Hybrid Plane and Power Players

Can you believe there may be hope for new sources of energy for the world? How about a jellyfish? Time magazine is on the cutting edge in this week’s issue. They also have a beautiful photograph of the Hybrid Airplane which they expect in 2050. It looks incredibly and carries 300 people. There may be hope for our planet after all!

After years of turmoil, U.S. hydropower production is poised to grow by more than 5% in 2016, according to new data. But globally, energy resource is getting some unexpected competition.

DANCING

Club Watt in Rotterdam uses floor vibrations-generated by people walking and power its light system.

BODY HEAT

The Mall of America in Minneapolis has long relied on human visitors to help warm its corridors, and now London and Paris are piping heat from crowded subway stations into nearby homes.

JELLYFISH

Scientists in Sweden have harnessed a protein from the glow-in-the-dark Aequorea victoria jellyfish to create miniature fuel cells for electronics and more.

HUMAN WASTE

Scientists at the University of California at Irvine developed a method for deriving hydrogen from processed sewage, which has been used to power fuel cells for cars. This appears in the August 17, 2015 issue of TIME.

Dutch carrier KLM and University of Technology recently unveiled concepts for the Advanced Hybrid Engine Aircraft Development (AHEAD), a sleek aircraft designed to streamline the flying experience. Here’s how it works.
1. Unlike hybrid cars, which rely on gas and electricity, the AHEAD uses two combustion systems: one burns cryogenic hydrogen or liquefied natural gas; the other burns kerosene or biofuel. That mix greatly cuts carbon emissions.
2. The blended wing body design minimizes drag, meaning the plane will require less fuel to stay in flight. The placement of the engines also helps reduce the plane’s overall noise levels by directing the sound upward rather than toward the ground. 3. KLM aims to have a plane resembling the AHEAD in the air by 2050. Once built, it could carry about 300 passengers more than 8,700 miles (14,000 km) without needing to refuel-about the distance from Sydney to Wichita, Kans.