Skip to main content

Home/ qmstech2/ Group items tagged fossil

Rss Feed Group items tagged

dpurdy

How Much Solar Energy Can We Harvest? - 2 views

  • The sun delivers about 7000 times more energy than we currently consume globally. However, we cannot cover the whole surface of the Earth with solar energy collectors. How much of this energy can we collect? Will it be enough to replace fossil fuels?
  • Our global consumption of electricity in 2005 was 15,182 TWh/y (see The Little Green Handbook). However, 9,541 TWh/y of electricity was produced by fossil fuels and 2,555 TWh/y by nuclear power, or the total 12,096 TWh/y. Assuming the lowest solar potential and the lowest efficiency of solar cells we can calculate that we could produce 35 times more electricity than produced by fossil fuels and nuclear power. The additional advantage is that solar power is clean and last practically forever.
  • Even if we used only 1% of unused land area we could produce nearly 4 times more electricity than we produce using fossil fuels and nuclear power.
  •  
    today hindi news,today news talmi,hindi news www.killdo.de.gg
gaworeckilog99

Fuel cell - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  • t has to be produced first, and if this is done by burning fossil fuels, it does not help against climate change. But, the hydrogen fuel cell will help against climate change in future, because scientists are trying to find new ways to make hydrogen without using fossil fuels.
dpurdy

DOE - Fossil Energy: How Fossil Fuels Were Formed - 1 views

  • They were formed from prehistoric plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.
  • Some coal deposits, however, were formed from freshwater swamps which had very little sulfur in them. These coal deposits, located largely in the western part of the United States, have much less sulfur in them
dpurdy

Wind Energy and the Environment - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy ... - 0 views

  • They may also reduce the amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels and therefore reduce the amount of air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, and water use of fossil fuel power plants.
  • Modern wind turbines are very large machines, and some people do not like their visual impact on the landscape. A few wind turbines have caught on fire, and some have leaked lubricating fluids, though this is relatively rare. Some people do not like the sound that wind turbine blades make. Some types of wind turbines and wind projects cause bird and bat deaths. These deaths may contribute to declines in species that are also being affected by other human-related impacts. Many birds are killed from collisions with vehicles and buildings, by house cats and hunters, and by pesticides. Their natural habitats may be altered or destroyed by human development and by the changes in the climate that most scientists believe are caused by greenhouse gases emissions from human activities (which wind energy use can help reduce).
  • Making the metals and other materials in wind turbines and the concrete for their foundations requires the use of energy, which may be from fossil fuels.
jack wells

Environmental impact of wind power - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  • Compared to the environmental impact of traditional energy sources, the environmental impact of wind power is relatively minor, slightly higher than the environmental impact of hydro power on a life-cycle basis. Unlike electricity derived from fossil fuel-powered generating plants, wind power consumes no fuel and emits no air pollution in operation. As well, wind power consumes no fuel in operation, unlike nuclear power plants which do.
greenhan99

BioDiesel Frequently Asked Questions | Rye Bio Fuels - 0 views

  • biofuel has been recently grown, rather than stored and processed over many years. Biofuel is made from what can be grown today whereas fossil fuel comes from biomatter grown millions of years ago – and is therefore not renewable
  • Biodiesel is a clean, renewable and domestically produced diesel fuel. Both biofuels and fossil fuels are of an organic nature (made from biological matter) but biofuel has been recently grown, rather than stored and processed over many years. Biofuel is made from what can be grown today whereas fossil fuel comes from biomatter grown millions of years ago – and is therefore not renewable . Biofuel is not a finite resource - we are only limited by what we can grow.
knightoli99

