MICROBIAL FUEL CELL AND ITS EVALUATION

Functioning mechanism of microbial fuel cell

Microbial fuel cell is an innovative development that uses microorganisms as a biocatalyst to generate electrical energy from chemical energy. That fuel cell attracted researcher due to it its ability to generate energy from waste materials. It consists of an anode and a cathode that are kept separated by a proton exchange membrane. There are many factors that contribute in its performance including microorganisms, membrane, ionic strength of the solution, electrode, internal and external cell resistance, and electrode spacing. Shahgaldi et al. (2014) prepared the membrane by using Nafion in different combination with the help of high porosity electro nano -fibres. The various characteristics of the membrane and PVDF nano fibers were taken into consideration including morphology, structure, power generated and thermal stability. In addition, they predicted that the presence of the electrospun PVDF nano fibers increased the thermal stability of the membrane (Shahgaldi et al., 2014).

Evaluation of Fuel Cell

An analysis and comparison of different fuel cell facilitate for a specifically offered application that is dependent on several factors. These factors are case-dependent; however, it is possible to organize them into physical  factors including total stack dimension and weight, cell energetic area, complete BoP subsystems, stacks of cells,  and weight and dimension. These are necessary elements when the dimension or weight of fuel cell device is designed restrictions that have to be encountered. That is most typically experienced for transport and mobile applications when the weight or dimension of the fuel cell device having important constraints. Performance aspects consist of the polarization, device performance curves and energy thickness. It is possible to optimize the pile design by limiting the layout criteria to varieties that fall under the top energy density or system efficiency regions. Additionally, the energy thickness contour offers an indicator of the flexibility of the output energy the pile can create. On the other hand, the polarization contour, in combination with the energy density curve, is used to identify optimal function points in regards to power and voltage. Running expenses are a function of stack fuel intake, thermal administration system needs, and efficiency of the power conditioning equipment; in addition to other case-dependent factors. Sturdiness is also a crucial factor in selecting a fuel cell pile for a particular application. This is most revealing for static power generation applications where the fuel cell system is expected to function for a practical amount of time with minimal maintenance demands (Shahgaldi et al., 2014).

Reference

Shahgaldi, S., Ghasemi, M., Wan Daud, W., Yaakob, Z., Sedighi, M., Alam, J., & Ismail, A. (2014). Performance enhancement of microbial fuel cell by PVDF/Nafion nanofibre composite proton exchange membrane. Fuel Processing Technology, 124, 290-295. 

Biosensors to Detect Glucose and Control Diabetes

One of the top science and technology news updates is the global issue of diabetes. Diabetes is a very serious disease and one of the major health threats to economic and health development in the world today. It does not only pose issues to the sufferer but also to health professionals. Millions of people across the world, including children suffer from diabetes. In fact, survey states that as of 2013, up to 380 million people suffer from glucose and it is expected that up to 600 million people would suffer from glucose by 2035. Since the disease is on the rise, it is necessary to develop a technology to solve the problem.

Medical technology is greatly improving and would soon enter the stage where we do not need to regularly inject insulin or use finger prick blood tests to monitor/ control diabetes. The advancement in the field of biosensors will open up a whole lot of opportunities. One of them is the efficient monitoring of the blood sugar levels with a small sensor implanted under the skin. Such devices can also release insulin when needed and also communicate the details to a smartphone connected to them.

Overview on Diabetes

You will find a lot of science and technology online articles on diabetes and its causes. Hence, it is very necessary to control diabetes. Before defining what diabetes is and what causes it, it is necessary to note that there are two types of diabetes. These include type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreatic islets are destroyed. The type 2 diabetes occurs when the release of insulin is not sufficient and also as a result of the reduction in its effectiveness. Usually, type 1 diabetes occurs from childhood and it is oftentimes the most difficult form of diabetes but it the less common type. Type 2 diabetes occurs among old people but it is the more common type of diabetes.

