|
|
|
|
|
|
Curious Cat Science and Egineering blog full tag cloud
Google is investing huge sums in renewable energy with the aim of cheaper than coal renewable energy. Google.org (the philanthropic arm of Google) announced $10.25 million in investments in a breakthrough energy technology called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS).
EGS expands the potential of geothermal energy by orders of magnitude. The traditional geothermal approach relies on finding naturally occurring pockets of steam and hot water. The EGS process, by comparison, replicates these conditions by fracturing hot rock, circulating water through the system, and using the resulting steam to produce electricity in a conventional turbine.
A recent MIT report on EGS estimates that just 2% of the heat below the continental United States between 3 and 10 kilometers, depths within the range of current drilling technology, is more than 2,500 times the country’s total annual energy use.
“EGS could be the ‘killer app’ of the energy world. It has the potential to deliver vast quantities of power 24/7 and be captured nearly anywhere on the planet. And it would be a perfect complement to intermittent sources like solar and wind,” said Dan Reicher, Director of Climate and Energy Initiatives for Google.org.
Google’s Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal initiative focuses on solar thermal power, advanced wind, EGS and other potential breakthrough technologies. Google has set a goal to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity, enough to power a city the size of San Francisco, in years, not decades.
(more…)
I posted on a car powered using compressed air previously. Here is a webcast on that car:
More webcasts on the car: Catvolution’s Air Car ride + interview Cyril Negre - CATvolution YouTube webcasts
Related: Aptera Prototype (over 230 MPG) - Car Elevator - Electric Cars
Compressor-free refrigerator may loom in the future
“This is the first step in the development of an electric field refrigeration unit,” says Qiming Zhang, distinguished professor of electrical engineering. “For the future, we can envision a flat panel refrigerator. No more coils, no more compressors, just solid polymer with appropriate heat exchangers.”
…
Zhang’s approach uses the change form disorganized to organized that occurs in some polarpolymers when placed in an electric field. The natural state of these materials is disorganized with the various molecules randomly positioned. When electricity is applied, the molecules become highly ordered and the material gives off heat and becomes colder. When the electricity is turned off, the material reverts to its disordered state and absorbs heat.
Related: Ventless Clothes Dryer - Clean Clothes Without Soap - More Efficient Water Heaters - Refrigeration Without Electricity
Science and the City is (among other things) an excellent podcast series from the New York Academy of Science. The latest podcast discusses the science barge project we posted about earlier. They discuss looking at commercially viable urban farms (on rooftops in NYC) and the establishing educational gardens at schools.
See the Curious Cat Science and Engineering Podcast Directory for some great resources for podcasts. Don’t miss the naked scientists from the BBC.
Related: Middle School Engineers - Fun primary school Science and Engineering - Education Resources for Science and Engineering
Professor Stephen Burkinshaw, Chair of Textile Chemistry at the University of Leeds, has created a nearly waterless washing machine. Xeros ltd. has been created to commercialize products based on this system (both for home use and for solvent-based commercial garment cleaning). Given the predicted trouble for supplies of freshwater technology that can reduce water use will be very useful.
Virtually waterless washing machine heralds cleaning revolution
Related: Clean Clothes Without Soap - Ventless Clothes Dryers - environment related posts
Industry scrambles to find a ‘greener’ concrete
Research suggests that if 15 percent of the surface area of Milan, Italy, were covered in TX Active, air pollutants there could be reduced by 50 percent.
When weighing the environmental effects of concrete, some other benefits need to be included, says Rick Bohan of the Portland Cement Association (PCA), a nonprofit trade group based in Skokie, Ill. For example, the insulation provided by concrete walls combats greenhouse-gas emissions by reducing the energy needed for heating and cooling a building by up to 40 percent compared with wood- and steel-frame structures, according to PCA research.
TXActive Cement graphic from HeidelbergCement
Related: Concrete Houses 1919 and 2007 - UW- Madison Wins 4th Concrete Canoe Competition - Sandwich Brick, Reusing Waste Material
From May to October 2007, the Science Barge hosted over 3,000 schoolchildren from all five New York boroughs as well as surrounding counties as part of our environmental education program. In addition, over 6,000 adult visitors visited the facility along with press from around the world.
NY Sun Works: The Science Barge
Most fascinating of all was the Aquaponic system for providing nutrients to the plants using catfish. Nutrients from the plants and worms feed the catfish, who produce nitrogen-rich waste, which feeds the plants. Tilapia were originally used, but eventually replaced with catfish, which were better suited to the climate. The result of all this effort is a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables given out to all the children who visit the barge.
