#new energy battery insulation

[giazhou1]

Semi-rigid melamine foam, as an environmentally friendly material, has a wide range of application prospects. In the future, with the continuous advancement of science and technology and the enhancement of people's environmental awareness, it is believed that melamine foam will play a greater role in the fields of automobiles, packaging, decoration, home appliances and other fields, bringing people a more comfortable and safer living environment.

[bajeria]

Bajeria - Braided Copper Flexible Connections | Jumpers | Connectors , BUSBAR COPPER FLEXIBLE CONNECTORS INSULATED

Bajeria Industries specializes in manufacturing a wide range of busbar connectors, including Battery Soft Connection Flexibles, Insulated Flexible Copper Busbars, Busbar Flexible Connectors, Flexible Aluminium Busbars, Insulated Flexible Busbars, Copper Flexible Busbars, Insulated Copper Flexibles, and Flexible Busbars. They also offer Storage Energy Battery Busbars and New Energy Battery Packs Copper Busbars, catering to the needs of the energy storage and battery industry. Additionally, they provide Battery Aluminium Busbars for efficient power distribution in battery systems. Bajeria Industries is committed to delivering high-quality and reliable busbar solutions for various applications.

https://www.bajeria.com/flexible-insulated-busbars.html

[panem-crustus]

SOUDOUGH SALUTATIONS!!!

I am the one and only Carbohydramancer on/ in the @wizard-island-trading-co! I am a Carbohydramancer, that is, a manipulator of Carbohydrates. A bread wizard, basically. My magics are based mostly on semantics. If it can technically be called bread, I can make it.

Pronouns: He/Him

CURRENT STOCK

Battery Acid Hawaiian Buns: An extremely potent electromagical power source. Boosts the power of any electromagical devices and machines hooked up to it. Requires Bottled Lightning and Lithium to bake. Handle only with insulated gloves.

Loaf of Armorsoul: Temporarily boosts defense In organic beings and repairs Automatons when consumed. Any bread baked using @odd-animated-armor's chest cavity results in this bread. This is the only way I've been able to replicate the recipe thus far.

_________________________

UPDATED: Starlight Sourdough: A mystical, mostly untested recipe. A potent, edible source of mana that is arguably more appetizing than a vial of purple goo. I used the Spores of a rare Starlight Mushroom as yeast for a Sourdough Starter, resulting in a promising way to cultivate the notoriously finicky fungus. The recipe has been stabilized, and is being used as a mana power source for @wizard-island-trading-co's Moon-Garden Dyson-Swarm.

Starlight Sourdough-Based effects (made to order):

Total Cleansing: clears all magical status effects and transformations, aside from Trans Magics.

Vitality Enhancement: Enhances your body to handle deadly poisons and fight off any disease or other foreign infection .

SPONTANEOUS MANA COMBUSTION: Causes your mana pathways to overload and have a meltdown that deals devastating damage at the cost of your ability to use magic, at least until you can be properly healed. ⚠️USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION⚠️

_________________________

Bread Bowls full of The Stew: They're bread bowls full of The Stew. Delicious. Mmmm stew. NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INJURY CAUSED BY THE STEW.

Accursed Garlic Bread of Breath Cleansing: Asexual Vampires Rejoice! Consumable for vampires and freshens the breath! All the good of garlic bread with none of the bad! Hurrah! Huzzah!

Sunlight Loaf: Imbued with Radiant Energy, this bread is a bite of sunshine on even the cloudiest of days. It perfectly replicates the nostalgia of Mom's cooking (or nostalgic equivalent) to give a bit of comfort when you need it.

Moonlight Loaf: Baked with Midnight Flour, this bread is a taste of darkness on even the sunniest of days. It perfectly replicates the traumatic experiences of your youth (or any point in your life) to add a dash of despair when you just need a good cry.

CUSTOM ORDERS!!!

Need a pita with a purpose? A magical managerie of baked goods can be at your fingertips! Just tell me the desired effects and I'll see what I can do. I don't take money for my services, however. I take exotic ingredients from which to craft new and exciting pastries.

Please place your orders through the root post or askbox, thanks :)

SOURDOUGH SAYONARA!!!

SECRET BLACK MARKET BREADS:

Biscuit of Testicular Torsion: Leave this unsuspecting biscuit in your victim's fridge. They will eat it, guaranteed. Just wait and listen for the screams. Does not work on those who lack testes.

Baked Horrors: do not. dont. Don't do it you won't like it. Neither will they. Dont.

Bread That Gives @the-gnomish-bastard a migraine every time you take a bite of it: This bread's effects are a mystery.

Not Bread: this is just some gravel I shoveled off of a riverbed.

[beautyandlifestyleblog86]

Ways to practice eco-friendly living in your home

1. Reduce energy consumption:

- Install energy-efficient appliances and LED light bulbs.

- Turn off lights and unplug electronics when not in use.

- Use natural light as much as possible.

- Set your thermostat to a lower temperature in winter and higher in summer.

- Insulate your home properly to reduce heating and cooling needs.

2. Save water:

- Fix any leaks in faucets and toilets promptly.

- Install low-flow showerheads and faucets.

- Collect rainwater for watering plants.

- Only run the dishwasher and washing machine with full loads.

- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean outdoor spaces.

3. Practice waste reduction:

- Recycle paper, plastic, glass, and metal.

- Compost kitchen scraps and yard waste.

- Opt for reusable products instead of disposable ones (e.g., cloth napkins, rechargeable batteries).

- Avoid single-use plastics, such as plastic bags and water bottles.

- Use a reusable shopping bag.

4. Use eco-friendly cleaning products:

- Choose natural, non-toxic cleaning products or make your own using ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.

- Avoid products containing harmful chemicals that can harm the environment and your health.

5. Grow your own food:

- Plant a garden to grow vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

- Use organic and natural fertilizers instead of synthetic ones.

- Compost food scraps to enrich the soil.

6. Opt for sustainable materials:

- Choose furniture made from sustainable materials like bamboo or reclaimed wood.

- Use eco-friendly flooring options like bamboo, cork, or reclaimed hardwood.

- Select paint and other finishes that have low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

7. Reduce plastic waste in the kitchen:

- Use glass or stainless-steel containers for food storage instead of plastic.

- Replace plastic wrap with beeswax wraps or reusable silicone covers.

- Use refillable water bottles and avoid buying bottled water.

8. Conserve energy in the kitchen:

- Use energy-efficient appliances.

- Cook with lids on pots and pans to retain heat and reduce cooking time.

- Opt for smaller appliances like toaster ovens instead of full-sized ovens when possible.

9. Encourage sustainable transportation:

- Use public transportation, walk, or bike whenever possible.

- Carpool or arrange a car-sharing service with neighbors or colleagues.

- Transition to an electric or hybrid vehicle if feasible.

10. Educate and involve your family:

- Teach your family about the importance of eco-friendly practices and involve them in the decision-making process.

- Encourage everyone to adopt sustainable habits and lead by example.

- Discuss environmental issues and brainstorm new ideas for greener living.

[clatterbane]

That was some more excitement we did not need.

Dumbass here just managed to short out a 21700 battery, of all fucking things, a little while ago. They are relatively big, they hold a lot of energy by Li-ion cell standards, and they are potentially VERY full of fire and explosion.

So yeah, working with loose Li-ion cells all the time and knowing my battery safety? (Seriously, if you want to learn a lot about that, check out that guy's YouTube channel. If you ever mess with loose lithium cells for any reason, this electrical engineer is your new best friend.)

I did notice a tear in the insulator wrap on one, but did I replace it immediately? 😩 "It'll be fine for the moment."

It was not, in fact, fine.

I then compounded this error by proceeding to charge the thing. On the way out of the charger, freshly refilled with spiciness, was when I managed to short it. Because of course I did.

No actual harm done, though, and no dramatic video like with that power bank incident years back. I was right there holding the charger when it started venting and starting to smoke. I unplugged the charger as soon as I heard worrying noises, and carefully carrying the whole thing at arm's length toward the bathroom and its big solid containment vessel just in case. In the absence of any convenient bucket of sand.

This is a slightly more complicated task when you're using a manual wheelchair, do not have a Hindu iconography number of arms, and also need to pop small wheelies over thresholds in your house. So, I called for Mr. C as calmly as my excitable ass could manage, informing him that we had a battery situation andto PLEASE bring first himself and second an extinguisher. (Which I know he has somewhere in his little lair. I couldn't safely get to the kitchen one right then.)

So yeah, then we played pass the threatening charger, and he promptly ferried it and dislodged the battery into the tub. After it had calmed down enough after a couple minutes, he actually settled on taping it to the end of a wooden stick to carry it down and temporarily stash it in one of the grills outside until he was sure it was safe to dispose of more properly.

I did appreciate the prompt cool response and assistance from someone who knew what they were doing. And the lack of bitching after things had calmed down enough for me to say what had happened. (Which I probably would have just kept to myself, if I was not expecting that kind of reception.)

As it was? There was no need for the extinguisher, or eventual cleanup from that. I don't think there were actual flames at any point. Nobody got hurt. .

That charger is toast, we needed to open some windows for a while in chilly weather, and everybody here got jolts of adrenaline they weren't looking for. That was thankfully the worst that happened.

I guess any moral of this little story would have to be that, if you're going to be handling high-powered especially loose Li-ion cells? Please be careful and educate yourself about how to do it as safely as you can. Please DO NOT do like me and turn overconfident.

Also, please make sure you have some plan in case things should suddenly go south. If you manage to catch a problem promptly, it might hopefully just turn into an unwanted adrenaline and toxic fumes situation like this one, rather than something much worse in potentially painful incendiary ways.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

Inside a cinder block office building perhaps best known for the Hindu temple and table tennis club next door, a startup company is testing what may be one of the hottest new developments in clean energy technology.

At the back of a small warehouse laboratory buzzing with fans and motors, an MIT spinoff company called Electrified Thermal Solutions is operating something its founders call the Joule Hive, a thermal battery the size of an elevator.  

The Hive is a large, insulated metal box loaded with dozens of white-hot ceramic bricks that convert electricity to heat at temperatures up to 1800 degrees Celsius—well beyond the melting point of steel—and with enough thermal mass to hold the heat for days.

As the price of renewable energy continues to plummet, one of the biggest challenges for the clean energy transition is finding a way to convert electricity to high temperature heat so societies don’t have to continue burning coal or natural gas to power heavy industries. Another thorny issue is finding a way to store energy—in this case heat—for when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow.

“If you are running an industrial plant where you’re making cement or steel or glass or ceramics or chemicals or even food or beverage products, you burn a lot of fossil fuels,” Daniel Stack, chief executive of Electrified Thermal Solutions, said. “Our mission is to decarbonize industry with electrified heat.”

