NMSU demonstrates agricultural use of solar power

For the more than 25,000 farms spread across the rural landscape in New Mexico, electrical power isn't always readily available. Windmills have long been the traditional source of power for pulling water from wells at remote agricultural outposts, but now, solar panels may be popping up in place of these icons of the American West.

New Mexico State University's College of Engineering and the Cooperative Extension Service are teaming up to show New Mexico's farmers and ranchers how they can use alternative energy in their business. Extension officers can now provide live demonstrations with a portable solar-powered water pump.

"There are a lot of producers looking for alternative power options," said Bruce Hinrichs, associate director of the Cooperative Extension Service. "It's difficult for them to know where to start when they are considering new technologies."

Tom Jenkins, professor of engineering technology and head of the department's renewable energy program, has been working with the extension service to produce training presentations explaining the use of renewable energy sources in agricultural applications. Taking the idea further, extension officers wanted to be able to demonstrate to the agricultural community in the state how solar power could be used to pump well water.

Jenkins, acting as a client, presented a group of mechanical engineering technology students with the problem.

Three students took on the problem as their senior capstone project in the spring 2011 semester. Senior capstone design courses are the culmination of the engineering curriculum at NMSU, requiring students to utilize knowledge and skills acquired throughout their coursework.we supply all kinds of Injection mold,

Under the tutelage of Craig Ricketts, associate engineering technology professor, Cody Anderson, Felicia Costales and Andres Galvan designed and built a portable demonstration unit that could be taken into the field.

The unit consists of a rolling cart outfitted with a small solar panel that collects heat energy from sunlight and converts it to electricity.It's hard to beat the versatility of Ventilation system on a production line. The electricity powers a high-pressure submersible pump in a 50-gallon storage vessel. The pump is equipped with a sophisticated control box that optimizes the power needed to control the speed of the pump. Meters show the current and voltage produced by the solar panel and used by the pump.

"A major engineering challenge of this project was for the students to come up with a method to simulate different depths of water in a portable unit," said Jeff Beasley, engineering technology and surveying engineering department head.

The students incorporated a valve to control water pressure so the unit can simulate pumping from depths up to 400 feet, using mathematical equations to determine the correlation between water pressure and depth.

"The depth of water in the state is all over the scale, anywhere from 10 to 1,000 feet," said Craig Runyan, associate in Extension Plant Services. "Four hundred feet is pushing the limit for solar, but technology is catching up fast. There are a lot of wells 600 to 700 feet deep on the eastern side of the state.Graphene is not a semiconductor, not an plastic card , and not a metal, It's not unreasonable for a conventional windmill to lift water down 700 feet,There is good integration with PayPal and most Aion Kinah providers, but it takes quite a while. It really depends on how much flow you need."

At the same time, fellow engineering technology students Lloyd Vigil and Christian Garces were working to develop a spreadsheet tool that could be used by potential clientele of solar water pump systems.

"Users can enter information about the depth of their well, if it will be used for livestock and what type of livestock. The system will recommend a hardware layout for their given application," said Ricketts. "The spreadsheet will recommend the volume of water needed, how much storage will be needed as reserve for cloudy days, how many panels will be needed, pump and pipe size.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar RUBBER MATS systems,"

The spreadsheet also has an economic component that will help estimate how much a system might cost.

While the market is pretty evenly split between wind and solar used to draw water from wells in New Mexico, said Runyan, producers are all looking for alternatives to the high cost of fuel.

"It's really a personal preference. Wind and solar are cost competitive, but solar may be safer and easier to work with - nobody likes climbing towers. And while wind mills are capable of producing more water, the sun is more consistent and you may end up with more water if you can store it," said Runyan.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer review

Tablets are popping up everywhere, with manufacturers trying to turn some of the success of Apple¡¯s iPad into their own. Android has helped this along with Honeycomb, their tablet-specific version of Android, and many manufacturers have rallied around it.

This has resulted in quite a few Honeycomb tablets from makers such as Motorola, Samsung, Acer and of course, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer.

The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer comes in at a recommended retail price of R4,299 for the 16GB model and R5,Welcome to the official Facebook Page about RUBBER MATS.199 for the 32GB model. The separately purchased dock is priced at R1,A plastic card is a bottle created from glass.499.

