Product News

GE Announces Major OLED Breakthrough

GE Global Research, the centralized research organization of General Electric, has announced a major breakthrough in Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)—the thin sheets of plastic-like material that emit light when powered by electricity.

Breaking two world records, the demonstration OLED device is now fully functional as a 24-inch x 24-inch panel, which produces 1,200 lumens of light with an efficacy of 15 lumens per watt (on par with today's incandescent bulb technology). Based on the dimensions of a room, the desired level of brightness can be increased or decreased depending on the number of 24-inch x 24-inch panels installed.

"We are extremely excited about accomplishing a task that many thought would be impossible," said Anil Duggal, manager of GE's light energy conversion program. "This is definitely a significant milestone in turning an abstract idea into a viable product."

The ultimate goal is to create sheets of paper-thin lighting devices that can be applied to surfaces in a similar way to wallpapering. During the three-year project, which was cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Program (DOE/BT) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory, GE's scientists have been able to increase the efficiency of illumination-quality OLEDs by a factor of 4, as well as increase the light output by a factor of 600.

The next goal for the program is to demonstrate that organic electronic devices can be made on flexible material in a continuous roll-to-roll process, without the huge capital investment normally required for batch-processed inorganic semiconductor technology.

New Hybrid Hydraulic Military Truck Unveiled

International Truck and Engine Corp. and the U.S. Army recently unveiled t he next generation of military and commercial vehicles. The two new concept vehicles—the SmarTruck III and a new International Commercial Utility Vehicle—are both built off of an International High Performance four-wheel-drive medium truck platform.

SmarTruck III will offer the military advanced capabilities in state-of-the-art communications and detection systems while offering improved fuel economy and increased armor protection to better withstand roadside attacks. A commercial version of the SmarTruck III, the International Commercial Utility Vehicle, can be modified to serve a range of potential customers, from the U.S. Border Patrol, to the Department of Homeland Security to applications in the construction industry.

The vehicle also can be outfitted with advanced telematics technology that will allow military command centers to know in real time where the vehicles are located, and with remote diagnostics, how they are performing. With a new International VT275 diesel engine, which is a 4.5- liter V6, and a hybrid hydraulic launch assist for power at startup, the technologies used in the concept vehicles also allow for better fuel economy.

Sustainable Energy Technologies Debuts SUNERGY 5

Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd., a Canadian developer of power electronics for renewable energy applications, has launched SUNERGY 5, a wall-mounted 5kW inverter for the grid-connected North American solar power market.

The SUNERGY 5 incorporates Sustainable Energy’s "patented pulse step" power inverter platform, which offers improvement over conventional pulse width modulation inverters in terms of reliability and efficiency, according to the company. High PV to AC efficiency is coupled with tunable maximum power point tracking to help ensure that every possible kWh is extracted from any photovoltaic system, the company adds. The SUNERGY 5 PV Inverter accepts the widest possible range of input voltage (40-135Vdc) so it can be used with all PV technologies from conventional crystalline to the new thin-film PV modules.

EPA Introduces First Advanced Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicle

The first advanced hydraulic hybrid sport utility vehicle was introduced by the EPA and its partners last month. The demonstration vehicle uses EPA's full hydraulic hybrid technology integrated in a stock SUV. This hydraulic hybrid technology is projected to increase the cost of a large SUV by about $600, which would be recouped by the consumer's lower fuel and maintenance costs.

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