A direct carbon fuel cell is a cell that relies on a carbon based material as a fuel. Unlike other forms of producing energy, a carbon based fuel cell produces energy by mixing oxygen with some form of rich carbon which results in the creation of energy. The byproduct of the reaction that takes place in a direct carbon fuel cell is carbon dioxide. The reason direct carbon fuel cells are becoming the preferred method of energy creation is because it has an efficiency of 70%. While it is not Read More

A living organism is bioluminescent when it produces and emits light. Most organisms that do this live in the sea. However, there are several land insects and plants that also have bioluminescent qualities, including the firefly. The trait has typically evolved in organisms that either need to communicate with each other or lure/detect prey. How does Bioluminescence Work? Light is created when an electron orbits an atom’s nucleus. When an electron receives enough energy to jump to a higher orbital shell then falls back to the lower shell, the resulting Read More

A tornado occurs when two different air masses meet, most often a high pressure air mass and a low pressure air mass. The cool air meets with hot, moist tropical air and this results in strong thunder storms forming. For this is to occur, there needs to be the hotter air in the lower atmosphere and the cooler air in the upper atmosphere. The place where these two air masses meet is known as the dry line. It’s at the dry line that most tornadoes are formed because the two Read More

Laser skin tightening is done through the use of lasers to tighten the old and “loose” skin to give the appearance of youthful skin. After the technology was changed in the early 1990s from the ablative technology to the non-ablative technology, the risk and the recovery times from the treatments have greatly lessened. Especially the laser skin tightening technology has advanced with the change from the use of radiofrequency to the infrared frequency and an increase in the penetration depth, allowing a greater degree of skin tightening. Laser Skin Tightening Read More

Variable speed drives, which are sometimes referred to as variable frequency drives, regulate an electric motor’s torque output (speed and rotational force). These drives significantly increase an electric motor’s efficiency by controlling the power fed into the machine based on the current demand or work required. As a result, the motor is not driven at full capacity except when needed, which significantly increases energy savings and prolongs the motor’s life. Why Variable Speed Drives were Invented In today’s corporate and industrial environments, millions of motors are used for tasks such Read More

Acesulfame potassium (Acesulfame K or Ace K, where “K” is the elemental symbol for potassium) is commonly used as an artificial sweetener or flavor enhancer. It is used in low calorie food products as it replaces sugar and other natural sweeteners that commonly add large amounts of calories. Acesulfame potassium’s trade names include “Sunett” and “Sweet One” and has the additive code E950 in the European Union. It looks like a white crystalline powder when pure. Acesulfame potassium’s chemical formula is C4H4KNO4S and is technically a potassium salt. Why is Read More

Landfill energy production operates similar to the way natural gas power plants do. Landfills could produce sufficient amounts of biogas (components of which are similar to natural gas and comprised mostly of methane) which could be refined and used as fuel for many applications that need it such as power plants. Landfills have always been used as a place to accumulate and isolate various kinds of waste materials. These landfills are also sometimes used for the management of organic waste materials such as agricultural wastes. These organic materials and other Read More

A rheometer is a device that was developed to measure how a liquid’s suspensions or slurries flow when force is applied to it. Many fluids can be tested with a rheometer when a single numerical viscosity value cannot determine them due to their components. A rheometer can also be used to discover the additional parameters and values that a viscometer can correctly measure. In other words, the rheometer tests a fluid’s rheology. There are two types of rheometers that test a liquid’s rheology. There is an applied shear stress/strain option Read More

Daylight Savings time, or Daylight Saving Time, is the process of adjusting the clocks twice a year to add more daylight time in the afternoons and less in the mornings. Daylight Savings Time has undergone many changes and thrown under much controversy in its history but it remains a vital part of our society today, all around the world. In this article, we will go over how Daylight Savings Time started, how it works, the pros and cons, and how Daylight Savings Time effects computers. Origins and History Daylight Savings Read More

When liquids leak from a pipe or other carrying media buried underground, they emit a noise. Acoustic leak detectors are used to detect the noise that a leaking pipe makes in order to identify the leak’s location. This saves money as no widespread exploration or investigation has to be done to find the source of the leak. Why Do Leaks Make Noise? The noise that a leak from a pressurized pipe makes varies. Leaks produce a whoosh or hiss as they leave a pipe orifice and leave a slashing sound Read More