Archive from luglio, 2009
Lug 15, 2009 - Fonti energetiche alternative    Commenti disabilitati su Navi per Data Center: Rafreddati ad acqua

Navi per Data Center: Rafreddati ad acqua

GoogleIl celeberrimo motore di ricerca studia come tenere “rafreddati” i suoi Data Center:

Ha creato i Data Center a bordo di Navi che sfuttano l’acqua per il rafreddamento!


Google, come già sappiamo in tanti, ha investito miliardi di dollari nella costruzione di Data Center diffusi in tutto il pianeta.
Sono i calcolatori che oltre aconsentirci le “ricerche” in rete, eseguono tutta un’altra serie di operazioni (che non stò ad elencare) che vengono effettuate da server fortemente energivori.
Il consumo di energia non è il solo problema per Google, che ha dovuto affrontare seri PROBLEMI DI DISSIPAZIONE!
Tutti noi sappiamo quanto sia problematico già per un PC allontanare il calore prodotto da CPU & Co.
Immaginiamoci il problema per quei server…
Ebbene…: Ha realizzato i Data Center direttamente su NAVI!
Sfuttando così l’acqua per il rafreddamento.
Vi chiederete: e l’energia? Da dove la prende??
Ebbene, leggetevi il post: su pelamis

Google launching its own navy?
By Cade Metz in San Francisco

About 70 per cent of the Earth is covered by water. So Google’s thinking it had better build some data centers that can float.

With a recently-released patent application, the search giant cum world power seeks exclusive rights to what it calls a “water-based data center”. This modular collection of processing, storage, and network resources would sit on a ship anchored somewhere offshore, using the crashing waves for both power and cooling.

Google Floating Data Center

Google’s floating data center

Google envisions its seaworthy data center serving land-bound humans in times of emergency. “For example,” the application reads, “a military presence may be needed in an area, a natural disaster may bring a need for computing or telecommunication presence in an area until the natural infrastructure can be repaired or rebuilt, and certain events may draw thousands of people who may put a load on the local computing infrastructure.

“Often, such transient events occur near water, such as a river or an ocean. However, it can be expensive to build and locate data centers, and it is not always easy to find access to necessary (and inexpensive) electrical power, high-bandwidth data connections, and cooling water for such data centers.”

Famously, Google has already patented data centers that tuck inside standard shipping containers, and these mobile modules would serve as building blocks for its water-based computer center.

Sergey and Larry might hoist their shipping containers onto that anchored ship. Or they might set them up on dry land, not too far from the waves. In either case, power could arrive from so-called Pelamis machines, Scottish-designed contraptions that convert waves into electricity. And seawater cooling units could keep all that shipping container-ed hardware from overheating.

Naturally, Google isn’t the first to dream up such a thing. A company called IDS is working on its own floating hardware – though it sees things a bit differently. “IDS floating data centers will be anchored in port the majority of the time, whereas [Google’s] will be positioned out at sea,” reads a blog post from the company. “There [are] also some significant differences in the way sea water is used for cooling, and obviously some differences in power generation.”

Of course, IDS isn’t blanketing the planet with its very own built-from-scratch internet. We can safely say that Google is building its own servers, its own Ethernet switches, its own underwater comms cables, its own worldwide collection of brick and mortar data centers, and its own truck-em-anywhere-you-want-em mobile data centers. And now it looks like the company is well on its way to floating its own Data Center Navy. When we accused Larry and Serge of killing penguins, we didn’t know the half of it. ®

Lug 14, 2009 - Fonti energetiche alternative    Commenti disabilitati su Energie Rinnovabili – NUOVE TECNOLOGIE

Energie Rinnovabili – NUOVE TECNOLOGIE

Pelamis Wave Energy ConverterLe energie rinnovabili il più possibile indipendenti dagli idrocarburi:

sempre più sulla bocca di tutti, e sempre MENO nei programmi politici INTERNAZIONALI!


Ho trovato un articolo che ha del sensazionale, ne avevo sentito parlare tempo fa, ma non mi risultava che si fosse andati oltre le sperimentazioni (anche poco sponsorizzate) in laboratorio.
Ebbene, vi riporto la descrizione tratta dal sito ufficiale pelamis:

Boat PelamisThe Pelamis Wave Energy Converter is a semi-submerged, articulated structure composed of cylindrical sections linked by hinged joints. The wave-induced motion of these joints is resisted by hydraulic rams, which pump high-pressure fluid through hydraulic motors via smoothing accumulators. The hydraulic motors drive electrical generators to produce electricity. Power from all the joints is fed down a single umbilical cable to a junction on the sea bed. Several devices can be connected together and linked to shore through a single seabed cable.

