Panasonic to Launch Industry's First Bamboo Plant Opal Loudspeaker

Panasonic Corporation announced that it has developed a loudspeaker using a diaphragm that is made with plant opals [1] in bamboo leaves for the first time in the industry*1 to improve sound quality. The new Bamboo Plant Opal Loudspeaker can deliver according to the original sound by reproducing clear sound with low distortion, thanks to the use of the hard, plant opal materials occurring in bamboo for the diaphragm. Samples of the new loudspeaker, which is suitable for automotive and home audio systems, will be available on March 1.

The new Bamboo Plant Opal Loudspeaker has a diaphragm made with plant opals in bamboo leaves to achieve high-fidelity reproduction with clear sound in a wide range of frequencies.

There is strong demands for high- sound quality audioboth at home and in cars. So, audio loudspeakers need to reproduce highsound quality with low distortion in wide frequencies range for meeting such demand. Therefore, loudspeaker diaphragm materials are required lightweight and highly rigidity for improving acoustic velocity as well as preventing unnecessary resonance.

Panasonic has satisfied these demands by using diaphragms made of resin containing bamboo fibers and bamboo charcoal. The diaphragm in the new loudspeaker now uses an additional bamboo-derived material - hard, needle-shaped plant opals in bamboo leaves, resulting in according to original sound with clearness and less distortion compared to the company's existing loudspeakers.

With this Bamboo Plant Opal Loudspeaker, Panasonic will help automotive and audio manufacturers for creating a finely-tuned sound, and contributing to improve sound quality in audio devices.

Features of the Bamboo Plant Opal Loudspeaker

• Industry's first*1 loudspeaker diaphragms made from resin mixed with bamboo fibers, bamboo charcoal and bamboo plant opals to offer high-sound quality
  (High rigidity) Flexural modulus: Approx. 40% improvement on previous Panasonic products*2
  (Wide frequency response) Acoustic velocity [2]: Approx. 10% improvement on previous Panasonic products*2
  (Clear sound) Internal loss [3]: Approx. 20% improvement on previous Panasonic products*2
• Creating a finely-tuned sound to meet the needs of automotive and audio manufacturers
• Use of materials derived from fast-growing bamboo with little impact on the environment

Notes:

*1) As of February 25, 2014, for a loudspeaker diaphragm according to a Panasonic survey

*2) Loudspeakers using diaphragms made of resin mixed with bamboo fibers and bamboo charcoal

Explanation of terms:

[1] Plant opal

Amorphous hydrous silicates (SiO2 . nH2O) that fill plant cell. Also called plant stones, plant opals have a Mohs hardness of 5-6.5 o equivalent to that of opal stones.

[2] Acoustic velocity

Velocity at which sound transmits through a substance. In loudspeakers, a diaphragm having a higher acoustic velocity means a wider frequency resonce.

[3] Internal loss

An indicator of material performance, referring to the material's ability to dissipate kinetic energy applied from external vibrations, etc. High internal loss means a reduced unnecessary resonance and better sound quality for the loudspeaker.

ORIGINAL: Panasonic

Feb 27, 2014

Panasonic creates Artificial Photosynthesis System for bioethanol production

ORIGINAL: Ecochunk

By Desh

Diginfo.tv

With their aim to suggest a method that could help absorb CO2 emissions from factories and trigger bioethanol production as well, folks at Panasonic have recently conceived and created an Artificial Photosynthesis System that uses sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and organic substances. According to Diginfo, the system is well capable of achieving 0.2 percent solar energy conversion efficiency.

The Artificial Photosynthesis System follows a simple reaction, wherein water molecules react to produce electrons, oxygen molecules and hydrogen ions, inside an illuminated, water-filled photo-electrode (a nitride semiconductor). The electrons, thus produced, follow a wired path to reach a catalyst electrode, where they react with CO2 and hydrogen ions to produce formic acid. The experiment requires solar illumination to excite electrons to a high-energy state.

Researchers further propose to produce differed organic substances by altering the material for the metal catalyst. Thus, the proposed system, aside from providing a viable solution to energy issues, would allow carbon-emitting factories to reduce their carbon footprint to a considerable level.

Diginfo.TV

Diginfo.tv

Diginfo.tv

Diginfo.tv

Written by 

Desh

Artificial Photosynthesis System (DIGINFO.tv)

Panasonic

A group at Panasonic has developed the Artificial Photosynthesis System, which produces organic materials with a world-leading efficiency in terms of solar energy conversion. The recently achieved efficiency, 0.2%, is on a par with that for real plants used in biomass energy.

Artificial photosynthesis is a technology that uses sunlight to produce oxygen and organic substances from water and carbon dioxide, like plants do. As an ideal technology that could solve both global warming and energy issues, artificial photosynthesis is currently being researched worldwide.

