MIT engineers and collaborators developed a solar-powered desalination device that avoids salt-clogging issues of other designs.

Engineers at MIT and in China aim to turn seawater into drinking water with a completely passive device inspired by the ocean and powered by the sun.

In a paper appearing in the journal Joule, the team outlines the design for a new solar desalination system that takes in salt water and heats it with natural sunlight.

The desalination device’s configuration allows water to circulate in swirling eddies, like the ocean’s much larger “thermohaline” circulation. This circulation, combined with the sun’s heat, evaporates water, leaving salt behind. The resulting water vapor can then be condensed and collected as pure, drinkable water.

In the meantime, the leftover salt continues to circulate through and out of the device, rather than accumulating and clogging the system.

The new desalination system has a higher water-production rate and a higher salt-rejection rate than all other passive solar desalination concepts currently being tested.

The researchers estimate that if the system is scaled up to the size of a small suitcase, it could produce about 4 to 6 liters of drinking water per hour and last several years before requiring replacement parts. At this scale and performance, the system could produce drinking water at a rate and price that is cheaper than tap water.

Outdoor test of the prototype under natural sunlight. Image credits: Jintong Gao and Zhenyuan Xu / MIT

“For the first time, it is possible for water, produced by sunlight, to be even cheaper than tap water,” says Lenan Zhang, a research scientist in MIT’s Device Research Laboratory.

The team envisions a scaled-up desalination device could passively produce enough drinking water to meet the daily requirements of a small family. The system could also supply off-grid, coastal communities where seawater is easily accessible.

Zhang’s study co-authors include MIT graduate student Yang Zhong and Evelyn Wang, the Ford Professor of Engineering, along with Jintong Gao, Jinfang You, Zhanyu Ye, Ruzhu Wang, and Zhenyuan Xu of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China.

A powerful convection

The team’s new desalination system improves on their previous design — a similar concept of multiple layers, called stages. Each stage contained an evaporator and a condenser that used heat from the sun to passively separate salt from incoming water.

That design, which the team tested on the roof of an MIT building, efficiently converted the sun’s energy to evaporate water, which was then condensed into drinkable water.

But the salt that was left over quickly accumulated as crystals that clogged the system after a few days. In a real-world setting, a user would have to place stages on a frequent basis, which would significantly increase the system’s overall cost.

In a follow-up effort, they devised a solution with a similar layered configuration, this time with an added feature that helped to circulate the incoming water as well as any leftover salt. While this design prevented salt from settling and accumulating on the device, it desalinated water at a relatively low rate.

In the latest iteration, the team believes it has landed on a desalination system design that achieves both a high water-production rate, and high salt rejection, meaning that the system can quickly and reliably produce drinking water for an extended period.

The key to their new design is a combination of their two previous concepts: a multistage system of evaporators and condensers, that is also configured to boost the circulation of water — and salt — within each stage.

“We introduce now an even more powerful convection, that is similar to what we typically see in the ocean, at kilometer-long scales,” Xu says.

The small circulations generated in the team’s new system is similar to the “thermohaline” convection in the ocean — a phenomenon that drives the movement of water around the world, based on differences in sea temperature (“thermo”) and salinity (“haline”).

“When seawater is exposed to air, sunlight drives water to evaporate. Once water leaves the surface, salt remains. And the higher the salt concentration, the denser the liquid, and this heavier water wants to flow downward,” Zhang explains.

“By mimicking this kilometer-wide phenomena in small box, we can take advantage of this feature to reject salt.”

Tapping out

The heart of the team’s new design is a single stage that resembles a thin box, topped with a dark material that efficiently absorbs the heat of the sun. Inside, the box is separated into a top and bottom section.

Water can flow through the top half, where the ceiling is lined with an evaporator layer that uses the sun’s heat to warm up and evaporate any water in direct contact. The water vapor is then funneled to the bottom half of the box, where a condensing layer air-cools the vapor into salt-free, drinkable liquid.

The researchers set the entire box at a tilt within a larger, empty vessel, then attached a tube from the top half of the box down through the bottom of the vessel, and floated the vessel in saltwater.

In this configuration, water can naturally push up through the tube and into the box, where the tilt of the box, combined with the thermal energy from the sun, induces the water to swirl as it flows through. The small eddies help to bring water in contact with the upper evaporating layer while keeping salt circulating, rather than settling and clogging.

The team built several prototypes of this desalination device, with one, three, and 10 stages, and tested their performance in water of varying salinity, including natural seawater and water that was seven times saltier.

From these tests, the researchers calculated that if each stage were scaled up to a square meter, it would produce up to 5 liters of drinking water per hour, and that the system could desalinate water without accumulating salt for several years.

Given this extended lifetime, and the fact that the system is entirely passive, requiring no electricity to run, the team estimates that the overall cost of running the system would be cheaper than what it costs to produce tap water in the United States.

