Skip to main content

Home/ qmstech2/ Group items tagged electricity

Rss Feed Group items tagged

12More

Devices that Harness Wave Energy | Wave Energy Cost - 2 views

  • Wave energy is an irregular and oscillating low-frequency energy source that can be converted to a 60-Hertz frequency
  • Kinetic energy, the energy of motion, in waves is tremendous. An average 4-foot, 10-second wave striking a coast puts out more than 35,000 horsepower per mile of coast.
  • Because wave energy needs only 1/200 the land area of wind and requires no access roads, infrastructure costs are less;
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • It varies in intensity, but it is available twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
  • or now, the best wave generator technology in place in the United Kingdom is producing energy at an average projected/assessed cost of 7.5 cents kWh. In comparison, electricity generated by large scale coal burning power plants costs about 2.6 cents per kilowatt-hour.
  • As long as
  • the sun shines, wave energy will never be depleted
  • produce energy at about 4.5 cents kWh.
  • 7.5 cents kWh
  • In comparison, electricity generated by large scale coal burning power plants costs about 2.6 cents per kilowatt-hour.
  • about 3 cents per kilowatt hour
  • Wave energy devices are quieter and much less visually obtrusive than wind devices
5More

tidal energy - National Geographic Education - 0 views

  • Tidal energy is produced by the surge of ocean waters during the rise and fall of tides.
  • During the 20th century, engineers developed ways to use tidal movement to generate electricity in areas where there is a significant tidal range—the difference in area between high tide and low tide. All methods use special generators to convert tidal energy into electricity.
  • For most tidal energy generators, turbines are placed in tidal streams. A tidal stream is a fast-flowing body of water created by tides. A turbine is a machine that takes energy from a flow of fluid.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • The world's first tidal power station was constructed in 2007 at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. The turbines are placed in a narrow strait between the Strangford Lough inlet and the Irish Sea. The tide can move at 4 meters (13 feet) per second across the strait.
  •  
    ". The United States has no tidal plants and only a few sites where tidal energy could be produced at a reasonable price."
1More

Energy Report: U.S. Wind Energy Production and Manufacturing Surges, Supporting Jobs an... - 0 views

  • The report finds that in 2011, roughly 6,800 megawatts (MW) of new wind power capacity was added to the U.S. grid, a 31 percent increase from 2010 installations.  The United States’ wind power capacity reached 47,000 MW by the end of 2011 and has since grown to 50,000 MW, enough electricity to power 13 million homes annually or as many as in Nevada, Colorado, Wisconsin, Virginia, Alabama, and Connecticut combined. The country’s cumulative installed wind energy capacity grew 16 percent from 2010, and has increased more than18-fold since 2000.  The report also finds that six states now meet more than 10 percent of their total electricity needs with wind power.
3More

How Is Fossil Fuel Converted Into Electricity? | eHow.com - 0 views

  • The fossil fuels are then burned to heat water.
  • The steam from the water then increases in pressure, forcing a turbine to spin. The turbine is used to rotate a magnet encased in a generator a high speeds. As the magnet spins, electrons are produced, and they power the electricity grid.
  • As of 2009, fossil fuels supplied about 85 percent of the world's energy demands.
4More

Wind turbine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 1 views

  • A wind turbine
  • converts kinetic energy from the wind
  • into mechanical energy
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • The first electricity-generating wind turbine was a battery charging machine installed in July 1887 by Scottish academic James Blyth to light his holiday home in Marykirk, Scotland.
4More

HowStuffWorks "Mechanics of Hand-powered Generators" - 1 views

  • A generator is basically an electric motor working in reverse.
  • By spinning a coil of wire around a magnet, he found that he could create a steady current. Thus, he could convert energy used to spin the coil into electrical energy.
  • This principle powers generators that run on gasoline or diesel fuel, as well as the massive turbines in modern power plants, where the coils are turned by falling water or steam generated by burning coal or igniting nuclear reactions.
  •  
    How a generator works
1More

