Mercedes subsidiary AMG has allowed us a first peek at its new e-cell car with rather fantastic performance. For good sales figures are responsible 4 synchron motors with combined power of 392kW and max. torque of 880 Nm, they revolve at 12000 max. revolutions per min. Each electro motor is built into each wheel, making unsuspended masses much smaller than usually making the ride very smooth.
The power comes from a set of Lithium-Ion high voltage batteries. The can hold up to 48kWh and release current up to 40A. No new how long takes recharging. So far the cars I have seen like the Tesla, or Nissan Leaf are ridiculously short on driving, and long on charging. If someone uses his or hers car for commuting only, it could make sense to own one as only a second car.
From Chinese sources (Ernest & Young China)we get info that around 60% of persons/drivers surveyed have great interest in electric car and especially in a hybrid one.
We get several news that in Japan, Nissan started to sell recharging stations for its Leaf, and in Germany, an E.ON an energy supplier and TUV Bayern opened its first inductive recharging station in Starnberg.
2010/08/22
2010/08/19
AMS experiment takes off for Kennedy Space Center
Geneva, 18 August 2010. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), an experiment that will search for antimatter and dark matter in space, leaves CERN1 next Tuesday on the next leg of its journey to the International Space Station. The AMS detector2 is being transported from CERN to Geneva International Airport in preparation for its planned departure from Switzerland on 26 August, when it will be flown to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on board a US Air Force Galaxy transport aircraft.
A press conference to mark the occasion will be held at the press room of Geneva International Airport at 9:00 CEST on 25 August, and journalists will have the opportunity to visit the AMS detector and the aircraft. Those wishing to attend to the visit should contact the CERN press office by 12:00 CEST on Monday 23 August at the latest, providing their nationality, date of birth and passport or identity card number. This document must also be presented before the visit. Please note that only the people who have registered will be able to go on the apron to visit the AMS detector and the aircraft. Journalists who would like to see the arrival of the AMS detector at Kennedy Space Center on 26 August are invited to apply until 19 August. Details are available from ESA: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM0R65OJCG_index_0.html.
AMS will examine fundamental issues about matter and the origin and structure of the Universe directly from space. Its main scientific target is the search for dark matter and antimatter, in a programme that is complementary to that of the Large Hadron Collider.
Last February the AMS detector travelled from CERN to the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk (Netherlands) for testing to certify its readiness for travel into space. Following the completion of the testing, the AMS collaboration decided to return the detector to CERN for final modifications. In particular, the detector’s superconducting magnet was replaced by the permanent magnet from the AMS-01 prototype, which had already flown into space in 1998. The reason for the decision was that the operational lifetime of the superconducting magnet would have been limited to three years, because there is no way of refilling the magnet with liquid helium, necessary to maintain the magnet’s superconductivity, on board the space station. The permanent magnet, on the other hand, will now allow the experiment to remain operational for the entire lifetime of the ISS.
Following its return to CERN, the AMS detector was therefore reconfigured with the permanent magnet before being tested with CERN particle beams. The tests were used to validate and calibrate the new configuration before the detector leaves Europe for the last time.
“The entire AMS collaboration is delighted by this departure, because it marks a crucial milestone for the experiment. We are getting close to the space shuttle launch and the moment when our detector will finally be installed on board the ISS,” explained Professor Sam Ting, Nobel laureate and spokesman for the experiment. “The detector’s construction phase is now finished and we are eager for the data collection phase to begin.”
“The launch of AMS detector is very timely,” added Roberto Petronzio, President of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics. “Today we are well aware of our ignorance of Universe’s most abundant constituents and we still challenge the puzzle of matter-antimatter asymmetry. Furthermore, recent results from the Pamela experiment suggest scenarios for important discoveries for AMS. The experiment stems from a large international collaboration joining the effort of major European funding agencies with the US and China.”
Upon arrival at the Kennedy Space Center, AMS will be installed in a clean room for a few more tests. A few weeks later, the detector will be moved to the space shuttle. NASA is planning the last flight of the space shuttle programme, which will carry AMS into space, for the end of February 2011.
Once docked to the ISS, AMS will search for antimatter and dark matter by measuring cosmic rays. Data collected in space by AMS will be transmitted to Houston (USA) and on to CERN’s Prévessin site, where the detector control centre will be located, and to a number of regional physics analysis centres set up by the collaborating institutes.
"We are proud that this detector, which will play such an important role, will be flown from Geneva International Airport to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida," said Robert Deillon, General Manager of Geneva International Airport.