“We show that this device is capable of achieving a long lifetime,” Zhong says. “That means that, for the first time, it is possible for drinking water produced by sunlight to be cheaper than tap water. This opens up the possibility for solar desalination to address real-world problems.”

“This is a very innovative approach that effectively mitigates key challenges in the field of desalination,” says Guihua Yu, who develops sustainable water and energy storage systems at the University of Texas at Austin, and was not involved in the research.

“The design is particularly beneficial for regions struggling with high-salinity water. Its modular design makes it highly suitable for household water production, allowing for scalability and adaptability to meet individual needs.”

Written by Jennifer Chu

Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The 9th edition of the prestigious European Rover Challenge (ERC) space robotics competition has concluded this Sunday. After intense competition on the world’s largest artificial Marsyard, team AGH Space Systems emerged as the best robotic team, meeting the rigorous demands of the jury.

Second and third place were won by two teams from Switzerland: FHNW Rover Team and EPFL Xplore. For the first time, participants underwent a certification process confirming their knowledge and skills.

The exciting rivalry of teams from around the world was accompanied by numerous attractions and surprises: a meeting with the ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznański, an outdoor cinema, sky observations, and the opportunity to control rovers, drones, and walking robots.

35 of the world’s best academic teams from almost all continents participated in the finals. This year’s edition took place in two formulas: 20 teams competed on-site, while 15 took part remotely from the farthest corners of the globe.

The competition took place on the surface which was inspired by a fragment of the Martian landscape, and the teams had to meet the challenges faced by engineers of real Martian missions. The tasks prepared by the organizers posed significant obstacles for the teams this year.

The geological puzzle turned out to be so complex that only a few teams managed to solve it. Meanwhile, the terrain’s formation caused significant difficulties for the rovers.

1st prizes in the competition were awarded to AGH Space Systems from Poland (ON-SITE formula) and Makercie from Netherlands (REMOTE formula). The following places were taken by the teams: second place: FNHW Rover Team from Switzerland and DJS Antariksh from India and the podium was closed by the teams: EPFL Xplore from Switzerland and ProjectRED from Italy.

For the first time, except for the experience of participating in the unique space project, members of the academic teams could also obtain a formal certificate as part of the “ERC Space & Robotics Industry Standard Practice Programme”, confirming their competence in specific scientific and technological areas.

Thanks to this, every member of the participating team could receive a document certifying their knowledge and experience. Like other certificates from the space industry, the ERC document became a formal confirmation of the participant’s substantive contribution to the rover’s construction and their commitment to the project.

Visitors to the 9th edition of the European Rover Challenge, could also experience educational workshops prepared by exhibitors, scientific experiments, and immerse themselves in interactions with robots and space technologies.

Meetings with ESA Astronaut Slawosz Uznanski, and Robert Zubrin, an advocate for Mars exploration, attracted great interest. The youngest attendees learned about the Solar System and found out where in the Universe life might exist.

The European Rover Challenge was held under the constant patronage of the European Space Agency and the Polish Space Agency. Co-organizers of ERC 2023 were the European Space Foundation, the Kielce University of Technology, and the Marshal’s Office of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship.

The City of Kielce once again serves as the Host City of the event, and among the partners, were: Mars Society Poland, ESA BIC Poland / Industrial Development Agency, Poznań University of Technology, Polish Space Professionals Association PSPA, Employers’ Association of the Space Sector, Pyramid Games, Pokojowy Patrol, Poland Convention Bureau, Polish Tourism Organization, as well as the American corporation Mathworks and RedWire.

The project is partially financed by the “Social Responsibility of Science” program of the Minister of Education and Science.

More about the European Rover Challenge can be found: roverchallenge.eu

Source: Prowly

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If you are looking or have been looking for IT workers, you know very well that it is not at all easy to find trustworthy professionals. We live in unstable times, constant insecurity results in business failures. That’s why we so badly need reliable colleagues and effective solutions. One way to succeed is to work with experienced recruitment specialists. The IT recruitment Poland service offered by the Sowelo agency is just the key to success.

Sowelo has been in business for more than 15 years. It has dozens of successful recruitment projects to its credit. Sowelo headhunters work with both Polish and international clients. They recruit for various positions of specialists representing different backgrounds, cultures and languages.

When looking for highly qualified employees, it is worth taking advantage of the experience of professional headhunters representing independent agencies. With their help, you can not only quickly find professionals for a given position, but also get good results in your business much faster. Sowelo offers tailor-made recruitment service perfectly adapted to the expectations of individual clients. Unlike in-house HR specialists, Sowelo employees have recruitment expertise gained from working with clients from home and abroad, so their offer and assistance is much more extensive.