Why a hydrogen economy doesn't make sense - 0 views

  •  
    How inefficient it is to make hydrogen from electricity
6More

Ocean Wave Energy Power Technology - History - 0 views

  • Currently, numerous wave power plants (so called wave farms) have been implemented throughout the world. Many different organizations have designed various wave power systems that differ in size, cost, and effectiveness. A wave farm is a collection of wave power systems in order to create mass quantities of power. One example of a wave power plant is the Aguçadoura Wave Farm in Portugal from Pelamis Wave Power Ltd. It is the first wave farm ever established and produces 2.25 megawatts of power. It was completed in 2008. Other wave farms, with other companies involved, have been proposed.
  • In contrast to tidal power, ocean wave energy plants do not make use of the energy difference between high tide and low tide, but generating energy from continuous wave motion. So, wave energy generation is the conversion of the forces from the motion of waves into usable energy.
  • Wave energy is considered a form of hydropower, although it is the wind blowing over the surface of the ocean causing waves. So in many ways, wave energy is also wind energy - with all the pros and cons.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Wave energy is about using the energy of ocean waves for producing electrical current. It is a renewable energy resource and often confused with Tidal Power.
  • Wave power generation has been tested over the past century as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels to create electrical power, sea water desalinization, and reservoir pumping. Unfortunately, despite of all examinations and tests, the price for generating energy from ocean waves is still about twice as high as that of wind energy. Companies involved in wave energy generation hope to be able to cut 50% of the costs within the next couple of years.
  • During the 1970's gasoline crisis, wave power was pushed in order to be a good long term energy solution. Later, the energy crisis was resolved yet the leaps and bounds made in the innovation of wave power remained. Though there were not many wave power plants actually implemented, it has proven to be a benefit to modern resolutions with current power crises. Fuel prices are rising exponentially and the greenhouse effect is having potentially disastrous effects on the environment. There has never been more need for alternatives to fossil generated energy.
2More

How Does Tidal Energy Work - 0 views

  • Tidal turbines use similar technology to wind turbines, although their blades are much shorter and stronger. So a good way to think of them is as underwater windmills. Basically the water currents turn the turbines, which in turn activate a generator that produces electricity. These systems work best where there are very strong tidal zones (Norwegian and British coastlines.) and although it is still in it’s infancy it does show great promise.The upfront cost of these tidal stream systems is very high and also installation and maintenance is difficult.
  •  
    "Tidal turbines use similar technology to wind turbines, although their blades are much shorter and stronger. So a good way to think of them is as underwater windmills. Basically the water currents turn the turbines, which in turn activate a generator that produces electricity. These systems work best where there are very strong tidal zones (Norwegian and British coastlines.) and although it is still in it's infancy it does show great promise. The upfront cost of these tidal stream systems is very high and also installation and maintenance is difficult."
7More

Solar Power Energy Information, Solar Power Energy Facts - National Geographic - 0 views

  • Every hour the sun beams onto Earth more than enough energy to satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable. Today, the technology produces less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand.
  • In one technique, long troughs of U-shaped mirrors focus sunlight on a pipe of oil that runs through the middle. The hot oil then boils water for electricity generation. Another technique uses moveable mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a collector tower, where a receiver sits. Molten salt flowing through the receiver is heated to run a generator.
  • Despite the drawbacks, solar energy use has surged at about 20 percent a year over the past 15 years, thanks to rapidly falling prices and gains in efficiency. Japan, Germany, and the United States are major markets for solar cells. With tax incentives, solar electricity can often pay for itself in five to ten years.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Solar energy is lauded as an inexhaustible fuel source that is pollution and often noise free. The technology is also versatile.
  •  
    " Today, the technology produces less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand."
  •  
    Intriguing facts about the suns energy on how they use it on oil and the drawback 
  •  
    Every hour the sun beams onto Earth more than enough energy to satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable. Today, the technology produces less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand.
2More

MIT's artificial leaf is ten times more efficient than the real thing (Wired UK) - 0 views

  • The device is an advanced solar cell, no bigger than a typical playing card, which is left floating in a pool of water. Then, much like a natural leaf, it uses sunlight to split the water into its two core components, oxygen and hydrogen, which are stored in a fuel cell to be used when producing electricity.
  •  
    This is an amazing breakthrough in developing hydrogen.
5More

Solar power in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  • Solar potential from very large scale solar power plants State Land used (sq mi) Potential (GWp) Annual generation (TWh) Arizona 19,279 2,468 5,837 California 6,853 877 2,075 Colorado 2,124 272 643 Nevada 5,589 715 1,692 New Mexico 15,156 1,940 4,588 Texas 1,162 149 351 Utah 3,564 456 1,079
  • 6,877
  • Total generation in the United States is about 3,800 TWh.[11]
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • ) systems. This was double the 435 MW installed in 2009 around the U.S.[16] According to a 2011 survey conducted by independent polling firm Kelton Research, nine out of 10 Americans support the use and development of solar technology. Eight out of 10 respondents indicated that "the federal government should support solar manufacturing in the U.S. and should give federal subsidies for solar energy".[17] According to the Energy Information Administration, in 2010, subsidies to the solar power industry amounted to 8.2% ($968 million) of all federal subsidies for electricity generation.[18] Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research found that the amount of new solar electric capacity increased in 2012 by 76 percent from 2011, raising the United States’ market share of the world’s installations above 10 percent, up from roughly 5 to 7 percent in the last seven years. [19]
  •  
    "Total: 42,554 MW - 76,577 MW, depending on the technology used"
11More

