May 1, 2007
Bill Clinton visits NextEnergy Center in Detroit : GlobalGiants.com
Photo: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Jim Croce, CEO of NextEnergy, at the NextEnergy Center in Detroit. President Clinton toured the NextEnergy Center and reviewed more than a dozen displays by major automotive manufacturers and Michigan entrepreneurs in the developing wind, solar, hydrogen, energy storage and advanced power train industries. |GlobalGiants.com|
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April 15, 2007
Student Team Achieves More than 1900 Miles Per Gallon at the First Shell Eco-marathon(TM) Americas : GlobalGiants.com
Challenge featured a range of student-built vehicles powered by hydrogen, solar, ethanol blend and gasoline powered engines.
Photo: Students from California State Polytechnic University celebrate their victory with an astonishing 1902.7 miles per gallon in the Shell Eco-marathon America's challenge at the CA Speedway in Fontana, CA. The challenge measured the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel. "I hope teams like ours will help shape the vehicles people drive years from now and those vehicles will be more environmentally friendly," said Tom Heckel, manager for Cal Poly's Super Mileage team. (Shell Oil Company, Bob Riha, Jr) |GlobalGiants.com|
Photo: California State Polytechnic University student Kevin Fang drove the winning internal combustion engine to a first-place victory with an astonishing 1902.7 miles per gallon after in the Shell Eco-marathon America's challenge at the CA Speedway in Fontana, CA, Saturday, April 14, 2007. The challenge measured the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel. (Shell Oil Company, Bob Riha, Jr) |GlobalGiants.com|
HOUSTON, April 15 -- Students from the across the U.S. and Canada competed yesterday at the first Shell Eco-marathon(TM) Americas. Shell challenged the engineering students to drive their vehicles the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel, either conventional or alternative. While all of the teams accomplished impressive fuel economy figures, team Cal Poly San Luis Obispo won the challenge with an astonishing 1902.7 miles per gallon.
After more than 20 successful years in Europe and the United Kingdom, the world-renowned Shell Eco-marathon(TM) made its debut in the United States as the Shell Eco-marathon(TM) Americas. From vehicle design to financing, student participants gain hands-on experience managing their project and applying skills in science, technology, mathematics, business and design. Throughout the project, they demonstrate hard work, creativity and ingenuity, while addressing one of the most pressing issues in today's society: sustainable mobility.
The 2007 European Shell Eco-marathon(TM) event is set to take place at the Nogaro Racing Circuit in the South of France on May 11-13, 2007. With more than 250 teams from educational institutions in 20 different countries, this year's event is set to be the biggest ever. The teams are not only competing to break the European Shell Eco-marathon(TM) fuel efficiency record, but also competing for a host of coveted other awards in various categories -- from best Urban Concept vehicle (designed for normal road car use), to the most eco-friendly vehicle with the lowest emissions, best technical innovation, most impressive design and most effective communications campaign. |GlobalGiants.com|
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March 21, 2007
High-Tech Glass From Saint-Gobain Makes Grand Canyon View Possible : GlobalGiants.com
Photo: Glass-Bottomed Skywalk Unveiled over Grand Canyon: Visitors who have marveled at the Grand Canyon's vistas will now have a dizzying new option: a glass-bottom observation deck allowing them to gaze into the chasm beneath their feet. The Skywalk, unveiled Tuesday, is being touted as an engineering marvel. The glass-and-steel horseshoe extends 70 feet beyond the canyon's edge with no visible supports above or below. (WENN Photos)
HUALAPAI RESERVATION, Ariz., March 20 -- The new Grand Canyon Skywalk, the u-shaped glass bridge suspended 4,000 feet above the Colorado River, makes it possible for the first time for visitors to take in incomparable views of the western edge of the Grand Canyon. What makes this engineering marvel possible is the durable and ultra-clear glass that was designed and produced by Saint-Gobain, the world's leader in glass technology for more than 300 years.
