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dpurdy

What Is Biodiesel - 0 views

  • The Transesterification process is the reaction of a triglyceride (fat/oil) with an alcohol to form esters and glycerol
dpurdy

Wave Energy: an Overview (Oxfordshire Climate Exchange) - 1 views

  • Waves are generated by winds blowing over the ocean surface.  Wave energy is effectively a stored and concentrated form of solar energy since the winds that produce them are caused by pressure differences in the atmosphere caused by the sun's differential heating of the earth's surface. Waves can efficiently transport energy for thousands of miles and retain their energy long after the winds that first created them have died down, which makes waves one of the most concentrated and consistent sources of renewable energy. 
  • Globally, the potential use of wave power is, unsurprisingly, limited to areas of the world where there are waves. On a global scale, this is dictated by global wind patterns, with the result that waves are more prevalent in the mid-latitudes (40-60(N/S), than nearer the equator where the lack of ocean wind is referred to as the 'doldrums'.  Interestingly, this potential for wave power contrasts with that of solar power, which is more effective in lower latitudes
    • dpurdy
       
      Location of wave power.
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  • it is widely anticipated that other types of renewable resources, including wave energy, will need to be developed in order to meet more challenging targets beyond 2020. 
  • As with most renewable energy sources, wave devices have no emissions during generation but the energy associated with the construction of the device does have small associated emissions.
    • dpurdy
       
      What do we need to do in the future to make this work.
  • it is essential that the current demonstration schemes are successful, to reassure future investors. The most important objective is to deploy full-size demonstration schemes in order to gain greater confidence in the most developed technologies (as in the EU's Atlas project). 
  • it will be necessary to significantly improve the network connections to the electricity suppliers.
morrisseygra99

Biofuels | What are bio fuels and how are biofuels made - 0 views

  • Bio fuels are a viable alternative to fossil fuels.
  • Some examples are that of biodiesel, which entails growing crops that contain high amounts of natural oil then through a process of hydrogenation or refining a more compatible bio diesel, substitute is created.
  • These are examples of first generation biofuels and due to their nature they may or may not be long-term economically or environmentally viable.
jurektho99

Group items matching "history geothermal" in title, tags, annotations or url - qmstech2 | Diigo Groups - 0 views

  • The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). So, geothermal energy is heat from within the Earth. We can recover this heat as steam or hot water and use it to heat buildings or generate electricity. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because the heat is continuously produced inside the Earth. ... Cancel
dpurdy

Tidal Energy - 1 views

  • Tidal energy is energy that can be obtained from the changing sea levels. In other words, tidal energy is a direct result of tide shifting from low to high.
pettitmat99

Biofuels - 0 views

  • Biofuels are basically any fuel that can be burned in air to produce heat that is produced by biological means, normally by plant growth. Currently the most prominant biofuels are ethanol and bio-deisel because these can be burned in existing internal combustion engines and are thus a direct replacement for oil. The most important biofuel historically is wood with oth
  • Biofuels are currently cheaper than oil although this is only because we are seeing very high oil prices at the moment. Under what might be termed more 'normal' market conditions, biofuels lack any meaningful price advantage. Biofuel production is very labor intensive and very land intensive. Production of ethanol from sugar cane was pioneered by the Brazilians in the 1970's as a solution to an oil import bill they could ill afford. It worked for them as they have plenty of land they can convert to growing sugar cane and at the time, plenty of cheap labor with which to harvest it.
  • he simple truth is the world does not have enough land to produce anywhere near the quantity of biofuels we need to make any dent in our oil consumption. They are only in fashion now oil prices are high and it is cost effective to produce them. Sooner or later food prices will rise to such a point that biofuel production will cease to be economic.
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  • In any case the current price of oil is unlikely to be sustained. Much of today's oil prices can be attributed to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East and the hording of oil both for security of supply and more recently as a hedge against the falling dollar.
  • e they cheaper than oil? That depends how you calculate the cost!
  •  
    "But herein lies the first problem with biofuels. They may be carbon nuetral but they are certainly not as green as they might be. Not if the land to grow sugar is coming from cutting down the Amazon jungle and not if vast quantities o"
jack wells

Wind farms can cause climate change, finds new study - Telegraph - 0 views

  • Wind farms can cause climate change, according to new research, that shows for the first time the new technology is already pushing up temperatures.
  • Usually at night the air closer to the ground becomes colder when the sun goes down and the earth cools. But on huge wind farms the motion of the turbines mixes the air higher in the atmosphere that is warmer, pushing up the overall temperature.
    • dpurdy
       
      What this means is that close to the wind farm there is a local warming, not a global impact.
carrowluk99