Biosensors Role to Control Diabetes

Biosensors are novel technologies developed in order to monitor glucose level and therefore control diabetes. The sensor is implanted in the sufferer and therefore it is able to tell the level of glucose at each time. It is important to note that diabetes is actually caused by insufficient glucose level and therefore by detecting the level of glucose at each time, the problem can be solved.

One would argue that if diabetes is caused by insufficient glucose then it could have been treated if the sufferer takes glucose at every chance he has but it does not work that way. Hypoglycemia the opposite of diabetes occurs when glucose becomes excessive. Glucose intake has to be regulated because hypoglycemia which sets in when the glucose level is very high can cause brain damage and death.

The Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) to Control Diabetes

One of the novel technologies and top notch ways to control diabetes is with the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). This is simply the implantation of biosensors into the contact lenses in order to ascertain the treatment level of glucose and the resultant data is transmitted and sent to a pump in the patient’s body. If the data sent indicates low level of insulin, the pump will then inject the amount of insulin required by the body.

However, it is argued that this technology may not really solve the problem for the both kinds of diabetes. Other technologies have been developed to deal with the problems of glucose. You can learn more from top technology online news.

Mechanics of Nano Probe for Glucose sensing and Imaging

Apple Watch, Truly Trendy

It has been a tradition among tech giants to release their own wearable devices. Surely Apple, a flagship tech giant, would not be left out. Apple Watch is obviously the gadget long waited for since the release of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last year by the tech company. As you would expect, the watch comes with a slew of features that make it worthwhile. The gadget is designed in such a way as to make them personal to the wearer and to ensure that the users have a relationship with them. Moreover, it is strategically designed in such a way as to make them part of the users’ life much like other gadgets such as digital wallet, mini iPhone and so forth. Basically, there are three classes of Apple Watch. These include the Apple Watch – standard, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition.

-          Apple Watch Standard

Apple Watch standard is one of the brands of Apple Watch, also referred to as the standard version of Apple Watch. It has a beautiful design and built with stainless steel in order to accord it beauty and durability. Furthermore, to make the watch scratch resistant, it is protected with solid sapphire crystal which is the second most solid element on earth after diamond. Moreover, you can make choices on the kind of band you want for the watch as there are 20 variations in the types of bands available for the watch. The watch is sold at $549 - $1049 for the 38mm types and $599 - $1099 for the 42mm type.

-          ­Apple Watch Sport

This brand of Apple Watch is designed specifically for sporty youths and to help people maximize their workout and fitness exercises. In order to ensure this, the watch is built with anodized aluminum to make it lightweight. Moreover, rather than solid sapphire crystal, the screen is protected with rigid ion-X glass. This screen protection is used to further ensure that the watch is lightweight. The watch is truly stylish and a must-wear during a sport or game. The 38 mm type of the watch is sold at $349 while the 42 mm type is sold at $399.

-          Apple Watch Edition

This brand of Apple Watch is available in limited quantity. It is the most exquisite of the three and designed with luxury in mind. The watch is built with concrete stainless steel material and also 18 Karat gold bezels. The latter adds up to make the watch quite expensive. Moreover, the screen of the watch is protected by solid sapphire crystal for scratch resistance. Obviously, Apple Watch Edition is designed to be very attractive and luxurious. The watch occurs in about 6 different bands and each of these bands represents a quintessence of excellence and occurs in neat color patterns with unique tones and brilliance. These amazing features built into the Apple Watch Edition truly come with some hefty cost. The cost of the watch starts from $10,000 and of course, it is worth the cost.

CALIFORNIA OIL SPILL FROM PLAINS ALL AMERICAN PIPELINE

Oil spill has become a recurring event in California. Plains All American Pipeline has been associated with a number of oil spills since 2006. Reports show that up to 229 spills have been reported on the company. The recent oil spill which actually resulted from negligence on the part of the company was quite enormous. The report indicated the oil spill was due to failed pipeline which released up to 101,000 gallons of oil and about 21,000 gallons of the released oil reached water. The damaging effect of this oil spill was quite remarkable as it contaminated the water bodies and caused harm to aquatic life. The report stated that due to the oil spill resulted in the closure of popular campgrounds and also commercial fishing has been prohibited nearby. Up to 300 marine mammals and birds have been found dead due to the oil spill.

