Piezo Electric Energy Harving

A recent report from Frost & Sullivan, a corporate consultancy and research firm, suggests that the rising cost and growing waste production from heavy battery use may lead to a more widespread push for energy harvesting technologies. Energy harvesting is the practice of harnessing ambient, renewable energy sources in order to generate power, such as electricity. Some common forms of energy harvesting include harvesting solar energy through photovoltaic cells (solar panels).

Now, a technical ceramics company in the UK is working with Glyndwr University in Wales to create an energy harvesting system. The 26 week Shorter Knowledge Partnership (sKTP)'s goal is to create a working demonstration unit that uses piezoelectric ceramics to develop more energy efficient energy harvesters. They hope to use piezoelectric materials as a means to improve the rather poor efficiency of existing energy harvesting technology. For instance, solar power generally operates at a 12% efficiency. It would be quite a coup for the ceramics industry if it could enter heavily into the energy harvesting field.

Leadership Rice Envision Grant Recipient Brings Ceramic Water Filters to Nicaragua

Rice University has recently awarded its Leadership Rice Envision Grants. Each grant provides the recipient with up to $2,500 to carry out a project that will enrich a community in some way. Thirteen students applied and six were selected. Applicants were accepted based on how well they lived up to the grant's four Es: Envision, Engage, Execute, and Embed.

Baker College senior Matt Wesley received an Envision Grant to fund a trip to Nicaragua during the winter break. Nicaraguans face outrageous sickness and mortality rates due to E. Coli-contaminated rivers. A lack of sanitation means that much of the Nicaraguans' water becomes contaminated by human and animal waste. Wesley used his Envision Grant to bring sixty ceramic water filters to the country distributing them to Nicaraguans in need. He hopes to provide more than 1,100 water filters eventually. The filters consist of a ceramic material that is connected to a 30L container, which provides a family with enough water for one day. The filter is made with ceramic and sawdust. As the ceramic is fired, the sawdust burns away, which creates porosity in the filter.

Technical Ceramics: What Makes The Large Hadron Collider Go Round

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will be resuming operations later this month, according to the New York Times. With its recommencement, the world's largest science experiment will be underway, again--but at half power. The LHC is huge: Its circumference is over 17 miles, and its concrete-lined tunnels have a width of 12 feet.

Some of the less-hyped aspects of the LHC are the individual components comprising it, which include technical ceramic components like its vacuum chambers. The vacuum chambers are made of ceramic because metal would interfere with the magnetic fields that drive the LHC. The function of the vacuum chambers is to keep the accelerated protons from hitting air molecules, which would alter their speed or position. As protons are fed into the vacuum chambers, they very quickly reach speeds up to 299,792 km/second.

The deployment of technical ceramics in the Large Hadron Collider is just another unexpectedly great application for ceramics technology. With a strength and durability as good or better than metal, but with its own unique properties, ceramics are a great solution for many difficult or challenging scenarios.