SIEMENS

High-voltage direct-current systems can dramatically reduce transmission losses. Similarly, Siemens gas turbines can vastly increase the efficiency of combined cycle power plants.

Two important innovations that will help boost energy efficiency are reaching the Chinese and U.S. markets. A high-voltage direct-current transmission (HVDCT) system nearly 1,500 kilometers in length recently linked hydroelectric plants in Yunnan Province to the heavily industrialized Pearl River delta region, which includes the major cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Losses over the system are 50 percent lower than those associated with conventional three-phase transmission. All in all, hydroelectricity and the HVDCT system are helping to reduce China's CO₂ emissions by around 33 million metric tons a year. In the U.S., the latest generation of Siemens gas turbines has hit the market. There, utility company Florida Power & Light, which is modernizing combined-cycle power plants, ordered six of the world-record-setting gas turbines. Beginning in 2013, the turbines are expected to cut fossil fuel consumption at the power plants by a third, thus helping to save the customer an estimated $1 billion in operating, maintenance, and investment costs over the turbines' life cycle. When operated in a combined cycle with a steam turbine, the new gas turbine has a previously unheard of efficiency rating of 60 percent. The average efficiency of combined-cycle power plants in the U.S. is currently less than 40 percent. If all of the combined-cycle power plants in the U.S. were outfitted with the new turbine, they would generate enough additional electricity per year to provide power for 25 million Americans without producing any additional carbon dioxide. These two examples from China and the U.S. illustrate the crucial role of innovative technologies in improving the efficiency of energy generation and transmission. What's more, HVDCT is expected to play a groundbreaking role in terms of unleashing the potential of renewable energy projects — projects ranging from offshore wind parks to solar thermal facilities — which may require electricity transmission over thousands of kilometers . ak

Osram's prototype LED is 30 % more efficient.

Osram Opto Semiconductors has increased the efficiency of a prototype red Golden Dragon Plus light-emitting diode (LED) by 30 % in the lab. This record-setting efficiency was achieved primarily by means of chip optimization. The LED is currently more efficient than any other diode operating at the same wavelength. Red LEDs are used in vehicle taillights and brake lights, for example, and for illuminating buildings and stages. When combined with white LEDs, they deliver warm, pleasant light. Thanks to the new chip's higher efficiency, they will provide more light for the same power consumption. ak

Microcultures can be harvested every few hours.

Siemens is testing the combined combustion of coal and biomass. In collaboration with PetroAlgae Inc., a U.S. alternative energy company, a Siemens burner was recently fired with coal dust and plant-based microcultures from PetroAlgae for the first time ever at the University of Utah. Nitrogen oxide emissions were around 20 % lower than the levels that would have been produced by coal operation alone. Microcultures such as algae are a climate-neutral fuel. This is because plants release only as much CO₂ as they originally absorbed from the atmosphere while growing. Due to their high carbon content, they deliver a large amount of energy relative to their mass and can thus provide an environmentally-friendly alternative to straight coal combustion. na/sw

Siemens' newest license plate recognition system can monitor two lanes simultaneously.

A new camera system from Siemens can read license plates in two lanes simultaneously. The Sicore system recognizes automobile license plates with a high degree of reliability at distances of up to 35 m and speeds of up to 200 km/h. To achieve this feat, the company made use of its proven mail-sorting technology that can read handwritten envelopes in 40 languages with extremely high recognition rates. When the new technology is used to read license plates, fewer devices are required than before because Sicore can monitor both lanes—even if the cars are driving in opposite directions. Sicore's key components are its algorithms, which not only provide good recognition rates but also make it possible to process various foreign countries' license plates. The system can be installed with practically no time-consuming calibration. na/sw

Algorithms create detailed images of the flow of blood through brain tissue.

Siemens has developed software that enables doctors to observe the volume of the blood in the brain during treatment of a stroke. Doctors can thus respond immediately to changes in blood vessels and initiate targeted therapeutic measures more quickly. A stroke is an inadequate flow of blood in a part of the brain and can result in permanent damage or death. The sooner a patient is treated, the smaller the chance of significant damage. In the past, it was possible to produce a detailed image of the flow of blood through the brain only by means of computed tomography or magnetic resonance tomography prior to treatment. The future solution will be based on the use of Syngo DynaCT, which—after injection of an approved contrast substance—produces detailed images of the brain from various angles, within 40 seconds. na/sw