Winter storms brought heavy rain, sleet, and snow to various regions of the northern US. Wind blowing up to 40-50 mph knocked down many power lines and poles. Power outages occurred in multiple areas including Ohio and Pennsylvania where nearly 20 thousand were left without power. 26 thousand people were without power in Connecticut. Businesses were forced to close early and workers were sent home.

Traffic was inhibited severely. Many car accidents occurred unfortunately resulting in several deaths. Police required a reduction in speed limits and bans were issued on parking to allow for snow to be removed. Snowplows blanketed the streets in effort to alleviate travel. Roads were blocked by fallen trees and closed in areas from Washington all the way to North Carolina.

The Midwest was blasted with more snow fall. Sporting teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks were unable to travel due to flight cancellations. Chicago’s O’Hare was forced to delay countless flights and cancelled some as well. Planes also had difficultly landing and taking off in Des Moines, Iowa and Madison, Wisconsin.

In addition, these storms resulted in mudslides which prevented trains in Vancouver and Oregon from operating. Bottom line, storms this winter have caused severe chaos across the country. Do not fall subject to this wrath by fully preparing yourself. Seek proper chains and tires to travel in treacherous conditions. Make sure you have a generator for a back up power supply. Purchase enough food and supplies in case transportation is impossible. Act with caution and enjoy the winter.

HTS- 110 Ltd. and Long Electromagnetics Incorporated are combining efforts to create a compact five megawatt generator. This advancement lowers weight from a traditional five tons all the way down to only 1.5 tons. This increases mobility drastically. At only 1.5 tons, this machine can be airlifted, shipped, or moved in a truck. An increase in mobility, allows this generator to be applicable in more scenarios especially emergency and disaster areas.

This new technology utilizes a four-pole superconducting rotor, air-cooled copper stator, and a BSCCO wire to produce its high output. This BSCCO wire is patented by HTS-110 for its unique ceramic structure which enables superconductivity. The use of superconductive materials in generators is a new advancement with a high potential to increase efficiency. Its five megawatt output is enough electricity to serve about 2500 homes.

In addition to its impressive output, it is up to five times faster than traditional 5MW generators. The same advancements in superconductivity to increase speed and output also largely contribute to its decrease in weight. These parts weigh less than the many more traditional hefty parts required to produce the same output, but at a lower speed.

LEI and HTS-110 are looking to make this machine readily available quickly. Early expectations shoot for 2008. It is intended to be used first by military and NASA; however, versions applicable for businesses and the general public are not far away. Commercial models are already being developed. 

While this generator has a variety of uses, it is excellent for providing high power in emergency situations. Often only smaller generators can be transported to confined disaster areas which are usually blanketed in debris. This is insufficient for many situations. However; now there is an answer. With a variety of transport options and a high power output, this will offer tremendous aid in much needed situations.

References:
“Lightweight generator a world first for emergency power.”
http://www.hts-110.com/news/coverage/lightweight-generator.html

The torrential downpours, blanketing hail, and fierce winds of the hurricane season are upon us. As history repeats itself, those whom are unprepared are doomed to suffer the wrath of these devastating storms. Hurricanes like Katrina, Rita, and Wilma have taken numerous lives, destroyed many homes, and evoked utter turmoil. Countless first hand testimonies have been given from those whom unfortunately suffered the struggles of previous hurricane seasons.

Despite the overwhelming potential for these storms to completely demolish everything in their paths, still many have failed to take the initiative to protect their homes and their loved ones. Surprisingly, many stores are experiencing a decline in sales (1). It seems that people are just not taking it serious enough. Most companies are advancing their product and service availability in hopes of preventing disasters and improving on recovery time. For instance, Verizon Wireless has spent billions to advance their systems (2). They have issued informative guidelines on how to maintain communication in the case of an emergency. They have expanded their networks and invested heavily in establishing remote communication centers (2). However, on the civilian level, people need to assume a greater realization of what is at stake.

We must take time out of our busy daily lives to seek supplies, information, and devise plans in case of emergency situations. You might not think it would happen to you, but unfortunately so did many of the previous hurricane victims. There is still ample time to prepare, but one must act fast to ensure that supplies will be readily available. Waiting until the storm approaches to prepare is definitely a risky scenario.  No one wants to commute from store to store in search of the essentials in the midst of the storm’s onset. In addition, the increase in demand usually results in complete shortages on all supplies. Therefore, now is the time to get prepared for awaits us this hurricane season.

References:

1. “Tax holiday does not create retail storm.” Sun Sentinel. June 9, 2007.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-zcanetax09jun09,0,6524001.story?coll=sfla-business-headlines.

2. “With An Active 2007 Hurricane Season To Begin, Georgians Are Urged To Make Emergency Communication Plans.” WebWire. June 8, 2007.
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=38642