Karen S. Hanson


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Beyond the Blades: 6 Innovations Challenging Wind Turbine Design - Tech Insights

While large wind developers focus on building taller and more powerful conventional wind turbines, several smaller companies—mostly startups—are creating wind generators with multiple, smaller, and oddly shaped blades. Some turbine designs have no blades at all.

These innovative turbines function based on basic wind power principles: flowing wind activates moving parts, and mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy, creating electricity. The wind devices generally fall into two camps:
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Urban Hot Spots: Vibro Truck Locates Geothermal in Cities - News

Earth’s natural heat is an abundant, renewable, and consistent energy source. However, finding geothermal locations isn’t always easy, especially in urban areas. Buildings, utilities, and other infrastructure make exploration difficult. Conventional equipment is bulky and could cause damage in an urban environment.

Herrenkecht AG addresses these issues with the Urban Vibro truck, which is customized for geothermal exploration beneath cities. The Urban Vibro is designed to cruise city streets, s
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Wind Expansion Depends on 5 Critical Issues for Engineers - Tech Insights

Wind engineers and experts in other fields must work together, share information, and consider the big picture in developing cost-effective wind energy and meeting decarbonization goals, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The IEA’s “Grand Challenges Revisited” report identified five challenges to resolve as wind energy expands: atmospheric science, wind turbines, plant and grid design, environmental issues, and social concerns. The report built upon the three grand challenges i
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Buried Treasure? California’s Key to Power Line Protection and Wildfire Prevention - Tech Insights

In California, the most destructive wildfires are attributed to power lines and utility infrastructure. While power lines and equipment cause only about 10% of fires, they account for nearly half of the damage, according to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Utility companies already employ fire mitigation maintenance, including clearing vegetation around infrastructure and using smart grid monitoring to detect faults and vulnerabilities. However, the CPUC says they can reduce f
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Google-Backed Startup Plans Data Center Battery Microgrids - News

Data centers and the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) are putting enormous strain on the power grid. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates data centers now consume over 200 TWh a year, or about 1 to 1.5% of all energy worldwide. As AI chatbots like Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT take off in popularity, energy demands could become critical.

An Arizona-based startup believes it can address the grid’s problems at the data center level. Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP), ba
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Exclusive: Wolfspeed’s Lauren Kegley on Next-Gen EVs, Women in EE - Tech Insights

When Lauren Kegley studied engineering at the University of Arkansas, she was too busy to notice she was the only woman in her class. As a track team pole vaulter and an honors student, her days were full.

“If I was not in the lab, I was probably on the track,” Kegley told EEPower.

Now, as marketing manager of Wolfspeed’s Automotive Discrete portfolio, she advises engineers and electric vehicle (EV) makers on how to make their systems and processes more efficient with silicon carbide semicondu
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Profile: NREL’s Genevieve Starke Talks Wind Models, Role Models - Tech Insights

Mechanical engineer Genevieve Starke works at the cutting edge of renewable energy. As a researcher with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Starke spends her days modeling how wind energy works with other technologies in hybrid systems.

“I think of it as combining different technologies together, so they work together,” Starke told EEPower. “I come from a wind background, so the majority of my work is combining other technologies with wind, mostly battery storage, solar, and hydro
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Engineering Groups Empower Women With Growth and Community - Tech Insights

Women work in every area of engineering, and the numbers are climbing. In the 1970s, just 3% of engineers were women. By 2022, the percentage rose to more than 16%. Countless engineers are determined to grow those numbers even more and increase opportunities for women by participating in professional organizations.

Two major organizations—the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and IEEE Women in Engineering— are leading the way in providing professional networking, education, resources, and other
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How Lewis Latimer Electrified the 19th Century World - Tech Insights

Modern conveniences like the light bulb, telephone, and air conditioner owe much to the innovative mind of Lewis H. Latimer, a 19th-century African American draftsman, inventor, and self-taught engineer.

Latimer improved the filament for the incandescent bulb. Image used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Like his contemporaries, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison, Latimer worked at the cutting edge of electronics. He succeeded in patenting or co-patenting inventions ranging from light fixture
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Mission Support: Black Scientists Power the Space Program - Tech Insights

In 1983, Guy Bluford became the first African American in space as part of the Challenger space shuttle crew. Since then, 15 other Black Americans have flown on NASA flights. To support these manned missions, African American scientists and engineers have worked for decades to make space flight a reality.

In recognition of Black History Month, here are some notable NASA scientists whose contributions ranged from groundbreaking discoveries to critical astronaut support.

Guy Bluford on the Chall