Energy

Japan to Build Eco-Rigs

- Adam Clare 2 Comments

Japan is looking to offshore “eco-rigs” to create energy. This project sounds like it’s from the future or something.

The floating eco-rig generators which measure 1.2 miles by 0.5 miles (2km by 800m) are intended to harness the energy of the Sun and wind. They are each expected to produce about 300 megawatt hours of power.

Some energy would be lost moving the electricity back onshore, but when three units are strapped together, scientists at Kyushu University say, the effect will be the same as a standard nuclear power station.

The eco-rigs’ gift to the environment does not stop there: some of the power that the solar cells and wind turbines produce will be hived off to fuel colossal underwater banks of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

The lamps are intended to convert the platforms into nurseries for specially selected seaweed that absorbs carbon dioxide and feeds fish and plankton. Deep-sea water that is rich in minerals will enhance the seaweed growth. The wind turbines will power pumps that will then draw the water to the surface.The rigs will be unmanned and comprise several hexagonal platforms.

Coal Plant Goes Solar

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

In Australia a pilot project is underway that pairs solar power and traditional coal burning power generation. Adding solar power into the energy production greatly lessens the amount of coal needed to keep the plants generation at a stable level. Hybrid power plants are a great transition to a system based on renewable energy.

Mirrors, called fresnal reflectors capture the sun’s rays and heat water in the tube above. Steam lines deliver the solar energy to the adjacent coal power plant where existing coal turbines are used to produce an electric current.

The ideal situation for retrofitting a coal power plant with solar includes:

  • A large amount of land adjacent to the plant is neededfor solar collectors. Ausra’s fresnal reflector technology requires 2-2.5 acres of land per megawatt compared with 5 acres per megawatt for solar trough systems or 7 acres per megawatt for solar dish engine systems.
  • High quantities of solar radiation, such as the American Southwest or the Saharan Desert in Northern Africa, give the solar system a higher return on investment and increase the consistency of the solar energy output.
  • Coal power plants that are located in areas with a carbon tax or cap and trade system in place will have a higher return on investment from a solar retrofit.

    • Solar Power for a Month

    - Adam Clare

    Solar roof
    A writer for a tech magazine converted his house to solar last month and he has written about his project and his amazingly low power bill. Here’s the highlights from converting his home to solar:

    -The entire array consists of 27 panels. Each panel has a peak rating of 225W (nominal rating 207W). Nine panels face south, 18 face west. Total peak output of the array at the panel is 6.1KW.

    -It’s summer here in California, so it’s the peak season for solar power generation.

    -On the other hand, you may have read about all the fires that have been burning in Northern California. I’ve had to go up about once a week to rinse the ash off the panels.

    -I have a minor tree problem. After about 7:30PM, a large tree several hundred yards away effectively blocks the sun. Since it’s late in the day, it’s well past the peak generating time, but it’s still worth noting.

    Additionally, I’ve received my first electric bill since the installation, although it’s only for 19 days, not the usual 29 or 30.

    So what was my electricity bill for 19 days?

    $11.34

    Spinning Energy from a Tornado

    - Adam Clare 3 Comments

    We’ve looked at tornadoes as possible energy sources before, and now Live Science has an article on the Canadian engineer with the swirling energy idea.

    Tornadoes and hurricanes form when sun-heated air near the surface rises and displaces cooler air above. As outside air rushes in to replace the rising air, the whole mass begins to rotate.

    Michaud got the notion of a man-made tornado — what he calls the Atmospheric Vortex Engine (AVE) — while working as an engineer on gas turbines.

    “When I looked further into it, I didn’t run into anything that was impossible,” Michaud told LiveScience.

    The AVE structure is a 200-meter-wide arena with 100-meter-high walls. Warm humid air enters at the sides, directed to flow in a circular fashion. As the air whirls around at speeds up to 200 mph, a vacuum forms in the center, which holds the vortex together as it extends several miles into the sky.

    The concept is similar to a solar chimney with the swirling walls of the vortex replacing the brick walls of the tower. But the AVE can reach much higher into the sky where the air is colder.

    With wind turbines at the inlets to the arena, Michaud calculates that as much as 200 megawatts of electricity (enough for a small city) could be extracted without draining the vortex of its power.

    “Look at natural tornadoes that destroy a house or carry off a car and still have plenty of energy left over,” he said.

    Algae Goo FTW

    - Adam Clare

    *FTW = For The Win

    Algae, the best goo on the planet, continues to capture the minds of people who want to transition away from oil. Entering the fray recently is a company from San Diego that promises to make algae a replacement for diesel.

    A San Diego company said Wednesday that it could turn algae into oil, producing a green-colored crude yielding ultra-clean versions of gasoline and diesel without the downsides of biofuel production.

    The year-old company, called Sapphire Energy, uses algae, sunlight, carbon dioxide and non-potable water to make “green crude” that it contends is chemically equivalent to the light, sweet crude oil that has been fetching more than $130 a barrel in New York futures trading.

    Chief Executive Jason Pyle said that the company’s green crude could be processed in existing oil refineries and that the resulting fuels could power existing cars and trucks just as today’s more polluting versions of gasoline and diesel do.

    “What we’re talking about is something that is radically different,” Pyle said. “We really look at this as a paradigm change.”

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