Fuel Cells

燃料电池

A direct-methanol fuel cell. (Photo from NASA)

图中为一种基于甲醇的燃料电池。（照片来源于NASA：美国国家航空航天局）

How it works:

工作原理：

In 1838, English scientist Robert Grove showed how electrolysis could be worked in reverse, and how hydrogen and oxygen react together in the presence of a catalyst to produce electricity. Ever since, fuel cells burning hydrogen or other fuels such as methanol have been touted as clean, quiet and green power sources. The technology is finally becoming practical, from tiny fuel cells to replace batteries in portable devices to large ones that can power buildings.

　　在1838年，英国科学家Robert Grove证明了点解可以被反向进行，他的实验向大家展示了在有催化剂的情况下如果用氢气和氧气反应来产生电能。自此自后，使用氢氧或其他像甲醇等燃料的燃料电池就被冠以清洁，安静绿色能源的名号到处出售。最终这种技术被变为现实，现在不论是小型燃料电池，又或者是移动装置中的可替换电池还有为建筑提供能源的电池都可以见到它的身影。

Grade:

评价：

Good for certain applications, such as medium-size public buildings, when the economics are worked out.

　　这种技术在为中型建筑提供备用电源灯应用场景还是非常有用的。

Atomic Battery

原子电池

How it works:

工作原理：

It's not possible to scale down an atomic reactor, but it is relatively easy to harness the radiation emitted by radioactive materials and convert it into electricity. Atomic batteries have long powered satellites, and new thin-film technology means atomic power sources can be made the size of a penny, although the power output is a fraction of a watt.

　　总所周知，想制造一个小规模的原子反应堆是几乎不可能的，但是控制控制放射物质释放的辐射并转化为电脑就相对简单一些。尽管目前输出功率只有不到一瓦的输出功率，伴随着新型薄膜技术的发展原子电池现在已经可以造成硬币大小为人造卫星长期提供能源。

Grade:

评价：

Some uses, but radioactive material is still unpopular.

Nuclear Isomers

核同质异能素

Livermore scientists are this device using to determine the quantities of energy released from various isomers in an excited state. (Photo from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)

　　利弗莫尔的科学家使用这个设备来测试不同核同质异能素在激发状态下释放的能量的总量。

How it works:

在这里输入译文：

Isomers are elements whose nuclei can be nudged to release energy by firing X-rays at them. This was the idea behind DARPA's unsuccessful "atomic hand grenade" project using nuclear isomers. However, the technology may be more suited to the slow release of batteries than of bombs. Army scientists are carrying out research into nuclear isomers for atomic power sources whose output can be turned up or turned off at will.

　　我们可以通过对核同质异能素发证X射线来让它的的原子核释放能量。这是DARPA（美国国防高级研究计划局）搁浅计划“原子手榴弹”所基于的基本原理。但是相比与瞬间释放大量能量的炸弹，这种技术似乎更适合于平缓的释放能量供电。军事科学家们正在通过试验寻找能随意开启或关闭核同质异能素释放能量的方法。

Grade:

评价：

This idea is some way off—if it works.

　　即使能工作，这个想法还有很远的路要走。

Aneutronic Fusion

无中子核融合

How it works:

工作原理：

While practical hydrogen fusion may be twenty years away, aneutronic fusion offers an alternative. Fire a high-speed proton at a Boron target and the two fuse together to form three helium nuclei and a lot of energy. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) scientists recently looked into making a fusion reactor of this type small enough to fit on a silicon chip to make self-powered devices. They found it was not yet practical.

　　氢融合技术可能需要超过20年才能被用于是用，无中子核融合技术提供了一种替代的方式。向目标硼发射高速质子可以生成3个氦核并释放大量能量。DARPA科学家最经正在尝试制造一个足够小的融合发生器来为一种自供电的硅芯片供电。但是他们发现这种技术暂时还不够成熟。

Grade:

评价：

Engineering it might take a few decades.

　　可能要花上数十年我们才可能看到成型的相关产品。

Cold Fusion

冷聚变

The U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare System's Center (SPAWAR) in San Diego, CA is a center for cold fusion research in the U.S. (Photo by Carl Jantzen)

　　图中所示为坐落于圣地亚哥的美国空间和海战系统司令部（SPAWAR），该部门是美国冷巨变研究中心

How it works:

工作原理：

In 1989 Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons claimed to have produced a nuclear reaction at room temperature in the laboratory by electrolysing heavy water using a palladium cathode. Other scientists failed to repeat their results and cold fusion was widely rejected. But some researchers, including the U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, still believe that low-energy nuclear reactions have a future as a power source.

　　1989年，Martin Fleischmann和Stanley Pons宣称他们通过将钯作为阴极电镀重水，在常温下创造出了核反应堆。但是其他科学家没能重现出他们的实验结果，因此冷巨变技术被广泛否认。但是一些像美国空间和海战系统司令部这样的研究机构低能核反应是一种非常有前途的能源。

Grade:

评价：

Still on the fringes, but venture capitalists will continue to watch this space.