How Geothermal Energy Works | Union of Concerned Scientists - 1 views

  • Many regions of the world are already tapping geothermal energy as an affordable and sustainable solution to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and the global warming and public health risks that result from their use. For example, more than 8,900 megawatts (MW) of large, utility-scale geothermal capacity in 24 countries now produce enough electricity to meet the annual needs of nearly 12 million typical U.S. households (GEA 2008a). Geothermal plants produce 25 percent or more of electricity in the Philippines, Iceland, and El Salvador.
  •  
    "The U.S. Department of Energy found that heat pumps can save a typical home hundreds of dollars in energy costs each year, with the system typically paying for itself in 8 to 12 years. Tax credits and other incentives can reduce the payback period to 5 years or less.10                                                  "
  •  
    "Heat from the earth can be used as an energy source in many ways, from large and complex power stations to small and relatively simple pumping systems. This heat energy, known as geothermal energy, can be found almost anywhere-as far away as remote deep wells in Indonesia and as close as the dirt in our backyards. FROM OUR BLOG The Latest on Renewable Energy from Our Experts and Analysts Will Clean Energy Research and Development Be Sequestered? Laura Wisland PTC Extension Already Making a Big Difference for Wind Steve Clemmer The Local Energy Movement: Coming to a Town Near You Laura Wisland Subscribe to the Energy blog feed Many regions of the world are already tapping geothermal energy as an affordable and sustainable solution to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and the global warming and public health risks that result from their use. For example, more than 8,900 megawatts (MW) of large, utility-scale geothermal capacity in 24 countries now produce enough electricity to meet the annual needs of nearly 12 million typical U.S. households (GEA 2008a). Geothermal plants produce 25 percent or more of electricity in the Philippines, Iceland, and El Salvador."
rodriguezjos99

Five Reasons Why Tidal Energy is the Wave of the Future - Green Living Ideas - 3 views

  • Green energy has never been more important than it is today with the looming threat of global warming. Every possible effort must be made to reverse the worldwide threat of climate change by subsidizing and switching to green energy. One often-overlooked source of clean, renewable energy comes not from solar, wind or geothermal power, but from the tides.
  • Tidal Energy is valuable to environmentalists because unlike fossil fuels the source of energy will not be depleted in the foreseeable future no matter how much energy is collected.
  • The collection of tidal energy is clean because it involves very little emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • The pattern of tides is extremely stable and not strongly affected by weather conditions which suggests that it would be a very stable source of green energy.
  • Moving water can exert a much greater force on a turbine than wind which means the turbine can turn slowly and still produce a great deal of electricity. The slow and stable tidal forces are ideal parameters for engineering energy solutions. The fact that the turbines can be slow-moving makes it easier to avoid interfering with local ecosystems
  • While the initial cost of building tidal energy plants is high, the plants are expected to run for a very long time which will make them more cost-effective in the long run
  •  
    "Five Reasons Why Tidal Energy is the Wave of the Future JANUARY 4, 2013 BY GUEST CONTRIBUTOR LEAVE A COMMENT Join GLI's 10,000 other followers on Twitter! Green energy has never been more important than it is today with the looming threat of global warming. Every possible effort must be made to reverse the worldwide threat of climate change by subsidizing and switching to green energy. One often-overlooked source of clean, renewable energy comes not from solar, wind or geothermal power, but from the tides. 1. Tidal Energy is Renewable Tidal Energy is valuable to environmentalists because unlike fossil fuels the source of energy will not be depleted in the foreseeable future no matter how much energy is collected. The gravitational relationship between the Earth and the moon is extremely stable in the long term just like solar, wind and geothermal energy. 2. Tidal Energy is Green The collection of tidal energy is clean because it involves very little emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. However, the marine ecosystem is fragile and great care must be taken to avoid interfering with the lives of organisms that depend on the tide."
mchughkon99

Directory:Cents Per Kilowatt-Hour - PESWiki - 0 views

  • GasCurrently supplies around 15% of the global electricity demand. 3.9 - 4.4 Cents/kW-h Gas-fired plants and generally quicker and less expensive to build than coal or nuclear, but a relatively high percentage of the cost/KWh is derived from the cost of the fuel. Due to the current (and projected future) upwards trend in gas prices, there is uncertainty around the cost / KWh over the lifetime of plants. Gas burns more cleanly than coal, but the gas itself (largely methane) is a potent greenhouse gas. Some energy conversions to calculate your cost of natural gas per kwh. 100 cubic feet (CCF)~ 1 Therm = 100,000 btu ~ 29.3 kwh. CoalCurrently supplies around 38% of the global electricity demand. 4.8 - 5.5 Cents/kW-h Increasingly difficult to build new coal plants in the developed world, due to environmental requirements governing the plants. Growing concern about coal fired plants in the developing world (China, for instance, imposes less environmental overhead, and has large supplies of high sulphur content coal). The supply of coal is plentiful, but the coal generation method is perceived to make a larger contribution to air pollution than the rest of the methods combined. NuclearCurrently supplies around 24% of the global electricity demand. 11.1 - 14.5 Cents/kW-h Political difficulties in using nuclear in some nations. Risk of widespread (and potentially lethal) contamination upon containment failure. Fuel is plentiful, but problematic. Waste disposal remains a significant problem, and de-commissioning is costly (averaging approximately US $320MM per plant in the US).
  •  
    cost for fossil fuels
dpurdy