Contact
CERN Press Office, press.office@cern.ch
+41 22 767 34 32
+41 22 767 21 41
1.CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.
2.The AMS detector components were produced by an international team, with substantial contributions from CERN Member States (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland), and from China (Taipei) and the United States. The detector was assembled at CERN, with the assistance of the Laboratory’s technical services.
A press conference to mark the occasion will be held at the press room of Geneva International Airport at 9:00 CEST on 25 August, and journalists will have the opportunity to visit the AMS detector and the aircraft. Those wishing to attend to the visit should contact the CERN press office by 12:00 CEST on Monday 23 August at the latest, providing their nationality, date of birth and passport or identity card number. This document must also be presented before the visit. Please note that only the people who have registered will be able to go on the apron to visit the AMS detector and the aircraft. Journalists who would like to see the arrival of the AMS detector at Kennedy Space Center on 26 August are invited to apply until 19 August. Details are available from ESA: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM0R65OJCG_index_0.html.
AMS will examine fundamental issues about matter and the origin and structure of the Universe directly from space. Its main scientific target is the search for dark matter and antimatter, in a programme that is complementary to that of the Large Hadron Collider.
Last February the AMS detector travelled from CERN to the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk (Netherlands) for testing to certify its readiness for travel into space. Following the completion of the testing, the AMS collaboration decided to return the detector to CERN for final modifications. In particular, the detector’s superconducting magnet was replaced by the permanent magnet from the AMS-01 prototype, which had already flown into space in 1998. The reason for the decision was that the operational lifetime of the superconducting magnet would have been limited to three years, because there is no way of refilling the magnet with liquid helium, necessary to maintain the magnet’s superconductivity, on board the space station. The permanent magnet, on the other hand, will now allow the experiment to remain operational for the entire lifetime of the ISS.
Following its return to CERN, the AMS detector was therefore reconfigured with the permanent magnet before being tested with CERN particle beams. The tests were used to validate and calibrate the new configuration before the detector leaves Europe for the last time.
“The entire AMS collaboration is delighted by this departure, because it marks a crucial milestone for the experiment. We are getting close to the space shuttle launch and the moment when our detector will finally be installed on board the ISS,” explained Professor Sam Ting, Nobel laureate and spokesman for the experiment. “The detector’s construction phase is now finished and we are eager for the data collection phase to begin.”
“The launch of AMS detector is very timely,” added Roberto Petronzio, President of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics. “Today we are well aware of our ignorance of Universe’s most abundant constituents and we still challenge the puzzle of matter-antimatter asymmetry. Furthermore, recent results from the Pamela experiment suggest scenarios for important discoveries for AMS. The experiment stems from a large international collaboration joining the effort of major European funding agencies with the US and China.”
Upon arrival at the Kennedy Space Center, AMS will be installed in a clean room for a few more tests. A few weeks later, the detector will be moved to the space shuttle. NASA is planning the last flight of the space shuttle programme, which will carry AMS into space, for the end of February 2011.
Once docked to the ISS, AMS will search for antimatter and dark matter by measuring cosmic rays. Data collected in space by AMS will be transmitted to Houston (USA) and on to CERN’s Prévessin site, where the detector control centre will be located, and to a number of regional physics analysis centres set up by the collaborating institutes.
"We are proud that this detector, which will play such an important role, will be flown from Geneva International Airport to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida," said Robert Deillon, General Manager of Geneva International Airport.
Contact
CERN Press Office, press.office@cern.ch
+41 22 767 34 32
+41 22 767 21 41
1.CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.
2.The AMS detector components were produced by an international team, with substantial contributions from CERN Member States (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland), and from China (Taipei) and the United States. The detector was assembled at CERN, with the assistance of the Laboratory’s technical services.
2010/08/18
Swiss post under the criticism of Privacy Groups
Swiss Privacy Foundation and the SKS (Swiss consumer protection authority)protest against the new law authorizing continuous surveillance of the traffic, which (it is new) includes schools, hospitals, and hotels.
It obliges not only providers, but also third parties to invest heavily in surveillance hardware. Especially hotels in Switzerland are heavily under capitalised, and according to industry spokesman some 30% of the qualify for closing.
It obliges not only providers, but also third parties to invest heavily in surveillance hardware. Especially hotels in Switzerland are heavily under capitalised, and according to industry spokesman some 30% of the qualify for closing.
