ZPEnergy.com - Geobioreactors and other PhysOrg Newsletter news

DISCOVERY OF REAL-TIME NATURAL GAS FORMATION OFFERS PROSPECT FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCE, November 16
Powder river basin could provide natural gas for centuries instead of decades

Researchers at Luca Technologies, Inc. have made a discovery regarding natural gas production in Wyoming's Powder River Basin that could lead to a renewable source of energy for generations to come.

The company today announced that laboratory evidence shows that the Powder River Basin (PRB) coals are generating natural gas in real time through the ongoing activity of anaerobic microbes (bacteria that live in the absence of oxygen) resident in those coal fields. The company has termed sites where this microbial conversion of hydrocarbon deposits (coals, organic shales, or oil) to methane occurs "Geobioreactors," and believes the careful management of such sites may offer a new long-term solution to U.S. energy needs.

Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news1987.html
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NOVEL TECHNIQUE TO MAKE NANOCABLES, November 16
Tiny nanocables, 1,000 times smaller than a human hair, could become key parts of toxin detectors, miniaturized solar cells and powerful computer chips.
The technique for making the nanocables was invented by UC Davis chemical engineers led by Pieter Stroeve, professor of chemical engineering and materials science. They manufacture the cables in the nano-sized pores of a template membrane. The insides of the pores are coated with gold. Layers of other semiconductors, such as tellurium, cadmium sulfide or zinc sulfide, are electrochemically deposited in the gold tube until a solid cable forms, then the membrane is dissolved, leaving finished cables behind.

Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news1998.html
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STMICROELECTRONICS INTRODUCES HIGH-VOLTAGE, LOW-CURRENT DIODES FOR POWER APPLICATIONS, November 16
Platinum doping helps improve performance trade-offs

STMicroelectronics has introduced a range of ultra-fast high-voltage, medium-current diodes.
The STTH diodes are designed for use in industrial, automotive, motor control, lighting and power conversion applications, which need high-voltage ultra-fast diodes that will handle voltages between 800 and 1200V, but relatively small currents from 1 to 3A. Such applications also need diodes with medium recovery times (of not more than 75ns) and the best possible ratio of forward voltage drop (VF) to leakage current (IR).

Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news1996.html