What’s so special about Gorilla Glass?

Many vendors are quick to trumpet the use of Corning's Gorilla Glass in their products. The glass is used as a protective outer layer for many devices, from smartphones to large flat panel televisions. But what makes Gorilla Glass different?

The answer lies in the composition of the glass itself. Most display glass is an alumina silicate formulation, which is made up of aluminum, silicon, and oxygen. The glass also contains sodium ions spread throughout the material. And this is where the difference starts.

The glass is put in a bath of molten potassium at about 400 degrees. The sodium ions are replaced by potassium ions in a process that's a bit like soaking a pickle in salty brine. It's a diminishing process: More of the sodium ions are replaced by potassium at the surface of the glass, and then fewer and fewer are exchanged as you go further into the glass.

Why change from sodium to potassium? Sodium (Na) has an atomic number of 11, while potassium (K) has an atomic number of 19. If you remember your high school chemistry, this indicates that the potassium atoms are significantly larger than the sodium atoms. (The atomic radius of a neutral sodium atom measures out as 180 pico-meters and potassium at 220 pico-meters, so potassium measures out as more than 20% larger.)

Imagine that you have a box packed tightly with tennis balls. What would happen if you took out the top layer of tennis balls and replaced them -- one for one -- with larger softballs? The softball layer would be squeezed together much more tightly and it would be harder to get one out.

That's what happens with glass when the potassium ions take the place of the sodium ions. The potassium ions take up more space and create compression in the glass. This makes it more difficult for a crack to start, and even if one does start, it is much less likely to grow through the glass.

The concept of strengthening glass through ion exchange is not new; it has been known since at least the 1960s. And other companies offer glass that has been strengthened by this type of process. Corning's Gorilla brand of strengthened glass has gained considerable market share, however, and has a very visible presence in the marketplace.

The company Corning working on this technology and come up with innovations like Gorilla Glass Windshield for Automobiles (Ford GT) and "A Day made up of Glass" Concept.

Technology and Spirituality

      We live in the digital world today. The advances in technology can be observed in everything from electric current to global communications.The rapid growth in the technology boosting our demand considerably. Navigation system in cars, mobiles and lots of applications on a touch of button on the internet makes our life much easier. As I mentioned in my previous blog , in the modern medical science, use of prognostic and diagnostic systems have enriched the medical field.

     The technology is very much useful but it is like a double-edged sword. It changes the life of an individual but it may be better or worse. Using internet, mobiles we can now communicate very easily with faster rate. But there is always a feeling of "Somewhere something is missing". No doubt that we are developing by virtue of technological growth, it is much easier now  to learn about anything by connecting to the internet, but excitement, enthusiasm of having actual experience is missed out. It's sometimes gives the experience of pseudo world. We can see the pictures of nature on the internet but we cannot experience the breeze, real atmosphere.

    The downside of the technology is such as people are loosing patience, thinking more than their ability and tendency of having giant things in affordable cost is increasing day by day. The disturbance caused to the mindset due to lack of consistency, patience makes the life uncertain and unrealistic. Spirituality has the good solution to these issues.

   Spirituality separate a person from dependence on material things and establish a great purpose. Spirituality is the only thing as a way out to cope up with the change or uncertainty due to downsides of technology. Because spirituality is more an individual practice and has to do with having sense of peace and purpose. It can often be practiced alongside things like yoga, which ultimately focus on stress relief and release of emotion. Spirituality is the re-charger of a mind. Technology resolve the problem which more associated with materialistic thing but spirituality resolves the problem of mindset which plays a vital role to achieve peace, joy and wisdom; Hence technology makes the nation developed and spirituality makes the nation prosperous.

Fighting over Steering Wheel...

Self driving cars, once the exclusive domain of science fiction, are now reality. Google has been working on Self Driving Car Project and tested many prototypes with modified Lexus SUVs and prototype vehicles that are designed from the ground up to be fully self driving.

Google's Self Driving Car Prototype

While Google is all set-up for launching its driverless car technology in market, California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) proposed draft of new rules for autonomous vehicle, which left Google and other staunch supporters of this technology "perplexed". Along with regulation call for safety and performance standards, the rules also call for a licensed human driver, capable of taking over the wheel and pedals in the event of an emergency. That could be problem for Google, whose driverless cars don't use pedals or steering wheels.

Company said, Google wants to transform transportation through its work to develop vehicles that can shuttle people from place to place with the push of button and reduce accidents caused by human errors; Safety is top priority and motivator in Google's driverless cars. In direct response to DMV's proposed regulation, Google executive and robotic-car expert Chris Urmson wrote a blog post Thursday on Medium.com blasting the rules as a step back from progressive 2012 state regulation that allowed for the development of occupant as passenger vehicles without a steering wheel or pedals.