The industrial sector accounts for nearly one-fourth of all direct greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., which drive climate change, according to the EPA. Thermal batteries powered by renewable energy could reduce roughly half of industry’s emissions, according to a 2023 report by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a nonprofit, and its affiliated Renewable Thermal Collaborative. 

Additional emissions come from chemical reactions, such as carbon dioxide that is formed as an unwanted byproduct during cement production, and from methane that leaks or is intentionally vented from natural gas pipes and other equipment. 

The challenge to replacing fossil fuel combustion as the go to source for heat, is that there aren’t a lot of good options available to produce high temperature heat from electricity, Stack said. Electric heaters, like the wires that turn red hot in a toaster, work well at low temperatures but quickly burn out at higher temperatures. Other, less common materials like molybdenum and silicon carbide heaters can withstand higher temperatures, but are prohibitively expensive.

As a grad student at MIT, Stack wondered if firebricks, the bricks commonly used in residential fireplaces and industrial kilns, could be a less expensive, more durable solution. Bricks do not typically conduct electricity, but by slightly altering the recipe of the metal oxides used to make them, he and ETS co-founder Joey Kabel were able to create bricks that could essentially take the place of wires to conduct electricity and generate heat.

“There’s no exotic metals in here, there’s nothing that’ll burn out,” Stack said standing next to shelves lined with small samples, or “coupons,” of brick that he and his team have tested to find the ones with the best heating properties. 

[lennyinlordran]

Now introducing, the Estrogenerator.

As I recently discovered from a study on Penguins; that the breast tissue of Bisexual and Lesbian women contains a unique type of mitochondria that Metabolizes Estrogen and Fatty acids to produce “Sapphic Acid”, a positively charged chemical. So positively charged that each molecule carries about 44 Electron Volts of energy.

The reactor core holds a 100 gram sample of these mitochondria. Estrogen and Fats are then funneled into the core, which then spits out Sapphic Acid. The charge is absorbed by electrodes and stored in a battery.

Note: the term “titical mass” refer to the point where the reactor’s electrode chamber gains fatty acids that are ignited by the electric charge, leading to what NASA would call a RUD and what many straight men call “smoking tits.”

To prevent Pressure buildup, the reactor is occasionally injected with O2 and Caffeine. These react with the discharged sapphic acids, producing water and various sulfates. The sulfates sink to the bottom of the reactor, whereas the water is released as steam.

(also, the reactor must be heavily insulated, otherwise the reactor may gain enough charge to create arks towards ground)

(also, the released steam has a 352ppm concentration of sapphic acid. Current studies show this is too small to affect anyone’s orientation, despite what Fox News says.)

Update:

I fixed the sulfate problem and figured out how to keep it from imploding.

[june-gdprototyping]

What Industries Is Injection Molding(Moulding) Applicable To?

Injection moulding is a common manufacturing process by injecting molten plastic material into a mould so that it can be formed into the desired product shape upon cooling.

Injection moulding process has the advantages of low cost, high production efficiency and stable product quality to make it widely used in various industries. In this vast injection moulding market, there are three industries are particularly eye-catching, which are extensively used for production and manufacturing due to their specific needs and product characteristics.

1.Household Appliance Manufacturing Industry

As an indispensable part of people's daily life, the market demand for household appliances is stable and continuously growing. The injection moulding process plays a pivotal role in the manufacturing of household appliances, from the outer shell to the internal components, injection moulding technology provides key support. Most of the exterior and structural components of home appliances, such as TV remote controls, refrigerators, TV sets, air-conditioning panels, and washing machine shells, are manufactured by injection molding process.

2.Automotive Components Industry & Transportation Sector

With the booming development of the automotive industry, the auto components and parts market has ushered in unprecedented development opportunities. Components and parts such as automotive dashboards, door interior panels, bumpers, and lamp housings as well as a wide range of pipework and connections are made through the injection moulding process. These parts require not only high precision and good mechanical properties, but also need to meet the strict appearance requirements, which injection moulding process is precisely by virtue of its unique advantages, in this field to occupy a place. In addition, with the rise of new energy vehicles, injection moulded parts play an important role in the manufacturing of key components such as battery packs and motor housings.

3.Medical Device Industry

With the increasing emphasis on health, the market demand for medical devices continues to grow. In medical device manufacturing, the injection moulding process is used to produce disposable medical devices such as syringes, infusion tubes and surgical instruments. These products require strict quality control and hygiene standards, and injection moulding process ensures product safety and effectiveness.

In addition, the injection moulding process is also widely used in the electrical and electronic industry, consumer electronics, packaging industry, toy manufacturing, construction materials, industrial parts, furniture and household furnishings and agriculture, among many others.

4.Electrical & Electronic Industry

In the manufacturing process of electronic products, many components such as housings, cases, sockets, connectors, cables, switches and holders for electronic circuit boards need to be manufactured by injection moulding process. Injection moulding process can achieve precise control of product appearance, size and structure, to meet the requirements of electronic products for appearance quality, functionality and reliability.

5.Consumer Electronics Industry

In the electronics industry, injection moulded parts are equally widely used. From mobile phone housings, computer components including keyboards and mice to remote controls and battery cases, the injection moulding process offers a wide variety of appearance and structure options for electronic products. These components not only need to have good mechanical properties and appearance, but also need to have excellent electrical insulation properties to ensure the stable operation of electronic products. Injection moulding technology occupies an important position in the manufacture of electronic products due to its advantages of high precision and low cost.

6.Construction Sector

In the construction field, injection moulded parts also have a wide range of applications, the drainage systems, door and window frames, pvc pipes, valves, wire troughs, insulation materials and other construction materials and accessories are mostly manufactured by injection moulding process. These components are not only high-strength and corrosion-resistant, but also weather-resistant and easy to install, meeting the construction industry's requirements for material performance and ease of use and improve construction efficiency and aesthetics. The application of injection moulding technology in the construction field not only improves the performance and quality of construction materials, but also promotes the sustainable development of the construction industry.

7.Packaging Industry

The packaging and container industry is also one of the key application areas for injection moulding processes. Plastic bottles, food boxes, cosmetic bottles, plastic bags and other packaging containers are mostly manufactured by injection moulding process to meet food safety and aesthetic requirements. These containers need to be well-sealed, drop-resistant, retain freshness and recyclable to ensure that the products are safe and environmentally friendly. Injection moulding processes can offer flexible design and manufacturing options to adapt to different packaging needs and provide strong support for the development of the packaging industry.

These areas above are just a few examples of the application areas of the injection moulding process. In the toy industry, injection moulded parts are used to manufacture a variety of plastic toys; In the textile and clothing industry, injection moulded parts are used to manufacture accessories such as zips and buttons; In the agricultural sector, injection moulded parts are used to manufacture agricultural tools and equipment such as sprayers and watering cans; Even in the aerospace sector, injection moulded parts are also used to manufacture parts for aircraft and spacecraft. It can be said that injection moulded parts have penetrated into almost every corner of our life.

In summary, injection moulded parts play an important role in several industries by virtue of their high precision, low cost and wide applicability. The application of injection moulding process in these areas not only improves production efficiency, but also meets the needs of product diversification and individualisation. With the continuous progress of science and technology and the continuous improvement of people's requirements on product quality, injection moulding technology will continue to be widely used and developed in various fields.

[jovialtorchlight]

THE WITCH--A ONE ACT PLAY by JONNY BOLDUC

The Witch

            A play by Jonny BOLDUC

CHARACTERS:

JONNY: Male, 20-50

A young man. Troubled, disheveled. 

WITCH: Female, 20-50 

A mystical and enigmatic guide, similarly troubled.

JACOBY

Male, 10-18

A scared young boy.

 GLEN:

Male, 20-50

The embodiment of evil.

CHARLIE:

Male, 40-70

A barfly who dies.

THERAPIST:

Any gender, 40-70

A kind professional. 

SAWED MAN:

Any Gender. 20-70

A soul claimed by evil.

EMT/BYSTANDER

COP/ GUARD

BOUNCER/NURSE

JONNY:

Lights up on Jonny, centerstage. He is in a flannel shirt and has a pitchfork, dressed like he just he is in a barn. He addresses the audience directly. He is telling a story.

Three months. Doesn’t seem real. The days blur by like a roar. What did I do today, even? Well, I went out to the barn. Our barn.   I found two dead, newborn goats in a corner. Black and brown, tiny, the size of puppies, twins. The mother looked at me like she always did; huge marble eyes dilated, sideways, like they were about to bulge out of her skull. 

My farmhouse, a farmhouse that used to be ours, was down a small hill from the paddock, a half acre fenced off with a barn built at the crest of the hill. I could see it from the small wooden slat in the stall door. The baby goats were born in a bad way. It wasn’t their fault. It was November, and even with a heated blanket and  the insulation of the hay, the cold air wrapped around them,  their spirits slowly fading.  Even in April, the normal birthing season, on the cusp of spring, it was normal to lose a few babies. 

November seemed to take farm life with greed. Earlier in the month, a fisher cat had chewed through the wire of the coop and slaughtered 13 turkeys, leaving decapitated bodies piled up against the doors of the coop. 

Half of life is keeping wolves from the door, I thought as I bent over to cradle the dead goats in my arms. 

And the wolves are drawn to the scent of blood.

And there was no shortage of wolves, or blood. The whole farmed reeked of pain. At first, everything was coated in a thick film of memory. Even the pots and the pans, the coffee maker. The pang of “that was once ours.” The knowledge that she touched this mug, cupped it in her palms, let the steam rise into the chilly morning air, leaving the floating scent of coffee lifting through the house.

I snapped back to the dead goats in my arms, limp, limbs flapping around awkwardly, the mother staring at me.

It’s hard to figure out what a goat knows. Did she want a snack of grain? Most definitely. Did she miss her babies? Maybe. Sometimes, they seem like bleating animatronics, only interested in food, screaming, and breaking shit. Other times  they stare at you, long tongues lopsided, eyes sideways, looking at something beyond you, understanding what exists beyond what’s here. 

The Witch taught me how to feel that connection. That communion. Not the evil, biblical pentagram shit. But a link to something beyond. Once you know it’s present, you can feel it. 

Animals are a vessel. And it’s not a dark energy they draw from, a dark message from an abyssal place. It’s just another place, another place we go when we’re done being here. Most of the time, it works out fine. 

The witch also taught me that  everything can be perverted, can take on a new form, a terrible form.  Scene jumps to a parking lot, where the Witch, rubbing her hands together for warmth, is stranded outside of her car. 

JONNY:

Hey there. Battery dead?

WITCH:

Startled. 

Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you. Yeah, it is. 

JONNY:

I have cables in the back. 

WITCH:

Oh, you don’t need to--

JONNY: 

No problem at all. 

JONNY attaches the wires to the invisible car.

SFX: Car starting

WITCH:

Freezing.

Thank..you.