IT Recruitment Poland by Sowelo – minimizing risks

Sowelo Agency has been on the market since 2007. Throughout its history, it has experienced many different situations in the recruitment market. With experience in various circumstances, the consultants have served many clients both at home and abroad. Sowelo will ideally adapt its activities and offerings to changing market conditions, and having the right know-how has a significant advantage over in-house HR staff.

Speaking of projects completed by Sowelo so far, it is worth mentioning just a few of them. Mention Branch Manager, Chief Accountant, Operation Director, Sales Executive, Team Supervisor or Unit Manager, PMO Director, System Architect and so on. High-quality specialists representing various industries and coming from different countries have been found. Sowelo’s clients are very satisfied with the cooperation with the agency and are very eager to return with further projects, as well as recommend cooperation to other companies. Sowelo offers services such as IT Contracting, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, as well as Talent Market Mapping and Employer Branding.

Poland – associative photo. Image credit: Unsplash, free license

Working with a recruitment agency means minimizing the risk of unsuccessful recruitment. Together with the client, consultants create a profile of the ideal candidate and develop a list of requirements that he or she must meet. Carefully selected candidates with the required skills and competencies are invited to a job interview. Sowelo employees are able to quickly find candidates even for very niche positions, they are also able to reach out to those who are not currently looking for a job and get them interested in the offer.

Cooperation with Sowelo Consulting agency is also, as already mentioned, an opportunity to avoid the serious consequences that bad hires bring. After all, hiring the wrong people can not only cost a lot, but also drag down a company and lead to its bankruptcy.

IT Recruitment Poland by Sowelo – professional knowledge and up-to-date information from the labor market

Sowelo’s expertise and experience is something that anyone can benefit from at any time. IT Recruitment Poland is a service designed for clients both at the early stages of their operation and for companies that have been on the market for some time. The advice and assistance of a good, experienced recruiter not only saves a lot of money, but also saves a lot of time. You can avoid the consequences of bad hires, but also gain the time you need to run your business and make your company more competitive.

Sowelo consultants have contacts that, unfortunately, in-house HR staff do not have. This allows them to quickly contact the best candidates for a given, even the most niche position. This is also important because often high-level professionals are reluctant to contact corporate HR staff, do not trust them and are not willing to cooperate. They are more likely to join independent headhunters and are much more accommodating to the job offers they offer.

Independent headhunters can find truly hidden, rare talent. It is not a problem for them to find specialists representing very rare specializations, because they deal with such cases on a daily basis. As part of the IT Recruitment Poland service, they will quickly find specialists with unique skills or using very rare programming languages.

The key role of recruiters in the IT recruitment Poland process

By using the services of the Sowelo Consulting agency, many of the problems that the recruitment process brings can be avoided. As statistics show, as many as 89% of recruitment failures are due to poor attitudes of new hires. Therefore, experienced recruiters who can read the subtle signs and body language of candidates can really be an invaluable aid in the recruitment process. By seeing arrogant, disrespectful behaviour, negative comments regarding former employers, a Sowelo recruiter is able to avoid hiring the wrong person.

After all, it is well known that an inadequate employee is not only a waste of money, but also a danger of passing on confidential business information to competitors, a negative impact on the company’s image and a waste of valuable time. It is therefore a good idea to use the services of an agency that already has experience in its field and is aware of the risk of various kinds of failures.

Sowelo headhunters are very effective and achieve great results in their work. Their in-depth knowledge gained over years, their willingness to help and their commitment to the project are what clients really appreciate and what they come back to when proposing to collaborate on new projects. Therefore, whenever you are in need of professionals to provide recruitment services to your company, feel free to contact Sowelo team and hire developers and qualified candidates to your team.

The race to introduce the newest hardware generation is an ongoing effort in the ever-changing world of technology. Hardware is about to enter a transformative era that promises to change how we interact with our devices, from faster CPUs to more immersive screens. As we gaze into the innovation crystal ball, several enticing trends show up, providing a glimpse into the fascinating possibilities.

Quantum computing

The limits of conventional computing are broken when you enter the world of quantum computing. Quantum hardware has the potential to change fields like drugs and encryption by doing intricate calculations at rates that were previously unthinkable. The time is approaching when quantum computers are more widely available promising breakthroughs that could reshape entire industries.

Processors Integrated with AI

Future hardware should have intelligence as well as brute power. AI-integrated CPUs are opening the door for gadgets that can quickly learn, adapt, and change. Imagine a smartphone that learns from your usage patterns or a self-driving vehicle that becomes better at what it does with each trip. The boundaries between human and machine capabilities will melt as AI and hardware become increasingly entwined, offering us a world of possibilities that we have only just begun to imagine.

Extra-dimensionality

The field of extended reality, where the physical and digital worlds smoothly converge, is likewise driven by hardware trends. Both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are gaining popularity because they provide immersive experiences for applications in entertainment, learning, and the workplace. In addition to tremendous performance, the next-generation gear needed to power these experiences must also provide an unmatched level of realism.