Smart Meters market faces problems in Germany
Energy markets in EMEA and especially in Germany, where new technologies play increasingly there, that new legislation allows for the consumer, to choose energy provider, and type of energy used. This has complicated to staid situation of measuring and billing for energy.
Certainly will every good citizen decide for the expensive meter, which would analyze and tell him when is the best moment to switch hie next batch of washings for the cheapest rate.
However is as surely every provider or reseller, try to postpone such situation of billing transparency that allows consumer to use its energy in a best and least expensive way possible.
Provider would like to derail or postpone such situation, so it could make his own inefficiency obscure to the consumer.
Citing various technical excuses, like incompatible standards, wireless or wire connections, time delays and data flood or overcapacity.
German government has indicated they want action and expect that by the year 2020 over 80% of all households would be equipped with smart meters. Industry is saying laud and clear, they see that goal unobtainable, and the guilty shall be parliament and or industry influenced legislation or lack of it.
Certainly will every good citizen decide for the expensive meter, which would analyze and tell him when is the best moment to switch hie next batch of washings for the cheapest rate.
However is as surely every provider or reseller, try to postpone such situation of billing transparency that allows consumer to use its energy in a best and least expensive way possible.
Provider would like to derail or postpone such situation, so it could make his own inefficiency obscure to the consumer.
Citing various technical excuses, like incompatible standards, wireless or wire connections, time delays and data flood or overcapacity.
German government has indicated they want action and expect that by the year 2020 over 80% of all households would be equipped with smart meters. Industry is saying laud and clear, they see that goal unobtainable, and the guilty shall be parliament and or industry influenced legislation or lack of it.
EMS leader Foxcomm has reached over 50% of total market
The known EMS leader, Foxconn (after iSuppli) is going to control over 50% of the market already in 2011. With revenues (Q1 2010) of $17,1b is almost 3 times bigger than the next EMS Flextronics, which in turn is twice as big as its 3rd place holder Jabil Cirquit.
With Apple iPad contracting is Foxconn not sole leader in the market.
With Apple iPad contracting is Foxconn not sole leader in the market.
2010/08/16
ISRO Launches Gagan Satellite Navigation System
August 16, 2010 | Satellite Today | Staff Writer
[Satellite TODAY 08-16-10] The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has launched the GPS-supported Geo Augmented Navigation (Gagan) satellite navigation system to aid Indian air traffic, the organization announced Aug. 12.
Gagan, based on a constellation of 24 satellites positioned in six different orbital locations, aims to provide seamless coverage of air traffic from South Asia to Africa and connect to the systems of Europe and Japan. It is expected to enhance marine and transport navigation, search and rescue operations, survey, and mapping.
The Gagan program is a joint initiative between ISRO and the Airports Authority of India, which said the system would enable airlines to chart direct routes — as they will be less dependent on the ground-based radar systems, save fuel and increase efficiency. The system also would enhance safety features for the airlines by providing services such as precision approach guidance to runways in any weather conditions and increased air-to-air surveillance.
[Satellite TODAY 08-16-10] The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has launched the GPS-supported Geo Augmented Navigation (Gagan) satellite navigation system to aid Indian air traffic, the organization announced Aug. 12.
Gagan, based on a constellation of 24 satellites positioned in six different orbital locations, aims to provide seamless coverage of air traffic from South Asia to Africa and connect to the systems of Europe and Japan. It is expected to enhance marine and transport navigation, search and rescue operations, survey, and mapping.
The Gagan program is a joint initiative between ISRO and the Airports Authority of India, which said the system would enable airlines to chart direct routes — as they will be less dependent on the ground-based radar systems, save fuel and increase efficiency. The system also would enhance safety features for the airlines by providing services such as precision approach guidance to runways in any weather conditions and increased air-to-air surveillance.
2010/08/15
Export grew strongly in Germany
EMEA markets slowly come out of the big letter R, and especially Germany, the export champion have clocked really good numbers: in June +30% against June 2009, and 26% in the first 6 months. Generally in the electronic industry specifically the growth in June 2010 was even 42%.
Not forgetting other crisis of the recent, especially in the financial sector, we can cautiously say that that with so far results, we can expect the growth of exports this year at 8%. What still is high comparing that industry has suffered in the 2009.
Distortions in the supply chain (allocation lists, rise in rare earth material prices, short and long term contracts, rise in Yen value) breaking the progress.
Not forgetting other crisis of the recent, especially in the financial sector, we can cautiously say that that with so far results, we can expect the growth of exports this year at 8%. What still is high comparing that industry has suffered in the 2009.