Saint-Gobain -- which employs 24,000 people in the United States, many of them through its building materials subsidiary CertainTeed -- manufactured the low-iron Diamant(R) glass for the floor of the Skywalk at its Cologne, Germany, plant. It was processed into laminated glass at three of its European subsidiaries. The deck, approximately 10 feet wide and 70 feet deep, is made of laminated tempered glass more than two inches thick, produced in 46 pieces that were shipped directly to the western edge of the canyon. Each piece of glass is held in place by connectors specifically designed by Saint- Gobain for the bridge. The floor glass includes structural interlayers of DuPont SentryGlas(R) Plus for optical clarity and strength.
According to Roger Watson of Saint-Gobain Glass Exprover, the business which oversees architectural glass export to nations throughout the globe, the Diamant glass in the Skywalk contains a significantly lower amount of iron oxide than regular glass, which means that it is exceptionally clear, appearing virtually invisible to visitors and giving them a completely unobstructed view of the natural wonder.
The glass deck is supported by outer and inner steel beams anchored into solid stone in the wall of the Grand Canyon. The Skywalk is said to support approximately 100 pounds per square foot, can withstand an 8.0 magnitude earthquake, and 100 mph winds.
Headquartered in Paris, Saint-Gobain has more than 200,000 employees throughout the world, including 24,000 in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to its leadership in glass for architectural products, the company is the world's largest supplier of building materials and is a major manufacturer of abrasives, ceramics, and other high-performance materials. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by Editor | 3:49 AM | Link to this Post
March 6, 2007
Siemens Technology for London : GlobalGiants.com
London has traditionally had an efficient public transportation system. Europe‘s second-largest conurbation has the world‘s oldest and largest subway system and a famous network of 700 bus lines that carry some six million passengers daily. In the future, a satellite-supported system from Siemens that can record the positions of 8,000 buses in real time will shorten travel times and use more than 2,000 displays to inform waiting passengers exactly when the next bus will arrive. Many suburban, regional and intercity rail lines run trains supplied by Siemens, complete with services and maintenance, as do the two airport links Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect. Siemens also supplies technology that monitors roads and automatically identifies license plates in conjunction with the road toll system in central London. Many of the city‘s traffic lights and other traffic systems are from Siemens, and so is the ultramodern automation technology used by numerous buildings such as the famous high-rise of one of the world‘s largest reinsurer, Swiss Re, theaters in the West End and the Tate Modern and Tate Britain galleries. Siemens supplied fire-detector systems for Canary Wharf, one of the city‘s largest office-building complexes, and surveillance camera systems to increase safety in the city‘s railroad stations. Siemens is also bringing innovation to the British Office for National Statistics, where 250 million paper documents – the birth, marriage and death certificates of all British citizens since 1837 – are being converted into digital files. In addition Siemens is supporting British Telecom‘s construction of its next-generation 21st Century Network. And London clinics such as the Royal London Hospital and Barts Hospital are making long-term investments in high-tech equipment from Siemens, which will supply them with the latest medical technology for the next 35 years. The Siemens equipment already in use here includes imaging and network systems for diagnostic and treatment purposes. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by Editor | 2:37 AM | Link to this Post
Siemens Technology for Mumbai : GlobalGiants.com
India is becoming an increasingly attractive business location. That‘s especially evident in Mumbai, which generates 38 percent of India‘s gross domestic product and has a broad range of industry that makes it an economic, trade and fashion center. Mumbai is also the home of the world‘s largest and most prolific film industry, nicknamed “Bollywood.“ Mumbai‘s population density reaches levels that cannot be fathomed in Europe. For example, one square kilometer in Mumbai has to accommodate 29,000 people; in Berlin it’s only 3,800. Some 200 different languages and dialects from both India and abroad are spoken in Mumbai, where millions of people ride the commuter trains from the suburbs to the city center every day. Siemens has been commissioned by the Indian Railway Ministry to supply the drive systems and complete electrical equipment for 170 three-section trains. That includes pantographs, transformers, traction and auxiliary inverters, traction motors, a train control system and a passenger information system. The systems, which have been adapted to local climatic and environmental conditions, will reduce energy consumption by up to 30 percent and lower maintenance and servicing costs. The Grand Hyatt Mumbai hotel has also been adapted to the city‘s extreme climatic conditions. Thanks to ultramodern building technology from Siemens, pleasant temperature and humidity levels can be preset and kept constant throughout the hotel complex. An automatic fire alarm system and surveillance cameras enhance the safety and security of hotel guests and personnel, and the state-of-the-art communication technology meets the highest international standards. In the healthcare sector as well, Mumbai is increasingly relying on high-tech solutions. The Jaslok Hospital and the Saifee Hospital use medical technology from Siemens that includes magnetic resonance tomographs, ultrasound units and complete X-ray systems. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by Editor | 2:27 AM | Link to this Post
