Nasa and ADC Energy have jointly published a validation of a form of energy that would remove the need for AC/DC power conversion.
During the Energy & Mobility Conference & Expo in Cleveland, Ohio, the two organisations presented alternating direct current (ADC), a hybrid of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla technologies.
The research has been led by Nasa Langley Research Center scientist Narasimha Prasad PhD, with the goal of developing an AI-enabled technology that upgrades the entire foundation of energy.
Currently, the energy sector relies on two different forms of energy: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) transmissions. In contrast, ADC has been defined as a hybrid form of energy transmission using AC and DC on the same wires.
The new energy transmission option has been identified as safer and much less wasteful than the current two – especially when incorporating renewable energy sources. According to ADC Energy, it has the potential to play a major role in lowering energy consumption while still using existing energy infrastructure.
Terry Boston, advisor to the White House and the US Congress and former CEO of PJM, called ADC “the greatest innovation I’ve seen in my 50-year career”.
“The results of this extensive multi-year endeavour are profound, to say the least,” added Henry Lee, CEO of ADC Energy. “The conclusions confirm that ADC is a historical paradigm shift and, most importantly, ADC is ready to deploy to provide innovative solutions to our global climate and energy crisis.
“This is a revolution at the levels of Edison and Tesla. ADC has solutions ready right now. And there are substantial opportunities in the near term for breakthroughs such as low voltage, quick electric vehicle (EV) charging, expanded solar panel generation and off-grid indoor agriculture.”
The paper explained that vintage, wasteful, dangerous energy conversion is a thing of the past, and presents ADC as the solution to current energy and climate challenges. According to Lee, the ultimate evolution of ADC is a ‘hybrid’ utility grid operating on existing wires.
