Not Kenny Rogers!

Asphalt may not seem the most obvious material to be a major source of solar power, but anybody who has touched the surface of a road with their bare feet during summer knows only too well that it has outstanding heat retention. Researchers in both the UK and US have been looking into the potential - with promising results.

The idea of asphalt for solar power isn’t especially new - the concept was first conceived a decade ago, although its only been fully realized in the last couple of years. In 2007, a Dutch engineering company began siphoning the heat from asphalt to heat several homes and offices, as well as an aircraft hanger. The system used a network of plastic pipes through which the asphalt heated the cold water and channeled it into underground storage containers where it was kept hot until needed.

More recently, researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have carried out tests using actual pieces of asphalt as well as computer models. The scientists found that hot water created by an asphalt energy system could be used to make electricity by being passed through a thermoelectric generator. Heated asphalt can also heat buildings by the method of passing the water through pipes under the asphalt - just as the Dutch team had discovered.

The team also found that the maximum temperatures were found just a few inches below the road surface. Ideally, a heat exchanger would be positioned there so that the maximum amount of energy could be produced. And other measures such as applying a reflection reducing paint to the asphalt; or adding aggregates known for their conductive properties would also increase efficiency.

Asphalt has several advantages as a source of solar power. It’s a huge infrastructure that is already in place - in the United States for example, there are an probable four million miles of asphalt road surface. In general, asphalt is removed and the roads are resurfaced every decade or so; this would provide the chance to put in the necessary equipment with minimal expense.

Asphalt also retains its heat after the sun has gone down - giving it an advantage over solar panels. Removing the heat from asphalt can actually reduce the temperature of the road surface too - making towns and cities cooler during hot weather. And unlike solar panels, which are all too visible, practically all the asphalt collection equipment would be hidden under the groundunderground.

Exciting though these findings are, don’t expect to see the widespread use of asphalt solar power any time soon. It may be many years before a network of pipes under the roads is able to provide energy - but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

The humble office filer rarely attracts a great deal of thought in today’s hectic offices but a quality filing cabinet should provide many years of trouble free service. Even in these days of the supposed paperless office, filing cabinets are still in great demand as the inescapable fact is that the majority of offices still produce large amounts of written documentation and paperwork that needs to be filed away.

Filing cabinets are mainly constructed from either steel or wood. Of the two common materials used, metal filing cabinets are lighter, stronger, longer lasting and usually are supplied with a manufacturer’s warranty of between 5 and 15 years dependant upon the build quality of the filing cabinet that has been purchased. Wood filing cabinets are still extremely durable but generally are supplied with a guarantee of between 1 and 5 years.

Filing cabinets are designed to store suspension file folders that hang on tracking inside each drawer. One critical feature to look out for when choosing a filing cabinet is 100% drawer extension. This is where the filing drawers have the facility to pull out 100% so that even the files at the back of the drawer are able to be easily accessed without the need to reach back into the cabinet to find the required files. Another necessary feature is the anti tilt device which functions by preventing more than one drawer being opened at once as the weight of drawers full of files could easily cause a cabinet to tip over. Files are recommended to be loaded into the lowest drawers of the filing cabinet first to aid stability of the cabinet.

There are two standard sizes of tab file in Europe, foolscap and A4. Foolscap is by far the most commonly used size used in Britain and Ireland, whereas A4 is the most popular size in continental Europe. The runners that support the suspension files are usually built into the top of the drawer sides in a standard filing cabinet so the tab files are usually designed to run from front to back. Some filing cabinets include conversion fittings to allow either foolscap or A4 sizes to be stored. Users must note that the drawer bases in filing cabinets (and particularly in wood filing cabinets) are not generally designed to support heavy box files and so the filing cabinets cannot be used as normal drawers.

Bisley cabinets are undoubtedly the leading brand for steel filing cabinets and their flagship BS range of cabinets are designed with durability in mind and are usually delivered with a long manufacturer’s guarantee. The BS range features fully welded construction with twin skinned drawer fronts. Drawers are fitted onto roller ball bearing slides which provide ultra-smooth action and 100% drawer extension. The Bisley BS range includes five, four, three and two drawer versions and will accept either foolscap or A4 susension files. The BS4E 4 drawer unit provides 2.2 metres of filing storage.

Q: Can cats be trained?

A: Yes, cat training is not as impossible as most doubters imagine it is. Kitties may not be as attentive to training as Champ or Rover are but they are trainable. Treats offered as positive reinforcement is definitely the primary route to train your cat.

Q: Why and how do kittens purr?

A: Adult kitties purr because they are happy and contented and to manipulate humans — Can you resist a purring kitty? Kittens purr in response to their mother cat’s purr to assist in bonding them. It is mostly assumed that the purring is a vibration of the voice box as air is pushed though it. It is also believed that purring is a voluntary action.

Q: Why are the reasons certain folks are allergic to cats?

A: Cat allergies are caused by the proteins in cat dander coming from the cat’s saliva. The dander dries and becomes airborne. People with cat allergies have a reaction because their immune system is beginning to combat the alien protein and creates histamines.

Q: How do you stop undesirable cat behavior such as nipping?

A: The best way to change undesirable cat behavior is the same way the mother cat controls an errant kitten. This is by scuffing the cat. You firmly but gently grasp the cat by the scruff of the neck and hold it down until it calms down. You should do this at the time of the unwanted behavior.

Q: How do you litter train a cat?

A: You really shouldn’t have to do any training for a cat to use a litter box, but if your adult cat has started to avoid the litter pan you need to find out why. The cat may have a urinary tract infection in which case you need to go to the vet. If it is just too dirty you need to keep it cleaner. If you have started using litter you may have to change back or sprinkle a little catnip in the litter to attract the cat to the new litter.

Q: How do you keep cats off counter tops?

A: This is the most asked about cat behavior issues and can be a difficult one. Cats like elevated places and they often find food or food smells on counters and tables. It is best to keep the counters clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the tables.