Batteries that could store sun's heat instead of electricity

MIT researchers have discovered how a molecule works to store and release heat on demand - a find that could form the basis of a rechargeable battery to store heat rather than electricity.

The molecule called fulvalene diruthenium into a higher-energy state after absorbing sunlight, and can remain stable indefinitely. Then, triggered by a small addition of heat or a catalyst, it snaps back to its original shape, releasing heat in the process.

However, in an intermediate step, the molecule forms a semi-stable configuration partway between the two previously known states.

The two-step process helps explain why the molecule is so stable, why the process is easily reversible and also why substituting other elements for ruthenium has not worked so far.

Jeffrey Grossman said that in effect, this process makes it possible to produce a "rechargeable heat battery" that can repeatedly store and release heat gathered from sunlight or other sources.

In principle, Grossman said, a fuel made from fulvalene diruthenium, when its stored heat is released, "can get as hot as 200 degrees C, plenty hot enough to heat your home, or even to run an engine to produce electricity."

"It's reversible, and it's stable over a long term. You can use it where you want, on demand. You could put the fuel in the sun, charge it up, then use the heat, and place the same fuel back in the sun to recharge."

The problem of ruthenium's rarity and cost still remains as "a dealbreaker," Grossman said, but now that the fundamental mechanism of how the molecule works is understood, it should be easier to find other materials that exhibit the same behaviour.

"It's my firm belief that as we understand what makes this material tick, we'll find that there will be other materials" that will work the same way," Grossman said.

The paper was published on Oct. 20 in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

This is how they are managing their economy........

Despite high unemployment and persistent weakness in the housing market, consumers are cautiously increasing their spending, helping keep the U.S. economic recovery going.

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that its “beige book“ survey of economic conditions in the central bank's 12 districts showed that economic activity “continued to rise, albeit at a modest pace.“ The report, based on interviews conducted by the Fed's regional banks between September and early October, was in line with recent data showing that the period of deterioration the economy underwent in the summer has ended.

“The beige book was a further indication that the double-dip anxieties of the third quarter did not come to pass,“ said Robert Barbera, econo- mist at Newtown, Pennsylva- nia-based hedge fund Mount Lucas Management. “But growth remains disappointing.“

The economy's main source of strength over the past year has been manufacturing, which swiftly rebounded as global trade recovered from the recession and businesses around the world rebuilt depleted stockpiles. The manufacturing sector is still grow- ing, but at a slower pace than earlier in the recovery. That leaves any hope of a boost to economic growth largely in the hands of consumers.

The picture painted by the beige book showed consumers spending just a bit more. Retailers told the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston that consumers are focused on “getting a good deal,“ and the Cleveland Fed said that consumers “remain price sensitive and focused on buying necessities.“ Most Wall Street economists now esti- mate that consumer spending increased at an annual rate of around 2.5% in the third quarter, enough to keep the econo- my growing moderately, but not enough to prompt companies to hire enough workers to bring down the unemployment rate.

Indeed, the beige book not- ed that many companies felt the economy was still too weak to add to permanent jobs. The New York Fed said that manufacturers in its district continued to hire, but that New York City financial firms shed workers. The Cleveland Fed said that the pace of hiring had slowed and the San Francisco Fed said that in most sectors businesses “expect that ongoing productivity gains and cost efficiencies will largely offset the need for staffing increases in the near term.“

High unemployment is a main factor holding back consumer spending, while the weakness in spending is an important reason that companies aren't hiring. In an effort to break that cycle, the Fed is expected to restart its bond-buying program when it meets November 2 and 3. By doing so, the Fed also hopes to bolster the economy to head off any possibility of deflation.

The beige book reported that companies were paying higher prices for agricultural commodities like wheat, raw mate- rials like steel, copper and zinc and wholesale goods, but those prices were not passed along to consumers.

जिन्दगी मेरा इन्तज़ार करेगी और मैं……

मैं दो कदम चलता और एक पल को
रुकता मगर………..
इस एक पल जिन्दगी मुझसे चार
कदम आगे बढ जाती ।
मैं फिर दो कदम चलता और एक पल
को रुकता और….
जिन्दगी फिर मुझसे चार कदम
आगे बढ जाती ।
युँ ही जिन्दगी को जीतता देख
मैं मुस्कुराता और….
जिन्दगी मेरी मुस्कुराहट
पर हैंरान होती ।
ये सिलसिला यहीं चलता रहता…..

फिर एक दिन मुझे हंसता देख
एक सितारे ने पुछा……….
” तुम हार कर भी मुस्कुराते
हो ! क्या तुम्हें दुख नहीं
होता हार का ? “
तब मैंनें कहा…………….
मुझे पता हैं एक ऐसी सरहद
आयेगी जहाँ से आगे
जिन्दगी चार कदम तो क्या एक
कदम भी आगे ना बढ पायेगी,
तब जिन्दगी मेरा इन्तज़ार
करेगी और मैं……
तब भी युँ ही चलता रुकता
अपनी रफ्तार से अपनी धुन मैं
वहाँ पहुँगा…….
एक पल रुक कर, जिन्दगी को देख
कर मुस्कुराउगा……….
बीते सफर को एक नज़र देख
अपने कदम फिर बढाँउगा।
ठीक उसी पल मैं जिन्दगी से
जीत जाउगा………
मैं अपनी हार पर भी
मुस्कुराता था और अपनी जीत
पर भी……
मगर जिन्दगी अपनी जीत पर भी
ना मुस्कुरा पाई थी और अपनी
हार पर भी ना रो पायेगी