"This device is a demonstration model of the artificial photosynthesis system we've developed. When light hits this electrode, a CO2 reduction reaction occurs. The place the reaction occurs is yellow now, but it gradually becomes green. This is the part where CO2 actually reacts, and the energy source is created."

Here's how the reaction works. First of all, the photo-electrode is filled with water and illuminated. The light is absorbed, and the water molecules react, producing electrons, oxygen molecules, and hydrogen ions. The electrons move through wires to a catalyst electrode, where they react with CO2 and hydrogen ions. This reduction reaction produces organic substances, mainly formic acid.

To convert CO2 in this way, electrons must be excited to a high-energy state using light. In the current system, Panasonic is using a nitride semiconductor, as in LED lamps, for the photo-electrode. In this way, Panasonic has discovered that electrons can be excited to the energy state required to react with CO2.

This is an experiment using sunlight. Even in tests using actual solar illumination, the movement of electrons due to the chemical reaction can be measured as a current between the electrodes.

In addition, by designing the material for the metal catalyst, it's possible to vary the type of organic substances produced. At Panasonic's lab, the latest machines have been introduced to analyze the substances.

"When carbon dioxide reacts, the organic substances produced are of various kinds. Currently, the main substance produced is formic acid, but in the future, we'd like to produce even more useful substances, such as hydrocarbons or alcohol. Until now, researchers have been doing lots of individual experiments to see what substances can be obtained with different catalysts in various environments. But with this device, we can do eight experiments at once, using different materials and reactions. So, we can do R&D more systematically, and with higher throughput."

From now on, Panasonic aims to achieve an efficiency similar to that of plants in ethanol production. As a future prospect, the company wants to operate artificial photosynthesis plants, which could absorb CO2 from factories and produce ethanol.

Posted By Don Kennedy and Ryo Osuga

Watch the solar eclipse live from the top of Fuji / the US

ORIGINAL: CNN Observatorio en el Monte Fuji Japón / US

Panasonic to use solar power alone to live stream total eclipse from volcano's snowy peak16 May, 2012

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Whoah, dude -- not only is this the eclipse part of the Solar Saros 128 series of events, but we also get to wear these awesome specs.

On an apartment-building roof, in a local park, maybe even up a ladder -- given clear skies the choices are endless. If you’re in Japan on May 21, chances are you have at least a half-laid plan for watching the total solar eclipse that morning.

Still, we bet they’re not half as ambitious as those of electronics maker Panasonic, which is dispatching a team to the top of Mount Fuji to stream the whole celestial event live online.

Better yet, the Panny team will be using only solar-powered equipment to film and broadcast the eclipse. Kinda like a snake eating its own tail, we guess.

And, in case you’re wondering what happens when the moon blots out the sun, said equipment, naturally, includes solar batteries for offline backup.

The annular eclipse -- it’s still total, but the moon leaves a ring-shaped sliver of the sun still showing at totality -- will begin at 6:19 a.m. in Tokyo and will be visible from much of Japan, southern China, western Canada and the United States (on the evening of May 20 in North America).

Perfect location

Mount Fuji: just add Rising Sun gag here 

Fortunately for Panasonic, Mount Fuji is almost bang on the path, offering prime viewing conditions during the five minutes of totality.

Better yet, the peak is almost always about cloud level.

And if you’re pondering joining the 3,780-meter trek to the top of Japan’s highest mountain, don't bother.

Official climbing season is still months away and the peak -- we can see it from the office, so you know it’s true -- is still wreathed in snow and ice.

Let's hope the Panasonic team remembers to pack some of these.

Resources

If you need help planning your eclipse viewing, there’s an interactive Google Map showing its path across Japan here, an official National Astronomical Observatory of Japan guide to the event here and a rough-and-ready everyman’s guide here.

Foto: Observatorio Monte Fuji Japón 

En su punto máximo, la Luna obscurecerá el 94% del Sol, produciendo un espectacular anillo de fuego. Este místico anillo sólo podrá avistarse en el suroeste de Estados Unidos, en el sureste de China, Taiwan y en el sureste de Japón. En el lado asiático del Pacífico el eclipse iniciará poco después del amanecer del 21 de mayo y en el lado americano del Pacífico será en la tarde, iniciando a las 17:00 tiempo del Pacífico. Este será el último eclipse anular de “anillo de fuego” en Norteamérica en 18 años.

En el siguiente GIF se pueden dar una idea de la zona que atravesará el eclipse: la línea punteada roja mostrando la zona del anillo de fuego y la sombra gris el curso del eclipse parcial; la hora dada en la imagen es tiempo universal. En este link pueden consultar más información relacionada al lugar y a la visibilidad del eclipse. Puedes también visitar Pijama Surf el domingo y seguramente estaremos transmitiendo en vivo el eclipse para aquellos que no podrán observarlo localmente.

Foto: NASA