Edge Computing

With the rise of edge computing, data processing is moving away from being centralized and toward the edge of networks, where it is most needed. Real-time applications, from IoT devices to autonomous systems, could benefit from this trend. Edge computing’s hardware breakthroughs will reshape how we process, analyze, and act on data, resulting in faster response times and lower latency.

Sustainable Technology

The next-generation hardware market also emphasizes sustainability as people grow more aware of their environmental impact. Future electronics will be made with the environment in mind, from recyclable materials to energy-efficient processors. This trend demonstrates how innovation may lead to good change in addition to being in line with the goals of global sustainability.

Beyond 5G

The deployment of 5G networks has ushered in a new era of connectivity, but the hardware trends continue. The development of 6G and beyond offers the potential for significantly faster data speeds, incredibly low latency, and the simultaneous connection of a huge number of devices. This progression will make innovations like real-time remote surgery, sophisticated smart cities, and seamless international connectivity possible.

 Biometric Hardware

Biometric technologies, which use our distinctive physical characteristics as the key to unlock gadgets and experiences, are also a part of the hardware future. Unprecedented levels of protection and customization can be achieved using facial recognition, fingerprint sensors, and pulse patterns. These technologies will change how we access information and engage with the digital world as they develop.

Neuromorphic Computing

The exciting idea of neuromorphic computing, which aspires to develop hardware that can resemble the human brain’s neural networks, was inspired by the brain’s structure. With the ability to digest information more like a person, this technology can potentially revolutionize artificial intelligence. The potential for pattern recognition, cognitive computing, and problem-solving is endless.

Holographic Displays

Holographic displays are the upcoming hardware trend, so say goodbye to flat screens. These screens provide real 3-D images that may be seen from all angles without special glasses. Holographic displays are poised to revolutionize our engagement with digital material, from immersive gaming experiences to lifelike virtual shopping.

Wearable Ecosystems

Beyond smartwatches and fitness trackers, wearable technology is developing. The following generation of wearables will build connected ecosystems that meld into our daily lives. We can stay connected, check our health, and interact with the digital world in ways previously only possible in science fiction thanks to smart clothing, augmented reality glasses, and implantable gadgets.

Hyper-Connected Homes

With more devices and sensors added to our living areas, the smart home revolution is expected to pick up speed. The next-generation hardware in our homes will create an environment that adjusts to our preferences and needs, making daily life more practical and effective. Examples include AI-powered kitchen equipment and self-learning thermostats.

Conclusion

The only thing constant in the world of technology is change, and the hardware trends just around the corner herald an innovative and exciting future. Using a signature generator to create an interesting signature might improve your brand. You can demonstrate your authority and credibility when discussing next-gen hardware trends by incorporating your name, title, and a short slogan.

The convergence of quantum computing, AI integration, extended reality, edge computing, signature generators, and sustainable technology promises to reshape our world profoundly. The resulting landscape will be one where technology is not just a tool, but an integral part of our lives, enhancing our capabilities, expanding our horizons, and shaping a more connected, intelligent, and exciting world than we ever imagined. This is because each trend is converging and influencing the others.

There are two ways to investigate the Sun: remote sensing and in-situ measurements. In remote sensing, the spacecraft is positioned far away and uses cameras to look at the Sun and its atmosphere in different wavelengths. For in-situ measurements, the spacecraft flies through the region it wants to investigate and takes measurements of the particles and magnetic fields in that part of space.

Both approaches have their advantages. Remote sensing shows the large-scale results but not the details of the processes happening in the plasma. Meanwhile, in-situ measurements give highly specific information about the small-scale processes in the plasma but do not show how this affects the large scale.

To get the full picture, two spacecraft are needed. This is exactly what solar physicists currently have in the form of the ESA-led Solar Orbiter spacecraft, and NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. Solar Orbiter is designed to get as close to the Sun as it can and still perform remote sensing operations, along with in-situ measurements. Parker Solar Probe largely forgoes remote sensing of the Sun itself to get even closer for its in-situ measurements.

But to take full advantage of their complementary approaches, Parker Solar Probe would have to be within the field of view of one of Solar Orbiter’s instruments. That way Solar Orbiter could record the large-scale consequences of what Parker Solar Probe was measuring in situ.

Daniele Telloni, researcher at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) at the Astrophysical Observatory of Torino, is part of the team behind Solar Orbiter’s Metis instrument. Metis is a coronagraph that blocks out the light from the Sun’s surface and takes pictures of the corona. It is the perfect instrument to use for the large-scale measurements and so Daniele began looking for times when Parker Solar Probe would line up.