JONNY:

You got some snowflakes in your scalp.

WITCH:

What?

JONNY:

Akwardly.

I assume it’s not dandruff.

WITCH:

Uh…

JONNY:

I mean, uh, it would be ok if it was dandruff--

WITCH:

Laughing.

It’s not.  Thank you. I’ve been waiting for almost an hour.

JONNY:

Not a problem. Get in your car before you freeze. See you around.  WITCH exits. Lights dim on JONNY.  I’d like to say that it was love at first sight, that I knew she was a witch, that I felt her presence and knew that she was going to gradually teach me that I was fundamentally wrong about the universe, about the way things worked, about life and love and joy and terror.

 But as I drove out of the Walmart parking lot, the sky was just the sky, the cold was just cold, and the emptiness of a half lived life swam around me.  Days, as they often do, turned into weeks. We kept circling each other. Sometimes I noticed her, sometimes she noticed me; at least three or four times a week. In gas stations, waiting rooms, checkout lines. It became a bit of a joke shared by two near strangers; we were always together, by complete accident.

It was a hot July day, and I was at the town beach, lying on a towel. I  had been reading a book, but I closed it, and laid it on top of my eyes so the beating of the sun wouldn’t blind me. 

Monlouge breaks. We are at a beach, several weeks later. JONNY sheds his shirt and pants to a layer of swimgear underneath. WITCH is sitting on a beach chair wearing dark sunglasses and a sunhat. JONNY lays down on a towel.

I could feel my skin tightening into a sunburn, so I sat up. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw her. 

JONNY:

You again?  Jonny smiles.

WITCH:

Yep. looks like it. Grins back. 

JONNY:

I’m starting to think you’re following me.

WITCH:

Grin fades. Her tone is suddenly very, very dire. 

I’m not. Are you following me?

JONNY:

“Uh...no. And look, I’m sorry if I spooked you. It was a half-baked joke. Starts to get up. 

WITCH:

It’s okay. I didn’t think so. I just had to be sure. What’s your name?

JONNY:

Jonny. What’s yours?

WITCH:

Ignoring the question. She concentrates out into the audience, her voice falling into a  sharp  whisper. She points. That boy out by the floating dock is going to drown. Things are about to fall into place.

JONNY:

Back into narration.

Six or seven children were standing in the corner of the floating dock, trying to sink it. They did; and the other half of the dock rose into the air. 

A boy who looked to be about ten was standing on a particularly pitched part of the float. As it rose sharply, he slipped, smashed his face off of the wood, and, before his friends could catch him, slipped off into the water. 

Before I registered what I was doing, I was in the water, running, as fast as Icould; diving into the water, stroke after stroke, kids screaming, parents from the beach yelling.

Lights up on a boy, some distance from Jonny.

Rapid fire delivery. Frantic. 

JACOBY:

He was swimming quickly, and he was at the dock, I gasped and I swallowed more water and he dived under and he opened his eyes 

JONNY:

 I couldn’t see anything, just a chain attached to the slimey underneath of the dock to the bottom of the lake; breath running out, I followed the chain to the rocky bottom;

JACOBY:

But I wasn’t there either. He looked back up, and saw me, face down, under the dock. He 

JONNY:

Pushed from the bottom upwards, running out of breath.  I grabbed the boy’s limp body, and dragged him out from under the dock  with a final push before I inhaled a lung full of lakewater.  I felt the fire hit my lungs, I pushed his body up above the surface of the water and some hands grabbed him and while I wheezed and coughed—

O.S VOICE:

OH GOD HE’S NOT BREATHING!

JONNY: 

No, I thought, I just saved him, just grabbed him, I should have saved him, and I thrashed as I lost strength and before I lost consciousness I felt hands grab me and pull me— 

People rush around JONNY, who stands still, slow motion  in the middle of the chaos. Two EMTS lift Jacoby onto  stretcher and hurry him offstage. 

Everything should have been fine. EMTs were having lunch at the hotdog stand up the road; they heard the screaming and came on the scene while I was underwater. The boy was under the dock for just under a minute. The guy who jumped in right behind me was a lifeguard. The guy swimming behind him was a former Navy S.E.A.L. 

On that hot July day, everything lined up. We should have been able to save that boy—I’d learn later, from his mother, that his name was Jacoby—and he should have been the one, blue lipped, shivering, on the back of the ambulance, having his vitals monitored, coughing up water. 

While I was unconscious, I had a dream. 

BLACKOUT. Lights come up. Three distinct spotlights, the rest of the stage as black as possible. JONNY, the WITCH with her beach-chair, and JACOBY each occupy a space onstage.

                      JACOBY:

Sobbing, stifling sniffling. Where’s my mom? 

WITCH:

The spotlight follows her as she moves to JACOBY. She embraces him, and puts a hand on his head. 

She’s not here now, but you can visit her later. Why don’t we go take a walk? There are some people up by the hot-dog stand who would love to see you, Jacoby.

JACOBY:

          Oh...okay.  JACOBY begins to move, but he suddenly whips around and stares at JONNY.

        Terrified. Who is that? Out on the dock? Is he the bad? Is he going to--

JONNY:

No, no, buddy, I’m a friend, I tried to help you--

JACOBY:

He shouldn’t be here. JACOBY looks as if he is going to bolt. 

WITCH:

Stern, like a mother. Jacoby,  you need to turn toward me. Please. You don’t have to be afraid.  He is a friend.

JACOBY:

JACOBY begins to writhe. Lights make it look like energy is bursting from his skin. 

WITCH:

JACOBY! 

JACOBY:

                    It’s so hot…all this light…I can’t…

Red. Everything is washed in red. JONNY begins to narrate.

JONNY:

Breathless. 

I felt myself burn into him, felt my consciousness blend into his—for a moment--Add strobe effect—I had to stand—had to stop this— I felt my chest tighten as his eyes fixed on me and I felt the way his smashed face felt when it hit the dock and scraped against the wood and how his head pounded and he slipped and the way he tried to swim up before he lost consciousness and the way the water filled his lungs—I saw the writhing and the fear, the red open sore of the sky, the dark hue of the beach suddenly vast and endless, a void, drawing me and the boy in like a magnet, like we were being pulled; I had to stand up, do something—

BLACKOUT. In the blackout, which lasts a second or two, JONNY moves next to JACOBY and the WITCH. 

                            WITCH:

Thank you, Jacoby. Thank you for trusting us. Now, I need you to get out of the water, Jacoby.

JACOBY:

I don’t know if I can. Subtle hints that he is escalating; perhaps a strobe flashing once. 

WITCH:

You can. You can, Jacoby.

              JACOBY:

         Turns to JONNY. 

     I’ll do it if he jumps in.

WITCH: 

                                                 Addressing JONNY. Friend. You don’t have to jump.

JACOBY:

                                      Petulant. Yes he does!  I won’t do it if he doesn’t!

JONNY:

Narrating.  I looked down at the water. It was black, oily, bubbling.  I glanced back at Jacoby. I didn’t know what was going to happen to him if I didn’t jump. But the fear in my chest told me he would be lost, swallowed up by whatever this oily water was. 

Breaking back.

Alright. On the count of three. 

BOTH:

One. 

Two. 

Three. 

          JONNY jumps. BLACKOUT.

SCENE 2

JONNY:

Laying down on a stretcher stage center, with an EMT leaning over him... Lights dim on JONNY and an EMT. 

JONNY coughs. 

                  Where is he? Where’s Jacoby?

EMT:

                                                    Woah, take it easy. Who’s Jacoby?

JONNY:

Speaking hurts. The kid. Underwater. Jacoby.

Silence. After a pause. 

            EMT:

    His parents said they didn’t know you. How do you know his name?

JONNY:

A bad liar. Somebody yelled it. How long was I unconscious? 

EMT:

Three minutes. No matter what happened to Jacoby, it wasn’t your fault. You tried to save him.

JONNY STANDS. EMT’s exit, wheeling the stretcher off. The BEACH scene is over, and JONNY is narrating. 

JONNY:

For a while, I convinced myself that the  the dream was my mind responding to the influx of trauma and the lack of oxygen and the exhaustion.  A few days passed. Jacoby’s family called me a few times, told me it wasn’t my fault, that I was a hero for trying to save him. They asked me to come to his funeral. I couldn’t.  I could barely leave my apartment. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Jacoby. Or the black, oily water.

And in my dreams, I was standing on the edge of the dock, staring at the bubbling void and Jacoby's blue bloated bloody face rose up from the depths and he was sobbing, asking me why I didn’t swim faster, why I couldn’t save him.

When I drank, I fell asleep and I didn’t have dreams. So I took to drinking.

 Hard.  We are now in the interior of a car. There is an open bottle of whiskey barely concealed underneath a coat in the drivers seat. JONNY is driving. He mimes falling asleep. SOUND FX: CRASH. JONNY stumbles out of his car; from the opposite side of the stage, the Witch stumbles out of hers. A small crowd forms around. 

JONNY:

             Drunkenly. Anyone have any---uh, Listerine? Or Tik Tacks? 

JONNY and the WITCH notice eachother. 

                      WITCH: 

It’s…you. 

JONNY:

Sure is. Your eyes are bloodshot as fuck. Also, you smell like…a…whiskey…factory. I do too. Damn it. Tell me, when I jumped, did Jacob…

WITCH:

He made it.

A bystander approaches. 

BYSTANDER:

Are you both…drunk?

JONNY:

Then why am I…

WITCH:

Having the dreams? You jumped in. 

Blue lights flash.

                          JONNY:

I had to. I had to jump.

WITCH:

Smiling. Once we sober up and post bail, we have to talk. 

COPS ENTER.

JONNY: 

The Witch was right. We both got arrested. My coat fell off the bottle during the force of the crash. I glanced at it. It was almost empty. I did a quick calculation; I had been drinking heavy for six months. I didn’t even notice when the bottle was gone. The bottle was the first thing the cop saw. I saw him put on some gloves and grab it. Another cop car rolled in. 

COP:

Not really a question. You been drinking, sir?

JONNY:

Addressing audience. I shouldn’t have said anything. Should have waited for my lawyer. But I just wanted to get it over with. 

Addressing COP.

            Yes. 

COP: To the Witch. 

And you, miss?

WITCH: 

Yes. 

COP:

Do you two know eachother?

BOTH:

No. 

JONNY:

That was the first lie we told. Addressing the audience as he he is cuffed and led away by the COP. 

We both blew the same blood alcohol level. Way over. Both JONNY and the WITCH are sitting in the back of a cop car.  We decided, subconsciously, that the back of a copcar wasn’t a good place to talk. 

It is silent, cut by bursts of SXF: Radio chatter. JONNY leads his head back, and closes his eyes. The WITCH is asleep as well. 

