GE's artist rendering of Santa's sleigh
(Credit: GE)Author Gregory Mone is not the only one touting would-be Santa technology this year.
General Electric has released its own theory of how the legendary Santa Claus could make his yearly trip while communicating with Mrs. Claus and the elves back at HQ. This version, however, showcases real-world technology with a green bent under development at GE labs. While the Santa hook is child's play, the technology presented has useful applications in the adult world.
For example, the company is developing "icephobic" coatings that prevent ice and water from sticking to a vehicle even when driving through snow. It also has a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material intended for use in the gas turbine engines used in aircraft. The material is lightweight and heat-resistant to high temperatures, but is not brittle like most ceramic materials. It's closer to metal in terms of durability, according to GE.
The paper-thin, bendable OLED lights for Santa's sleigh could be incorporated in all manner of gear like camping tents, wallpaper, or firefighters' uniforms.
Trip Optimizer calculates optimum speeds for a locomotive engine to save fuel depending on the route and makeup of the train, then self-adjusts the locomotive's throttle accordingly throughout the trip. GE suggests Santa might use the autopilot system for his sleigh, but Canadian Pacific Railway announced in July that it's equipping 200 of its freight locomotives with the system.
Other new technologies highlighted with the sleigh concept include: sodium batteries, a wireless medical sensor, and RFID (radio frequency identification) chips. More details on the technology, along with profiles of the scientists working them, can be found at GE's interactive Web site.
Did you know there's some leeway on when a refrigerator must run its automatic defrost cycle?
Well, apparently, there is, and it could help ease the stress on local energy grids during peak hours, according to GE Consumer & Industrial.
Currently, GE refrigerators' automatic defrost modes are prompted by factors like door openings. But, the company says, it could build refrigerators that delay that cycle until a local electrical grid signals it's a good off-peak time to suck down more electricity.
Refrigerators are not the only appliances that could be programmed to wait for convenient times to run.
GE is testing a whole range of what it calls "Energy Management-Enabled Appliances" with the Louisville Gas and Electric Co. in Louisville, Ky., the company announced Wednesday. It includes ranges, washers and dryers, dishwashers, and microwaves.
The appliances are equipped with a "Smart Meter" that communicates with the local power utility, and then times itself to run during off-peak periods. Consumers are still given a choice to override the program if they want to use a particular appliance during peak hours.
The program seeks to address the nationwide problem of peak energy demand, in which electrical grids are overburdened by a consumer surge in use. It's a problem power utilities are concerned about given the rise in electric plug-in vehicles.
GE estimates that there are currently about 3,000 utilities in the U.S. Many of them are considering their energy storage options, and some are considering moving to a tiered-pricing system to encourage off-peak electricity usage. Appliances that help consumers avoid peak hours could help them save money, according to GE.
But there's a catch. In order for the appliances to work, the electrical grid they operate on must communicate with the machine's "Smart Meter."
That means utilities would have to be onboard with a standardized system that allows household appliances to communicate with their grids.
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