Distortions in the supply chain (allocation lists, rise in rare earth material prices, short and long term contracts, rise in Yen value) breaking the progress.
Facing raw materials crisis?
Markt & Technik, is asking the question which in the minds of majority in the electronic industry we face already for years. Shortages occur periodically, remember the Osaka earthquake (90's) where a major resin producer was put out of business causing several months long shortage of resin used to package IC's?
Material used for production of HD, batteries, flat displays and so on. China is the exporter of 93% of world supply of rare earth materials
http://www.baotou-rareearth.com/?gclid=CIv8p4mnu6MCFUQq3wodDFhcdg.
Recently China decided to reduce its exports successively and by 2015 to stop exporting them all together.
Apparently export limits are drastic, For export destined rare earth materials were 22.24 t. in the first 6 months of 2010, comparing that with only 7.98 t. for the second half of 2010, making total exports in 2010 amounting to just over 30 t. Comparing that with exports of over 50 t. in 2009. Europeans and the Americans are concerned that China could use its superior position to dictate prices in the future. Gontermann is noting tat already in July prices on some of these rare materials rose by up to 50%. This could lead to distortions in the supply chain, and even to its collapse.
In response the US and Australia is working hard to increase supply of these rare materials to compensate the coming shortage but authorities warn that will take at least 2 years to make up for the difference.
Material used for production of HD, batteries, flat displays and so on. China is the exporter of 93% of world supply of rare earth materials
http://www.baotou-rareearth.com/?gclid=CIv8p4mnu6MCFUQq3wodDFhcdg.
Recently China decided to reduce its exports successively and by 2015 to stop exporting them all together.
Apparently export limits are drastic, For export destined rare earth materials were 22.24 t. in the first 6 months of 2010, comparing that with only 7.98 t. for the second half of 2010, making total exports in 2010 amounting to just over 30 t. Comparing that with exports of over 50 t. in 2009. Europeans and the Americans are concerned that China could use its superior position to dictate prices in the future. Gontermann is noting tat already in July prices on some of these rare materials rose by up to 50%. This could lead to distortions in the supply chain, and even to its collapse.
In response the US and Australia is working hard to increase supply of these rare materials to compensate the coming shortage but authorities warn that will take at least 2 years to make up for the difference.
2010/08/12
Skype raises funding on NASDAQ
Skype, a Luxembourg-based provider of internet telephony, said it planned to raise $100m through an initial public offering on the NASDAQ stockmarket. The company, which was founded in 2003, was acquired by eBay in 2005. The online auction site sold 70% of its stake for about $2 billion last year, following legal disputes with Skype’s founders.
new US law, takes "blood" cell phones in its sights
In July, US congress approved the new law, that obliges publicly listed companies to disclose use of specific materials like Tantal, Gold, Tungsten and Tin which may come from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Definitely, the raw materials, especially from lands with no state structures or with collapsed state control, like in Somalia, Congo, Liberia etc. Naomi Campbell is an exception which confirms rules, that big money is involved. John de la Carrè was writing about state involvement in supporting rouge groups, in areas like Goma (Congo), Rwanda, Uganda, and even Kenya where Europeans, Americans, and even recently Chinese play in search of more and more scarce resources, for rapidly increasing industrial consumption.
Definitely, the raw materials, especially from lands with no state structures or with collapsed state control, like in Somalia, Congo, Liberia etc. Naomi Campbell is an exception which confirms rules, that big money is involved. John de la Carrè was writing about state involvement in supporting rouge groups, in areas like Goma (Congo), Rwanda, Uganda, and even Kenya where Europeans, Americans, and even recently Chinese play in search of more and more scarce resources, for rapidly increasing industrial consumption.
2010/08/11
BASF has joined development of batteries for e-cars
Is electro-mobility a term designed to descrobe mobility via electric driven vehcles, Iris Strom is writing in German.
Einige haben sich die Zeit genommen und mir per Email Ihre Meinung zum Thema E-Mobilität zukommen lassen. Zunächst also erst einmal ein herzliches Dankeschön an alle! Natürlich wollte nicht jeder, dass ich seine Meinung auf unserer Website veröffentliche, einem Wunsch, dem ich selbstverständlich nachkomme. Doch ich lege jedem nahe, sich die Zeit zu nehmen und die zur Veröffentlichung freigegebenen Meinungen (Kommentare zum Thema Elektromobilität) zu lesen. Denn mit teils sehr deutlichen Worten fordern die Leserbriefschreiber, der deutschen/europäischen Automobilindustrie keine Fördergelder in den Rachen zu schieben.