March 5, 2007
Siemens Technology for Beijing : GlobalGiants.com
China‘s capital is preparing for the 2008 Summer Olympics, with an eye to mobility and environmentally friendly solutions. Athletes and spectators who travel to Beijing in 2008 will move through a world full of Siemens technology. The Siemens baggage transport system at the city‘s new airport will be more than 50 kilometers long. And Siemens will be supplying the new Number 10 subway line, which connects the Olympics sites with the city center and other subway lines, with a train control system, signaling, security and communications systems, and onboard components for the 34 trains. This will result in very short intervals between successive trains and fast adaptability to passenger volumes. High-speed trains based on the Siemens Velaro platform will whisk passengers to Tianjin, 100 kilometers from Beijing, for several Olympic events. Because the engines, brakes and transformers are mounted under the trains, there‘s 25 percent more space for passengers and lower maintenance costs. Siemens is also providing stadium infrastructure at several sports venues and building technology at hotels. Even Beijing‘s water is purified by Siemens; for example, the Bei Xiaohe wastewater plant treats 100,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily, thanks to ultramodern membrane bioreactor technology from Siemens. The project is the biggest of its kind in the world. In 2008, the plant will also provide reclaimed water for the swimming pools and other facilities in the Olympic Park. In addition, Siemens is supplying efficient and resource-saving automation and drives technology for industrial plants like the Taiyuan Iron & Steel Company plant southwest of Beijing. When completed this year, the Taiyuan plant will be the largest facility of its kind in the world. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by Editor | 5:27 AM | Link to this Post
Siemens Technology for New York : GlobalGiants.com
New York already had a population of more than 12 million 50 years ago, and was thus the first city in the world to qualify as a megacity. To keep the “Big Apple“ fresh and fit for the future, the city‘s infrastructure is currently being comprehensively overhauled. For example, Siemens is modernizing New York‘s century-old subway system by installing the most sophisticated train control and management system of its kind, which will make it possible to monitor the position of each of the system‘s 540 trains in real time. A radio-operated train control system will make sure the trains‘ operation is reliable and punctual. Siemens is also playing an important role in ensuring a safe supply of drinking water. It is delivering the equipment and the system solutions for a wastewater purification plant that is part of a billion-dollar program for protecting New York‘s water catchment areas. And even the city‘s famous skyline is full of Siemens technology: Numerous public buildings such as Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the New York Stock Exchange are equipped with automation and lighting systems from Siemens. Similar Siemens solutions can be found in many corporate and governmental buildings, investment banks, insurance and media companies, hotels and university campuses. Solutions from Siemens are being used at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports for facility automation, some of the safety technology, runway lighting and smooth baggage handling. Several New York hospitals are now also using the Soarian workflow management system to streamline their procedures. At the Jacobi Medical Center, RFID chips that store the patients‘ identification data help to ensure optimal treatment. Siemens is also building a healthcare network with the help of renowned clinics such as the Mount Sinai Medical Center and 45 other facilities. The healthcare cards of 100,000 patients make up the core of the system. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by Editor | 2:00 AM | Link to this Post
December 18, 2006
Siemens increases its commitment to early science education
Photo: Prof. Dr. Hermann Requardt, head of Siemens Corporate Technology, at the ceremony handing over the 500th company experiment kit to a kindergarten in Munich's Hasenbergl district. In fiscal 2007, Siemens will substantially expand its commitment to promote early interest in the sciences, and will be donating 1,000 additional research kits to German kindergartens.
Edited & Posted by Editor | 12:34 PM | Link to this Post
November 27, 2006
Johnson Controls Encourages Student Creativity About Energy Conservation
Igniting Creative Energy Challenge
Winners of national competition win educational trip to Hawaii with chance to meet national leaders.
