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One of the major drawbacks to renewable energy sources like wind and solar is that we don't have an effective way to store excess energy. When the wind blows, we might have more than enough energy to feed the grid, but we can't store the surplus. The...

Smartphones to weigh less than a Dime?


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Livermorium and Flerovium take a seat at the Periodic Table

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Just when we thought those pesky scientists had stopped messing with the Periodic Table, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry goes and ratifies another two. The pair of elements were discovered in partnership between the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Russia and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the States. Element 114 has taken on the spell-check-worrying nomenclature Flerovium (Fl), while 116 becomes Livermorium (Lv). Eagle-eyed readers will notice that both take a name from the labs where they were discovered, the former named after Georgiy N. Flerov and the latter after Ernest O. Lawrence -- both atomic pioneers in their respective countries. The official names will get their first official publication in July's edition of Pure and Applied Chemistry. We guess those textbook makers will be rubbing their hands in glee at all those revised editions it'll sell next term.

[Image courtesy of the BBC / Talkback Thames]

Continue reading Livermorium and Flerovium take a seat at the Periodic Table

Livermorium and Flerovium take a seat at the Periodic Table originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 08:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE partners with Livermore Labs to explore efficient aircraft fuel injectors (video)

GE partners with Livermore Labs to explore efficient aircraft fuel injectors (video)
What would you do with six months of dedicated access to 261.3 teraflops of computational power? As you ponder that question, consider the case of GE Global Research, which has just announced its participation with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in an effort to design more powerful and efficient aircraft engines by way of computer simulation. Specifically, GE will partner with researchers from Arizona State University and Cornell University to study the unsteady spray phenomena that's thought to be ideal for fuel injectors. Through Large Eddy Simulation, GE hopes to discover an ideal spray pattern and fuel injector design, and reduce its number of lengthy, real-world optimization trials. While the research is initially aimed at aircraft engines, the knowledge gained from these experiments may work its way into GE's other products, such as locomotive engines and land-based gas turbines. For a glimpse into GE's current research, be sure to hop the break.

Continue reading GE partners with Livermore Labs to explore efficient aircraft fuel injectors (video)

GE partners with Livermore Labs to explore efficient aircraft fuel injectors (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 06:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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