He found that on 1 June 2022, the two spacecraft would almost be in the correct orbital configuration. Essentially, Solar Orbiter would be looking at the Sun and Parker Solar Probe would be just off to the side, tantalisingly close but just out of the field of view of the Metis instrument.

As Daniele looked at the problem, he realised all it would take to bring Parker Solar Probe into view was a little bit of gymnastics with Solar Orbiter: a 45 degree roll and then pointing it slightly away from the Sun.

But when every manoeuvre of a space mission is carefully planned in advance, and spacecraft are themselves designed to point only in very specific directions, especially when coping with the fearsome heat of the Sun, it was not clear that the spacecraft operations team would authorise such a deviation. However, once everyone was clear on the potential scientific return, the decision was a clear ‘yes’.

Researchers from The University of Warwick and the University of Manchester have finally solved the long-standing puzzle of why graphene is so much more permeable to protons than expected by theory.

A decade ago, scientists at The University of Manchester demonstrated that graphene is permeable to protons, nuclei of hydrogen atoms.

The unexpected result started a debate in the community because theory predicted that it would take billions of years for a proton to permeate through graphene’s dense crystalline structure. This had led to suggestions that protons permeate not through the crystal lattice itself, but through the pinholes in its structure.

Now, writing in Nature, a collaboration between the University of Warwick, led by Prof. Patrick Unwin, and The University of Manchester, led by Dr. Marcelo Lozada-Hidalgo and Prof. Andre Geim, report ultra-high spatial resolution measurements of proton transport through graphene and prove that perfect graphene crystals are permeable to protons. Unexpectedly, protons are strongly accelerated around nanoscale wrinkles and ripples in the crystal.

The discovery has the potential to accelerate the hydrogen economy. Expensive catalysts and membranes, sometimes with significant environmental footprint, currently used to generate and utilise hydrogen could be replaced with more sustainable 2D crystals, reducing carbon emissions, and contributing to Net Zero through the generation of green hydrogen.

The team used a technique known as scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) to measure minute proton currents collected from nanometre-sized areas. This allowed the researchers to visualise the spatial distribution of proton currents through graphene membranes.

If proton transport took place through holes as some scientists speculated, the currents would be concentrated in a few isolated spots. No such isolated spots were found, which ruled out the presence of holes in the graphene membranes.

Drs. Segun Wahab and Enrico Daviddi, leading authors of the paper, commented: “We were surprised to see absolutely no defects in the graphene crystals. Our results provide microscopic proof that graphene is intrinsically permeable to protons.”

Unexpectedly, the proton currents were found to be accelerated around nanometre-sized wrinkles in the crystals. The scientists found that this arises because the wrinkles effectively ‘stretch’ the graphene lattice, thus providing a larger space for protons to permeate through the pristine crystal lattice. This observation now reconciles the experiment and theory.

Dr. Lozada-Hidalgo said: “We are effectively stretching an atomic scale mesh and observing a higher current through the stretched interatomic spaces in this mesh – this is truly mind-boggling.”

Prof. Unwin commented: “These results showcase SECCM, developed in our lab, as a powerful technique to obtain microscopic insights into electrochemical interfaces, which opens up exciting possibilities for the design of next-generation membranes and separators involving protons.”

The authors are excited about the potential of this discovery to enable new hydrogen-based technologies. Dr. Lozada-Hidalgo said, “Exploiting the catalytic activity of ripples and wrinkles in 2D crystals is a fundamentally new way to accelerate ion transport and chemical reactions. This could lead to the development of low-cost catalysts for hydrogen-related technologies.”

Read the full paper here https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06247-6

Source: University of Warwick

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In the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken great strides in the realm of online communications. The keywords “chat AI ask anything” have been increasingly growing. Also for this reason, chatbots have emerged as the digital companions of the future, designed to streamline and simplify our online experiences.

Among these, AI Chatting stands out as a free AI chatbot that promises to revolutionize the way we interact with digital services. This AI-powered chatbot is designed to assist you with any questions, problems, or tasks you may have. Starting from general information, recommendations or even just engaging in casual conversation, AI Chatting is at your service, providing you with the most accurate and relevant responses.

Without further ado, let’s get into the world of AI Chatting! It’s up to you to judge whether it truly lives up to the lofty expectations it sets.

Introduction of AI Chatting

In the midst of AI chatbots in the market, AI Chatting can be said as one of the oldest launched chatbots. It was first launched in 2020 by OpenAI, and yet claims to constantly improve and update over the time being. According to its reply, it was last updated in 2021 with the GPT-3 architecture.

AI Chatting is made of a line of codes and artificial intelligence. The fundamental aspect of it is its ability to learn and improve with use. It relies on machine learning to continually enhance its understanding and responses. For instance, if you ask a question that AI Chatting can’t answer, then it will take note of it and endeavor to improve its ability to respond to similar questions in the future.