MILWAUKEE, Nov. 27 -- United States and Canadian students in kindergarten through 12th grade are being called on by the Igniting Creative Energy Challenge to put on their thinking caps and come up with creative ways to make a difference in energy conservation and the environment.
Photo: Solar Panel
The Challenge, a partnership program developed by Johnson Controls and the National Energy Foundation, is an educational competition that encourages students to learn more about energy and the environment. This is the sixth year for the competition, which provides the national winners with valuable educational experiences that include a trip to Hawaii and a chance to meet national leaders and energy policymakers in Washington, D.C.
Students are asked to submit entries that demonstrate an understanding of what an individual, family or group can do in their home, school or community to conserve energy and help the environment. Students may express their ideas in the form of science projects, essays, stories, artwork, photographs, music, video or Web site projects. They may also submit recent service projects.
Photo: Wind Turbines in Field
New for 2007, the highest scoring student in each state and most provinces will receive additional recognition and a $1,000 (U.S.) donation from Johnson Controls for his or her school.
The Challenge is funded through an educational grant by Johnson Controls with additional support from the United States Energy Association (USEA) and the National Energy Foundation.
Johnson Controls is a global leader in interior experience, building efficiency and power solutions. Founded in 1885, the company is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) has 136,000 employees in more than 1,000 locations serving customers in 125 countries.
"Like all citizens, students play an important role in using energy resources wisely, which reinforces our business of providing smart energy solutions," said Dave Myers, president, Building Efficiency, Johnson Controls. "As we introduce this year's Challenge, we continue to be impressed by the enthusiasm and creativity students and teachers exhibit in demonstrating ways to preserve the environment and conserve energy."
According to Dari Scott, vice president of marketing for the National Energy Foundation, "It's vital to instill in students the idea that they can creatively contribute to conserving natural resources. It results in improved leadership, character development and service to others, not to mention a better environment."
Contest Rules and Prizes
The Challenge is open to all students in grades K-12 in the U.S. and Canada, excluding Quebec. All entries are due by February 17, 2007, and winners will be announced on or about March 17, 2007.
Official rules about the contest and a downloadable entry form can be found at the official Challenge Web site, http://www.ignitingcreativeenergy.org/ .
A total of four grand prizes will be awarded to three students and one teacher. Three students, one in each grade cluster, whose work best addresses the Challenge criteria, will receive a hosted trip to Hawaii April 10-14, 2007 for themselves and a parent or legal guardian. In addition, one teacher with the highest average score of student work from 15 or more qualifying entries will be chosen for a trip for two to Hawaii for the same fun and educational experience.
While in Hawaii, winners will experience the educational trip of a lifetime. This journey will include visits to a volcano, tropical forests, and Hawaii's famous beaches.
Winners will also participate in the national Energy Efficiency Forum in Washington, D.C., June 12-13, 2007, where they will share their Challenge entries and ideas with government and energy leaders.
Award certificates will be available for every participating student and teacher. The most creative and deserving student work will be published.
Last Year's Entries
The winning projects for the 2006 Igniting Creative Energy Challenge were a reflection of students' creativity and involvement: an elementary school student's "I Spy"(C)-themed book highlighting 101 ways to save energy at home, illustrated with photographs of the student's dollhouse; a middle school student's recommended four-week children's meal program for fast food restaurants that included age-appropriate energy savings items in place of toys; and a high school student's researched recommendation to create billboards that raise awareness of the energy crisis and promote the fight to save energy and the environment.
Teacher Zan Lombardo of Tredyffrin-Easttown School District in Pennsylvania had each of her students establish one energy-efficient habit for a month, quantify their savings and then represent each unit of savings as a dot in a giant mural that showed overall how they had helped the environment.
Students were asked to write a one-page summary that described their motivation for submitting an entry and what they hoped their project would accomplish. Middle school winner Rebecca Richter from Wisconsin shared, "I wanted to find a creative way to help children and their families understand how to conserve energy. It seems perfect to work with a fast-food chain because many families eat at fast-food restaurants. It would be a great way to reach a lot of people! I hope to convey that energy is an important resource in our lives, and that there are many ways to save energy."