Ich möchte aber darauf hinweisen, dass auch die gegenteilige Meinung zu hören war, nämlich, dass es ohne massive Subventionen nicht machbar wäre, Elektroautos in Masse zu produzieren!
Allerdings möchte ich betonen, dass sich die Mehrheit ganz klar gegen eine Subventionierung der OEMs ausspricht - schade eigentlich, dass die Politiker sich selten wirklich für die Meinung ihrer Wähler interessieren.
Iris Stroh
Einige haben sich die Zeit genommen und mir per Email Ihre Meinung zum Thema E-Mobilität zukommen lassen. Zunächst also erst einmal ein herzliches Dankeschön an alle! Natürlich wollte nicht jeder, dass ich seine Meinung auf unserer Website veröffentliche, einem Wunsch, dem ich selbstverständlich nachkomme. Doch ich lege jedem nahe, sich die Zeit zu nehmen und die zur Veröffentlichung freigegebenen Meinungen (Kommentare zum Thema Elektromobilität) zu lesen. Denn mit teils sehr deutlichen Worten fordern die Leserbriefschreiber, der deutschen/europäischen Automobilindustrie keine Fördergelder in den Rachen zu schieben.
Ich möchte aber darauf hinweisen, dass auch die gegenteilige Meinung zu hören war, nämlich, dass es ohne massive Subventionen nicht machbar wäre, Elektroautos in Masse zu produzieren!
Allerdings möchte ich betonen, dass sich die Mehrheit ganz klar gegen eine Subventionierung der OEMs ausspricht - schade eigentlich, dass die Politiker sich selten wirklich für die Meinung ihrer Wähler interessieren.
Iris Stroh
2010/08/10
Components shortages drive use of unauthorized copies
Passive and mechanical components vendors suffer from copies, as allocations lists elongate. Distributors are forced to use them to make sure the production lines are running. According to Jean Quecke, of TTI, the problem arose late in 2009 and is going to extend into 2011 when the Supply Chain should return to normality. Distributors use vendors delivery notes as a proof of guarantee for product quality and reliability. Sometimes for the expediency vendors require also use of brokerages, where such documentation is not easily available.
iPhone and Blackberry are on a way out?
It Mr. Thomas de Maiziere (CDU) and Sebastian Edathly (SPD) had their ways, already all iPhones and Blackberrys would be on their way out of the German Bundestag (Parliament).
Recent bans in Saudi Arabia doe not seem so outrageous any more. The news we be getting are such that Blackberry has survived the critical data security test.
Having similar objections many in the parliament view the possible PDF bug in iPhone applications may contribute to the distrust of parliamentarians. Once this PDF bug is activated, the sender could take control of the smart phone.
Recent bans in Saudi Arabia doe not seem so outrageous any more. The news we be getting are such that Blackberry has survived the critical data security test.
Having similar objections many in the parliament view the possible PDF bug in iPhone applications may contribute to the distrust of parliamentarians. Once this PDF bug is activated, the sender could take control of the smart phone.
2010/08/09
Organizing a catastrophe-Love parade in Duisburg
Recently organized (or mis-organized) Love Parade in Duisburg cost more than 20 lives. It has to be said that quite a few large events went well, without major tragedies, thus critics should agree that organization rules if properly implemented could provide adequate safety.
Markt & Technik, Heinz Arnold is lamenting on insufficient use to available technologies gered to serve and to protect such as digital police radio, more explicit by-laws, and other ideas.
From where I am standing, I know it is hard to predict human crowd's behavior in a suddenly stressing situations.
Technology might be helpful, certainly. But common sense, a degree of mistrust and a healthy dose of precautions, provisions for expanding spaces, exits, and crowd control in real time, and with macro-management.
We hope such tragedy wont happen again. But as it was said about wars: if you want to avoid a catastrophe, prepare for it.
Markt & Technik, Heinz Arnold is lamenting on insufficient use to available technologies gered to serve and to protect such as digital police radio, more explicit by-laws, and other ideas.
From where I am standing, I know it is hard to predict human crowd's behavior in a suddenly stressing situations.
Technology might be helpful, certainly. But common sense, a degree of mistrust and a healthy dose of precautions, provisions for expanding spaces, exits, and crowd control in real time, and with macro-management.
We hope such tragedy wont happen again. But as it was said about wars: if you want to avoid a catastrophe, prepare for it.
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