Pelamis offers technological, economic and environmental advantages including:

  • Survivability ‘built in’
  • 100% available technology
  • No maintenance carried out at offshore site
  • No offshore intervention required
  • ‘Hands Free’ operation
  • Lowest kWh costs in the market
  • High return potential
  • Commercial track record
  • Verified and insured

Current production machines are 180m long and 4m in diameter with 4 power conversion modules per machine. Each machine is rated at 750kW. The energy produced by Pelamis is dependent upon the conditions of the installation site. Depending on the wave resource, machines will on average produce 25-40% of the full rated output over the course of a year. Each machine can provide sufficient power to meet the annual electricity demand of approximately 500 homes.


Che dire…
… semplicemente geniale!
E sì che di mare ne abbiamo, sul globo! Potrebbero aiutare il movimento, qualche MIGLIAIO di politici inutili che, in giro per il mondo fanno solo danni e dicono coglionate!
Immaginatevi come. Magari rientrerebbero a pieno titolo nella catena alimentare.
Geo
Lug 13, 2009 - Fonti energetiche alternative    Commenti disabilitati su Google e le sue 200 CAPRE!!

Google e le sue 200 CAPRE!!

GoogleIl celeberrimo motore di ricerca partecipa alla riduzione delle emissioni:

Per la manutenzione dei prati, STOP ai tagliaerba e via ad uno stuolo di CAPRE!!


In una delle ricerche, mi sono imbattuto in una notizia che ha dello sbalorditivo tanto è semplicemente stupida quanto paradossalmente OVVIA!!
Google, forse anche grazie alla attuale crisi (della quale vedremo ancora DRAMMATICHE EVOLUZIONI) ha varato un sostanzioso piano di tagli ai costi. In questo pacchetto, le spese per la manutenzione dei prati della Silicon Valley
.
Ebbene…: TAGLIO E FERTILIZZAZIONE CONTEMPORANEA!!
lA COSA PIU’ GENUINA, OVVIA E ANTICA DELLA TERRA!!


Google hires goat army for lawn maintenance
Bleats mowing the lawn
By Austin Modine

Job openings are few and slim in Silicon Valley these days, but at least Google is hiring. Applicants are required to have at least 2 years experience eating grass with a four-chambered stomach.

Google said today it has enlisted a small army of hungry, hungry goats to help manicure the expansive fields at its Mountain View headquarters.

Image courtesy the Google Blog

The internet’s top ad broker wrote in its official blog that the goats are hired from a local goat rental business to clear weeds and brush to reduce fire hazard.

A herder brings about 200 goats and they spend roughly a week with us at Google, eating the grass and fertilizing at the same time. The goats are herded with the help of Jen, a border collie. It costs us about the same as mowing, and goats are a lot cuter to watch than lawn mowers.

Yes, it’s all eco-friendly fun and games until Googlers start spreading Goat Flu to the masses. ®


E quindi ecco la California Grazing:

CapraGo Green. Go Goats.

California Grazing provides holistic land management and brush & weed control through grazing. We can eliminate noxious weeds, restore native grasses, and address fire prevention through fuel load reduction.

Our fleet of 800+ environmentally friendly, self propelled weed eaters are ready for your project! These cute & cost effective critters remove thistle, brush, weeds, and other invasive plants.

Benefits

Goat grazing is a cost effective, ecologically sound way to clear land and promote growth of native grasses and beneficial plants, particularly for large acreages and difficult terrain. It has been proven to efficiently handle areas that are inaccessible or difficult to manage with mowers, areas where burns are inadvisable, and sensitive areas where the application of herbicides is not appropriate.

Our goats restore plant species that better clean the air, reduce water pollution, prevent the spread of fires, eliminate mower emissions, and fertilize while they graze!

Star Thistle

Yellow star thistle is named for its bright thistle-like flowers, which have sharp spines surrounding their base. It is a long-lived annual and is found at elevations of 7000 feet or less. It grows anywhere from 6 inches to 5 feet tall. Most of the plant’s seeds germinate within a year of disbursement, yet some can stay viable for up to 3 years.

Goat grazing is a highly effective way of reducing star thistle and star thistle seed production. Goats will eat the plants in all stages, including after the spines form. Quite surprisingly, goats like thistle – it is one of the first plants they will eat when present. Intensive grazing managed over time by goats provides positive and successful results in the eradication of star thistle.