　　这是一种仍然处于边缘的技术，但是敢于冒险敢于投资的人仍然会继续关注它。

BlackLight

黑光

How it works:

工作原理：

BlackLight Power's novel power source is based on a new grand unified theory of classical physics. This states that a hydrogen atom can collapse into a previously unknown form called a hydrino, producing energy. By using the energy produced to electrolyze water to generate hydrogen, BlackLight power systems can effectively use water as fuel. Researchers at Rowan University claim to have confirmed "anomalous heat production" from BlackLight's setup.

　　黑光是一种基于经典物理大统一场理论的一种星星能源。这种理论表明氢原子可以塌陷到一种以前并为发现的次氢形态，并释放出能量。通过利用释放的能量我们可以电解水得到氢气。黑光能源系统可以有效的将水最为能源。罗文大学的研究者表示他们已经发现了黑光反应过程中的不规则能量释放过程。

Grade:

评价：

A working power plant would settle scientific doubts—but when will we see one?

　　一个可行的能源计划可以消除大家对这种技术的疑虑——但是我们什么时候才能看到这样一个计划呢？

Giant Dipping Birds

蘸水的巨鸟

How it works:

工作原理：

The dipping bird is a hollow glass figure which repeatedly dips its beak into a glass of water. This is not perpetual motion, but a type of heat engine, exploiting the difference in temperature between the air and the water it dips into. The units can be used to generate tiny amounts of power, and, in principle, giant dipping birds could be constructed which would generate more power—but at a prohibitively high cost per kilowatt.

　　这只周期性用嘴蘸取玻璃杯中水的鸟其实是一只中空的玻璃塑像。这不是一种永动机，而是一种热能及。通过利用空气和水之间的温度差来推动鸟蘸水。这个装置可以用来产生微量的能量。在实际中，可以通过制造出一只巨大的蘸水鸟来产生更多的能量——但是这没千瓦电量的成本可真不低。

Grade:

评价：

Wildly impractical, but a giant-dipping-bird farm sure would be a sight to behold.

　　相当的不切实际。但是满眼望去的蘸水鸟会是一到难得的风景。

Antimatter

反物质

How it works:

工作原理：

The ultimate power source, antimatter packs more energy than nuclear fuel. To release it, just allow an antiparticle to come into contact with normal matter, and then capture the energy released. In principle, antimatter could power even the smallest devices. However, at present, antimatter can only be manufactured in particle accelerators, wasting over 99.999 percent of the energy used in the process. A cheap source of antimatter would change everything.

　　作为一种终极能源，反物质甚至蕴含着比核能还要多的能量。而且只需要讲反物质和它所对应的正常物质进行接触就能帮助它释放能量并进行能量收集。原则上来说，反物质甚至可以为最小的装置提供能量。但是现实中我们还只能在粒子加速器中制造出反物质，这几乎将99.999%的能量都浪费在了粒子加速的工作中。如果能找到一种便宜的反物质来源这一切都将被改变。

Grade:

评价：

Not in this century.

　　本世纪估计是不可能了。

Orbo

奥博（Orbo）

How it works:

工作原理：

Developed by Irish company Steorn, the Orbo device is said to defy the laws of thermodynamics by putting out more energy than is put in, using precisely positioned magnetic fields. In June 2009 a panel of independent scientists appointed by Steorn concluded that the company "has not shown the production of energy." From April 2010 Steorn has offered to share its secret technology with developers for a license fee of about $500.

　　这种由爱尔兰公司Steorn开发的装置奥博（Orbo），据说能推翻热力学定理，只需要精确布置磁场，就能通过较少的能量输入产生较多的能量。2009年6月一群独立科学家受到Steorn公司邀请，但是最总却没能看到这种设备凭空生产处能量。自2010年4月起，Steorn公司对外宣布只需要500美元的费用就可以和他们共享这种机密技术的原理。

Grade:

评价

Not many believers left after the 2009 verdict.

　　自2009年他们爽约之后相信他们的人就不多了。

Zero-Point Energy

零点能量

How it works:

工作原理：

According to theories of quantum physics, the universe is pervaded with zero-point energy due to fuzziness on the quantum scale of reality. In theory it is possible to extract this energy to do useful work, a fact often quoted by inventors, though no ZPE device has yet been demonstrated. The problem is that there may not be very much of it about. Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg estimates that a space the size of the earth contains zero-point energy equal to about 1 gallon of gasoline.

　　根据量子物理学的原理，由于现实对于量子规律的不确定性宇宙中遍布着零点能量。在改理论中，我们完全可以提取这种能量来帮我们做有用的事情。这个结论经常被一些发明家所引用，虽然说还没有任何一个零点设备被制造出来。这其中存在的问题是可能根本就没存在那么多的零点能量。据Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg估测，像地球这么大的一个空间所包含的零点能量可能有1加仑天然气那么多。