Ｓｃｉ－ｔｅｃｈ Ｉｎｆｏ

High-Efficiency Electric Buses to Serve at Beijing Olympics

Fifty coaches powered solely by lithium-ion batteries will hit the road during the Beijing Olympics this summer, marking the first widespread use of the battery in vehicles anywhere in the world. According to Professor Zhang of the Beijing Institute of Technology, one of the power systems designers, the system employs only two insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) switches, compared to the seven normally used in the United States. The 100 Ah lithium-ion batteries have the dual advantages of reliability and endurance, allowing vehicles to travel more than 200 kilometers at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour on a single charge. In addition, the automatic recharging process is simple and quick -- once the bus enters the charging station, two mechanical arms remove the depleted battery, placing it in stock to be recharged, and install one at full capacity.

Bio-Toilet Introduced in Kunshan

A newly invented toilet that relies on microorganisms to process human waste has just made its public debut in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province. It uses up to 12 species of bacteria to decompose waste products into inert gases, requires no water, is odor and solid discharge free, and takes a mere eight to 20 hours to completely break down effluent. In conventional lavatories, water is used to flush waste into underground cesspools, where it decomposes over a period of more than 30 days, generating unwanted byproducts such as ammonia gas and carbon dioxide. In addition, an average public restroom with five toilets consumes up to 2,000 tons of water a year.

China Develops Its Own NVD

The Next-Generation Versatile Disc, or NVD, is a multi-capable system able to perform Internet downloads, video recording/display and playback. Now a consortium in Wuhans “Optical Valley” in Hubei Province has developed Chinas first proprietary NVD master disc and prototype. With NVDs, users will be able to download, store, copy and play high-definition programs. While storage capacity is currently 12 GB, already twice that of a DVD disk, it is projected to increase even further, to 15 GB. China is a major manufacturer of DVD players, but owns few core technologies and patents in the industry. Its enterprises, therefore, have to pay over RMB 3 billion in patent fees annually.

Degradable Plastic Can Be Used as Fertilizer

The Shandong branch of the China Rural Special Technique Association (CRSTA) has developed a degradable plastic film which can be used to fertilize farmland. The new material, which offers a potential solution to the widespread problem of plastic waste in China, is made of natural components such aswood fiber, cellulose, soil conditioner and a water-bearing agent, and is able to spontaneously degrade into organic fertilizer, water and carbon dioxide. In addition to its environmental benefits, it can reduce the use of nitrite fertilizers and pesticides, and can increase crop yields. Highly permeable to air and water, the film facilitates the growth of root systems, enhancing the drought and pest resistance of crops.

New Fire Extinguisher Dispenses with Chemicals

A company in Henan Province, in central China, has invented a fire extinguisher that uses water instead of chemicals to fight fires. When water inside the extinguisher is sprayed, the nozzle transforms it into a mist of tiny particles which expand a thousand-fold when they come in contact with flames. In the process, they absorb large amounts of heat, and consequently reduce the temperature at the site of the fire. In addition, the generated mist blankets the area of conflagration, depleting the oxygen supply and thereby suppressing the flames. Thanks to its dual functions of cooling and oxygen deprivation, the device can be used to fight various types of fires, including those caused by combustible liquids, electricity and chemicals. Compared to conventional water extinguishers, the new device is safer, more environmentally friendly and effective, and uses 90 percent less water.

Turning Beets Into Ethanol

Wealthmark International (Holdings) Ltd., a Hong Kong-based company, has announced a breakthrough in bio-ethanol production. The new technology uses beets that are mashed, fermented with bio-enzymes, then distilled to extract ethanol. Currently, ethanol fuel is largely corn based, but the sharp increase in the price of corn and growing concerns over food security around the world have slowed Chinas efforts to promote ethanol use. Now, beets appear to offer a promising substitute for grains, and the new technology has the added advantages of being cheaper and generating less pollution. Wealthmark has said it hopes to extract 500,000 tons of ethanol fuel using the process within the next three years.

Long March 5 Considered for Moon Mission

Liang Xiaohong, senior engineer and Party secretary of the China Institute of Carrier Rocket Technology, has announced that China is currently working on the Long March 5, a heavy-lift carrier rocket expected to be used some time after 2014 to launch a moon rover, a large satellite and a space station. The rockets main body is five meters in diameter, and the engine is powered by Lox/Kerosene and Hydrogen-Oxygen, both non-polluting propellants. Work on the rocket is scheduled to enter the preliminary trial stage this October, when a series of ground tests will be undertaken. China is now one of the worlds leaders in rocket technology. Between 1996 and 2007, it made 61 successful launches in a row, more than any other space power.

Pocket-Size Electrocardiograph Allows Self-Testing

A Tianjin company has developed a miniature electrocardiograph (ECG) device the size of a playing card. It operates using three electrodes imbedded in the casing, as opposed to the wires used in conventional models, thereby enabling patients to self-test their heart rhythms. The device has the full range of functions available in a larger apparatus, with the ability to read, record and analyze a heartbeat, and the data can then be forwarded to a physician by Internet for diagnosis. Several hundred patients have already participated in trials of the new device at several hospitals, and the advantages of the new equipment have been well documented.