Delay in Getting the government notified

It took quite a long time for the firefighters and operators to confirm that the pipeline has ruptured, yet it took a longer time for the government to be notified of the incident. This is actually contrary to the state law. The state law required immediate notification of a release or a threatened release. However, the company failed to notify the government of such a release.

Moreover, the employees at Plains All American Pipeline failed to confirm the leakage until about 1:30 pm in the afternoon. Notwithstanding, the government was not notified until 3 pm in the afternoon. Such a time lag actually gave way for the propagation of the oil. Of course, the company is facing scrutiny from the regulators and law makers at Washington over the oil spill. In line with this scrutiny, the House Energy and Commerce Committee probed into the spill that took place west of Santa Barbara and hence demanded from the company for a detailed information on the maintenance of the of the line and its plans and actions on addressing the issues of corrosion. Moreover, the panel demanded from the company what it did in the hours leading to the incident and why the incident was not reported early.

Cause of the break

According to the investigations made by the body, it was reported that the actual cause of the break is corrosion. The break occurred along a badly corroded section of the pipe. The corrosion widened the section to a fraction about an inch in thickness. This gave way for the oil to gush out like hose without nozzle. The reason for the delay was reported by the company to be because the company did not confirm that the oil spill was actually from its pipeline on time. The workers rode along the pipeline to look for the source of the spill once they confirmed the leak. Moreover, the cleanup cost of this oil spill is quite high and projected to be about $92 million. Plains All American Pipeline is obviously facing lawsuit over the oil spill and of course, the government is looking into the matter to ensure that it is properly dealt with.

MYSTERY OF SIXTH SENSE- IS ITS MYTH OR TRUE?

When a woman experiences the fragrance of roses from a bunch of roses in her hand; it is a normal experience through one of the five senses, smelling. However, when a woman experiences the fragrance of sandalwood without the apparent presence of sandalwood; it is through her sixth sense.

Insecurity of Food and Hunger Issue in Ghana

Food insecurity is a prevailing issue in Ghana, however it is more prevalent in the Northern savannah region of Ghana than the southern part of the country. A lot of issues, especially policy issues can be said to give rise to this. Past governmental policies in Ghana which aimed at solving this intensified agriculture and in the end export crops were favored over smaller produces. Ghana has turned over to modern industrial approaches which will likely not address the insecurity issue as well.

What is food insecurity?

Food insecurity occurs when food is not available, accessible or sufficient in quality as quantity. It is an opposite of food security which occurs when food is available to every person in a region has access to nutritious, sufficient and safe food at all times. Food insecurity issue in the Southern Ghana is not as high as that in Northern Ghana. The southern Ghana, food insecurity is between 1 and 7 percent, however, in Northern Ghana food insecurity is as high as 10 to 30 percent.

Previous Ghanaian Era and Food insecurity

To really understand the origin of food insecurity in Ghana and the best way of solving the imminent challenge, a close look should be taken on the past era of Ghana. Food insecurity in Ghana is not a new thing as it existed in the previous era. A close look should be taken on the British colonial rule in order to understand the trends of agricultural development policies in Ghana.

The colonial masters focused on Southern Ghana and paid little attention to Northern Ghana. The emphasis on southern Ghana was on export crops and this led to immense infrastructural development in the region and hence rural-urban migration took place from Northern Ghana to Southern Ghana. As a result of governmental desires to create employment for unemployed youths, show the public how important industrialization was and so forth, a lot of policies were made in the colonial period.

In the period after industrialization, government focused on large scale agriculture through mechanized farming and also expanded the role of the ADC but the ADC strategy failed. As a further step to improve food security, Ghanaian government established the Ghana Food Distribution Corporation (GFDC) which focused on the distribution of foods and also promotes food production through pricing and marketing policies in favor of poorer households. However, GFDC also failed after some time of its establishment.

