Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new type of capacitor which allows up to seven times the electrical storage potential as standard capacitors available today. The breakthrough apparently is a polymer called PVDF which can act as a high-performance dielectric, which is an insulating material between two metal surfaces. Electricians are used to using a dielectric grease on electrical connections, so this may be a familiar concept to some of our readers.

This is good news for the electric and hybrid car industry, as capacitors are a possible alternative to batteries. Unlike batteries, which use a chemical reaction to release their stored energy, capacitors use no chemicals and are capable of storing and releasing a given amount of energy quickly. The problem is that capacitors generally store less energy than batteries. This potential, but untested breakthrough could alleviate some of that deficiency, allowing the capacitor to store more energy while still enabling that energy to be charged and discharged rapidly. EEStor is a name that has been thrown around on our blogs, as they claim to have a capacitor based system which rivals expensive batteries in power output, and possibly at less cost. We'll keep our ears and eyes open for more capacitor news, and we'll be sure to pass it along.

[Source: Science Daily, thanks to Matt for the tip]

North Carolina State University engineers have developed technology that can see almost any fat source in the future be used as a feedstock in the production of jet plane biofuel. Referred to as Centia, from 'crudus potentia,' or 'green power' in Latin, the process has been provisionally patented by NC State which can convert virtually any lipid-based feedstock or fat into jet fuel or additives for cold-weather biofuels. This includes utilising low-cost waste fat sources such as cooking grease which are significantly cheaper than edible feedstocks like soybean or canola oil.

Other advantages of the technology are said to be that no petroleum-derived products are added to the process; the glycerol by-product is used as a heating agent to power high temperature steps in the reaction; and biofuel can be produced that is capable of dealing with the incredibly cold temperatures found at the high altitudes that modern passenger aircraft fly at.

Analysis: The really smart thing about the four step Centia process is that while it has two common, initial steps no matter what the feedstock, the final two steps can be tweaked to produce virtually any fuel composition required. This is very smart technology because it takes low cost feedstocks and builds whatever high-value biofuel you need out of them.

Related:

• Georgia Tech develops a new rocket engine that uses 40% less fuel
• Air Force conducting cold weather test phase of GTL fuel in B-52
• Toyota in Joint Project to Commercialise Second-Generation Biodiesel Fuel

[Source: The Engineer]