For the first time in six months, when I closed my eyes, I didn’t see Jacoby. I saw her face. I understood her.  I knew she was as tired as I was. She had the same dreams of Jacoby dying.  When we got to the jail, we were separated. I spent a night in County, sobered up, and posted bail. First time. No convictions. Not even a speeding ticket. $500, only bail condition not to drink. 

I knew I’d probably be back behind bars. I already knew I needed a drink. I should have called a lawyer first thing. Called my parents to tell them I’d got into trouble and probably lost my job and needed help and I was so sorry—  But I didn’t . The first thing I did—and I mean the first thing—was to try and find the Witch. 

COP is now a GUARD who is handing JONNY his belongings.

                        JONNY:

 The woman I was brought in with--do you know if she’s been released?

GUARD:

Fuck off. Get out of here. Here’s your stuff. One uncharged phone, a lighter, and a wallet with 14 dollars in cash.

JONNY:

JONNY leaves, and sits at a table, drinking a coffee.  There was a Cafe down the street. I got a coffee, and sat. The morning’s paper was on the stand.  We were sure to be in there. Sure enough, I flipped to the local section of the paper, greeted by my mugshot, and hers.  Headline read, “two arrested after drunk drivers slam into each other.”

But I had something important. Her name.  I never told her that I learned her name from her mugshot. I left my coffee on the table, and left the cafe without paying for the paper. 

As JONNY leaps up from the table, he walks, and delivers these lines to the the audience. As he does, a basic apartment with a chair is set behind him. 

It was a two hour walk back to my apartment, but I made it. I charged my phone. About 100 voicemails and missed calls, from my mom, my dad, my sister. My work. I was fired. 

SOUND SXF: Phone ringing. Witch appears with a phone on the other side of the stage.

WITCH:

Hey, I found your number in the phone book...I found your address, too. I’m coming over.

JONNY:

What?

 WITCH:

Bursts through the door. Looks around. Her tone is playful.

Wow, this place is a shithole. All carpeted, right? Even the bathroom?

JONNY:

Yeah, how did you--

WITCH:

Been here before. Your closet is full of booze bottles and pizza bozes towering like a pyramid. You’re not going to get your damage deposit back, and you’re fine with that. The “living” room is a futon pad on the floor with a TV and a Playstation hooked up, and your bedroom is a mattress on the floor. You use an oversized flannel as a blanket. 

JONNY:

Uh. Yeah. How--

WITCH:

You still hungover?

JONNY:

Yeah. 

WITCH:

Well, clear the pizza box off that chair and we can talk. 

JONNY:

Hastily moves a pizza box. 

I’m sorry my apartment is such a mess.

WITCH:

I was just giving you shit. Mine is just as bad. 

JONNY:

Sits across from the Witch. They are silent, but not uncomfortably. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m so goddamn tired.

WITCH:

Me too. But it feels like we’re both back from the brink of whatever the hell had happened to us. Like we’re  finally sitting down, gasping for breath, not drowning, happy to be safe. 

JONNY:

Or at least pretending to be safe. 

WITCH:

Right.

JONNY:

So…what happened on the beach?

The Witch puts her head in her hands, slumps down. She looks up. 

WITCH:

It’s hard to explain. It’s no so much a ‘what was that,’ as a  ‘where were we?” type question. 

JONNY:

Jacoby…was dead, right?

WITCH nods.

Were we dead too? Did I die-

WITCH:

Snapping.  No. No, we weren’t dead. Jacoby died, we survived. 

JONNY:

I’m sorry. I just thought:

WITCH:

I’m sorry.  Jonny. I’ve been...going to that place...for a long, long time. As long as I can remember. And I’ve never had anyone else come with me. Usually, it’s easy. I offer a hand, tell them everything is going to be fine, and we walk. Sometimes, things get fucked up. The...bad thing comes.

JONNY sits in stunned silence. The WITCH gets up, goes to a fridge, and grabs a beer. She treats the kitchen as if it’s her own, as if she knows where everything is.  

Usually, when things get as bad as they did with Jacoby, I can’t save them. I...I try the best I can. But you...you saved him. You jumped in the water. I’ve never seen anyone do that before. 

JONNY:

                                     Sorry, what? What did I do? How did I save him?

WITCH:

He wasn’t going to go. He was going to get claimed by that...black shit, the oil. You helped him go beyond.  I want to see if you can do it again. But I need you to promise me something.

JONNY:

Gazes at her.

 Anything. 

WITCH:

                                                        You have to trust me. Please trust me. JONNY nods. The WITCH smiles, downs the entire beer in three gulps, and bounds out the door.  

                                                                              JONNY:

As he follows, he breaks, and addresses the audience.  I would have followed her anywhere.

SCENE 3

Lights up outside a dive bar called the “Blue Goose.”  JONNY and WITCH are standing. 

WITCH:

This is my favorite place. Shoulder to shoulder, shoes stick to the floor if you stand in one place for too long. 

JONNY:

Are we going inside?

WITCH:

No.  Someone is going to come out of that bar. They’re going to trip on the sidewalk, and when they fall, they’re going to get hit by a car.

JONNY:

What? We have to stop it--

WITCH:

I’ve tried. So many times. But we can’t. When it happens, let me do the talking, please.

CHARLIE stumbles from out of the bar. CHARLIE is in his late ‘60s. A BOUNCER trails behind him. 

BOUNCER:

                                                                        Go sleep it off, Charlie. 

      CHARLIE wobbles, tries to catch himself, and falls over, onto the road. SXF of screeching tires. Bouncer screams. 

JONNY:

A car raced over Charlie’s body with a thud, limbs caught in the wheels, bones snapping off like twigs. Parts of the man spilled out onto the road, crushed open like a smashed jack-o-lantern. Then, everything shifted. 

                                                            A striking shift in lighting. Stage is black again. A spotlight lights JONNY and the WITCH, and a separate beam illuminates CHARLIE. 

CHARLIE:  

Looking down at his hands. What happened? How am I sober?

WITCH:

I’m sorry, Charlie. 

CHARLIE:

Who are you? Points at JONNY. Who is he?

WITCH:

Friends. We’re here to help you, Charlie. There’s a few people waiting for you around the corner.

CHARLIE:

Who?

WITCH:

Nancy.

CHARLIE crumbles to the ground, sobbing. A light pulsates for a second, the same pulsation that happened with JACOBY. 

WITCH:

I know. You miss her. She’d love to see you, Charlie.  But we have to go. We can’t stay here.

CHARLIE:

Why?

WITCH:

“Because it’s not safe.”

CHARLIE:

Okay. 

He rises. As he rises, a sickly green lights up the stage. SXF of a screech tires. CHARLIE convulses, tendrils of sick light and smoke burst out of him. The scene is sickly green chaos. 

JONNY leaps in front of Charlie, and pull him in close, as if to protect him. SXF of a car whizzing by. 

To JONNY. 

You saved me.

JONNY:

We need to go. Before it comes back. 

They walk offstage, the WITCH holding JONNY’s hand. JONNY comes back onstage, addressing the audience. 

She slept over on the couch that night. With her there, even in the other room, I could sleep soundly. In the morning, I took her to get some coffee.

    WITCH comes onstage and they both sit at a table.

To the WITCH. So, where do you live?

WITCH:

Presses her mug tightly into her palm.  Nowhere. I got kicked out of my apartment after I was arrested.

JONNY:

TO audience.  I knew it was crazy, inviting someone I had just rear ended in a drunken bender to live with me. But I felt like I knew her. Like we had already met, that some deep part of me had studied her before, like she had spoken to me and I had listened. 

To WITCH. Do you want to move in?

            WITCH:

                                             Smiling. Sure. The WITCH addresses the audience. 

WITCH:

Jonny  moved in with me. We cleaned the place up. We went to court, lost our licenses for six months, and I managed to get a job at a Subway around the corner. His  parents helped us out with rent until Jonny got a job at a newspaper. We managed to be happy.  JONNY learned how to help people die. He learned how to exit death if things were getting bad, how to sense if the bad thing was coming. 

The first time we kissed, it was a few days before Christmas. We had been semi-platonic up until that point. We were watching the Grinch. Not the Jim Carrey one, the old school cartoon. I found it romantic, I guess. I leaned into him.

Our first kiss was on the pullout couch I slept on, and after that, I slept in the bedroom with him. The next morning, I got up before him and made eggs. She came into the kitchen, got a running start, and jumped on my back. I spun around, shifting her, and kissed him again. I grabbed his hand. And for a year and a half, we never let go. We were happy. Together. 

And we kept going to the other place. We kept saving people, walking with them. Someone would die. We would be there. We would help them along. 

One night, I went to work. And Jonny fell asleep on the couch.  WITCH exits.

JONNY:

A dream. Jacoby wasn’t there. I knew something was wrong. The dead can come in dreams, and they often do, and when the Witch and I would talk to each other about visits, it was almost like we were talking about old friends. Alvin was doing fine. Jen had managed to move on. Curtis was getting there. Mike was a piece of shit, but he was slowly learning how to not be an asshole.  The dreams followed a format. But Jacoby never showed up. He wasn’t ok. 

Lights up, mirroring the beach scene, JACOBY standing on the dock. 

                        JACOBY:

Robotic. I’m going to sink it. I’m going to sink it. I’m going to loose my balance. I’m going to fall in. I’m going to drown, bloated, blue--

              JONNY:

NO!

JACOBY:

You have to jump in. You have to save me. You couldn’t. I was under the dock, drowning, and you couldn’t save me. Step in. Save me. 

JONNY:

                             JONNY steps out of his spotlight. He yelps in pain. It is like stepping into hot coals.

WITCH:

                  O.S

                                   Jonny. Don’t. Please. You can’t save him. 

JONNY:

                                         You said he was okay. He’s not okay. 

WITCH:

                             VOICE quivering. Please, turn around. You can’t do this. 

              JONNY:

Dives into the oil.

WITCH:

Screaming. JONNY!

JONNY, in the black, makes terrible noises as if he is choking. WITCH exits. Lights flood black on. JONNY is gasping, hands to his neck, emerging from the dream.

JONNY:

I need a fucking drink.  JONNY goes to the pantry and grabs a bottle of whiskey. He grabs a shot glass, but sets it down, and insteads opts for a pint glass, filling it, and chugging it. He does the same, again. He is now addressing the audience.

I felt heavy, like the gunk had latched onto my soul. I was back in the days after Jacoby died, back to thinking that if I drank I could get rid of the stain of not being able to save him. But this was different. This time, I couldn’t save Jacoby’s soul. Reality snarled at me, bit me in the face. I was a drunk. I had a criminal record. I was broke, in way over my head. And who was she, this woman I was obsessing over, the woman who I called the witch? I had the distinct feeling that I was being drawn into something that I couldn’t quite understand. I was fucking with people’s souls. Something deeper than myself, something far, far more important than me.

