PlasmaEngine
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Plasma Plant turns your old junk into electricity, which can then be used to create more junk
The transmutation of garbage into energy is a particularly modern form of alchemy. We've seen it done on a smaller scale in the past, but now a company called Geoplasma is assembling the country's first plasma refuse plant in St. Lucie County, Florida. Scheduled to go online by 2011, the plant will process 1,500 tons of garbage a day, adding 60 megawatts to the power grid -- enough energy to power 50,000 homes. The plant works by vaporizing refuse with a 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit stream of plasma. The organic components (food, fluids, paper) create a pressurized gas that is then used to turn a turbine, while any inorganic refuse (metals) that may be present condenses, later to be collected for industrial uses. But will it power a Flux Capacitor?[Via Inhabitat]
OSU and DARPA building UAV nano planes that can fit in a pocket
A fancy new miniaturized plasma propulsion system being developed at Oklahoma State University promises some exciting new Unmanned Ariel Vehicle spy plane designs for the folks at DARPA. The engine is about the size of a cigarette, contains no moving parts, and will be build into planes as small as 6-inches long, which soldiers can carry in packs of six or so and deploy as a swarm of inquisitive Daniel Craigs. The planes should be able to manage indoors and urban areas. No word on when these will be spying on a homeland security threat near you, but the project is still in the early stages. [Via Crave]
