Science Centres: Energy
Who resuscitated the electric vehicle?
Biogas research takes another step
Gerris software makes the finals
A milestone in renewable energy
The pond cover incorporates methane-extracting pipes running underneath the cover around the edge. (Photo: Stephan Heubeck, NIWA)
NIWA research into biogas recovery from farm animal waste has taken another step forward with the successful design and installation of a cover for a large piggery effluent pond, and subsequent capture of methane produced by the pond.
A 1200-pig fattening unit in the Waikato had to control odour as part of its new resource consent conditions. NIWA’s Dr Rupert Craggs designed a 3000 m2 polypropylene cover for the pond.
A milestone in renewable energy
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) recently launched the Marine Energy Deployment Fund(MEDF). The fund marks a milestone in renewable energy in New Zealand, bringing marine energy right into the framework of renewable energy as a potential player.
The MEDF aims to bring forward the development of marine energy in New Zealand by facilitating early deployment andadaptation of technology. Specifically it will provide capital grants to developers who wish to deploy wave and tidal stream energy devices in New Zealand.
Gerris software makes the finals
Dr Stéphane Popinet, developer of Gerris open source software. (Photo: Alan Blacklock, NIWA)
Gerris software, written by NIWA’s Dr Stéphane Popinet, was recently a finalist in the inaugural New Zealand Open Source Awards. The awards were judged by an international panel, and sponsored by Google.
Gerris is a tool based on fluid dynamics which simulates complex wind patterns.
Who resuscitated the electric vehicle?
Thomas Edison with 1914 Detroit Electric Model 47 (top), a new Ford Edge HySeries hybrid (middle), and a car of the not-too-distant future? (Photos: Electric Vehicle World, USA)
A key element of the New Zealand Energy Strategy is to ‘de-carbonise’ the economy.