According to some of the Technical Analytics, the rules shouldn't be problem. There are not millions of them on road. And as technology is in prototype stage, additional changes can be made to have steering wheel and pedals again. Also, the other automotive companies like Ford are showing interest in Google's Self Driving Cars, technology will have huge development and popularity in future.

California might be looking at the broader aspect of autonomous cars, beyond just Google and has gone more conservative with requiring an operator. But it is disappointing for technical society that, legislators are limiting the potential of fully Autonomous System. Removing "Driverless" from Driverless cars and doubting the capability to achieve its goal can be slight hold-up for development of Autonomous Technology.

BE DISRUPTIVE or BE DISRUPTED

Have you ever wondered why few well established companies like Nokia, Kodak and other have failed to sustain in market in spite of having a well defined marketing strategy, technological upper hand and a well established reputation. Its not that they missed out something while figuring out their business plan or they missed a key input from the survey they do; it was actually inevitable. The answer to this unforeseen threat heading their way was given by Mr Clayton M Christensen from Harvard Business school in the year 1990. He termed it as "Disruptive Technological change" in one of his book "The Innovator's Dilemma". This book consists of his study of many multinational companies downfall; like IBM, Sears, Digital Equipment Corporation and many more. For example IBM, during its time was a leader in the market of mainframe computing, but some how missed the opportunity to understand the need to enter the minicomputer market, hence loosing a big chunk of  global market.

What is a Disruptive Technology?

As he mentions in his book, there are mainly two types of innovations; sustaining innovation and disruptive/radical innovation. The technology that enters the market with medium scope; i.e. meeting the needs of average range customers and gives a medium level margin initially, is worked upon and made more advanced with time, is called as sustaining innovation.A disruptive technology is introduced in the market with very few features in it, manufactured cheap and gives a low performance; mainly targeting low end customers, who don't need many features and are happy with the minimal performance of it.

                                                

The above graph shows the entry of disruptive technology in the low level market and with due course of time, developments are made in it technologically making it in demand in the upper most level market.

How does it affect the Companies in competition?

Initially, the companies's R&D comes with some out of the box idea/ technology/product plan, then the sales department asks their most closely related customer of the need of this product to them with the intention to see the future scope of the product. The customer due to some reason; either financial constraint or lack of foresight says NO. Hence the company decides to cancel this project.

Meanwhile, some one comes up with a very low standard product, consisting of very less features and at a very low cost manufactured parts. With continuous advancement, they finally end up with a product that mostly every one has and is at a low cost. And at this time, the customer asks what the hell they were doing till now and the company is in no shape to come up with something that can help them to sustain this phase.

To Be continued.....

Maglev Suspension Systems

Shanghai Transrapid

In previous article, we discussed the Maglev technology and principle on which it is working. Here, we will discuss about the different technologies or suspension system used to levitate the train, although the basic concept remains same. Even though Maglev looks like new, futuristic mode of transportation, concept was first proposed about a century ago by Hermann Kemper. First commercial Maglev developed by German company Transrapid International was tested in Shanghai, China, in 2002. Shanghai Transrapid is functional since December 2003, with average speed of 430 Km/h.

Several other countries have started working on Maglev projects. Enough research is going on to improve the technology to levitate the train. Engineers are testing there prototypes of train for commercial use.

Electromagnetic Suspension System (EMS):

Electromagnetic Suspension  (EMS) System

In Germany, the company named, Transrapid International had developed Electromagnetic suspension (EMS) System. In this system, the bottom of the train wraps around a steel guideway. Electromagnets attached to train's undercarriage are directed up towards the guideway, which levitates the train about 1 centimetre above the guideway. The system keeps the train levitated even when it is not moving. The system is provided with emergency battery backup in case of power failure. Other guidance magnets embedded in the train's body keep it stable during the travel. The company also has train in commercial use implementing EMS, known as Transrapid and can reach the speed of 500 Km/h with people onboard.

Electrodynamic Suspension System (EDS):

Electrodynamic Suspension  (EDS) System

US & Japanese engineers are working on a competing version of Maglev trains SCMAGLEV, that uses Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS) System. The key difference is, Japanese trains uses supercooled, superconducting electromagnets, This kind of electromagnets can conduct electricity even after the power supply is shut off. The trains using this technology can levitate nearly 10 centimetres above the guideway. But, the train using EDS, must roll on the rubber tires until it reaches a lift off speed about 100 Km/h. Also, wheels have advantages during power failure of system to slow down the train.

EDS saves the energy by cooling coils, however, also the cryogenic system use to cool the coils can be expensive. Also, passengers with pacemakers would have to be shielded from magnetic fields generated by the superconducting electromagnets.

