“The geometry of seal whiskers is not circular; the whisker’s shape is twisted cylinders.”
Dr. Yaqing Jin
Assistant Professor
UT Dallas’ Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
.…on being inspired by seal whiskers to develop ways to make offshore energy technology safer for both technicians and wind turbines.
Offshore wind turbines are a growing ingredient in the race to develop clean and renewable energy sources. But the turbines—which are attached to the ocean floor with cables and “float” on platforms high above—and the technicians who work on them face risks from high winds and harsh storms that lash the open sea. UT Dallas’ Dr. Yaqing Jin has found a potential solution inspired by an unlikely source: seal whiskers.
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R E A D N E X T
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Offshore wind turbines are a growing ingredient in the race to develop clean and renewable energy sources. But the turbines—which are attached to the ocean floor with cables and "float" on platforms high above—face risks from high winds and harsh storms that lash the open sea. UT Dallas Assistant Professor Dr. Yaqing Jin has found a potential solution inspired by an unlikely source—seal whiskers.
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UT Dallas said that cellphones using the technology might one day be used to find studs, wooden beams, or wiring behind walls; cracks in pipes; or outlines of contents in envelopes and packages. The tech—based on technology nearly two decades in the making—could have medical applications as well.
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South Carolina-based Alternus Clean Energy, a utility-scale transatlantic clean energy independent power producer, has entered a strategic alliance with Hover to offer commercial and industrial customers "consistent delivery of dependable, clean 24x7 power." The alliance will leverage Hover's patented wind-powered microgrids to harness both rooftop wind and sunlight, with a first project slated to begin construction this year.
