propulsion system

Hydrogen-Powered UAV Breaks Record


It might not sound like much, this 78 mile flight, but the recent journey by the Pterosaur Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was actually a record-breaker.

Powered by hydrogen fuel cells, the Pterosaur flew 28 miles farther than the previous record for micro-UAVs, which weigh in at around 11 pounds or less, and its developers say it only used a fraction of the fuel in its tank. Eventually they claim it should be able to go 310 miles. Singapore-based Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies developed the propulsion system in conjunction with scientists at several U.S. universities.—Gregory Mone 

Via Aero-News

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Big Wheels for Little Cars

Chemists build the world´s smallest auto dealership, molecule by molecule. No toy models, these cars actually drive

The most prolific car manufacturer on the planet resides in a Rice University laboratory in Houston, where chemist James Tour and his colleagues have built one trillion trillion nanoscopic cars. The tiny four-wheeled vehicles are only four billionths of a meter wide-25,000 of them parked side by side would be about as thick as a piece of paper. Not just another nano-gimmick, Tour´s cars could one day carve tiny channels in silicon, creating more-powerful computer chips.

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Volvo Penta IPS

A radical new propeller pulls rather than pushes boats through the water

Drop the sailor´s cap and put on some racing goggles. With its new Inboard Performance System (IPS), Volvo Penta is boosting the comfort and white-knuckle fun of yachting. Volvo engineers built

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Evergreen Machine

Volvo’s new eco-friendly concept coupe promises to make obsolescence obsolete

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speedy Wind Turbine Towers
"To maximize energy output, the tapered towers of the Bahrain World Trade Center funnel wind between them, creating a negative pressure zone behind the buildings that draws more air through the gap."
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speedy A Super-Strong Bridge Beam
"The Hillman Composite Beam weighs one third as much as concrete competitors—saving 20 percent on shipping and installation costs—and can hold 50 percent more weight."
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speedy Transforming Bamboo
"First Yan Xiao tore strips of bamboo from the stalk and arranged them in such a way as to provide the most strength. He then coated the strips with glue and compressed them in a self-built hydraulic press into beams, 33 feet long and up to three feet wide, each capable of supporting eight tons."
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speedy Surf the Web Without a Browser
"Adobe AIR's programming tools let developers create snazzy desktop applications that connect to the Web."

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