March 2023 Mechanical Engineering Blog
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March 15, 2023
Ingestible Sensor a New Advancement In the Medical Field
Ingestible Sensor a New Advancement In the Medical Field
Engineers at Caltech and MIT co- developed a cutting edge ingestible sensor that can be monitored as it travels through the digestive tract. This device can help doctors diagnose gastrointestinal motility disorders more easily. The device functions by sensing a magnetic field produced by an electromagnetic coil that is outside the body. The field strength varies depending on the distance form the coil, and thus the sensor's location can be determined based on its measurement of the magnetic field. Researchers tested the sensor by tracking it through the GI tracts of large animals and determined that the sensor performs its magnetic field function rather accurately. The sensor design also has a built in wireless transmitter that can send magnetic measurements to a computer or smartphone. The system is currently able to take a measurement when it receives a wireless trigger from a smartphone, but it can also be programmed to take measurements at specified intervals. Learn more here.
March 31, 2023
Is Large Scale Green Hydrogen Production Viable?
Is Large Scale Green Hydrogen Production Viable?
The Eindhoven Institute for Renewable Energy Systems (EIRES) is attempting to create a large scale electrolyser that can produce substantial amounts of green hydrogen using only water and electricity. Renowned researcher Bert Vreman explains the mechanical engineering obstacles of creating such a technology. Vreman notes that this technology already exists but that the main issue is that it is currently cheaper and easier to produce hydrogen using natural gas. EIRES wants to create an efficient, cost effective technology that can be upscaled to a megawatt scale. One issue is that the electrode materials (platinum and iridium oxide) used in the process are too expensive. However the biggest problem is that the characteristics and behaviors of the produced hydrogen gas bubbles are largely unknown, as it is not possible to observe this during the production process using optical methods. Vreman notes that it is difficult to create accurate models without the appropriate information and thus they are unsure how to make the process more efficient. Learn more here.
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