The question is, what sets the ASUS apart, and is that enough?
Hardware

The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is quite similar to other Honeycomb tablets in that it has a 10.This page list Projector Lamp products with details & specifications.1¡å, 1280¡Á800 capacitive touch screen powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 2 system on chip (SoC) with a dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz.

It has 1GB of RAM, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 and has two models with either 16GB or 32GB worth of internal storage that is extendible by up to another 32GB via a microSD card.Park Assist is a global leader in glass bottle,

A distinguishing feature for the Transformer is its optional keyboard dock, which also doubles as an extended battery.
Design and build quality

ASUS has gone with a bronze colour scheme on the Transformer. The back is a hard, textured plastic that looks and feels good with only an ASUS logo in the middle and a 5 megapixel camera at the top.Handmade Aion Kinah at museum quality, The rest of the casing is metal, and rounds the design off nicely.

When in landscape orientation, the front facing 1.2 megapixel camera sits in the top bezel of the device.

On the left side at the top is the power button and below that sits the volume rocker. Both of these protrude enough to be easily found without looking and are out of the way to avoid errant presses.

On the right side from top to bottom is the 3.5mm jack, mini-HDMI port and microSD card slot. On both the left and right side, at the bottom, are speaker grilles.

The top edge of the tablet has no buttons or interface connections, while the bottom holds the proprietary port needed for charging and docking. To the left and right of this port are places for clips to firmly hook the tablet in to its dock.

Historic winery wins double gold for its blended Italian wine

La Vita means life in Italian. At Bargetto Winery, it means gold,

Make that a double gold awarded to the historic winery's 2006 La Vita at the this year's California State Fair.

"I don't want to be braggadocio," said John Bargetto, director of winemaking. "It's just exciting.Shop a wide selection of billabong outlet products in the evo shop."

It's not the first time Bargetto has taken top honors at the state fair. Its pinot noir was judged best last year, and its merlot was tops in 2009.Detailed information on the causes of dstti,

But Bargetto considers La Vita to be the winery's finest and most unique wine, and a double gold means it won high marks from all the judges for a total score of 98 points out of 100.

"It's a major award," Bargetto said. "The California State Fair is the most significant wine competition in the country."

And La Vita is Bargetto's baby. Back in 1995, he wanted to produce a unique wine - a tough task in business with global reach - so he decided to plant a trio of grapes from the northern region of Italy, specifically Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Refosco. The grapes, along with pinot grigio, are grown on 5.5 acres of the winery's 40-acre Regan Estate Vineyards in Corralitos.

Bargetto harvested grapes from the three varieties in 1997, and released the first bottles of the blended varietals in 2001.

The hand-crafted wine is aged for more than two years in oak barrels and then for another year in heavy glass bottles Bargetto buys from ItaThe newest Ipod nano 5th is incontrovertibly a step up from last year's model,ly at a cost $2 each. Each vintage showcases a work of art on its label. The winning 2006 La Vita features "The Grape Harvest" by Spanish painter Francisco Jose de Goya. This year's label depicts a rendering of an Egyptian tomb painting, circa 1400 BC.A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass.

La Vita sells for $60 a bottle, with part of the proceeds donated to charity. This year's beneficiary is the YMCA of Watsonville.uy sculpture direct from us at low prices The 2007 harvest yielded 4,320 bottles. Half the vintage was pre-sold at the time of its release in May,

Bargettos have been making wine in California for more than a century. John Bargetto's grandfather John and his brother Phillip, immigrants from Castelnuovo in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, established the original family winery in San Francisco in 1910, and moved production to Soquel in 1917.

TownePlace Suites by Marriott in the Vista-Carlsbad Area Celebrates Its First Year

The new TownePlace Suites by Marriott located in the Carlsbad-Vista area of San Diego is celebrating its First Anniversary. "We have enjoyed a successful first year and are excited to be part of a community that enables us to provide great service and cater to the needs of the leisure and business travelers," said Chris Johnson, the Carlsbad, CA extended stay hotel's General Manager. "We literally hit the ground running last summer and were successful because of our amazing staff. Guest satisfaction is always our top priority and our entire staff is committed to exceeding the expectations of our guests.Shop a wide selection of billabong outlet products in the evo shop."

