population increases, combined with significant decreases in the supply of fossil fuels, brought Egypt to a position of having to import oil – as a result, food prices doubled , and the cost of fuel rose by tens of percent, which prompted the anger of the masses on Mubarak.

Libya is today at the forefront of global energy politics. As an exporter of oil to the West, there is a stated agenda in national security to “guarantee the free flow of oil”.

Complete cycle of world crude oil production

Energy in general, and oil in particular, are the largest industry in the world. The supply of energy is intimately connected with the world’s other challenges – terrorism, war, poverty, global-warming, water. However, limited oil resources and astronomical rises in demand for energy means many countries have already reached peak oil production. The US peaked in 1971, and became a major importer of oil from abroad. Today, it imports about two-thirds of its oil.

With an increase in standards of living, economic growth and increasing population, China has also become a major oil importer. China is now competing with the U.S. for global oil resources – particularly in the Middle East. In this, a major supplier is Iran – against which China opposes sanctions.

“Ultimately, if the crisis is not managed properly, it can lead to a confrontation between two powers,” warned Nur. “Anyone who thinks this is far-fetched must remember that in World War II, the Japanese decided to destroy the U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor and to risk a war, just to ensure access to the oil wells of Sumatra. Rommel was also not racing just to kill the Jews in Israel; he wanted control of Middle Eastern oil wells, especially those in Iraq that had been discovered in the twenties.”

Nur added that the whole world is approaching peak oil and gas. In the ‘seventies, the US imported cheap oil from the Middle East. When the whole world passes its peak, there is no longer the import option.

Nur also addressed the issue of alternative energy. “It is not ‘alternative’,” he said, “It is a fundamental part of the energy we will need in the future. We will need both… and more.”

Referring to Israel’s recent natural gas discovery, Nur said that Israel should keep the gas for itself and export it, despite the temptation of a quick return of investment.

Technion’s Grand Technion Energy Program is essential, says Nur. “Israel today lacks the people with the technical manpower required to manage future energy sources – including natural gas – in the right
way.”

Where world energy supply reaches Ground 0.

“Worldwide per-capita oil consumption is closely correlated with the standard of living. In developing nations like China and India increasing prosperity therefore requires increased per-capita oil consumption. However, oil is a finite resource whose production globally is about to begin to decline irreversibly. Consequently the growing demand for oil is leading to a growing global conflict in which the Gulf War, the 9/11 attack, and the war in Iraq are just the first three skirmishes. These skirmishes pale in comparison with the looming potential conflict over oil with China.”

Visit Prof. Amos Nur’s homepage to download his compete report: Oil an War: A Grim Earth Sciences’ Point of View.

Technion Students & A Better Place

March 23, 2011 admin Leave a comment

In December 2010, Technion International School of Engineering students made a visit to the Better Place Visitor’s Center in Israel to test drive the electric car and learn more about this exciting global venture. Technion alumnus Shai Agassi is the founder and chief executive of Better Place, the leading electric vehicle services provider. Agassi is focused on one of this century’s biggest challenges, moving the world from oil-based to sustainable transportation. Better Place is building the infrastructure and intelligent network to deliver a range of services to drivers, enable widespread adoption of electric vehicles, and optimize energy use.

You can watch Technion graduate Shai Agassi – founder of Better Place – talking at Technion’s 2010 Board of Governors in the inspiring video below. Enjoy!

Smart Power Choices

February 28, 2011 admin 1 Comment

“With global warming, even the cool European countries may become concerned with the warmer summers. They could learn from knowledge we develop in Israel.”

Interview by Amanda Jaffe-Katz, Technion FOCUS

Smart energy solutions means saving money and smart lighting and cooling can reduce indoor energy consumption, according to GTEP scientists: it doesn’t cost more to be energy smart, and eventually it will cost less. The sustainable choice is in our hands. “There is always a conflict between initial costs and the end saving,” says Prof. Rachel Becker‘s at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “When the smart systems are used more, then the initial costs will drop too.”

Prof. Rachel Becker with a sample of phase
change materials (PCM) that function as
energy buffers in building infrastructure
and furniture

Prof. Rachel Becker‘s research at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering and National Building Research Institute leads her to energy-efficient buildings. She is researching methods to improve the energy performance of buildings, enhance thermal and visual comfort, and ensure indoor air quality.

“Optimal energy consumption in buildings is something we have been researching at Technion for more than 30 years,” says Becker. “We are researching the behavior of buildings under summer conditions with an emphasis on reducing “cooling” energy demand. With global warming, even the cool European countries may become concerned with the warmer summers. They could learn from knowledge we develop in Israel.”

Modern urban buildings – particularly in densely populated countries like Israel – are taller, and for speedy construction, light industrialized components are used. Moreover, to gain architectural flexibility, internal partitions are lightweight, false ceilings hide electromechanic systems, and in some cases raised floors are installed. All these result in very little internal thermal mass. An alternative strategy for reducing cooling energy and peak loads is paramount,

Before air-conditioning was widespread, we resigned ourselves to suffer the heat. “Our research premise is that it is necessary to balance between the strategies for improving building performance under heating and cooling conditions, and that we should take a more holistic approach regarding all the seasons. We emphasize an integration of different means for the summer and winter periods,” says Becker.

In 1995, Becker and colleagues published research on night ventilation as a low-energy strategy for cooling the thermal mass of buildings in order to improve thermal comfort next morning, conserve cooling energy, and reduce peak cooling loads. The internal thermal mass of office or school buildings heats up considerably during the daytime, due to people and activity that emit heat. The aim is twofold: to lower peak energy demand and to reduce total energy consumption used for cooling by up to 50 percent. The most effective way to do this is to design the buildings with means for natural ventilation at night.

