Sdorn Provides Timely and Accurate Technology News, Covering APP, AI, IoT, Cybersecurity, Startup and Innovation.
⎯ 《 Sdorn • Com 》
Wind turbine blades repurposed into bridges
Wind turbine blades repurposed into bridges
Engineers have figured out how to repurpose disused wind turbine blades to serve as bridges capable of supporting up to 30 tonnes of weight. Turbine blades have a lifespan of around 20 to 25 years, meaning hundreds of wind farms set up at the start of the century are now being upgraded. Decommissioned blades are typically sent to landfill or incinerated, with the thousands of non-biodegradable units now posing a major environmental challenge. In an effort to address the issue, five universities and research institutes in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the US set up the Re-Wind Network, which has come up with several ways the blades can be recycled. Potential solutions include bus shelters, street furniture and telecommunications towers, however bridges already offer a practical way to repurpose the blades, with two footbridges successfully built in Draperstown and Cork. “With so many of these blades due to reach the end of their lifespan, we need to find ways to transform them into something useful,” said Jennifer McKinley, a professor at Queen’s University Belfast’s School of Natural and Built Environment. “I am delighted that by working together we’ve been able to find a way to repurpose wind turbine blades. This can only be a good thing, as without intervention they would end up in landfill or they would have to be incinerated.” A third bridge is set to be built in Atlanta, Georgia, before the research team turn their focus towards increasing the length and size of the bridges. The researchers estimate that there will be around 8.6 million tonnes of scrapped wind turbine blades within the next 20 years, though the glass fibre reinforced polymer material could prove useful for building a huge range of objects, like motorway noise barriers and playground equipment. Three of the engineers from the Re-Wind Network project have also formed a spin-out startup called BladeBridge that will look to commercialise the idea, while also looking for new ways to reuse old turbine blades. “We are partnering with well-known designers here in Ireland to create a portfolio of durable and sustainable products, such as greenway furniture and bridges,” said BladeBridge co-founder Dr Angie Nagle. Read More Fossil fuels ‘becoming obsolete’ as solar panel prices plummet Fossil fuels ‘becoming obsolete’ as solar panel prices plummet Solar panel breakthrough could supercharge ‘miracle material’ production Scientists invent solar panels that work in a snow blizzard
2023-09-26 20:22
Sierra Space to Present at Jefferies Virtual Space Summit
Sierra Space to Present at Jefferies Virtual Space Summit
LOUISVILLE, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 26, 2023--
2023-06-26 22:24
EV maker Rivian delivers 12,640 vehicles in second quarter
EV maker Rivian delivers 12,640 vehicles in second quarter
Electric-vehicle maker Rivian Automotive said on Monday it delivered 12,640 vehicles in the second quarter, a 59% jump
2023-07-03 20:46
Google I/O 2023 live: Major AI news expected alongside new Pixel devices
Google I/O 2023 live: Major AI news expected alongside new Pixel devices
Google is set to unveil its latest artificial intelligence offerings at its annual developers conference on Wednesday, alongside new products ranging from Pixel phones to the Android 14 operating system. Google I/O 2023 will offer Alphabet the chance to show what its massive investments into AI have delivered, as it seeks to take on OpenAI’s hugely popular ChatGPT chatbot. Integration of its Bard AI in to its Maps, Gmail and search is expected, while various leaks have hinted that the company will also launch a large language model (LLM) called PaLM 2, capable of operating in more than 100 languages. This AI tool is rumoured to be able to pass exams in everything from computer coding and mathematics, to creative writing and critical thinking. A live stream of the keynote will be available when it begins at 10am local time (6pm BST), which you can watch right here. Until then, you can follow all the latest news, updates and analysis in our build-up coverage below.
2023-05-10 18:17
Trade Must Move Up Global Climate Change Agenda, WTO Chief Says
Trade Must Move Up Global Climate Change Agenda, WTO Chief Says
The head of the World Trade Organization urged envoys at the COP28 climate conference to put trade policy
2023-12-02 21:48
Markets Are Confident the Fed’s Done on Rates. Why That’s Dangerous.
Markets Are Confident the Fed’s Done on Rates. Why That’s Dangerous.
It’s a big week for tech earnings, Chevron to buy Hess for $53 billion in another oil megadeal, and other news to start your day.
2023-10-23 18:58
Who stars in 'Hack My Home' Season 1? Netflix's Dream Team ready to make family house renovation a success
Who stars in 'Hack My Home' Season 1? Netflix's Dream Team ready to make family house renovation a success
'Hack My Home's Dream Team use cutting-edge technology to give families spacious homes
2023-07-07 12:20
Post-affirmative action, these law schools may provide path for others
Post-affirmative action, these law schools may provide path for others
By Karen Sloan The experience of two highly selective public U.S. law schools offers a guide for other
2023-06-29 23:16
Meta's Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp down for thousands of users - Downdetector.com
Meta's Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp down for thousands of users - Downdetector.com
Thousands of U.S. users across Meta Platforms' social media offerings Instagram and Facebook, and messaging app WhatsApp reported
2023-07-11 06:57
IOC to explore Olympic eSports Games
IOC to explore Olympic eSports Games
The International Olympic Committee is looking at creating an Olympic eSports Games, IOC president Thomas Bach...
2023-10-15 00:47
Bride receives major backlash for having ‘diet culture’ wedding
Bride receives major backlash for having ‘diet culture’ wedding
A bride has gone viral after sharing a TikTok showing what she ate at her wedding, and it left viewers shocked. Sam Cutler, a fitness influencer with over 100,000 followers on TikTok, got married last week. To share the moment with her followers, she posted a ‘what I eat in a day’ video, in line with her regular content, but this time it was ‘what I ate on my wedding day’. However, viewers were shocked to see how much restriction and ‘clean eating’ habits were at the forefront of the wedding. The video, which now has over 4 million views, starts off with Cutler having a protein smoothie and some salad whilst getting her hair and makeup done, nothing too out of the ordinary. She also showed a veggie platter that was in the bridal suite for herself and her bridesmaids to snack on whilst getting ready. Whilst it’s quite unlike a lot of other TikToks that show the food at weddings, often with bridal suites having brunches and an array of snacks, viewers weren’t upset yet. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter However, viewers took issue when Cutler revealed that she had placed ‘bloat pills’ on every table, and shows herself taking one during the main course. The wedding cake was also gluten, dairy, and sugar free, and the bride only drank Cote de Rose because she knew ‘it’s less than 2g/L of sugar.’ People were quick to question the bride’s choice of food and drink for the day, with some saying ‘girl it’s one day you can have sugar’, ‘my jaw dropped’, ‘I would have been starving afterwards’, ‘I thought it wasn’t that bad and then I got to bloat pills part’, ‘diet culture is crazy’. Cutler responded to the backlash she faced, by saying "as women, we should be empowering each other to make the choice that works for our own individual body, without judgement." But many were still critical of Cutler, saying that when you’re giving your guests bloat pills, it’s no longer about individual choice, it’s about you’re making others feel, and the perpetuating of diet culture. Others came from a place of concern, with one user commenting: "not understanding one day of “bad” eating is not going to undo all the work you’ve put in is where things get scary." The video also gained a lot of attention on Twitter with people sharing similar views: Cutler reiterated that she enjoyed her wedding and no one was forced to take the bloat pills, but they were simply there for people who wanted them, or were interested in knowing more. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-05-17 17:28
Clari to Acquire Groove, Cementing Revenue Platform Leadership
Clari to Acquire Groove, Cementing Revenue Platform Leadership
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 14, 2023--
2023-08-15 00:49