Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is the process of converting the ocean waters temperature difference at different depths into usable energy. From the solar heated upper depths of the ocean to the cooler depths below 2,000 feet a 40 degree temperature difference must be maintained to generate electricity. This is a relatively new and unheard of source of energy. Many people are not aware of the many benefits of OTEC and the impact it will have in the future as the use of fossil fuel conversion
The demand for an efficient renewable energy source is a driving force in ongoing research. Thermal energy conversion is one such potential source that is under constant investigation and has endless avenues of possibility. The two requirements of energy production are efficiency and renewability. Many possibilities exist for energy production including: Fossil Fuels (natural gas, oil, coal, oilshale), nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and wastes, & hydroelectric. Efficiency of the use of
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be converted and since early times energy conversion has been occurring every day. Energy conversion is the procedure by which one form of energy converts into another. For instance, every organism converts chemical energy from the food that it receives into mechanical and/or thermal energy that supports its body in order to stay alive. Energy conversion is extremely important in our society. Today, it is used by people to make our lives easier
Table 1 Stages of technological maturity of renewable energy Source: UNEP [19] Renewable energy Research and development stage Demonstration and deployment stage Diffusion stage Commercial maturity stage Hydro energy - Hydrokinetic turbines - Run-of-river Reservoirs Pumped storage Biofuels Aquatic plant-derived fuels Pyrolysis-based biofuels Lignocellulose sugar-based biofuels Gasification-based power Lignocellulose syngas-based biofuels Traditional usage Cook stoves Domestic heating Small/large-scale
With the energy costs increasing and the available resources depleting many people are looking towards other renewable, easily derived energy resources. With this searching many people have looked toward ocean energy. Ocean energy is an ideal resource meeting the requirements people set when looking for new sources. Although the technology is still being developed and evolved, with the technology known ocean energy has already shown to be more prospective than other energy sources already in use
of life and the development of civilization as the origin and continuation of mankind is based on water. Figure 1 Global Fresh Water Availability Although earth is covered largely with water, almost 98% of the earth water is saltwater from the ocean where it maintains a salt content too high for water to be considered as fresh drinking water; instead it is called brackish water. Less than one percent of fresh water is actually within human reach as presented in the tabulation of water around the
We can build better or secure energy future by different methods. For example by the search for renewable energy sources, now the world relies heavily on fossil fuels (oil, natural gas or coal). And we know that fossil fuels are non-renewable. The resources of these fossil fuels are limited and these resources are started to abundant. So we need such fuel or sources of energy which are infinite or renewable easily. The need for clean and sustainable energy sources is quite evident, since fossil fuels
generation systems. Additionally, it identifies a need for concise system development tools that help designers make practical comparisons between linear and rotary machines. INTRODUCTION The basic principles for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy have been known for over a century. It would seem that after this much time, advancements in electrical generation should have reached their limits; however, up to the late 1980’s and early 90’s the use of linear generators for the generation
Today 80% of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels and about 1% comes from solar energy, which is not such a bright idea since nonrenewable resources, such as oil, coal, and gas, are limited (Eia 1). Most significant uses of coal are in steel production, electricity, cement manufacturing, and as a liquid fuel. Solar energy is one of the least used energy sources we have access to in the world; it is also one our mother Earth is relying on to save the nonrenewable fuels, such as fossil fuels.
Sustainable Energy Sources Energy is life. Life on this planet depends upon a fixed amount of energy. The modern industrialized energy sources such as coal and petroleum were originally utilized for their seeming promiscuity and high energies yielded per unit volume. The world has now become painfully aware of how finite petroleum reserves are, not to mention the political complications associated with being dependent upon foreign countries for an energy supply. To add insult to injury, the
(4) Based on this information, researchers try to utilize green energy, specifically solar energy as an alternative to fossil fuels in powering the planet. This is a step towards sustainability as they are using what’s already available (100,000 TW energy from the Sun) and trying to improve upon solar panels (make them cheaper). While the Earth’s current population require 17 TW energy on average each year, solar panels are costly. Suntech Power founder Shi Zhengrong is focusing
The tremendous impact that oceans have on our planet engender how we live our lives on this earth. In this respect, we can agree that our lives depend on oceans and their many contributions to the earths environmental services. The oceans are a part of what make our planet different from any other planet in the solar system. Incidentally, oceans take up more than two thirds of the total world; other than giving us a form of outdoor recreation many people seek out the ecosystem services by visiting
Alternative Energy Resources and Human Dependence on Oil Introduction The modern world is fuelled by oil (Youngquest, 1998). This reality has brought tremendous changes and developments that is continuously transforming the modern period, changing its lifestyles and economies in the last 200 years. However, these changes do not only paved for modernization and development, but it has also paved for the environmental crisis that the world is now facing (Bodley, 2008). Environmental crisis refers
INTRODUCTION Aerosol is a system of solid or liquid particles suspended in air or other gaseous environment. Aerosols vary in size and composition, they can be naturally or manmade generated. Aerosols are minute particles suspended in the atmosphere. When these particles are sufficiently large, we notice their presence as they scatter and absorb sunlight. Aerosols interact directly and indirectly with the earth’s radiation budget and climate. In direct effect the aerosols scatter sunlight. In indirect
cosmetics, plastics, synthetic fabrics, and lubricants, which are also made from oil (nmoga) , by reducing the demand for fossil fuels. To assist in responding to climate change there are specific opportunities for the engineering sector to increase energy efficiency of designed systems by creation of new technologies and processes and the retrofitting of existing technology to increase efficiency.
the nation. Consisting of nine coral atolls, the highest point is five meters, and the average height is less than two meters above sea level. (UN) The lasting impacts that global warming has on Tuvalu include: rising sea levels, coral bleaching, ocean acidification and scarce amounts of fresh water. However while these factors are all directly environmental problems, global warming has the potential to destroy the rich cultural life in Tuvalu, where eleven thousand residents live. The land is disappearing
and widely used energy sources in the present. The majority of all energy used on earth comes from the burning of three types of fossil fuels: petroleum, natural gas and coal. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy. They are formed over millions and millions of years; the fossil fuels we use for energy today were created from plants and animals that lived and died about 300 million years ago. Fossil fuels are found deep underground, they are burned to
the fan that provides thrust. Hovercraftica is a self-contained demonstration unit with every aspect of its propulsion onboard. The hydrogen for the fuel cells is produced through the electrolysis of water. This is achieved by collecting light energy via a solar panel and sending it through the fuel cells. In order to work as efficiently as possible, our team split into three different groups: writing/ presentation, construction design, and electrical. While the construction and electrical
temperature change of 6 degrees Celsius (C) per kilometer. (Graedel 1998) Temperature and water vapor content in the troposphere decrease rapidly with altitude. Water vapor plays a major role in regulating air temperature because it absorbs solar energy and thermal radiation from the planet's surface. (Graedel 1998) The troposphere contains 99 % of the water vapor in the atmosphere. Water vapor concentrations vary with latitudinal position. They are greatest above the tropics, where they may be as high
biomass can help to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, to create healthier forests, and to reduce the risk of wildfires. This was supported by Alistair (2003) who suggested that many log residue benefits could be derived, especially when the world’s energy source is dwindling and our climate