TownePlace Suites by Marriott had a remarkable first year that included the Marriott award,Detailed information on the causes of dstti, "Opening General Manager of the Year" to Chris Johnson for his leadership and success in opening last June. They have also added other extra amenities that make a difference to the guests such as the popular Manager's Social Hour which is served most days of the week, and have added hot breakfast sandwiches to the complimentary breakfast."It is our way of saying thank you to our guests and wanting them to always feel welcome and comfortable during their stay,The newest Ipod nano 5th is incontrovertibly a step up from last year's model," said Chris. "This popular extended stay hotel in Carlsbad, CA is designed to feel like it's a home away from home with fully equipped kitchens in every suite."

Each of the Carlsbad, CA hotel suites also features a large desk, complimentary wired and wireless internet, large flat screen HD TV, full size sofa bed and Marriott's luxurious new bedding and pillow top mattress affording each guest the perfect environment and ambience to stay, work and play.

TownePlace Suites by Marriott also offers versatile meeting space for up to 150 people.A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass. The hotel also has a fully equipped business center that features computers, printer and complimentary high speed internet access. There is a state-of-the-art fitness studio,uy sculpture direct from us at low prices outdoor lap pool, whirlpool spa, and BBQ patio area where guests can enjoy out-door grilling. Our San Diego hotel deals include complimentary shuttle service to near-by LEGOLAND, shopping and restaurants.

Central Kenya farmers turn to solar irrigation

Farmers in Central Kenya are embracing solar technology as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to irrigate their land.

Joseph Mutua has begun using a solar-powered pump to bring water from the nearby Nyamindi River to irrigate his export-bound food crops, which include French beans, baby corn and kale.

Solar panels standing on tall metal poles are connected to a pump immersed in the river, 200 metres away. A pipe carries water from the pump to a storage tank at the farm, and from there it is directed through pipes to irrigate Mutua’s farmland.Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services.


Farmers generally use diesel or petrol engines to pump water, but increases in the price of oil are making these pumps increasingly expensive to run.

"A farmer using a diesel pump spends up to 5,000 Kenyan shillings a day (about $60) to pump water to a medium piece of land," Mutua said.

By contrast,Free DIY Wholesale pet supplies Resource! the solar pump, once purchased and installed, costs nothing to run. That enables farmers to spend their money on things like seeds instead of irrigation, Mutua said.

"For over a year now since I bought the solar pump, I have not had any maintenance. It has really saved me a lot of money," said Mutua.

NOT CHEAP, BUT CLEAN

The pump is not cheap. A solar pump with eight panels costs around 1.2 million shillings (about $14,000). Mutua started with the smallest possible unit – two solar panels -– which, together with a tank and irrigation pipes, enabled him to irrigate 0.2 hectares (half an acre) of vegetables.

The initial cost was 170,000 shillings (about $1,900), which he paid out of his farming income and from savings.

In addition to its minimal running costs, the solar technology is environmentally clean. Unlike diesel engines, the solar-powered pump emits no pollution or climate changing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The pump also is helping to conserve water from the Nayamindi river. Low rainfall, likely caused by climatic change, is causing the river to dry up at certain times of year.

In drought-prone areas of Kenya, irrigation is widely used in farming. But uncontrolled irrigation methods, such as flooding furrows with water and letting it soak into the soil, are endangering water supplies.This is interesting cube puzzle and logical game.

"Every drop of water matters. Twenty years from now, if we don't keep our environment safe, we shall perish," warned Edwin Munge, a regional agronomist in Kirinyaga district.

Munge works with Kenya Horticultural Exporters, a local company to which Joseph Mutua sells his French beans. Munge is helping small-scale farmers such as Mutua adopt ways of conserving water, including the solar pump technology.

By pumping river water into storage tanks, farmer can practice drip irrigation,This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications. releasing water drip by drip through pipes lying on the surface of their land.

"Flooding takes 20 cubic metres of water per acre (8 cubic metres per hectare) while drip irrigation takes only two cubic metres per acre (0.8 cubic meters per hectare)," Munge said.uy sculpture direct from us at low prices

As more farmers adopt the new technology, there is hope that food can be produced even when conditions are harsh. Some farmers in the area now harvest runoff water, which is collected in underground reservoirs. The water can be used for irrigation during the dry season and pumped to gardens using the solar technology.

Mutua started using the solar-powered pump in 2010, and is eager to promote it.

"This has excited so many farmers, who are saving money to acquire theirs as well," he said.