article thumbnail

This Idea Wasn't All Wet: The Sensing Water-Saving Shower Head Debuts

Cars That Think

In 2012, with California in the midst of a severe drought, Schneider, then a mechanical engineering graduate student at Stanford University , once again tossed out a “cool idea.” The general idea is really simple,” Schneider says. “A A lot of people have said they also thought of this idea.

IDEA 86
article thumbnail

UW Madison, U. Minn and Argonne focusing on high value commodity chemicals from biomass

Green Car Congress

million grant from the United States Department of Energy. Joining Huber on the UW-Madison portion of the grant are Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering James A. We have some ideas about how to make these products, and really it’s to move to the technology-readiness level. Part of a $13.4-million —George Huber.

Minnesota 150
article thumbnail

Shell Technology Ventures to invest several $100 millions in emerging tech companies over next 6-8 years

Green Car Congress

Ideas from outside the organization are critical to our open innovation approach to R&D. We want to enable the brightest and the best to develop their ideas, and benefit from Shell’s expertise and global reach, so that we can get these technologies up and running in our projects as fast as we can.

Companies 247
article thumbnail

How This Record Company Engineer Invented the CT Scanner

Cars That Think

The inspiration for computed tomography (CT) came from a chance conversation that research engineer Godfrey Hounsfield had with a doctor while on vacation in the 1960s. After that project, Hounsfield’s supervisor warned him that his job would be in jeopardy if he didn’t come up with another good idea.

Companies 145
article thumbnail

NSF Awards $40M in 20 Grants for Research on Natural Systems, Including 8 Projects for Obtaining Hydrocarbons from Plants and Microorganisms

Green Car Congress

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) is awarding 20 grants for FY 2009 in two research areas on natural systems: biosensing and bioactuation (12 awards); and obtaining hydrocarbons from biomass and microorganisms (8 awards). Quick conversion of biomass. Carpita, Maureen C. McCann, and Fabio H. Ribeiro, all from Purdue University.

Grant 170
article thumbnail

Senate Energy Bill Contains $3.8B for Natural Gas Vehicle Conversion and Purchasing, $400M for Plug-in Vehicle Deployment

Green Car Congress

The technical assistance to be provided will include: training codes and standards for building and safety inspectors; ideas on how to expedite permits and inspections; and education and outreach on the various types of plug-in electric drive vehicles and the associated technology.

Plug-in 268
article thumbnail

Singapores A*Star Awards S$27.5M In Research Grants for Technologies for Sustainable Development

Green Car Congress

In particular, one of the projects will explore the idea of using cheap and widely available magnesium oxide-based mineral silicates to trap carbon dioxide from industry flue gases via a process known as dry mineral carbonation. The by-products of this can be used as construction or landfill materials.

Singapore 240