Printed silicon nanocrystals for circuits and solar cells

Printed silicon covered with chlorine atoms may be a low cost solution for computer chips and solar cells imbedded into roofing shingles.

A plasma reactor is used to produce these chlorine covered silicon nanocrystals printed on a circuit.
Uwe Kortshagen, a professor of mechanical engineering at the U of Minnesota is working on a patent pending process to produce low cost, highly durable and printable circuits made out of silicon and chlorine.  - U of MN News.

Plasma Reactor production on silicon nanocrystals

Wind to hydrogen to ammonia at U of MN Morris

The U of MN West Central Experiment Station by the University of Minnesota Morris has begun converting wind power to produce both hydrogen and ammonia. 

This pilot project allows for the production of ammonia fertilizer where it is needed an eliminates the cost of shipping the product from factories primarily based in Texas and the gulf cost through rail cars or pipelines.  



http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231003001298

Ammonia fertilizer use in the United States

 

NREL's Wind resource map of the United States

 

Ammonia production in the US

 

 

MDH to hold School IAQ and Environmental Health Training Aug 2013

IR photo of a steam pipe leak

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is holding four ‘School Indoor Air Quality Coordinator and Environmental Health Trainings’ this August. The training will prepare school officials to assess their buildings and policies, and implement plans to address identified issues. After completion of the training, attendees will receive a certificate.

Where and When:

St. Paul: August 19, 2013
8:30 am – 12:00 pm

Mankato: August 20, 2013
10:00 am - 2:00 pm

St. Cloud: August 27, 2013
10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Bemidji: August 28, 2013
10:00 am – 2:00 pm