Aggressive noxious weeds like thistle bring problems as they displace beneficial plants, and reduce habitat and recreational value. Goat grazing is also an effective method for control of other weed species such as Spurge, Nettles, Purple Star thistle, Artichoke thistle, Poison Ivy and Poison Oak. Whereas human contact with Poison Oak or Poison Ivy can cause an allergic reaction in humans, goats relish them and are highly effective at eradicating this weed.

Other plants goats like to eat include: Vetch, Yellow and Purple Star Thistle, Bull Thistle, French Broom, Mustard, Himalayan Blackberry, Coyote Bush, Ivy, Pine and Oak Saplings, Poison Oak, Eucalyptus Saplings, Poison Hemlock, Sage, Ivy, and most grasses.

Riparian Restoration

A riparian area is one that is located on the bank of a natural waterway, such as a river or lake. By carefully managing grazing in riparian areas, healthy plants will build strong stream banks. Permanent vegetative cover provides the most effective way to reduce soil erosion. Raindrops, for example, lose some of their force when they land on plants. They run off the vegetation down to the ground rather than pounding the soil at their full velocity. More water soaks into the ground instead of running off, which helps to eliminate soil erosion.

Root systems of beneficial plants hold soil in place and filter contaminants. These root systems allow water to flow more clearly as impurities are filtered out before reaching ground water. Grazing management also minimizes vegetation growth and blockage of natural waterways. Grazing with goats encourages a healthy watershed and reduces pollution in our lakes, rivers and streams – and we all benefit from clean water!

Mountain, valley, desert or coast, we must preserve the wonder that is California!

Fuel Reduction

Goats eat “hot fuel,” the spindly plants that grow under trees and allow fire to spread quickly. Unlike other animals, goats are naturally adapted to eating weeds, brush, thistles and invasive plants. They have evolved their own razing mechanisms for digesting and processing even the most noxious of weeds. Fuel load reduction with goats is accomplished by the use of a temporary electric fence. This standard farm fencing enables us to control the goats’ grazing pattern.

Lug 12, 2009 - Internet    6 Comments

Omaggio a PLC Forum

PLC ForumL‘esperienza e la professionalità in primis, ma anche la pazienza e l’orgoglio, la testardaggine ed il piglio dei partecipanti…


Il 17 gennaio di qualche anno fa, in seguito ad un problema con un televisore Mivar, ed alla ricerca di una soluzione in rete, mi imbatto in PLC Forum. All’epoca ancora non in tre sezioni, mi sembrava tutto sommato poco adatto alle mie attitudini e non avrei pensato minimamente che lo avrei frequentato poi così assiduamente.
Appena completata la procedura di iscrizione, aprii la discussione cercando chi potesse darmi le informazioni giuste e la soluzione al mio problema.
Elvezio Franco
Un certo Elvezio Franco, mi rispose quasi immediatamente con la soluzione. Fu la mossa che mi fece sospettare che i frequentatori del forum fossero davvero professionisti ed appassionati. Ben sapete che spesso ci si imbatte in forum di ciarlatani che scivono stronzate a vanvera.
(Spero non me ne voglia per la pubblicazione della foto ed il link al profilo, daltronde sono pubblici sul forum).

Ebbene, da quel dì ho pensato che avrei dovuto in qualche maniera ricambiare la gentilezza aiutando i partecipanti in qualche argomento sul quale ero invece ferrato io.
In seguito aprirono le sezioni informatiche e credo di aver potuto dare una mano a qualcuno nell’arco di quest anni.

Certo, a mio avviso avrebbero potuto censurare un pò meno alcuni argomenti (non certo quelli illegali sui quali mi trovano generalmente daccordo) che fanno parte della vita reale di tutti noi anche se visti da posizioni ed idee differenti, credo che il dialogo, anche appasisonato, ma sopratutto quando viene supportato da documenti, è spesso utile se non indispensabile a ricreare qualla coscienza Nazionale che i nostri politici (minuscoli mei caratteri e nella caratura) si affannano a demolire..

Ad ogni buon conto, il bilancio mi risulta decisamente positivo, giusto in occasione di qualche intervento non gradito ai moderatori per il quale sono stato redarguito, talvolta ho seriamente pensato di non frequantarlo più, ma poi, rafreddato il bollore arterioso…
… ho ritenuto che tutto sommato, quando scrivono commenti che non mi piacciono nel MIO BLOG, li butto al cesso senza pietà e punto.
C’est la NET.

Gli altri utenti parimenti degni di nota non si offendano, Elvezio è quello che più mi ha suscitato affetto, ma sono parecchi gli altri che menzionerei volentieri. E LORO lo sanno.

Buona domenica a tutti.
Geo