Materials Performance is the world's most widely circulated magazine dedicated to corrosion prevention and control. MP provides information about the latest corrosion control technologies and practical applications for every industry and environment.
UP FRONT
World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm Opens in U.K.
Q In February 2012, the £1 billion Walney offshore wind farm, the world's largest, was opened in the East Irish Sea ~15 km off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom. A joint venture led by DONG Energy (Fredericia, Denmark), Walney comprises two projects (Walney 1 and 2, each with 51 Siemens Wind Power 3.6-MW wind turbines with rotor diam- eters of 107 and 120 m), covers ~73 km2
, has a total
capacity of 367.2 MW, and can supply up to 320,000 households a year. The development includes foun- dations, turbines, export and array cables, offshore substations, and onshore connections to the electric grid. To learn more, visit www.dongenergy.com.
Mathematical Analysis Explains Growth of Bacterial Biofilm
Top view of a
colony. Photo courtesy of Hera Vlamakis.
Q Through experiments and math- ematical analysis, researchers at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Cambridge, Mas- sachusetts) explained how cells in a JIK\MZQIT JQWÅTU KWWXMZI\M \W KWTW- nize surfaces and found the "critical" time when a biofilm's horizontal outward motion begins. The extra- cellular matrix, a mesh of proteins
and sugars that can form outside bacterial cells, KZMI\M[ W[UW\QK XZM[[]ZM \PI\ NWZKM[ JQWÅTU[ \W [_MTT and spread. With the ultimate goal of learning how \W IT\MZ JQWÅTU[¼ JMPI^QWZ \W UQVQUQbM \PMQZ PIZUN]T MNNMK\[ ZM[MIZKPMZ[ _QTT M`IUQVM PW_ JQWÅTU[ ILIX\ to and manipulate their environment. To learn more, visit www.seas.harvard.edu.
Depleted Gas Reservoirs Store Carbon Dioxide
Q As part of a demonstration project to verify that depleted natural gas reservoirs can be repurposed for permanent carbon dioxide (CO2
) storage, an
international team of researchers injected 65,000 tons of CO2
-rich gas—the amount of CO2 Ja I emitted 5? XW_MZ XTIV\¸QV\W I LMXTM\ML OI[ ÅMTL
2 km underground, in western Victoria, Australia. Depleted gas reservoirs are seen as a possible target for carbon sequestration due to their proven ability to store gas. Extensive monitoring by the researchers during and after the injection indicated no measure- able effect of stored CO2
on soil, groundwater, or the atmosphere. To learn more, visit lbl.gov. 6 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE March 2012
New Gas Detection Device Enhances Pipeline Safety
Q 8IKQÅK /I[ IVL -TMK\ZQK +W 8/ - ;IV .ZIV- cisco, California) and Picarro (Santa Clara, Califor- nia) demonstrated a car-mounted gas analyzer that enables natural gas leak detection by driving slowly through neighborhoods and alerting nearby crews if it detects a gas leak. Designed to pick up trace amounts of natural gas in the atmosphere in real time, the analyzer is more sensitive than traditional gas detection devices and able to scan an area much more quickly. It relies on new technology that blocks all other gases, and uses methane sensitivity to pre- vent false negatives coupled with smart software that eliminates false positives. To learn more, visit www.pge.com.
Liquid Battery Shows Promise as Renewable Energy Source
Q A high-temperature (700 °C) liquid battery devel- oped at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Cambridge, Massachusetts) shows promise as a re- newable energy source. Three molten materials— magnesium, a salt mixture containing magnesium chloride, and antimony—form the positive and negative poles of the battery, as well as the electrolyte. The battery delivers current as magnesium atoms lose two electrons that migrate through the electrolyte to the positive electrode and form an alloy with the antimony. To recharge, an electricity source drives magnesium out of the alloy and across the electrolyte to rejoin the negative electrode. For more informa- tion, visit www.mit.edu.
Hybrid Solar Cell Boosts Electric Current
Q Scientists from the University of Cambridge (Cambridge, United Kingdom) developed a hybrid [WTIZ KMTT \PI\ PIZ^M[\[ MVMZOa UWZM MNÅKQMV\Ta \PIV traditional designs to potentially capture 44% of incoming solar energy and increase the maximum MNÅKQMVKa WN [WTIZ XIVMT[ Ja W^MZ
—K.R. Larsen NACE International, Vol. 51, No. 3
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