The structural adjustment period between 1983 and 1992 is a period in which the Ghanaian government attempted to prevent the economy from collapsing and hence sought the help of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The policy was focused on deregulation of both input and output markets. This resulted to the increase in the cost of most agricultural chemicals by up to 40% each year from 1986 to 1992. This truly had a great toll on domestic food production and exposed local farmers to competition from foreign producers.

Ghanaian government focused on modernizing subsistence agriculture and will obviously not address the issue of food insecurity in Northern Ghana. This is because industrial agriculture relies on costly and high-yielding seeds, artificial fertilizers and machineries which local farmers obviously do not have means to access and it is these local farmers that mostly suffer food insecurity. To solve food insecurity issue in Ghana, effective strategies should be devised to place more importance on farming experiences.

CLIMATE STABILIZATION AND USE RENEWABLE ENERGY

"Are we also to demand "Renewable Energy" replacing current nuclear capacity?" Climate stabilization demands zero greenhouse emission or carbon footprints. Nuclear source of energy is assumed to be environmental friendly, but issue is still under debate. One need to seek behind the wall in the context of nuclear energy as there are many processes including mining  of uranium that have their own carbon footprints .Dumping of Nuclear waste has its own problem that can generate long term effects.

The different lifecycle studies regarding nuclear power are based on the assumptions and unrealistic investigations. The disaster of triple meltdown at Fukushima, Japan that happened due to earthquake and tsunami raised new question marks. The disaster damaged the green environment as well as threatened the lives of the human being. I am not biased with nuclear energy sources but it is hard to accept the after effects of this source of energy.

The carbon emissions associated with nuclear energy by different processes including mining, enrichment and processing of uranium accounted for 38% in comparison with fossil fuel sources. The construction of nuclear plants contributes about 12% of carbon emission in comparison with fossil fuel having same capacity. Keeping in view utilization of technology and disaster that happen in the last decade, the under developing countries need to focus on renewable energy sources as solar, wind, biofuels, and so forth. The renewable energy resources can facilitate more in stabilizing the climate rather than nuclear power plants. In addition, they are cheap and environment friendly because we utilize the waste that is an emerging issue in all developing and under-developing countries. As per reports, many researches are under consideration to minimize the carbon footprint resulted from associated processes of nuclear energy

According to researches, the construction costs of renewable energy for power is estimated to be 50 to 70 percent higher including storage but impact on climate is much lesser than the nuclear. Moreover, renewable power generating plants can replace the plants run by fossil fuel. George, writer of Gaurdian also supported the use of renewable power by replacing it the electricity generated by fossil fuels in order to expand the total supply by displacing the oil used for transportation and the gas used for heating. Are we also to demand that it replace current nuclear capacity? That is a need of the time to enhance the focus on renewable energy to increase the impact on the landscape of the world as well as to influence the public. He added that eco-friendly supports have wildly exaggerated the risks of radioactive contamination. The typical complete dosage from the 3 Mile Island calamity for someone living within 10 miles of the plant was one 625th of the maximum yearly amount permitted for employees working in United States. This, consequently, is fifty percent of the lowest 1 year dosage that clearly connected to a boosted cancer cells danger, which, in its turn, is one 80th of usually fatal exposure.

I would like to agree that in case other power generation sources cause no damages, these influences would weigh a lot more greatly. But power is like medication because if there are no side-effects, there is less probability of its effectiveness. I also favor a significant growth of renewables for climate stabilization. I could also sympathize with the grievances of their challengers. It's not merely the onshore wind farms that bother individuals, however also the new grid links need to be considered

In conclusion, climate stabilization mitigation efforts may be successful by addressing renewable energy, use of technology and minimizing carbon footprint of nuclear energy. The world needs to adopt a proper path to achieve stabilization optimized by involvement of each country for a common agenda for greenhouse gas emissions.