Power supplies for nanotech
Not really relevant to Macs, not while computers come in three varieties: desktop, laptop, palmtop. This is talking about micromachines and nanomachines.
From <a href="http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1020811"; target="_blank">http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1020811</a>;
[quote] The self-powered processor
The way MEMS devices are powered at present is far from satisfactory. Often the equipment for generating the necessary voltage is too large to make the MEMS device worth building. If micromachinery is to play the role enthusiasts predict, frugal chip-sized power sources are going to be needed in large quantities.
How about building a nuclear reactor on a chip? This has been suggested by two researchers at the University of Wisconsin. But the nuclear reactions that James Blanchard and Amit Lal propose using would be a lot safer than those used to drive nuclear power stations. A nuclear MEMS device would collect particles produced by radioactive decay. For example, a radioactive isotope such as nickel-63 releases so-called beta particles?a highly energetic form of electrons. Each electron carries about one nanowatt (a billionth of a watt) of energy. Harness a few thousand of these minute bursts of energy, and some useful work could be done.
In their experiments, the two Wisconsin researchers use a solution of the nickel isotope to fill sets of microscopic channels in a silicon plate. While the radioactivity emitted by the solution is not enough to damage the silicon, it is enough to produce a few microwatts of power. Though the output is minute, such a power source could carry on generating electricity unassisted for a long time. The half-life of nickel-63 is 102 years. So a nuclear-powered microgenerator would still have half a tank of fuel left after a century.
Being small and light enough, nuclear MEMS generators could be used to power microscopic aircraft. Kris Pister of the University of California in Berkeley wants to use nuclear MEMS devices to propel microscopic airborne surveillance devices around the sky. A floating network of silicon sensors the size of dust particles would monitor the temperature, pressure, moisture of the surrounding air, or even movements on the ground.
Science fiction? Far from. The reality is that microengines are fast becoming the power source of choice for the latest crop of MEMS devices?including the lab-on-a-chip being developed for the food and drug industries. The traditional battery has improved in leaps and bounds since laptops, cell phones and PDAs came on the scene. But it is still an order of magnitude or more too bulky for the new generation of micromachines. The fuel-cell on a chip is coming along fast and could well replace the rechargeable battery within a decade. But the theoretical limits of chemical energy mean that they will never be able to produce as energetic a punch as a MEMS generator. There is no escaping the fact that, ultimately, micromachines will have to have microengines to drive them.
<hr></blockquote>
I thought the best fuel for this idea would be a thermal radioisotope, and you could power your machine with the heat differential. I guess beta radiation is better.
This is one of the problems of nanotech - how to get power to them? You could make a house with all sorts of nano servants powered by house current, which might be supplied by power plants or by solar panels nano-grown on your roof. The bots would have to return to charging stations every once in a while or be supplied by other bots made to carry power.
You could give them a chemical power base like human cells use - you'd need to send out bots laden with the energetic molecules and have a way of disposing of the waste. Perhaps use NASA's new N5+N5- fuel?
The reason I said before that nuclear power for modern computers is this: too much radiation. You might be able to power a laptop with a pound of beta-emitting radioisotope, but... hmm, I don't know the effects of beta radiation on cells. Would holding it in your lap sterilize you?
Desktop coputers draw too much power.
Mind you, I haven;t done any of the numbers here. God forbid I actually do RESEARCH and... CALCULATIONS! <gasp>
Honestly, distributed solar power looks like the best source of juice for micro and nanomachines.
I wonder if Apple will still be in business in 25 years. They'll have to do a major chenge in practice.
The first Apple was for small businesses and for regular people. All business Apple and original Mac users did spreadsheets with them.
Next major change = consumer computer. The iMac was born. A cheap, adequately-powered, cute little computer.
The change to come... I predict that within 25 years, advances in nanotech will be made that allow mass-construction of molecular components and atomically-structured devices and materials. So (assuming nanoelectronics is not found - i.e., the solution to quantum electron tunneling is not found) rod logic will come to rule. Most of the "computers" in your house will be parts of your furniture and in your rugs and walls and air. You might still have a central computing platform, perhaps made by Apple, that has a few cubic centimeters of rod logic, that's at least 1000 times as fast as the modern G4.
Apple will have to change again when that breakthrough in computer tech is found. I'd hate to see Microsoft being the only OS running in my house;
From <a href="http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1020811"; target="_blank">http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1020811</a>;
[quote] The self-powered processor
The way MEMS devices are powered at present is far from satisfactory. Often the equipment for generating the necessary voltage is too large to make the MEMS device worth building. If micromachinery is to play the role enthusiasts predict, frugal chip-sized power sources are going to be needed in large quantities.
How about building a nuclear reactor on a chip? This has been suggested by two researchers at the University of Wisconsin. But the nuclear reactions that James Blanchard and Amit Lal propose using would be a lot safer than those used to drive nuclear power stations. A nuclear MEMS device would collect particles produced by radioactive decay. For example, a radioactive isotope such as nickel-63 releases so-called beta particles?a highly energetic form of electrons. Each electron carries about one nanowatt (a billionth of a watt) of energy. Harness a few thousand of these minute bursts of energy, and some useful work could be done.
In their experiments, the two Wisconsin researchers use a solution of the nickel isotope to fill sets of microscopic channels in a silicon plate. While the radioactivity emitted by the solution is not enough to damage the silicon, it is enough to produce a few microwatts of power. Though the output is minute, such a power source could carry on generating electricity unassisted for a long time. The half-life of nickel-63 is 102 years. So a nuclear-powered microgenerator would still have half a tank of fuel left after a century.