I didn’t want to be drawn into anything. All I wanted to do was drink myself to death. The stakes were incredible, and I knew that I was utterly unable to deal with whatever the hell happened again if it happened again. 

            JONNY goes to the fridge and takes a bottle of chilled rum. He puts it in  a paper bag.

I left my apartment with the intention of finally fucking dying. 

                  EXIT. END SCENE.

SCENE 4

                          Dark streets of Lewiston, Maine, between three and four in the morning. JONNY is stumbling, wandering. A lost soul. The WITCH speaks from offstage. 

                              WITCH:

Lewiston, Maine is an old factory town, mills empty; a town rooted in the whirling mechanics of the past, where the fog stopped rolling and the factories shut down.  A bridge connects Lewiston and Auburn.  Jonny had  been blacked out,  and subsequently,  came too  on the bridge.

The jump might not have killed him, but the river, in the winter, was fierce, overflowing; rapid. If he jumped, it could be over. And I guess that’s what he wanted. He wanted whatever happened to him, whateverhe  almost did to Jacoby, to never happen again. 

JONNY reaches a guardrail. He lifts a leg over it. The Witch appears on the other side of the stage.

Turn around.

Blue lights flash.

              JONNY:

It has to be now. 

      WITCH:

                    Jonny, turn around. 

                          Jonny stumbles, passes out beside the guardrail. He’s safe. 

                JONNY:

They pumped my stomach and they stabilized me. While I slept, I was back at the beach, this time, on the shore. I looked down at myself, and I was coated with tarry oil; I couldn’t breathe, my lips were sealed shut by the glob, sticking to my skin, and I failed, trying to gasp, mouth sealed shut; and I couldn’t see through the oil that had solidified on my eyes, I was buried alive, standing up, and I was flailing, and I was going to die—

I felt myself scrubbed away. I felt the tar removed, but by bit, first from the mouth, so I could breathe, the eyes, so I could see, and finally, I stood whole and clean. 

Someone was scrubbing my back. I turned around. It was the Witch. 

WITCH:

Furious.   Why didn’t you turn around?  You promised you would trust me.

JONNY:

I..I couldn’t. Whatever happened to Jacoby was my fault. I shouldn’t have been there…

WITCH:

Look at me. It’s not your fault. But you have to listen to me. Please. I only have so much to give, and tonight, you took most of it.  When you see me, I’m going to be weak. I’m not going to be myself. But still, for the love of everything, you have to trust me.

JONNY:

I...I always trust…

WITCH:

No.  Angry again. If you trusted me, you would have turned around. Whatever that thing was on the dock, it wasn’t Jacoby. It wanted you to dive in, and you fell right into it.

JONNY: 

I’m sorry…

WITCH:

Anger dies. Sadness rises.  I don’t forgive you, not yet. I… I...can’t carry this weight on my own.  Anyone can be ruined, Jonny.  I love you. You can’t be the one who ruins me.

JONNY:

To the audience.  I woke up in a hospital bed, surrounded by family, with an incredible guilt. And not because I had just tried to kill myself. But because I had hurt the one who had tried to save me. The one who wanted me to be ok. I could almost feel the Witch, almost feel how that oil had set into her, how I put that heavy stone on her chest.  I spent a day in bed at the hospital.  They put me on some sedatives. The next day, they sent me to a psychward. 

NURSE enters. She is giving JONNY a tour of the ward. JONNY is shuffling behind. 

                NURSE:

This is the nurses’ stations. Line up for evening meds after dinner. Here are the showers…

The WITCH, looking incredibly awful--hair in a ragged mess, wearing dirty sweatpants--sits in a chair. The NURSE and JONNY pass by. JONNY almost walks by, but sees the WITCH. He stares at her. She doesn’t recognize him. The NURSE keeps walking, unaware that JONNY has paused.

We have group at noon, three, and six…

                            JONNY:

. To audience.  It looked like she hadn’t washed for days. Her long hair was filthy, ends frayed, and she stared off into the distance. She looked at me, but her eyes danced off somewhere else.  And, for a moment, they went black, like someone had dipped her irises in oil. 

NURSE:

                                                         Hey! You can’t be in there! Jonathan! 

                                      JONNY moves stage center. WITCH and the NURSE leave.

JONNY:

The nurses wouldn’t let me in her room. I couldn’t talk to her. I spent a lot of my time sleeping, trying to reach out to the witch, trying to meet her again.  But I didn’t know how. There had to be a ritual, some way to get to that place, the beach, the inbetween, as she called it.  But every time we went to that place, she touched me. Her touch was the gateway. And I couldn’t get near her. She spent most of her time locked in her room. Days turned into weeks. I kept sleeping. The ward was a secure floor, the rooms consisting of two beds, a desk, and a locker. My roommate was named Joe. For the first few weeks, he was detoxing, so he was in bed almost as much as I was. 

When it was meal time, we gathered in the hallway, where we all lined up while the food cart rolled in and we were served, one by one. Most everyone in the ward were detoxing, or alcoholics, or had OD’d, and it wasn’t like insane people in straightjackets. Everyone was quiet. 

Scene shifts to the ward cafeteria. 

We got our food and went into the kitchen, where they had us sign out forks and knives so no one could try to kill themselves in the bathroom.  There wasn’t much talking. We were all hungover, scared, or in withdrawal. Until the stranger came in. 

JONNY is sitting, eating. A LINE of 2-3 people has formed, and an ORDERLY is handing out food. A wild, greasy, unkempt man with hair long to his back, a pencil-thin mustache and long fingernails shuffles on with his mouth half open, in a complete daze. He walks right into the back of a woman waiting in line. She turns around, starts to say the word “sorry,” and he swings on her, screaming--

                GLEN:

                                          Don’t FUCKING TOUCH ME YOU FUCKING CUNT!

The caferia erupts. NURSES grab GLEN, and one takes the woman, who is bleeding from the face offstage. They drag GLEN offstage, leaving the stage bare, except for JONNY.

JONNY:

He was carted off to the isolation room and sedated. Dinner was normal. I went to bed.  I woke up in the morning to screaming coming from the TV room.. MAN screams.  JONNY dashes to the TV room. The asshole from yesterday’s breakfast barracaded himself inside by sticking a chair underneath the handle so it couldn’t open from the outside. The nurses were banging at the door and the patients were lining the hallway; the door to the ward flung open and five security guards poured in and pushed us back away from the door to the room.

LIGHTS transform. Stage is black, spare a spotlight on GLEN, who is holding a butterknife to a man’s throat and sawing at it. The man is thrashing, trying to get GLENN OFF, but GLEN has him in a hold.  A spotlight pops up on JONNY, who is just to the left of them. 

JONNY: It’s over. He’s dead.  Put the knife down.

GLEN:

  Yellowed teeth in a wide grin. 

                      It’s not over!  It’s not over, we’re just getting warmed up, you fucking idiot! I already got his fucking soul! I cracked his  bones and I splattered his blood on the white wall and he’s mine! Just like Jacoby!

JONNY:

 Launches himself at Glen, but as he does, it is like an explosion catapults him backwards. The man with the sawed throat begins to cough, hacking. If possible, he hacks up black liquid. 

GLEN:

This ain’t what you’re used to, bucko. Usually, that bitch you call a witch makes everything ok, right? Polly Anne takes them around the corner into forever peace. Well, I’m a greedy bastard. I want you, boy. I want everyone. And God damn am I going to take you. 

Sawed throat man convulses. LIGHTS pulsate. GLEN hovers over him. The sawed man is screaming in pain. On the other side of the stage, in the black, the WITCH has come out with a chair, and is sitting, comatose. JONNY breaks as if he is going to tackle GLEN, but runs straight past, to the WITCH. 

        GLEN: 

YOU FUCKING COWARD!

BLACKOUT on GLEN. Spotlight up on the Witch. Using black paper mache, she looks like a burned corpse. She is breathing laborously. JONNY is panting. 

Where'd ya go? Where’d ya go? To save your fucking whore of a girlfriend? I fucked her already. I’m gunna fuck ya both! Gunna rip you apart! Gunna make you watch her.

JONNY pulls the same move GLENN did and uses a chair to prop the door closed. He hastily begins to peel layer after layer of the void off of the WITCH.

Inch by inch, the WITCH is revealed. Her mouth is uncovered. She gasps. Her eyes are uncovered. She blinks.

JONNY:

              I will never let anything like this happen again, I swear to you. GLEN breaks through, into the room. JONNY squares off with him. With whatever special effects your theater can muster, GLEN unhinges  his jaw, a monster with innumerable teeth, skin dancing up like an oil flame. This is his dreadful form. JONNY holds the WITCH in his arms as GLEN hovers over them. The WITCH feebly raises her arms. GLEN freezes. JONNY and the WITCH scurry OFFSTAGE. 

                          END SCENE.

SCENE 5.

A therapist’s office. JONNY is still clad in hospital robes, and is speaking with a therapist. 

THERAPIST:

                                I’m proud of you. You’ve been doing the work. 

JONNY:

Thanks. 

THERAPIST:

Are the meds working?

JONNY:

Yeah. 

THERAPIST:

Do you think you’re ready to leave?

JONNY:

I think so. 

THERAPIST:

What’s your support system at home? What’s your discharge plan?

JONNY:

I’m going home to live with my parents. I’ll get a job at the corner store near my house. My parent’s insurance covers therapy. 

THERAPIST:

                    Great. 

THERAPIST gets up and leaves. JONNY addresses the audience.

    JONNY:

I recovered, I guess. Or I played along enough to get discharged. After Glen was arrested and sent to a max-security ward upstate, I decided to just complete the therapeutic coloring pages and say what I thought they wanted to hear.  The witch kept a distance. When she did look at me, she glanced at me, like she was ashamed, like she was the one who had fucked up royally. I knew she needed to be apart, I knew she needed to recover. So I left the ward withough saying goodbye.

A day later, I was in a minivan, my silent dad driving, my mom in the passenger's seat, smiling faintly. It was raining.  

              MOM:

      O.S

It’s good to have you home.

JONNY:

And, for a while at least, it was good to be home. The Witch gnawed at me, though. I missed her.

Sometimes, when I rose at night, alone, I’d think she was there, trick myself into thinking I saw her shadow move in the hallways. I’d say something out loud to her and expect her to respond. I’d look in the passenger’s seat and realize that she wasn’t sitting next to me and I’d slam my fists on the dash. I’d scream and pull over. Then, the dreams started. 

SAWED MAN enters with a TV remote. His throat is raw. 

SAWED MAN:

I was watching Love It or List It. I never even saw him coming. To JONNY. You know he stole my soul, right?

JONNY:

I’m sorry. 

SAWED MAN:

“No. Don’t. You don’t get to say you’re sorry. You could have tried.  SXF: Bone cracking and breaking. 

Slowly, like an owl, his head twists towards JONNY, but his neck unmoving. Black oil pours from his eyes. 