Unearthing the True Cost of Fossil Fuels : TreeHugger - 0 views

  • “true” cost of coal: Depending on how you factor in the costs of climate change, it could be between a few additional cents per kWh to a whopping ¢26.89 extra per kilowatt hour—the high-end estimate from the Harvard study. By way of comparison, the average American paid ¢11.54 per kWh on their residential electric bills last year.
dpurdy

The hidden costs of fossil fuels - and biofuels, too - CSMonitor.com - 1 views

  • Climate considerations aside, damages wrought by ethanol made from corn were usually similar to, or even slightly worse, than damages from gasoline. That’s because of the extra energy needed to convert corn to biofuel.
schmettererdav00

Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels - 0 views

  • Biofuels have the potential to be significantly less expensive than gasoline and other fossil fuels. This is particularly true as worldwide demand for oil increases, oil supplies dwindle, and more sources of biofuels become apparent.
  •  
    Biofuels have the potential to be significantly less expensive than gasoline and other fossil fuels. This is particularly true as worldwide demand for oil increases, oil supplies dwindle, and more sources of biofuels become apparent.
smithkai143

What environmental benefits does tidal energy have compared to the traditional fossil f... - 0 views

  • A benefit is very little pollution. However, there is a very serious potential draw back. It can be very hard of fish populations. The proposal for tidal power is to put turbines on the bottom of a bay and let the water rushing in and out with the tide turn them and generate electricity. However, along with the water will come fish and other marine animals. What do you think will happen when these critters get sucked into the turbines. Can you say sushi, boys and girls? Putting some kind of screen in front of the turbine to prevent this would just mean that the animals would be sucked up against the screens, obstructing the flow of water through the turbines.
dpurdy

Hydrogen fuel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  • Because pure hydrogen does not occur naturally, it takes energy to manufacture it. There are different ways to manufacture it, such as, electrolysis and steam-methane reforming process.
  • In electrolysis, electricity is run through water to separate the hydrogen and oxygen atoms. This method can be used by using wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, fossil fuels, biomass, and many other resources.
  • The more natural methods of making electricity (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, biomass), rather than fossil fuels, would be better used as to continue the environment-friendly process of the fuel. Obtaining hydrogen from this process is being studied as a viable way to produce it domestically at a low cost. Steam-methane reforming process extracts the hydrogen from methane. However, this reaction causes a side production of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide which are greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming.
dpurdy

Wind Energy Basics - 1 views

  • The major challenge to using wind as a source of power is that it is intermittent and does not always blow when electricity is needed. Wind cannot be stored (although wind-generated electricity can be stored, if batteries are used), and not all winds can be harnessed to meet the timing of electricity demands. Further, good wind sites are often located in remote locations far from areas of electric power demand (such as cities).
  • Although wind power plants have relatively little impact on the environment compared to fossil fuel power plants, there is some concern over the noise produced by the rotor blades, aesthetic (visual) impacts, and birds and bats having been killed (avian/bat mortality) by flying into the rotors. Most of these problems have been resolved or greatly reduced through technological development or by properly siting wind plants.
  • A Renewable Non-Polluting Resource Wind energy is a free, renewable resource, so no matter how much is used today, there will still be the same supply in the future. Wind energy is also a source of clean, non-polluting, electricity. Unlike conventional power plants, wind plants emit no air pollutants or greenhouse gases. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, in 1990, California's wind power plants offset the emission of more than 2.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, and 15 million pounds of other pollutants that would have otherwise been produced. It would take a forest of 90 million to 175 million trees to provide the same air quality.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • Cost Issues Even though the cost of wind power has decreased dramatically in the past 10 years, the technology requires a higher initial investment than fossil-fueled generators. Roughly 80% of the cost is the machinery, with the balance being site preparation and installation. If wind generating systems are compared with fossil-fueled systems on a "life-cycle" cost basis (counting fuel and operating expenses for the life of the generator), however, wind costs are much more competitive with other generating technologies because there is no fuel to purchase and minimal operating expenses.
    • dpurdy
       
