“The world’s first 35 kilovolt superconducting power cable was put into operation in Shanghai on Wednesday, making China among the global leaders in superconducting transmission applications” said its operator, the Shanghai branch of State Grid Corp of China.

The high-capacity superconducting power line, which is so far the world’s longest superconducting cable transmission project with the largest transmission capacity, marks a major breakthrough in core technologies of China’s construction of a new power system, according to State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electrical Power Co.

Installed in the commercial area of Xuhui district, the 1.2-kilometer cable connects two 220 kV substations with a designed current capacity of 2,200 amps. This is also the first superconducting transmission project built by the centrally administered State Grid in the country.

According to State Grid Corp of China, the nation’s largest power provider by generating capacity, the superconducting cables-one of the most revolutionary cutting-edge technologies in the power sector-represent an innovative power transfer technology that has the potential to offer numerous benefits.

According to Xie Wei, chief engineer at State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electrical Power Co, the transmission capacity of superconducting cables is much greater than that for conventional cables, but with much less transmission loss. It is also very suitable for power supply in high-load density areas, providing a new solution to the problem of power supply in high-load-density areas of megacities（特大城市）.

“One 35 kV superconducting cable transmission line can transmit the same amount of power as a traditional 220 kV power line and saves 70 percent of underground pipe gallery space,” Xie said. “The transmission efficiency of the high-capacity superconducting power lines can provide reliable and stable power to megacity urban centers,” he added.

Gan Zizhao, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said, “superconducting cables have always been an important way to solve issues of power supply to superlarge cities amid efforts to push forward power upgrade and transformation in the country.”

“With a temperature of-196℃, which is the temperature range required for liquid nitrogen liquefaction, the technology can greatly improve losses in power transmission due to a resistance of zero,” said the company. The low-temperature superconducting cable project is one of the results of the strategic cooperation between State Grid and the Shanghai Municipal Government in the fields of science and technology.

A colorful colony of photosynthetic (光合的) cyanobacteria, known as blue-green algae (海藻) , have successfully powered a computer microprocessor for more than six months, according to a study published in the Journal Energy & Environmental Science.

During a pandemic lockdown, the algae-computer system was placed in the window of biochemist Paolo Bombelli’s home. What he saw next really blew his mind: it sat there from February to August 2021, and all the while it was working. And even after the microprocessor has been disconnected, the cyanobacteria device continues to produce current. “Given the right conditions of light, temperature and water, I cannot predict when it will stop,” said Bombelli.

Cyanobacteria harvest energy from sunlight and make it into food for themselves. For this study, the researchers put the power-providing microorganisms into a plastic and steel enclosure, about the size of an AA battery, along with an aluminum anode (铝正极) . Throughout the experiment, the connected microprocessor was programmed to do a bunch of calculations, and then check its own work. It did this in a 45-minute period, followed by 15 minutes of standby, continuously for months with the cyanobacteria unit as its only power source.

Even though the algae rely on a light source to feed, the bio-system continued to produce enough power to run the microprocessor in the dark. The scientists basically put down this phenomenon. to leftovers. When there was light, the cyanobacteria cooked up an over-abundance (过剩) of food, and when it was dark the microorganisms kept chewing on the extras.

According to Chris Howe, senior author of the study, the results suggest that the little bio-based battery substitute could serve as a way to power small electronics without rare earth elements, which are in short supply and under growing demand. Plus, the system could also help bridge the electricity divide, providing another power supply for people in rural areas or low-income countries.

Though the experiment’s results are promising, it’s important to keep in mind that the computer processor tested uses very little energy requiring only 0.3 microwatts to run. More research is needed to know exactly how much the tiny AA battery-sized device could scale up. Howe said, “Putting one on your roof isn’t going to provide the power supply for your house at this stage.”

Getting drunk on ice cream used to be the stuff of dreams, but thanks to Will Rogers, inventor and owner of WDS Dessert Stations in Hinkley, Illinois, it has become a delicious reality. The Below Zero ice cream machine uses a unique technique to freeze alcohol, which allows you to turn beers, cocktails and even spirits (烈酒) into delicious soft —serve ice cream.

Rogers was trying to create a highly — caffeinated espresso ice cream flavor when he realized he could use the same technique with alcoholic beverages. He started experimenting with various gums and stabilizers commonly used in the ice cream industry and eventually patented something called the NEA gel. It’s this magical concoction (调制品) that allows the alcohol to freeze to a near solid inside the Below Zero ice cream machine.

Even though Below Zero changes the texture (质地) of beer, cocktails and even spirits, essentially turning them into soft —serve ice cream, it does not affect the alcohol content at all. The ABV (酒精度) remains exactly the same, which means you can get drunk on ice — cream just as you would on the same concoctions in liquid form.

Will Rogers claims that it takes around 30 minutes for beer to go from liquid to ice cream form, but higher alcohol content drinks take longer. Essentially, the higher the alcohol level, the longer the wait.

The American inventor plans to sell Below Zero ice cream machines to bars and breweries wanting to surprise their patrons. Metro reports that machines will sell for about 6,000.