One of the first things you’ll notice when using AI Chatting is its user-friendliness. Whether you’re tech-savvy or a newcomer to AI character chat, its intuitive interface ensures that anyone can interact with it effortlessly.

The Power of AI Chatting

For sure, this free AI chatbot brings a multitude of advantages to the table, making it a valuable tool for users seeking assistance in the digital realm. Some key advantages of using it include:

●      Versatility

No matter what you’re looking for, whether you are looking for information, insights, guidance, translating text, seeking inspiration, or even simply entertainment, AI Chatting can provide prompt responses to your queries, saving you precious time; it can compile information, analyze your inputs and deliver an appropriate solution in seconds.

●      Communication Channels

AI Chatting also serves as communication in various ways, one of which includes customer support portals by engage with visitors and providing instant assistance. It can handle initial inquiries, direct users to appropriate resources then escalate to a human agent if required.

Apart from that, translating a document can done in seconds. This AI chatbot is trained in tons of languages like English, Mandarin, Korean, Italian, German, etc. It breaks down language barriers and enables you to freely communicate with people from any part of the world.

●      Ease of Use

In an age of increasing digital concerns, AI Chatting has the commitment to take user privacy seriously. Other than ensuring that the generated content is appropriate and abides by community guidelines, it encrypts all conversations to safeguard your data and doesn’t store your chats. Respect for user’s privacy and confidentiality is its number one priority.

●      Cost Saving

Hiring a professional or training a team of human agents not only requires you to spend an amount of money but cannot guarantee its result as well. AI chatbots are developed and deployed based on our requirements, thus requiring minimal cost and yet able to handle a bunch of inquiries without added expenses. All you need is to invest in the beginning and it will serve you permanently.

Summary

In conclusion, AI Chatting represents a step forward in the field of AI chatbots and can be a valuable resource for those seeking online assistance. This AI chatbot provides up to 20 free credits per day, offering a wide range of useful functionalities, and is easy to use. Furthermore, its machine learning capability makes it increasingly effective with continuous use, and its attention to user privacy is commendable.

So, if you’re looking for a free AI chatbot that’s easy to use and offers a broad range of features, AI Chatting might be the right choice for you!

In early August, scientists and engineers gathered in a small auditorium at Caltech to discuss how to build the first space telescope capable of detecting alien life on planets like Earth.

The proposed mission concept, the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), would be the next powerful astrophysics observatory after NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It would be able to study stars, galaxies, and a host of other cosmic objects, including planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets, potentially even the alien life.

Though finding alien life on exoplanets may be a long shot, the Caltech workshop aimed to assess the state of technology HWO needs to search for life elsewhere.

“Before we can design the mission, we need to develop the key technologies as much as possible,” says Dimitri Mawet, a member of the Technical Assessment Group (TAG) for HWO, the David Morrisroe Professor of Astronomy, and a senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which Caltech manages for NASA.

“We are in a phase of technology maturation. The idea is to further advance the technologies that will enable the Habitable Worlds Observatory to deliver its revolutionary science while minimizing the risks of cost overruns down the line.”

First proposed as part the National Academy of Sciences’ Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2020 (Astro2020), a 10-year roadmap that outlines goals for the astronomy community, HWO would launch in the late 2030s or early 2040s. The mission’s observing time would be divided between general astrophysics and exoplanet studies.

Sara Seager of MIT gave a talk at the Caltech workshop titled “Towards Starlight Suppression for the Habitable Worlds Observatory.” Image credit: Caltech

“The Decadal Survey recommended this mission as its top priority because of the transformational capabilities it would have for astrophysics, together with its ability to understand entire solar systems outside of our own,” says Fiona Harrison, one of two chairs of the Astro2020 decadal report and the Harold A. Rosen Professor of Physics at Caltech, as well as the Kent and Joyce Kresa Leadership Chair of the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy.

The space telescope’s ability to characterize the atmospheres of exoplanets, and therefore look for signatures that could indicate alien life, depends on technologies that block the glare from a distant star.

There are two main ways of blocking the star’s light: a small mask internal to the telescope, known as a coronagraph, and a large mask external to the telescope, known as a starshade. In space, starshades would unfurl into a giant sunflower-shaped structure, as seen in this animation.

Artist’s concept of an Earth-like planet in the habitable zone of its star. New observatory will search for alien life. Image credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

In both cases, the light of stars is blocked so that faint starlight reflecting off a nearby planet is revealed. The process is similar to holding your hand up to block the sun while snapping a picture of your smiling friends.

By directly capturing the light of a planet, researchers can then use other instruments called spectrometers to scrutinize that light in search of the chemical signatures. If any life is present on a planet orbiting a distant star, then the collective inhales and exhales of that life might be detectable in the form of biosignatures.

