Temporary faults in power transmission and distribution systems are more likely to occur in storm conditions than on clear days. But most protective relay, fuse, and circuit breaker schemes use standard settings regardless of weather. Jersey Central Power & Light successfully reduced outages by adjusting protective schemes based on weather conditions.

Many predict a renaissance of nuclear power, but it won't happen without some improvement in plant components. Electric Light & Power says new reactors must perform beyond current operating standards for safety and reliability. An example is AREVA's U.S. EPR plant design featuring multiple separate and redundant safety systems.

Connectors fail frequently, but seldom result in a £ 14 million repair bill like this incident at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). BBC News says a recent investigation confirms an electrical fault in a connector linking one of the 1,200 superconducting magnets caused the accident. A video explains the process.

Check and replace worn relays. According to a report, a door-open relay failure in a New York elevator resulted in death for a five year old boy. The New York Times reports that the elevator stalled between two floors, and then a failed relay contact caused the door to open. The boy jumped through the open door and fell.

The common housefly is super-effective at locating sound despite operating with only two sensors/ears located 500 microns apart. The U.S. Air Force wants to create sensor systems that mimic fly ears to improve guidance on unmanned aerial vehicles. Apparently, fly ears are optimally structured for obtaining acoustic cues.

Applications not demanding Class I ceramic capacitors' parametric performance can use the greater densities and lower costs attainable with ceramic capacitor classes II and III. In the second of a two-part article, EDN says that Class II ceramic capacitors are more space- and cost-efficient, but they exhibit parametric shifts.

Three of the biggest MEMS markets are down as auto, inkjet printers, and DLP TV makers struggle to find customers. But this Small Times article says that potential very high volume markets are opening up. One example is a bionic eye contact lens for the treatment of glaucoma that's embedded with micro-machined electronics.

A recently released study predicts slow growth in the worldwide MEMS market with sales increasing from $7.6 billion in 2008 to only $8 billion in 2009. Printed Circuit Design & Fab reports that auto and consumer markets will be weak while some new applications may do well. The MEMS market will recover to reach $16 billion by 2012.

With all the hoopla and current emphasis on low-cost green manufacturing, lean (manufacturing) should become an even more popular concept. A recent article in Control Design says that lean machines cost no more than they have to, given their function. They might be more costly initially, but they also do more. And, they have no waste — no unused systems or capabilities. But implementing lean requires design and acquisition changes to emphasize life cycle costs rather than just up-front costs

The dumb jock stereotype lives on, but The Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team shows there's an alternative path. The New York Times reports that the small-college team annually competes at the highest athletic level in NCAA men's Division III soccer. Academically, they carry a collective 3.38 grade-point average and are led by a goalkeeper studying biomedical engineering. The school also has a graduation rate of 100%.

Government Bankrolled Power Projects?

Laser fusion is one of the latest technologies to receive millions in government subsidies. Should governments pick and fund technology winners and losers, or should the free market decide?