Inductrack:

Inductrack

Inductrack is a newer type of EDS that used permanent room temperature magnets to produce the magnetic field instead of super-cooled superconducting electromagnets. Inductrack also uses auxiliary wheels to accelerate until it begins to levitate. The permanent magnets made from neodymium- iron boron, which generates intense magnetic field are used. Magnets are arranged in a Halbach array so that, the intensity of magnetic field concentrates above the array to create enough levitating force.

Introduction to MagLev - Magnetic Levitation for Transportation

Maglev Train

In last discussion, we discussed about the electromagnetic induction and application of induced eddy current in induction cooktop. Here, we will discuss about Electromagnets application in transportation field. Electromagnets are temporary magnets produced due to flow of electric current through conductor coil. It also has poles which can attract or repel depending upon the polarity. Repulsion force of the electromagnet used for levitation of objects. This electromagnetic levitation is about to bring the revolution in the transportation.

Maglev train is new way of transportation which uses magnetic levitation to transport the vehicle without touching ground. Magnetic levitation is used to create both lift and propulsion. Maglev moves more smoothly and quietly. Due to absence of friction power consumption for propulsion is relatively less and thus it holds some of high speed records for rail transportation.

Maglev Propulsion:

Maglev Guideway

Maglev is short for Magnetic Levitation. Unlike conventional train maglev do not have engine to pull cart along the track. Maglev floats over guideway using basic principle of magnetic repulsion and same used to propell the train. The magnetised coil running along the track, called guideway, repels the large magnets on the train's undercarriage, allowing the train to levitate 1 to 10 centimeters above the guideway. Once the train is levitated, power is supplied to coils within guideway walls to create a unique pattern of magnetic field that pull and push the train along the guideway. The electric current supplied to the coils in the guideway walls is alternating to change polarity of magnetized coils. This change in polarity causes magnetic field in front of train to pull the vehicle forward, while the magnetic field behind the train push the train. The propulsion is same as linear motor.

Linear Motor Propulsion for Maglev

Lack of friction and trains aerodynamic design allows the train, to reach ground speed of more than 500 km/h. In comparison, Boeing 777 can reach top speed of 905 Km/h. Developers say that Maglev will eventually link cities that are up to 1000 miles apart.

Germany and Japan both are developing maglev train technology. Although, based on similar concept, both have distinct differences in technology used to create lift and thrust. We will discuss more about it in next section.

How The Maglev Works

Eddy Current, One that blows Transformers, Cooks Food in Kitchen

Eddy currents or Foucault currents are circular currents induced within the solid block of conductor due to time-varying magnetic field around it. Eddy currents take time to build up and can persists for long time (Actually, it is analogous to turbulence in the water or swirls known as eddies). It is undesirable effect commonly observed in the electric transformer, causes heating of the core. Overheating of the transformer may lead to failure of the transformer.

Eddy Current in Unlaminated & Laminated Core

According to Faraday’s law of induction, the high frequency moving/ varying magnetic field possess the ability to induce current in the conductor in its field. The coil wound around the core of the transformer generates the electromagnetic field which passes through core. The electrons in the core experience the Lorentz force. Electrons start to move in direction such that the magnetic field produced due to their motion will oppose the magnetic field which cause them to move. According to Lenz’s law this induced current moves circular loop (swirls) within the solid core and keep generating heat in the core. Sometimes transformer fails due to excessive heat generated. That’s why the core of the transformer is made of laminated plates stacked together instead of a solid metal core or poorly conductive material (ferrite core). Core made of laminated plates stacked together minimises the eddy currents.

Eddy Currents Formation

Eddy currents are not always undesirable. Eddy current used for electromagnetic braking of locomotives. Since there is no contact with brake shoe and drums no mechanical wear. Eddy currents are used for non- destructive testing of materials. The phenomenon is fundamental of some of sensors (Proximity sensor).The heating effect is used for electric heating of ores or metals to melt them in foundry. Induction heating is innovative and clever way to cook the food.

Induction Cook-top Working Principle

The induction cooktop uses same phenomenon which causes transformer core to heat. Induction cooktop has electric coil placed below, which produces magnetic field. The cookware to be placed on top must be made up of conductive or ferromagnetic material and with flat bottom so as to make more contact with magnetic field. The current in the coil induces the small eddy currents of about one volt in the bottom of the cookware causes to heat the bottom of pot. These currents come equipped with their own magnetic fields result is a lot of swirling, churning, pushing and pulling of the molecules within the material in cookware.

Other than commercial and industrial use eddy currents has some attractive experiments to demonstrate like levitation and repulsion of metallic objects. When magnet is allowed to fall through copper tube, the speed of a magnet considerably reduces. This is because eddy currents are produced in the copper tube due to motion of magnetic field associated with magnet. The electromagnetic force produces by these eddy currents in the copper tube opposes the magnet field of magnet, hence the motion of magnet. Experiment explains the electromagnetic braking fundamentals.