Group items matching "hydrogen potential" in title, tags, annotations or url - qmstech2 | Diigo Groups - 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 
filionmar99

Group items matching "change future" in title, tags, annotations or url - qmstech2 | Diigo Groups - 0 views

  • We are working to produce biofuels that are low cost, low carbon, sustainable and able to fulfil the world’s transportation fuel needs on a large scale without compromising food production
logansar99

BBC NEWS | Technology | Wave farms show energy potential - 1 views

  • Ocean waves carry tremendous power, and could, in theory at least, provide much of the world's electricity.
  • "What gives us tremendous hope with this technology is that our opening costs are substantially below where wind power started 20, 25 years ago."
  • Wind power has reduced its cost by 80% since, as the technology has been deployed and optimised, he says.
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  • Ms Pontes says wave energy could someday supply 20% of Portugal's power.
  • "That's equal to about six-and-a-half percent of our total capacity in the United States, equal to all the dams that we have in the US right now."
  • The European Union has proposed a commitment to generate 20% of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020.
ackleysam99

Why We Need Solar Power - 0 views

  • When we look at what is available today in solar equipment it has come a long way  but still needs a long way to go.
  • ater they installed a solar hot air collector; this unit worked awesome during the winter months. It would raise the temperature of the home to the mid 80’s during the winter if you continued to let it run.
  • Yet each year we are becoming more energy efficient. The growing problem that really disturbs me is that while I consume less energy then I did in previous years my energy bills continue to climb at a record pace.
chadwickall99

Basics of Wind Energy - 1 views

  • Kinetic Energy of wind
carrowluk99

Group items matching "fuel cells potential" in title, tags, annotations or url - qmstech2 | Diigo Groups - 0 views

  •  
    because there is no source, hydrogen is not limited by its location
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.
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  • 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.
bureaumar98

Biofuels | Biofuel Guide - 0 views

  • There have been studies that prove the many benefits of substituting fossil fuels (petroleum, etc) with biofuels such as biodiesel and ethanol. In its simplest sense, such biofuels are biodegradable which means they are derived from organic materials. They are naturally renewable. It can create numerous jobs since our own farmers can practically make them domestically. Consequently, our reliance on foreign sources of fossil fuels will be significantly reduced. Moreover, these biofuels emit nontoxic and cleaner emissions in comparison to traditional fuels. These alternative fuels also do not promote global warming, since the carbon they emit is taken back to the environment.
  • biofuel is far more simple and easy to use
crandallchr98

Fuel-Cell Vehicles | Union of Concerned Scientists - 0 views

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    A fuel cell produces electricity directly from the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. The only byproduct is water. A fuel-cell vehicle utilizes the electricity produced by the fuel cell to power motors at the vehicle's wheels. Fuel-cell vehicles are similar to battery-electric vehicles in that they are powered by electricity, but they do not have to be recharged like battery vehicles.
gillinghammic98

Solar Energy Facts - 0 views

  • he energy from the sun  varies from place to place and is very dependent on weather conditions. Without an atmosphere 1.4 KW/m2 per hour is available, but with an atmosphere we can only count on 1KW/m2 per hour in the absence of clouds. So, if asked how much 3 hours of sunlight on one square meter is worth what would you say?
Connor Wiggins

HowStuffWorks "How Fuel Cells Work" - 0 views

  • This initiative, supported by legislation in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005) and the Advanced Energy Initiative of 2006, aims to develop hydrogen, fuel cell and infrastructure technologies to make fuel-cell vehicles practical and cost-effective by 2020
  • Why are governments, private businesses and academic institutions collaborating to develop and produce them? Fuel cells generate electrical power quietly and efficiently, without pollution. Unlike power
  • that use fossil fuels, the by-products from an operating fuel cell are heat and water
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  • With a fuel cell, chemicals constantly flow into the cell so it never goes dead -- as long as there is a flow of chemicals into the cell, the electricity flows out of the cell. Most fuel cells in use today use hydrogen and oxygen as the chemicals.
  • If you want to be technical about it, a fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. A fuel cell converts the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in the process it produces electricity.
  • polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC)
  • United States has dedicated more than one billion dollars to fuel cell research and development so far.So what exactly is a fuel cell,
  • With a fuel cell, chemicals constantly flow into the cell so it never goes dead -- as long as there is a flow of chemicals into the cell, the electricity flows out of the cell. Most fuel cells in use today use hydrogen and oxygen as the chemicals.
  •  
    "In 2003, President Bush announced a program called the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative (HFI) during his State of the Union Address."
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    It shows how its sustainable 
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