      Good point for how we will need to change in future! To get more wind energy.
  • Wind energy is very abundant in many parts of the United States. Wind resources are characterized by wind-power density classes, ranging from class 1 (the lowest) to class 7 (the highest). Good wind resources (e.g., class 3 and above, which have an average annual wind speed of at least 13 miles per hour) are found in many locations
  • Wind speed is a critical feature of wind resources,
  • In other words, a stronger wind means a lot more power.
  • Horizontal turbine components include: blade or rotor, which converts the energy in the wind to rotational shaft energy; a drive train, usually including a gearbox and a generator; a tower that supports the rotor and drive train; and other equipment, including controls, electrical cables, ground support equipment, and interconnection equipment. Wind turbine diagram - click for enlarged image.
  • Wind is a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth. Wind flow patterns are modified by the earth's terrain, bodies of water, and vegetative cover.
  • How Wind Power Is Generated The terms "wind energy" or "wind power" describe the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power.
eldredzac98

Biofuel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  • Lignocellulosic biofuels are predicted by oil industry body CONCAWE [1] to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 90% when compared with fossil petroleum, in contrast first generation biofuels were found to offer savings of 20-70%
  •  
    Lignocellulosic biofuels are predicted by oil industry body CONCAWE [1] to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 90% when compared with fossil petroleum, in contrast first generation biofuels were found to offer savings of 20-70%
dpurdy

HowStuffWorks "How the Hydrogen Economy Works" - 3 views

  • In the hydrogen economy, there is no storehouse to tap into. We have to actually create the e­nergy in real-time.
  • There are two possible sources for the hydrogen: Electrolysis of water - Using electricity, it is easy to split water molecules to create pure hydrogen and oxygen. One big advantage of this process is that you can do it anywhere. For example, you could have a box in your garage producing hydrogen from tap water, and you could fuel your car with that hydrogen. Reforming fossil fuels - Oil and natural gas contain hydrocarbons -- molecules consisting of hydrogen and carbon. Using a device called a fuel processor or a reformer, you can split the hydrogen off the carbon in a hydrocarbon relatively easily and then use the hydrogen. You discard the leftover carbon to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
  • To have a pure hydrogen economy, the hydrogen must be derived from renewable sources rather than fossil fuels so that we stop releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Having enough electricity to separate hydrogen from water, and generating that electricity without using fossil fuels, will be the biggest change that we see in creating the hydrogen economy.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • In the future, barring some technological breakthrough, it seems likely that one of two things will happen to create the hydrogen economy: Either nuclear-power or solar-power generating capacity will increase dramatically.
  • The electrical-generation problem is probably the biggest barrier to the hydrogen economy
dpurdy

Energy Resources: Biofuels - 2 views

  • By "biofuels" on this page, I mean fuels for vehicles, such as "biodiesel" and "bioethanol" - although you can also use the term "biofuel" to cover any kind of fuel made from living materials or their waste.
  • How it works Biofuels are made from two main sources: Growing crops such as corn, sugar cane, soya or rapeseed; or from palm oil Growing algae
  • Biofuels are made from two main sources: Growing crops such as corn, sugar cane, soya or rapeseed; or from palm oil Growing algae
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • iofuels are potentially carbon-neutral, because although carbon dioxide is released when we burn them, carbon dioxide is taken in by the plants as they grow. However, energy is needed to grow the crops, harvest them, and to process the results into usable products - and most of this energy will be from fossil fuels for farm machinery and power stations.
  • Biofuels are potentially carbon-neutral, because although carbon dioxide is released when we burn them, carbon dioxide is taken in by the plants as they grow. However, energy is needed to grow the crops, harvest them, and to process the results into usable products - and most of this energy will be from fossil fuels for farm machinery and power stations.
  • Producing biofuels from crops means using large amounts of land to grow those crops - that means less land for food production. We must be careful to strike a balance between crops ofr fuel and crops for food.
  • Producing biofuels from crops means using large amounts of land to grow those crops - that means less land for food production. We must be careful to strike a balance between crops ofr fuel and crops for food.
  • Algae - that's pond scum - are microscopic water plants. They reproduce and photosynthesise fast, and the algae are then filtered out of the water and the lipids (oils) are used to make biodiesel.
  • It is claimed that growing plants to make biofuels will take in that carbon dioxide again. But biologists tell us that forests are not 'the lungs of the planet' after all - they give out as much CO2 as they absorb as the plants respire. It seems that it's plant plankton in the oceans that takes in most CO2 and gives out most oxygen.
  • It takes huge areas of land in order to grow crops for biofuels, although making biofuels from algae does not have this problem
  • Biofuel production is closer to being carbon-neutral than using fossil fuels.
  • Is it renewable? Biofuels are renewable, we can plant more of the crops or grow more of the algae.
  •  
    Most quality online stores. Know whether you are a trusted online retailer in the world. Whatever we can buy very good quality. and do not hesitate. Everything is very high quality. Including clothes, accessories, bags, cups. Highly recommended. This is one of the trusted online store in the world. View now www.retrostyler.com
dpurdy