Wave & Tidal Energy Technology | Renewable Northwest Project - 0 views

  • Potential
  • Wave energy resources are best between 30º and 60º latitude in both hemispheres, and the potential tends to be the greatest on western coasts
  • While no commercial wave or tidal projects have yet been developed in the United States, several projects are planned for the near future, including projects in the Northwest
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • ‘Pelamis’ wave energy conversion devices and generates a combined 2.25 MW of electricity. OPD plans to expand the facility to produce 22.5 MW in 2007
  • The United States receives 2,100 terawatt-hours of incident wave energy along its coastlines each year, and tapping just one quarter of this potential could produce as much energy as the entire U.S. hydropower system.
  • Total Annual U.S. Incident Wave Energy 2,110 terrawatt-hours
  • The United States receives 2,100 terawatt-hours of incident wave energy along its coastlines each year, and tapping just one quarter of this potential could produce as much energy as the entire U.S. hydropower system
  • In addition to its abundant solar, wind and geothermal resources, the Pacific Northwest is also uniquely situated to capture the renewable energy of the ocean. Special buoys, turbines, and other technologies can capture the power of waves and tides and convert it into clean, pollution-free electricity. Like other renewable resources, both wave and tidal energy are variable in nature. Waves are produced by winds blowing across the surface of the ocean. However, because waves travel across the ocean, their arrival time at the wave power facility may be more predictable than wind. In contrast, tidal energy, which is driven by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun, is predictable centuries in advance.
  • The United States receives 2,100 terawatt-hours of incident wave energy along its coastlines each year, and tapping just one quarter of this potential could produce as much energy as the entire U.S. hydropower system
  • The Unit
  •  
    the amount of 1/4 of energy around the coasts could be equal to the amount energy produced by hydropower
1More

Tidal Power - 0 views

  • A dam-like structure is constructed across an estuary to trap a high tide of water and then let it pass through turbines to generate electricity. The water flow can generate electricity on the falling tide only, or on the falling and rising tide.
2More

Research Report: what are the best uses for solar power - 1 views

  • A quick search on TreeHugger shows that ' solar power ' most often occurs in connection with producing electricity and only secondarily in connection with solar water heaters
  • Compared to electrically heated Water , Solar Water Heating is 57% of the internal rate of return, the scientists found
5More

Tidal Energy Pros and Cons - Energy Informative - 0 views

  • This ultimately reduces the cost these power plants can sell their electricity
  • It is important to realize that the methods for generating electricity from tidal energy is a relatively are relatively new technologies
  • Tidal Energy is a renewable energy source. This energy source is a result of the gravitational fields from both the sun and the moon, combined with the earth’s rotation around its axis, resulting in high and low tides.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • In addition to being a renewable energy, it does not emit any climate gases and does not take up a lot of space
  •  
    pollution
1More

How Is Wave Energy Used to Generate Electricity? | eHow.com - 0 views

  • Earth is composed mainly of bodies of water---about 71 percent of the earth's surface is water. Ninety-seven percent of that is found in the oceans. Because the earth's surface is curved, the sun heats it unevenly. This causes winds to blow across the water and generate waves. The sun and moon also exert their gravitational pull on the earth, triggering wave-producing tides. Wave motion energy can be harnessed and generated into electricity.
6More

Fuel Cells Information, Fuel Cells Facts, Fuel Cells Technology - National Geographic - 0 views

  • A fuel cell is a device that uses a source of fuel, such as hydrogen, and an oxidant to create electricity from an electrochemical process.
  • Most fuel cells in use today, however, use hydrogen and oxygen as the chemicals.
  • Although hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it is difficult to store and distribute. Canisters of pure hydrogen are readily available from hydrogen producers, but as of now, you can't just fill up with hydrogen at a local gas station.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • All fuel cells have the same basic configuration; an electrolyte and two electrodes. But there are different types of fuel cells, based mainly on what kind of electrolyte they use.
  • All fuel cells have the same basic configuration; an electrolyte and two electrodes. But there are different types of fuel cells, based mainly on what kind of electrolyte they use.
  •  
    According to many experts, we may soon find ourselves using fuel cells to generate electrical power for all sorts of devices we use every day
3More

Photovoltaic power station - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  • A photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, is a large-scale photovoltaic system designed for the supply of merchant power into the electricity grid. They are differentiated from most building-mounted and other decentralised solar power applications because they supply power at the utility level, rather than to a local user or users. They are sometimes also referred to as solar farms or solar ranches, especially when sited in agricultural areas.
  • Most stations are sited within a few kilometres of a suitable grid connection point. This network needs to be capable of absorbing the output of the solar park when operating at its maximum capacity. The project developer will normally have to absorb the cost of providing powerlines to this point and making the connection; in addition often to any costs associated with upgrading the grid, so it can accommodate the output from the plant.
  • Income is therefore affected not only by the reliability of equipment within the plant, but also by the availability of the grid network to which it is exporting
1More

Group items matching "hydrogen potential" in title, tags, annotations or url - qmstech2... - 0 views

  •  
    if we fix our problems with price and how we make it hydrogen, we have the potential to generate all of our electrical need using fuel cells 
« First ‹ Previous 141 - 160 of 316 Next › Last »
Showing 20 items per page