“We estimate there are as many as several billion Earth-size planets in the habitable zone in our galaxy alone,” says Nick Siegler, the chief technologist of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program at JPL. The habitable zone is the region around a star where temperatures are suitable for liquid water.

“We want to probe the atmospheres of these exoplanets to look for oxygen, methane, water vapor, and other chemicals that could signal the presence of life. We aren’t going to see little green [alien] men but rather spectral signatures of these key chemicals, or what we call biosignatures.”

According to Siegler, NASA has decided to focus on the coronagraph route for the HWO concept, building on recent investments in NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will utilize an advanced coronagraph for imaging gas-giant exoplanets. (Caltech’s IPAC is home to the Roman Science Support Center).

Today, coronagraphs are in use on several other telescopes, including the orbiting JWST, Hubble, and ground-based observatories.

Mawet has developed coronagraphs for use in instruments at the W. M. Keck Observatory atop Maunakea, a mountain on the Big Island of Hawai’i.

The most recent version, known as a vortex coronagraph, was invented by Mawet and resides inside the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC), an instrument that allows researchers to directly image and study the thermal emissions of young and warm gas-giant exoplanets.

The coronagraph cancels out a star’s light to the point where the instrument can take pictures of planets that are about a million times fainter than their stars. That allows researchers to characterize the atmospheres, orbits, and spins of young gas-giant exoplanets in detail, helping to answer questions about the formation and evolution of other solar systems.

But directly imaging a twin Earth planet—where life as we know it is most likely to flourish—will take a massive refinement of current technologies. Planets like Earth that orbit sun-like stars in the habitable zone are easily lost in the glare of their stars.

Our own sun, for example, outshines the light of Earth by 10 billion times. For a coronagraph to achieve this level of starlight suppression, researchers will have to push their technologies to the limit.

“As we get closer and closer to this required level of starlight suppression, the challenges become exponentially harder,” Mawet says.

The Caltech workshop participants discussed a coronagraph technique that involves controlling light waves with an ultraprecise deformable mirror inside the instrument.

While coronagraphs can block out much of a star’s light, stray light can still make its way into the final image, appearing as speckles. By using thousands of actuators that push and pull on the reflective surface of the deformable mirror, researchers can cancel the blobs of residual starlight.

The upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be the first to utilize this type of coronagraph, which is referred to as “active” because its mirror will be actively deformed. After more tests at JPL, the Roman coronagraph will ultimately be integrated into the final telescope at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and launched into space no later than 2027.

The Roman Coronagraph Instrument will enable astronomers to image exoplanets possibly up to a billion times fainter than their stars. This includes both mature and young gas giants as well as disks of debris left over from the planet-formation process.

“The Roman Coronagraph Instrument is NASA’s next step along the path to finding life outside our solar system,” says Vanessa Bailey, the instrument technologist for Roman’s coronagraph at JPL.

“The performance gap between today’s telescopes and the Habitable Worlds Observatory is too large to bridge all at once. The purpose of the Roman Coronagraph Instrument is to be that intermediate steppingstone. It will demonstrate several of the necessary technologies, including coronagraph masks and deformable mirrors, at levels of performance never before achieved outside the lab.”

The quest to directly image an Earth twin around a sun-like star will mean pushing the technology behind Roman’s coronagraph even further.

“We need to be able to deform the mirrors to a picometer-level of precision,” Mawet explains.

“We will need to suppress the starlight by another factor of roughly 100 compared to Roman’s coronagraph. The workshop helped guide us in figuring out where the gaps are in our technology, and where we need to do more development in the coming decade.”

Other topics of conversation at the workshop included the best kind of primary mirror for use with the coronagraph, mirror coatings, dealing with damage to the mirrors from micrometeoroids, deformable mirror technologies, as well as detectors and advanced tools for integrated modeling and design.

Engineers also provided a status update on the starshade and its technological readiness.

Meanwhile, as technology drives ahead, other scientists have their eyes on the stars in search of Earth-like planets and possibly alien life that the HWO would image.

More than 5,500 exoplanets have been discovered so far, but none of them are truly Earth-like. Planet-hunting tools, such as the new Caltech-led Keck Planet Finder (KPF) at the Keck Observatory, have become better equipped to find planets by looking for the tugs they exert on their stars as they orbit around.

Heavier planets exert more of a tug, as do planets that orbit closer to their stars. KPF was designed to find Earth-size planets in the habitable zones of small red stars (the habitable zones for red stars are closer in). With additional refinements over the next several years, KPF may be able to detect Earth twins.

By the time HWO would launch in the late 2030s or early 2040s, scientists hope to have a catalog of at least 25 Earth-like planets to explore.

Despite the long road ahead, the scientists at the workshop eagerly discussed these challenges with their colleagues who had traveled to Pasadena from around the country. JPL director Laurie Leshin (MS ’89, PhD ’95) gave a pep talk at the start of the meeting.