EIA Energy Kids - Wind - 1 views

  • Wind is simply air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the sun. Because the Earth's surface is made of very different types of land and water, it absorbs the sun's heat at different rates. One example of this uneven heating can be found in the daily wind cycle.
  • The Daily Wind Cycle During the day, the air above the land heats up more quickly than the air over water. The warm air over the land expands and rises, and the heavier, cooler air rushes in to take its place, creating wind. At night, the winds are reversed because the air cools more rapidly over land than over water. In the same way, the atmospheric winds that circle the earth are created because the land near the Earth's equator is heated more by the sun than the land near the North and South Poles. Wind Energy for Electricity Generation Today, wind energy is mainly used to generate electricity. Wind is a renewable energy source because the wind will blow as long as the sun shines
  • Like old fashioned windmills, today’s wind machines (also called wind turbines) use blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy. The wind flows over the blades creating lift, like the effect on airplane wings, which causes them to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce electricity. With the new wind machines, there is still the problem of what to do when the wind isn't blowing. At those times, other types of power plants must be used to make electricity.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • Wind Production In 2010, wind turbines in the United States generated about 2% of total U.S. electricity generation. Although this is a small fraction of the Nation's total electricity production, it was equal to the annual electricity use of about 8.7 million households.
  • Operating a wind power plant is not as simple as just building a windmill in a windy place. Wind plant owners must carefully plan where to locate their machines. It is important to consider how fast and how much the wind blows at the site
  • As a rule, wind speed increases with altitude and over open areas that have no windbreaks. Good sites for wind plants are the tops of smooth, rounded hills, open plains or shorelines, and mountain gaps that produce wind funneling.
  • Conditions are well suited along much of the coasts of the United States to use wind energy. However, there are people who oppose putting turbines just offshore, near the coastlines, because they think the wind turbines will spoil the view of the ocean. There is a plan to build an offshore wind plant off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
  • Wind is a renewable energy source that does not pollute, so some people see it as a good alternative to fossil fuels.
  • Since early recorded history, people have been harnessing the energy of the wind. Wind energy propelled boats along the Nile River as early as 5000 B.C.
  • As late as the 1920s, Americans used small windmills to generate electricity in rural areas without electric service. When power lines began to transport electricity to rural areas in the 1930s, local windmills were used less and less,
  • In the early 1980s, wind energy really took off in California, partly because of State policies that encouraged renewable energy sources.
  • Wind is a clean source of energy, and overall, the use of wind for energy has fewer environmental impacts than using many other energy sources. Wind turbines (often called windmills) do not release emissions that pollute the air or water (with rare exceptions), and they do not require water for cooling. They may also reduce the amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels and therefore reduce the amount of air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, and water use of fossil fuel power plants.
  • Modern wind turbines are very large machines, and some people do not like their visual impact on the landscape.
  • Some people do not like the sound that wind turbine blades make. Some types of wind turbines and wind projects cause bird and bat deaths. These deaths may contribute to declines in species that are also being affected by other human-related impacts.
  • Most wind power projects on land also require service roads that add to their physical impact on the environment.
  •  
    Most quality online stores. Know whether you are a trusted online retailer in the world. Whatever we can buy very good quality. and do not hesitate. Everything is very high quality. Including clothes, accessories, bags, cups. Highly recommended. This is one of the trusted online store in the world. View now www.retrostyler.com
‹ Previous 21 - 40 of 149 Next › Last »
Showing 20 items per page