  JONNY:

This went on for a few months. The terrible nightmares, waking up in a cold sweat, continuing on with my cookie-cutter day like everything was fine. I got promoted, saved up enough money to move out again. I started looking for the dying. I needed to help.  The Witch taught me some rituals. To find a death, the mind had to be clear, and the guide, the map, was a copper pendulum, kept in a pocket, as close to the core of the body heat as possible, smudged with oils, used to ask what poor soul would soon need help leaving the earth. JONNY lights incense, and places his forearm on a table, using the pendulum.   In my mind came the location, a farm, and the time, 3 p.m., and the name. When the name came, the world crashed. Her name. The witch was going to die. 

I tried her old cell phone. It was disconnected. I ran outside, to the car, and fled as fast as I could, to the farm, out in the country, about 40 minutes away. 

The ritual was never wrong. The ritual was never wrong, but how could the Witch die? I had left her to protect her, to keep her from the slog of me, that followed me wherever I went. It was noon. She had three hours left on earth. 

Fast, pushing 80. Made the 45 minute trip in 30; everything seemed like it was blurred down into moments, each second seemed like something vital was being chipped away.  One of her first lessons she taught me after Jacoby was that you couldn't change death. It came. If the bell was rung, if the process began, it could not be stopped without a life slipping from earth.

I pulled into her driveway, skidded to a halt, kicking up dust from the gravel. I flung the car door open, kicked open her slanted gate and ran up the path, towards the white farmhouse. 

She was waiting for me on the screened-in porch. 

WITCH:

Hi. 

JONNY:

                                Frantic. Oh my God are you--do you know--

WITCH:

Yes. I am going to die. 

JONNY starts to shake, and the WITCH embraces him. They melt into eachother. She leads him to a blanket, where they lay together. 

WITCH:

I felt his pain melt away. We lay together in the dimly lit living room, candles flickering. I traced my fingers across his face, memorizing it. I pushed back his hair, studying him. He did the same.  Death isn't so bad. The hardest part is the forgetting, the forgetting of the voice, of the features of the face, the way the eyes dance and the way the skin reflects in the sun; the way the numbing of the days passed leaves the leftover, the one on earth with just an abstract thought of the tangible, living person.  I knew that. I’ve lived a long time, and I’ve seen a lot of bright lights go dark. 

I got up.

BOTH stand, and walk together.

 I could tell that he was afraid to follow. But he did. I led him outside, through my yard cluttered with scraps of wood and a rusted out grill. He followed me onto the farm,  and followed me to the back paddock, where my goats stood on the slight incline leading up to the barn, bleating loudly at us. 

To JONNY.

Close your eyes.

He does.

SXF: a gunshot. The WITCH collapses.  Shallow breathing, gurgling, breath forced like her lungs are full of pebbles;  lying in a pool of blood. 

                                         The lights change to a spotlight on the WITCH, and a spotlight on JONNY.

WITCH:

Come. JONNY hesitates. I'm ready. But I don't think you're ready to walk with me.

              JONNY:

How can I ever be ready? Falls to his knees. How can I say goodbye? There’s no way to do it. No way to say goodbye. I’ll always wanting one more; one more touch, one more glimpse into your face, one more conversation. There is no light enough to fill the void. 

WITCH:

The terror isn't here. We don't have to worry about it. I prepared this for you. It's beautiful, isn't it?

Lighting resembles a orange twilight sunset, jutting out from behind purple clouds in brillant, paint brush strokes. 

             A cool breeze, refreshing, like a thunderstorm rolling in from the corner of the sky. Peace.

            JONNY:

Thank you. It's wonderful.

WITCH:

"I've lived for about a thousand years, Jonny. I've had many lives with many different people. I've loved many. I love you. But we all have to take the long walk. You know that. And there are still many people left in the world that you can help, but you need to promise me something.

JONNY:

                                                               Of course.

WITCH:

Promise me that you will help. For as long as you live.

JONNY nods. He takes her hand, and they walk. 

I nodded. I took her hand. We walked. 

END

[aci25]

New Breakthrough in Energy Storage – MIT Engineers Create Supercapacitor out of Ancient Materials

MIT engineers have created a “supercapacitor” made of ancient, abundant materials, that can store large amounts of energy. Made of just cement, water, and carbon black (which resembles powdered charcoal), the device could form the basis for inexpensive systems that store intermittently renewable energy, such as solar or wind energy. Credit: Image courtesy of Franz-Josef Ulm, Admir Masic, and Yang-Shao Horn

Constructed from cement, carbon black, and water, the device holds the potential to offer affordable and scalable energy storage for renewable energy sources.

Two of humanity’s most ubiquitous historical materials, cement and carbon black (which resembles very fine charcoal), may form the basis for a novel, low-cost energy storage system, according to a new study. The technology could facilitate the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and tidal power by allowing energy networks to remain stable despite fluctuations in renewable energy supply. 

The two materials, the researchers found, can be combined with water to make a supercapacitor — an alternative to batteries — that could provide storage of electrical energy. As an example, the MIT researchers who developed the system say that their supercapacitor could eventually be incorporated into the concrete foundation of a house, where it could store a full day’s worth of energy while adding little (or no) to the cost of the foundation and still providing the needed structural strength. The researchers also envision a concrete roadway that could provide contactless recharging for electric cars as they travel over that road.

The simple but innovative technology is described in a recent paper published in the journal PNAS, in a paper by MIT professors Franz-Josef Ulm, Admir Masic, and Yang-Shao Horn, and four others at MIT and at the Wyss Institute.

Capacitors are in principle very simple devices, consisting of two electrically conductive plates immersed in an electrolyte and separated by a membrane. When a voltage is applied across the capacitor, positively charged ions from the electrolyte accumulate on the negatively charged plate, while the positively charged plate accumulates negatively charged ions. Since the membrane in between the plates blocks charged ions from migrating across, this separation of charges creates an electric field between the plates, and the capacitor becomes charged. The two plates can maintain this pair of charges for a long time and then deliver them very quickly when needed. Supercapacitors are simply capacitors that can store exceptionally large charges.

The amount of power a capacitor can store depends on the total surface area of its conductive plates. The key to the new supercapacitors developed by this team comes from a method of producing a cement-based material with an extremely high internal surface area due to a dense, interconnected network of conductive material within its bulk volume. The researchers achieved this by introducing carbon black — which is highly conductive — into a concrete mixture along with cement powder and water, and letting it cure. The water naturally forms a branching network of openings within the structure as it reacts with cement, and the carbon migrates into these spaces to make wire-like structures within the hardened cement.

These structures have a fractal-like structure, with larger branches sprouting smaller branches, and those sprouting even smaller branchlets, and so on, ending up with an extremely large surface area within the confines of a relatively small volume. The material is then soaked in a standard electrolyte material, such as potassium chloride, a kind of salt, which provides the charged particles that accumulate on the carbon structures. Two electrodes made of this material, separated by a thin space or an insulating layer, form a very powerful supercapacitor, the researchers found.

Since the new “supercapacitor” concrete would retain its strength, a house with a foundation made of this material could store a day’s worth of energy produced by solar panels or windmills, and allow it to be used whenever it’s needed. Credit: Image courtesy of Franz-Josef Ulm, Admir Masic, and Yang-Shao Horn

The two plates of the capacitor function just like the two poles of a rechargeable battery of equivalent voltage: When connected to a source of electricity, as with a battery, energy gets stored in the plates, and then when connected to a load, the electrical current flows back out to provide power.

“The material is fascinating,” Masic says, “because you have the most-used manmade material in the world, cement, that is combined with carbon black, that is a well-known historical material — the Dead Sea Scrolls were written with it. You have these at least two-millennia-old materials that when you combine them in a specific manner you come up with a conductive nanocomposite, and that’s when things get really interesting.”

As the mixture sets and cures, he says, “The water is systematically consumed through cement hydration reactions, and this hydration fundamentally affects nanoparticles of carbon because they are hydrophobic (water repelling).” As the mixture evolves, “the carbon black is self-assembling into a connected conductive wire,” he says. The process is easily reproducible, with materials that are inexpensive and readily available anywhere in the world. And the amount of carbon needed is very small — as little as 3 percent by volume of the mix — to achieve a percolated carbon network, Masic says.

Supercapacitors made of this material have great potential to aid in the world’s transition to renewable energy, Ulm says. The principal sources of emissions-free energy, wind, solar, and tidal power, all produce their output at variable times that often do not correspond to the peaks in electricity usage, so ways of storing that power are essential. “There is a huge need for big energy storage,” he says, and existing batteries are too expensive and mostly rely on materials such as lithium, whose supply is limited, so cheaper alternatives are badly needed. “That’s where our technology is extremely promising, because cement is ubiquitous,” Ulm says.

The team calculated that a block of nanocarbon-black-doped concrete that is 45 cubic meters (or yards) in size — equivalent to a cube about 3.5 meters across — would have enough capacity to store about 10 kilowatt-hours of energy, which is considered the average daily electricity usage for a household. Since the concrete would retain its strength, a house with a foundation made of this material could store a day’s worth of energy produced by solar panels or windmills and allow it to be used whenever it’s needed. And, supercapacitors can be charged and discharged much more rapidly than batteries.

After a series of tests used to determine the most effective ratios of cement, carbon black, and water, the team demonstrated the process by making small supercapacitors, about the size of some button-cell batteries, about 1 centimeter across and 1 millimeter thick, that could each be charged to 1 volt, comparable to a 1-volt battery. They then connected three of these to demonstrate their ability to light up a 3-volt light-emitting diode (LED). Having proved the principle, they now plan to build a series of larger versions, starting with ones about the size of a typical 12-volt car battery, then working up to a 45-cubic-meter version to demonstrate its ability to store a house-worth of power.

There is a tradeoff between the storage capacity of the material and its structural strength, they found. By adding more carbon black, the resulting supercapacitor can store more energy, but the concrete is slightly weaker, and this could be useful for applications where the concrete is not playing a structural role or where the full strength-potential of concrete is not required. For applications such as a foundation, or structural elements of the base of a wind turbine, the “sweet spot” is around 10 percent carbon black in the mix, they found.

Another potential application for carbon-cement supercapacitors is for building concrete roadways that could store energy produced by solar panels alongside the road and then deliver that energy to electric vehicles traveling along the road using the same kind of technology used for wirelessly rechargeable phones. A related type of car-recharging system is already being developed by companies in Germany and the Netherlands, but using standard batteries for storage.

Initial uses of the technology might be for isolated homes or buildings or shelters far from grid power, which could be powered by solar panels attached to the cement supercapacitors, the researchers say. 

Ulm says that the system is very scalable, as the energy-storage capacity is a direct function of the volume of the electrodes. “You can go from 1-millimeter-thick electrodes to 1-meter-thick electrodes, and by doing so basically you can scale the energy storage capacity from lighting an LED for a few seconds, to powering a whole house,” he says.