“It’s an exciting and daunting challenge,” she said. “But that’s what we all live for. We don’t do it alone. We do it in collaboration.”

Written by Whitney Clavin

Source: Caltech

New research suggests Australia’s agricultural water reservoirs could be an innovative energy storage solution for variable renewables.

Tens of thousands of small-scale hydroenergy storage sites could be built from Australia’s farm dams, supporting the uptake of reliable, low-carbon power systems in rural communities, new UNSW-Sydney-led research suggests.

The study, published in Applied Energy, finds agricultural reservoirs, like those used for solar-power irrigation, could be connected to form micro-pumped hydroenergy storage systems – household-size versions of the Snowy Hydro hydroelectric dam project. It’s the first study in the world to assess the potential of these small-scale systems as an innovative renewable energy storage solution.

Farm irrigation system. Image credit: deraugustodesign via Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain

With the increasing shift towards variable energy sources like wind and solar photovoltaics, storing surplus energy is essential for ensuring a stable and reliable power supply. In other words, when the sun isn’t up or the wind isn’t blowing, stored energy can help balance energy supply and demand in real time and overcome the risk of shortages and overloads. 

In a micro-pumped hydro energy storage system, excess solar energy from high-production periods is stored by pumping water to a high-lying reservoir, which is released back to a low-lying reservoir when more power is needed, flowing through a turbine-connected generator to create electricity.

However, constructing new water reservoirs for micro-pumped hydro energy storage can be expensive. 

“The transition to low-carbon power systems like wind and solar photovoltaics needs cost-effective energy storage solutions at all scales,” says Dr Nicholas Gilmore, lead author of the study and lecturer at the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at UNSW Engineering.

“We thought – if you’re geographically fortunate to have two significant water volumes separated with sufficient elevation, you might have the potential to have your own hydro energy storage system.”

Micro-pumped hydro energy storage systems store excess solar energy from high-production periods by pumping water to a high-lying reservoir, which is released back to a low-lying reservoir when more power is needed. Image credit: UNSW

Unlocking the untapped potential of farm dams

For the study, the team, which also included researchers from Deakin University and the University of Technology Sydney, used satellite imagery to create unique agricultural reservoir pairings across Australia from a 2021 dataset of farm dams.

They then used graph theory algorithms – a branch of mathematics that models how nodes can be organised and interconnected – to filter commercially promising sites based on minimum capacity and slope. 

“If you have a lot of dams in close proximity, it’s not viable to link them up in every combination,” says Dr Thomas Britz, co-author of the study and senior lecturer at UNSW Science’s School of Mathematics and Statistics. So, we use these graph theory algorithms to connect the best dam configurations with a reasonable energy capacity.”

From nearly 1.7 million farm dams, the researchers identified over 30,000 sites across Australia as promising for micro-pumped hydro energy storage. The average site could provide up to 2 kW of power and 30 kWh of usable energy – enough to back up a South Australian home for 40 hours.

“We identified tens of thousands of these potential sites where micro-pumped hydro energy storage systems could be installed without undertaking costly reservoir construction,” Dr Gilmore says. “That’s thousands of households that could potentially increase their solar usage, saving money on their energy bills, and reducing their carbon footprint.”

The research team also benchmarked a micro-pumped hydro site to a commercially available lithium-ion battery in solar-powered irrigation systems. Despite a low discharge efficiency, they found the pumped hydro storage was 30 per cent cheaper for a large single cycle load due to its high storage capacity.

“While the initial outlay for a micro-pumped hydro energy storage system is higher than a battery, the advantages are larger storage capacity and potential durability for decades,” Dr Gilmore says. “But that cost is significantly reduced anyway by capitalising on existing reservoirs, which also has the added benefit of less environmental impact.”

Building micro-pumped hydro energy power systems from existing farm dams could also assist rural areas susceptible to power outages that need a secure and reliable backup power source. Battery backup power is generally limited to less than half a day, while generators, though powerful, are dependent on affordable fuel supply and produce harmful emissions.

“People on the fringes of the electricity network can be more exposed to power outages, and the supply can be less reliable,” Dr Gilmore says. “If there’s a power outage during a bushfire, for example, a pumped hydro system will give you enough energy to last a day, whereas a battery typically lasts around eight hours.”

Although encouraging, the researchers say some limitations of the study require further analysis, including fluctuations in water availability, pump scheduling and discharge efficiency.

“Our findings are encouraging for further development of this emerging technology, and there is plenty of scope for future technological improvements that will make these systems increasingly cheaper over time,” Dr Gilmore says. 

“The next step would be setting up a pilot site, testing the performance of a system in action and modelling it in detail to get real-world validation – we have 30,000 potential candidates!”

Source: UNSW