Smart energy choices in home-building can cost less, not more.

“In recent years, the industry has developed building materials and products that include phase change materials (PCM) that function as energy buffers according to a simple physical principle. With PCM, heat storage and release are gained through change of phase: during the day it absorbs heat from the internal heat sources and melts, and during the night it releases the heat and changes from liquid back to solid. The latter process can be effective only if extensive night ventilation takes place. The advantage is that, with a sufficient amount of PCM, a constant temperature can be maintained throughout the entire cyclic process,” Becker says. “One can plan buildings that contain PCMs or add them to existing structures behind thin wall coverings. Even furniture can be made using PCMs.“

Regarding the relationship between energy savings and indoor air quality, according to Becker, there is a gross misconception: “Air conditioning systems do provide proper-quality, clean air,” she says. However, the air handling systems are designed for the worst case and not for continuous energy-saving. Amit Gitterman, who is Becker’s and Dr Raphael Linker’s PhD student working towards candidacy, is looking at optimal automatic dynamic control to bridge between the conflicting demands for continuous indoor air quality and energy conservation.

Another energy-saving device concerns lighting control. Current practice does not take into consideration the quantity of natural light that penetrates the building, resulting in superfluous artificial lighting. A smart system that incorporates occupancy sensors, automatic dimmers, and proper design of the electrical lighting system, can achieve up to 80 percent energy saving of the electricity spent on daytime lighting in classrooms and in offices that have external windows. This does not work for internal rooms or open-space offices, Becker says.

Appropriate shading and smart glazing are additional considerations. To allow day-lighting, window glazing should not be tinted dark, but should comprise what is known as a low-e (low emissivity) coating. The glazing should have selective features that reduce solar radiation in summer but allow natural light during the entire year. It is more costly than regular double glazing, but can save a great deal of energy consumption and is suitable for windows facing in any direction. Furthermore, windows facing north, south, east and west should be of different size to maximize daylight and optimize between winter positive and summer negative heat gains. Glass-faced curtain-walls act as solar collectors. Becker says, “What works just fine in a Chicago skyscraper is not suitable for our hot country.”

Solar Balloons ~ Technion Architecture + Aerospace = Energy Innovation

February 17, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Technion graduate Dr. Joseph Cory is floating an intriguing idea: small lightweight balloons with a thin coating of photovoltaic cells.

The balloons are tethered to the ground via one line to send helium up and another to pass the gathered solar power down. One or two of these floating disks might meet a household’s complete electric needs, while larger buildings or municipal facilities could float numerous vertical cables with balloons stacked every few feet.

Cory and Technion aerospace engineering research partner Dr. Pini Gurfil of the Asher Space Research Institute (ASRI) also envision bringing much-needed power to impoverished regions far from power lines.

“They have no negative effect on the environment at all,” says Cory, a professional architect. Prototypes of various sizes are now being tested. Two models have been constructed – one in the city of Haifa and one in the desert. The balloons are expected to overcome surface area issues such as in cities and crowded countries where large solar cell panels are not feasible.

Listen to the wind

February 17, 2011 admin 1 Comment

Viable, cost-effective energy generated by the power of the wind can already be felt from the north of Israel as faculty member Dr David Greenblatt sets up his revolutionary 175 m2 wind tunnel laboratory at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. With a background in aerodynamics and patents for industrial fans under his belt, Greenblatt is well set to fix the problems of friction, performance and shelf-life involved in harnessing the awesome power of the wind.

Harnessing the powers that be: Dr. David Greenblatt

Viable, cost-effective energy generated by the power of the wind can already be felt from the north of Israel as faculty member Dr. David Greenblatt sets up his revolutionary 175 m2 wind tunnel laboratory at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. With a background in aerodynamics and patents for industrial fans under his belt, Greenblatt is well set to fix the problems of friction, performance and shelf-life involved in harnessing the awesome power of the wind.

“There are many problems with wind turbine blades,” he explains, “You cannot ‘see’ the wind and therefore you cannot appreciate how it hammers the blades and the whole structure. The wind is unsteady and turbulent, which means the performance drops and design life becomes compromised by high loads. I’m developing flow effectors or actuators that are embedded in the surface of the blades. If I can work out how to use them cleverly, then they will reattach unpredictable flow to the blades, increase the performance of the turbine, and extend the design life of the structure. You are squeezing more power out of the wind… and the same structure might last double the time and need much less maintenance.”

The unique tunnel to test the turbine blades has been designed for optical measurements. Transparent, the tunnel allows Greenblatt’s team to simulate the conditions of nature, measure the wind flow around the turbines with a laser, and optically measure the effects.

“I appreciate GTEP because it gives the opportunity to pursue cutting-edge research,” says Greenblatt who joined the Technion in 2007. “For me it’s exciting. You’re looking at new phenomena, learning about things that haven’t been seen before… It was my dream to build and design this flow-control laboratory.”

THE NANO TUBE

February 8, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Prof. Ishi Talmon

Scientists hope that in the future they can use the fibers spun from carbon nanotubes to conduct electricity efficiently over great distances, and to produce very strong building materials that will be lighter than conventional materials.

Publishing in Nature Nanotechnology, RBNI’s Director Prof. Ishi Talmon together with Prof. Yachin Cohen and a team at Rice University headed by Prof. Matteo Pasquali, has shown that carbon nanotubes can be dispersed in “Super Acid.” This could revolutionize materials science and nanoeletronics; could be the first stage in spinning fibers from carbon nanotubes; and could revolutionize household electricity and even the kind of cars we drive.

“The challenge facing researchers around the world is – how to turn those tubes, whose diameter is 1-2 nanometers into something useful on a large scale, such as efficient cables for conducting electricity, or strong, lightweight building materials,” says Talmon.