Depending on the properties desired for a given application, the system could be tuned by adjusting the mixture. For a vehicle-charging road, very fast charging and discharging rates would be needed, while for powering a home “you have the whole day to charge it up,” so slower-charging material could be used, Ulm says.

“So, it’s really a multifunctional material,” he adds. Besides its ability to store energy in the form of supercapacitors, the same kind of concrete mixture can be used as a heating system, by simply applying electricity to the carbon-laced concrete.

Ulm sees this as “a new way of looking toward the future of concrete as part of the energy transition.”

Reference: “Carbon–cement supercapacitors as a scalable bulk energy storage solution” by Nicolas Chanut, Damian Stefaniuk, James C. Weaver, Yunguang Zhu, Yang Shao-Horn, Admir Masic and Franz-Josef Ulm, 31 July 2023, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304318120

The research team also included postdocs Nicolas Chanut and Damian Stefaniuk at MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, James Weaver at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and Yunguang Zhu in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. The work was supported by the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, with sponsorship by the Concrete Advancement Foundation.

Source: scitechdaily.com

[market-insider]

Electric Vehicle Plastics Market: An In-Depth Exploration and its Contribution to a Circular Automotive Industry

The global electric vehicle plastics market size was estimated at USD 13.33 billion in 2030 and is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.0% from 2024 to 2030. The industry is projected to witness significant growth in terms of consumption, on account of high application scope and increasing demand from the growing population. The Polypropylene (PP) resin demand in the Asia Pacific region is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. Strong government support & initiatives regarding emissions and increasing investment by manufacturers are propelling the growth of the region.

Electric Vehicle Plastics Market Report Highlights

The Asia Pacific region is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR from 2022 to 2030. Increasing demand from the growing population coupled with environmental concerns among others are anticipated to drive market growth in the region

The battery segment is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR from 2022 to 2030. Batteries are one of the significant components of an EV and, in comparison to combustion engines, battery vehicles do not produce any emissions and are eco-friendly. The growing demand for EVs has promising growth for EV batteries

The exterior application segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2021 and is estimated to continue its dominance over the forecast period due to the high demand in aesthetics

The BEV vehicle type segment led the industry in 2021 and it is anticipated to continue growing over the forecast period as PHEVs have higher maintenance costs than BEVs

For More Details or Sample Copy please visit link @: Electric Vehicle Plastics Market Report

Furthermore, EVs are efficient and require less maintenance as compared with traditional vehicles. These factors are expected to boost the demand for EVs, which is expected to drive the demand for plastics over the forecast period. Increasing utilization of plastics in EVs is anticipated to boost industry growth positively over the forecast period. Plastics have proven to perform well under harsh conditions through their resistance to shock, moisture, oxidation, and further maintaining their chemical and mechanical properties. Plastics will be crucial material for manufacturing lightweight and energy-efficient EVs. Based on resin type, PP is expected to witness major demand during the projected years.

Polypropylene is used in many components of the vehicle including bumpers, carpet fibers, cable insulation, and others. Properties, such as good heat, chemical & fatigue resistance, and others, are anticipated to drive the demand for PP in the industry. Major manufacturers are adopting expansion strategies, such as new product development, production facility expansions, mergers & acquisitions, and joint ventures. For instance, in October 2021, DuPont launched a new extension of its existing Zytel HTN range, named as Zytel 500 series. These products are developed to provide enhanced retention properties in e-mobility oils, electrically friendly characteristics, and a high Comparative Tracking Index (CTI).

EVPlastics #ElectricVehicles #SustainableDriving #EcoFriendlyCars #ElectricVehicleTech #CleanTransportation #GreenMobility #EVInnovation #PlasticsInEVs #FutureOfTransport #SustainableMaterials #EcoAutoDesign #EVManufacturing #PolymerInnovation #ZeroEmissionVehicles #GreenTechAuto #CleantechPlastics #EVDesign #EcoFriendlyPlastics #CircularAutoEconomy

[giazhou1]

SINOYQX melamine resin foam can provide effective thermal insulation, fire protection, heat preservation, lightweight, low-cost, and other comprehensive solutions for new energy power battery packs. It provides efficient thermal management, safety, and low-cost solutions for power batteries.

[neoatlantiscodex]

Neo-Atlantis Codex: Part III: Grid Storage

So, you want to use some unstable form of power. Wind and Solar are the biggest ones, but we could also add tidal and microhydro to the list.

Currently, 95% of grid power storage, world wide, is pumped hydro. This is in theorygood, as it does work. The problem is that regions that can use pumped hydro will typically have geography to use regular hydro, which is very, very, very efficient. But you can add pumped hydro to an existing system.

For home power storage, we use chemical cells. Typically Lithium. By current estimates, we do not have enough lithium and cobalt in the world to replace our cars, nevermind the entire grid. A lot of the mining is also done by child slaves in Africa. They also use water leeching, which works. but also uses a LOT of fresh water. It's often done in deserts, in which fresh water is the most precious thing you can have.

Lithium is also EXTREMELY flammable.

What about other chemicals? Well, we can make chemical cells out of salt water and iron. This used to require a pump, and which made it hard to miniaturize. Anything mechanical is also prone to mechanical breakdown. They have recently developed technology to elimitate the use of pumps. It's still not good for grid storage, but would be good for home power storage. It might make sense to move to a paradigm that the state provides power when it can, and homes had to store their own power. This would work, although it would require a complete change of our paradigm, and would be expensive for the poor. Which is the problem for anything to do with power, as any increase in energy cost punishes the poor, and will drop people into poverty. It will also kill off the vulnerable.

Earth Batteries. You take something with a high durability and heat capacity, like earth, stone, brick, etc. You put it inside an insulated shell. You have a heater inside. Power added from the outside becomes heat inside. The heat can be kept for a week without too much loss. You can either use this directly for heat, or use it to heat water into steam. Doing so would allow it to produce electricity. This is suitable for neighbourhoods or industrial applications. The problem with a steam engine is that you would likely need a steam engineer, which are expensive. It would also require individual neighbourhoods to be self-governing villages/shires, which would help with so many other problems. We'll talk about this later in Neo-Atlantis government/electoral system. This would reduce the work required from other parts of the power system, and in theory, in some areas, these neighbourhoods/villages/shires/wards could be entirely self-generating. If California could shed it's horrifying Fascist control, it has more than enough sunlight that individual neighbourhoods could be self-generating if it could store the power. This would also prevent blackouts. Everytime I look back, it gets further way, but in 2003, the entire Eastern side of Canada, and the New England had a power outage. Because of how connected the grids are. Independent neighbourhood production would completely eliminated this. If you had a tree down over the power lines, it would hurt at most, one neighbourhood.

Compressed air storage. The best usage of this is, funny enough, CO2. You have a giant balloon, kind of an expanding membrane. You hook it up to a pump and a turbine and heat exchanger. Power causes the pump to pump the CO2 from the balloon into the tank. You release CO2 from the tank through the turbine, and it produces power. The big drawback for this is that it requires a lot of space. Which makes it perfect for isolated solar / wind power plants. This also requires nothing in the way of novel technology, and is perfect for large grid storage.

Hydrogen. Contrary to expectations, hydrogen fuel cells never went away. Both Toyota and Hyundai have production Hydrogen fuel cell cars. Hydrogen combustion cars are also perfectly viable, if not currently commencial. Hydrogen can be produced from water through electrolysis, though not efficiently so. It can be produced mechanically from natural gas / methane; the mechanical converters use a portion of the power they produce to power themselves. Before the government were... what?.. afraid the fuel cells might actualy work? I'm old enough to remember the promise of a Hydrogen Highway from California to British Columbia to allow you to drive hydrogen fuel cell cars up and down the coast. Well, they forgot about that. Before this happened, there was a research group that made it with algae in glass tubes. All you needed to do was pump water through them. People in California could probably add it to a closed system in their car.

Synthetic Fuel. Synthetic fuel has been used, in a small scale, in racing for years. Formula 1 is also planning to replace it's entire usage with synthetic fuel in the future, apparently from atmospheric carbon dioxide and wind power. This would have the advantage of requiring no time or money to implement. It would use our existing fuel infrastructure, while also allowing the small producers to be created everywhere.

[tritonmarketresearch]

Aluminum Market: Products, Applications & Beyond

Aluminum is a versatile element with several beneficial properties, such as a high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, recyclability, electrical & thermal conductivity, longer lifecycle, and non-toxic nature. As a result, it witnesses high demand from industries like automotive & transportation, electronics, building & construction, foil & packaging, and others. The high applicability of the metal is expected to drive the global aluminum market at a CAGR of 5.24% in the forecast period from 2023 to 2030.

Aluminum – Mining Into Key Products:

Triton Market Research’s report covers bauxite, alumina, primary aluminum, and other products as part of its segment analysis.

Bauxite is anticipated to grow with a CAGR of 5.67% in the product segment over the forecast years.

Bauxite is the primary ore of aluminum. It is a sedimentary rock composed of aluminum-bearing minerals, and is usually mined by surface mining techniques. It is found in several locations across the world, including India, Brazil, Australia, Russia, and China, among others. Australia is the world’s largest bauxite-producing nation, with a production value of over 100 million metric tons in 2022.

Moreover, leading market players Rio Tinto and Alcoa Corporation operate their bauxite mines in the country. These factors are expected to propel Australia’s growth in the Asia-Pacific aluminum market, with an anticipated CAGR of 4.38% over the projected period.

Alumina is expected to grow with a CAGR of 5.42% in the product segment during 2023-2030.

Alumina or aluminum oxide is obtained by chemically processing the bauxite ore using the Bayer process. It possesses excellent dielectric properties, high stiffness & strength, thermal conductivity, wear resistance, and other such favorable characteristics, making it a preferable material for a range of applications.

Hydrolysis of aluminum oxide results in the production of high-purity alumina, a uniform fine powder characterized by a minimum purity level of 99.99%. Its chemical stability, low-temperature sensitivity, and high electrical insulation make HPA an ideal choice for manufacturing LED lights and electric vehicles. The growth of these industries is expected to contribute to the progress of the global HPA market.

EVs Spike Sustainability Trend

As per the estimates from the International Energy Agency, nearly 2 million electric vehicles were sold globally in the first quarter of 2022, with a whopping 75% increase from the preceding year. Aluminum has emerged as the preferred choice for auto manufacturers in this new era of electromobility. Automotive & transportation leads the industry vertical segment in the studied market, garnering $40792.89 million in 2022.

In May 2021, RusAl collaborated with leading rolled aluminum products manufacturer Gränges AB to develop alloys for automotive applications. Automakers are increasingly substituting stainless steel with aluminum in their products owing to the latter’s low weight, higher impact absorption capacity, and better driving range.  