Edited & Posted by Editor | 10:19 PM | Link to this Post
November 26, 2006
Siemens Building Technologies
Torre Agbar in Barcelona.
Photo: In the 465-ft. Torre Agbar tower in Barcelona, Spain, offices, conference rooms, parking levels and technical facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art fire alarm and extinguisher systems from Siemens Building Technologies.
Edited & Posted by Editor | 4:11 PM | Link to this Post
July 10, 2006
Offshore wind farms - from Siemens
The picture shows the Middelgrunden offshore wind farm in Denmark.
Siemens Windpower built the world’s first offshore wind park – Vindegy Offshore – in Denmark in 1991. This was followed in 2000 by the Middelgrunden project in Denmark, the world’s largest offshore wind farm at the time.
One of the latest success stories is Nysted Offshore, which today counts as the world’s largest offshore wind park, with 72 windmills and a total capacity of 165.6 megawatts (MW).
Two new projects are currently being realized in Great Britain and Sweden. The 166-MW Lillgrund wind farm will see Sweden’s largest offshore installation. The BurboBanks Offshore in Great Britain will supply up to 75,000 households with electricity beginning fall 2007.
Edited & Posted by Editor | 8:07 PM | Link to this Post
June 25, 2006
Reliance Petroleum Limited Selects ExxonMobil Sulfuric Acid Alkylation Technology for World's Largest Unit
ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE) has announced that Reliance Petroleum Limited has selected EMRE's Sulfuric Acid Alkylation technology for the construction of the world's largest unit at their export refinery in Jamnagar, India for upgrading the gasoline pool.
Unit capacity will be 83 KBD and will utilize mixed butylenes and isobutane feedstocks.
The unit capacity will be achieved by employing several reactor trains which incorporate the highest capacity designs anywhere in the world. Such large trains are a unique feature of the EMRE technology allowing economies of scale for reduction in capital investment and operating costs.
ExxonMobil's Sulfuric Acid Alkylation process has been operating in multiple units worldwide for over five decades. This vast experience has led to significant cost and reliability improvements that are incorporated in new plant designs.
EMRE is the research and engineering arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), a leading global oil, natural gas, and petrochemicals company whose subsidiaries have operations in nearly 200 countries and territories.
ExxonMobil Corporate Headquarters - Irving, Texas, USA
Built in the American Prairie style, both the architecture and furnishings of the Exxon Mobil headquarters reflect a rich heritage and 120-year history as one of the world's first multinational companies.
Edited & Posted by Editor | 9:25 AM | Link to this Post
June 15, 2006
Siemens buildings around the world
Safety, energy conservation, comfort - Siemens equips buildings from sky scrapers, power stations, tunnels to intelligent smart homes, all over the world.
William J. Clinton Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Siemens has developed and installed a complete security concept for the William J. Clinton Presidential Center. The Clinton Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, houses the presidential library of Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States. It was opened in November 2004. In such a highly symbolic public building, fire protection and building security are sensitive issues. That is why Siemens Building Technologies developed a special security concept comprising a system for fire alarms and evacuation and a security monitoring system.
Edited & Posted by Editor | 2:20 PM | Link to this Post
June 13, 2006
Siemens: Megatrends - Power
Siemens Electrical Engineering.
To supply the world's enormous energy requirement will require a wide mix of technologies already available today and new technologies over the entire energy chain, from extraction and production to distribution and consumption. The world needs solutions that are economical and environmentally benign and that save resources. Siemens is meeting this challenge by providing innovative products, services and solutions worldwide for a climate and environmentally-friendly and economic power generation as well as power transmission and distribution.
Edited & Posted by Editor | 7:06 PM | Link to this Post
May 30, 2005
Battery energy storage systemÂ
The world’s largest battery energy storage system, which uses ABB technology, has begun commercial operation in Alaska. The US$ 30 million dollar system is expected to cut power blackouts by more than 60 percent. The battery energy storage system will consist of 13,760 battery cells.
ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 102,000 people.
Edited & Posted by Editor | 1:38 PM | Link to this Post