Being small and light enough, nuclear MEMS generators could be used to power microscopic aircraft. Kris Pister of the University of California in Berkeley wants to use nuclear MEMS devices to propel microscopic airborne surveillance devices around the sky. A floating network of silicon sensors the size of dust particles would monitor the temperature, pressure, moisture of the surrounding air, or even movements on the ground.
Science fiction? Far from. The reality is that microengines are fast becoming the power source of choice for the latest crop of MEMS devices?including the lab-on-a-chip being developed for the food and drug industries. The traditional battery has improved in leaps and bounds since laptops, cell phones and PDAs came on the scene. But it is still an order of magnitude or more too bulky for the new generation of micromachines. The fuel-cell on a chip is coming along fast and could well replace the rechargeable battery within a decade. But the theoretical limits of chemical energy mean that they will never be able to produce as energetic a punch as a MEMS generator. There is no escaping the fact that, ultimately, micromachines will have to have microengines to drive them.
<hr></blockquote>
I thought the best fuel for this idea would be a thermal radioisotope, and you could power your machine with the heat differential. I guess beta radiation is better.
This is one of the problems of nanotech - how to get power to them? You could make a house with all sorts of nano servants powered by house current, which might be supplied by power plants or by solar panels nano-grown on your roof. The bots would have to return to charging stations every once in a while or be supplied by other bots made to carry power.
You could give them a chemical power base like human cells use - you'd need to send out bots laden with the energetic molecules and have a way of disposing of the waste. Perhaps use NASA's new N5+N5- fuel?
The reason I said before that nuclear power for modern computers is this: too much radiation. You might be able to power a laptop with a pound of beta-emitting radioisotope, but... hmm, I don't know the effects of beta radiation on cells. Would holding it in your lap sterilize you?
Desktop coputers draw too much power.
Mind you, I haven;t done any of the numbers here. God forbid I actually do RESEARCH and... CALCULATIONS! <gasp>
Honestly, distributed solar power looks like the best source of juice for micro and nanomachines.
I wonder if Apple will still be in business in 25 years. They'll have to do a major chenge in practice.
The first Apple was for small businesses and for regular people. All business Apple and original Mac users did spreadsheets with them.
Next major change = consumer computer. The iMac was born. A cheap, adequately-powered, cute little computer.
The change to come... I predict that within 25 years, advances in nanotech will be made that allow mass-construction of molecular components and atomically-structured devices and materials. So (assuming nanoelectronics is not found - i.e., the solution to quantum electron tunneling is not found) rod logic will come to rule. Most of the "computers" in your house will be parts of your furniture and in your rugs and walls and air. You might still have a central computing platform, perhaps made by Apple, that has a few cubic centimeters of rod logic, that's at least 1000 times as fast as the modern G4.
Apple will have to change again when that breakthrough in computer tech is found. I'd hate to see Microsoft being the only OS running in my house;
Comments
<a href="http://www.coolchips.com"; target="_blank">http://www.coolchips.com</a>;
If this can work in reverse it would mean a HUGE leap in heat diff electricity converters.
I've also read about another quantum machine that turns waste heat from engine exhaust into e-.
<a href="http://www.nature.com/nsu/020128/020128-3.html"; target="_blank">http://www.nature.com/nsu/020128/020128-3.html</a>;
I'm with you on the nano-nuclear reactor, but a LOT of people who have no idea what their talking about will protest.
When will we have sand grain sized self powered ultra high bandwith connected smart dust? We're more than halfway through the chess board ( read <a href="http://www.ime.usp.br/~is/ddt/mac333/aulas/tema-2-bis/top_xadrez.html"; target="_blank">http://www.ime.usp.br/~is/ddt/mac333/aulas/tema-2-bis/top_xadrez.html</a>; to give sense to that) so my bet is very soon....
Cheers
Scientific research doubling.... no that's not it.
Hmm.
Oh, you mean replicators! That may be a while off into the future. Industry needs to discover how to make a million different components and fit them together in the proper order first.
THEN that machine can go out, disassemble its surroundings and build more of itself.
Gray goo counter- make each one dependent on a couple nanograms of radioisotope. And make them dumb so that they can't figure out or mutate to become solar powered.
That Cool Chips link is good. I doubt electron tunneling can be used in the other way though. I wonder how they can get two inch-wide surfaces nanometers apart without at least parts of it touching. Maybe the molecules on the inner surface are repulsive to eachother, and ALL line up properly - that's a trick.
<strong>When will we have sand grain sized self powered ultra high bandwith connected smart dust? We're more than halfway through the chess board ( read <a href="http://www.ime.usp.br/~is/ddt/mac333/aulas/tema-2-bis/top_xadrez.html"; target="_blank">http://www.ime.usp.br/~is/ddt/mac333/aulas/tema-2-bis/top_xadrez.html</a>; to give sense to that) so my bet is very soon....
Cheers</strong><hr></blockquote>
DO NOT CLICKTHROUGH THE LINK ON THAT PAGE UNLESS YOU WANT TO SPEN THE NEXT 2 HRS GLUED TO THE SCREEN!!
GOOD READ! <img src="graemlins/surprised.gif" border="0" alt="[Surprised]" />