Also, electric vehicles have a considerably lower carbon footprint compared to their traditional counterparts. With the growing need for lowering emissions and raising awareness of energy conservation, governments worldwide are encouraging the use of EVs, which is expected to propel the demand for aluminum over the forecast period.

The Netherlands is one of the leading countries in Europe in terms of EV adoption. The Dutch government has set an ambitious goal that only zero-emission passenger cars (such as battery-operated EVs, hydrogen FCEVs, and plug-in hybrid EVs) will be sold in the nation by 2030. Further, according to the Canadian government, the country’s aluminum producers have some of the lowest CO2 footprints in the world.

Alcoa Corporation and Rio Tinto partnered to form ELYSIS, headquartered in Montréal, Canada. In 2021, it successfully produced carbon-free aluminum at its Industrial Research and Development Center in Saguenay. The company is heralding the beginning of a new era for the global aluminum market with its ELYSIS™ technology, which eliminates all direct GHG emissions from the smelting process, and is the first technology ever to emit oxygen as a byproduct.

Wrapping Up

Aluminum is among the most widely used metals in the world today, and is anticipated to underpin the global transition to a low-carbon economy. Moreover, it is 100% recyclable and can retain its properties & quality post the recycling process.

Reprocessing the metal is a more energy-efficient option compared to extracting the element from an ore, causing less environmental damage. As a result, the demand for aluminum in the sustainable energy sector has thus increased. The efforts to combat climate change are thus expected to bolster the aluminum market’s growth over the forecast period.

[hongjuelectronics]

The Application of Fuse Holders in New Energy and Electric Vehicles: Ensuring High-Temperature and High-Power Safety

With the rapid development of the new energy and electric vehicle industries, safety and efficiency have become critical considerations. As a crucial protective component within electrical systems, the fuse holder plays a vital role in ensuring system security in electric vehicles and solar energy storage systems. Fuse holders in these applications must not only support higher current loads but also withstand extreme temperature fluctuations and high-power conditions. In this article, we’ll explore the applications of fuse holders in electric vehicles and solar energy storage systems, analyzing their functionality and design requirements, and using real-world examples to demonstrate their essential role in enhancing the safety of new energy systems.

I. Fuse Holders for Electric Vehicles: Enhancing Electrical System Safety

The electrical systems within electric vehicles (EVs) differ significantly from those in traditional fuel-powered vehicles. As EV power systems depend on high-voltage battery packs and high-power current transmission, stringent safety standards for electrical components are essential. Fuse holders serve as indispensable protective elements in EV electrical systems.

1. Meeting Higher Current and Voltage Requirements

Fuse holders in electric vehicles must support high current and high voltage to withstand the significant power demands during vehicle operation. Traditional fuse holders often fail to meet EV requirements, as they may overheat or malfunction. Therefore, EV-specific fuse holders typically use special materials, incorporate thickened conductors, and integrate efficient heat dissipation designs to ensure stable performance in high-power environments.

Case Study: Fuse Holder Design for a Main Battery in an Electric Vehicle

A well-known EV manufacturer has installed a custom fuse holder between the positive and negative terminals of its battery pack to handle the high-current surges that occur during vehicle start-up and acceleration. This fuse holder is equipped with silver-plated copper conductors and high-temperature insulation materials to withstand peak currents while preventing thermal failure. Additionally, the fuse holder is connected to a temperature sensor, which automatically reduces current output if it detects an abnormal rise in temperature, ensuring system safety.

2. High-Temperature Protection Design

Electric vehicle batteries and power systems generate significant heat during operation, so fuse holders must be highly heat-resistant to avoid failure in high-temperature environments. Typically, fuse holders for EVs use high-temperature plastics or ceramic materials for the housing, along with heat-dissipating structures to help lower temperatures. High-temperature fuse holders also automatically disconnect when reaching a specific threshold, preventing electrical accidents due to overheating.

Case Study: High-Temperature Resistant Fuse Holder in Electric Buses

An electric bus model uses fuse holders with rapid heat dissipation to ensure stable operation during extended use or in hot weather. These fuse holders are encased in special ceramic composite materials, providing both high-temperature protection and excellent heat dissipation. Under continuous operation, the fuse holders can quickly release generated heat, maintaining system stability.

3. Vibration and Shock Resistance

Electric vehicles experience frequent vibration and shock, which directly impacts the reliability of fuse holders. Modern EV fuse holders are designed with reinforcement structures and shock-absorbing materials, such as threaded mounting and impact-resistant plastic, to ensure stable connections even under rough road conditions, preventing loosening or circuit interruptions.

Case Study: Shock-Resistant Fuse Holders in Electric SUVs

An off-road electric SUV model employs shock-resistant fuse holders to ensure stability during rugged terrain and high-speed driving. These fuse holders feature rubber damping pads within and impact-resistant engineered plastic housing, effectively reducing the effects of road vibration on fuse functionality.

II. Fuse Holders in Solar Energy and Storage Systems

In applications such as solar power plants and home energy storage systems, fuse holders serve to protect the system from short circuits, current overloads, and other electrical issues, while ensuring equipment safety in outdoor environments. As solar and energy storage systems are often exposed to outdoor conditions, fuse holders in these settings face even more stringent design requirements.

1. High Insulation and Moisture/Corrosion Resistance

Solar power systems are typically installed outdoors and are subject to high humidity environments. Fuse holders must have high insulation and be moisture and corrosion-resistant to prevent short circuits or current leakage caused by humidity or corrosion. High-quality solar fuse holders use weather-resistant materials, waterproof and anti-corrosion coatings, and internal sealing to ensure continuous operation in harsh weather.

Case Study: Moisture-Resistant and Corrosion-Proof Fuse Holders in Solar Power Stations

In a large-scale solar power station, multiple moisture-resistant and corrosion-proof fuse holders are installed between the photovoltaic panels and the inverter to prevent water and moisture infiltration. These fuse holders feature a special polyester coating with excellent UV and corrosion resistance, ensuring reliable performance over long outdoor exposures and protecting the power station’s operation.

2. Conductivity Design for High-Power Environments

Solar systems and storage equipment often handle high-power currents, requiring high conductivity and effective heat dissipation in fuse holders. Fuse holders designed for storage systems typically use high-conductivity materials (such as copper or copper alloys) and wide conductive pathways to minimize current loss and heat generation. Additionally, heat dissipation structures and conductive materials improve the stability of fuse holders under high-power conditions.

Case Study: High-Power Fuse Holder in Home Energy Storage Equipment

In a home energy storage system, the fuse holder is designed as part of the high-power module, managing the high current between the battery pack and the inverter. The fuse holder’s conductive path is designed with thickened copper for optimal conductivity and heat dissipation. Users can monitor the fuse’s current and temperature status through a dedicated app; if the temperature exceeds a safe limit, the system automatically disconnects the power, preventing accidents.

3. Outdoor Protection and Temperature Resistance

Due to outdoor installation, solar and energy storage equipment require fuse holders with exceptional temperature resistance. High-quality solar fuse holders use materials that are resistant to both high and low temperatures, ensuring the fuse holder’s reliability regardless of environmental fluctuations. Many solar fuse holders undergo temperature verification to ensure stable operation over long periods.

Case Study: Temperature-Resistant Fuse Holders in Outdoor Solar Equipment

In a desert solar power project, high-temperature ceramic fuse holders are used. These fuse holders’ insulated housing undergoes high-temperature treatment and UV-resistant coating, allowing them to function in extreme climates. Additionally, the fuses themselves are made from high-temperature alloy materials, ensuring electrical performance stability across temperature variations.

III. Future Development Trends: Prospects for Smart Fuse Holders

Smart Monitoring and Remote Management: In the future, fuse holders will become more intelligent, utilizing sensors and IoT technology to achieve real-time current and temperature monitoring, with instant alerts for abnormal conditions. For example, in high-power solar systems, smart fuse holders could automatically disconnect circuits when detecting irregular currents, significantly improving maintenance efficiency.

Self-Healing and Auto-Disconnect Capabilities: Through the integration of self-healing materials and automated control circuits, future fuse holders may be able to self-repair, further reducing maintenance costs. Some fuse holders could automatically resume operation once the temperature stabilizes, eliminating the need for manual resets or replacements.

Use of Eco-Friendly Materials: As environmental awareness increases, fuse holders for new energy applications will emphasize eco-friendliness and sustainability. Materials will increasingly shift toward recyclable engineering plastics and low-carbon alloys, minimizing environmental impact during production and usage.

Conclusion

Fuse holders in new energy and electric vehicle applications are evolving to meet demands for multi-faceted protection, from high temperatures to corrosion and vibration resistance. In the future, with the rise of smart and eco-friendly technologies, fuse holders will continue to innovate, supporting the development of safer and more efficient electric vehicle and renewable energy systems.

en.dghongju.com

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Canary Media:

The Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power utility, has yet to fully jump on the solar trend that’s sweeping the nation. But it has allowed communities within its seven-state service territory to buy some solar power for themselves. Now Tennessee-based developer Silicon Ranch has signed a contract to build the largest community-driven solar plant the region has ever seen.

Silicon Ranch will construct the multi-million dollar, 110-megawatt Copeland Solar Farm in Cumberland County, Tennessee, the company announced Monday. The farm’s output will benefit customers of Middle Tennessee Electric, the largest cooperative to receive power from the TVA. This arrangement will provide Middle Tennessee Electric’s 750,000 customers with cleaner power, insulate them from rate increases affecting TVA power, and help TVA grapple with the rapidly rising demand for electricity, which elsewhere has prompted the utility to greenlight massive and controversial new fossil gas plants

TVA has one of the more paradoxical approaches to clean energy of any major utility. Created by the federal government during the New Deal, it is governed by a board appointed by the president. But the arrival of Joe Biden’s handpicked board members has not yet prompted the public monopoly to align its power plant investments with Biden’s own climate goals. TVA’s electricity is cleaner than the national average, thanks to decades-old construction of hydropower and nuclear plants, but it gets just 3 percent of its power from wind and solar.

In 2022, TVA did put out a call for 5 gigawatts of clean energy projects, to be online by 2029; this was easily one of the country’s largest ever utility requests for proposals exclusively seeking clean energy. So far, TVA has signed five power purchase agreements from that process, totaling nearly 800 megawatts of solar generation and 20 megawatts of battery storage, spokesperson Scott Fiedler told Canary Media. But those projects have not been built yet, he noted, and the winning developers still have not publicized the details of their projects.

In the meantime, TVA has enthusiastically pursued new fossil gas plants, much to the chagrin of climate and ratepayer advocates. The board has repeatedly delegated power to CEO Jeff Lyash to approve large new gas investments; this happened most recently with the multibillion-dollar, 1.5 gigawatt Kingston project, as documented by Nashville public radio station WPLN.