Great stuff. Related: Skyscraper Farming - Science, Education and Community - other posts on environmental solutions
Google, Chevron Build Mirrors in Desert to Beat Coal With Solar
The 1,000-acre plant uses concentrated sunlight to generate power for as many as 112,500 homes in Southern California. Rising natural gas prices and emissions limits may make solar thermal the fastest-growing energy source in the next decade, say backers including Vinod Khosla, the founder of computer maker Sun Microsystems Inc. Costs for the technology will fall below coal as soon as 2020, the U.S. government estimates.
…
“Solar thermal can provide a substantial amount of our power, more than 50 percent,” says Khosla
…
Nine solar thermal plants built in the California desert from 1985 to 1991 still operate, with Juno Beach, Florida-based FPL Group Inc. running seven. They have combined capacity of 354 megawatts, enough to power 230,000 Southern California homes. Development slowed when Congress eliminated tax credits for alternative energy in the early 1990s. Laws put in place in 2005 give solar investors a 30 percent tax credit.
Great progress is being made adding wind and solar capacity. And the increasing oil prices are encouraging much faster adoption of these technologies. The promise of widespread adoption is rapidly becoming a reality.
Related: Solar Energy: Economics, Government and Technology - Wind Power Potential to Produce 20% of Electricity Supply by 2030 - Google Investing Huge Sums in Renewable Energy - Solar Tower Power Generation
Wind energy has been growing tremendously. In 2000 there were 2,500 megawatts (MW) of installed wind capacity in the United States. By the end of 2007, the U.S. installed capacity exceeded 16,000. A recent Department of Energy report sees the potential to provide up to 20% of our nation’s electrical supply via wind power by 2030.
Related: Global Wind Power Installed Capacity - Electricity Savings - Google Investing Huge Sums in Renewable Energy
Apple Farmers Use Pigs Instead of Pesticides
Now he has a group of pigs who shuffle through the orchards when the apples infected with beetles start to fall. They eat the apples and the eggs that would have spelled disaster for next year’s crop, and clear the ground and eat weeds in the process. The pigs make short work of an apple orchard, eating every last contaminated apple. Once the pigs have solved the beetle problem, Koan plans to sell them as organic pork.
Very nice. I like the idea of reducing the use of chemicals in general and it is especially nice when the solution shows that one person’s problem is a pig’s food.
via: It’s the Only One We Have, where the photo is from also
Related: Peak Soil - Bed Bugs, Science and the Media - animal related posts
researchers look to make environmentally friendly plastics
The Missouri S&T research team is constructing new breeds of biodegradable and bioavailable plastics in an effort to reduce the tons of plastic waste that ends up in the nation’s landfills each year. Bioavailable plastics contain substances that can be absorbed by living systems during their normal physiological functions.
By combining and modifying a variety of bio-based, oil-based and natural polymers, the team seeks to create optimal blends that can be used to make agricultural films, bottles, biomedical and drug delivery devices, and more.
…
As polylactic acid degrades, the material reacts with water to decompose into small molecules, which are then mineralized into water and carbon dioxide.
“In general, the main end products of polymer degradation are water and carbon dioxide,” Shahlari explains. “Polylatic acid has the potential of replacing the regular water bottles, and we anticipate that our research could be incorporated into that field too.
It sure seems like they are saying these would really biodegrade. Plastic bags can photodegrade where they break down into small bits of plastic that might be hard to see but are still toxic that can be eaten by animals, and us. As one would figure - that is not a good thing. The ocean garbage floats are not huge amounts of plastic bags and bottles but instead huge amounts of small and tiny plastic particles. I know using corn based bags has been looked at previously and used.
Related: New Plastic Bags Biodegrade in Four Months - Manufacturers Push Biodegradable Plastic Bags (NPR podcast) - Crisis at Sea
GE’s New Water Heater Could Kill 30 Coal Plants
This new design is more than 50% more efficient than previous water heaters. If every home in America had one right now, we would need 30 fewer coal-fired power plants! Every home that installs one will see their yearly power bills drop up to $250. Because the new device uses a heat exchanger, it will actually make your furnace work harder during the winter. But in the summer, and in warm climates, it will actually help cool your house!
The new water heater will be available in 2009. A great deal of savings are available from simple actions like using compact fluorescent light bulbs, better insulation and when buying new appliances buying energy efficient appliances. Tankless water heaters, for example, are available now: Bosch AquaStar Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater.
Related: Wind-Powered Water Heater - Unglamorous Electricity Savings - The Magnetic Fridge - Engineers Save Energy - posts on decreasing our impact on the environment
The top five countries in terms of installed capacity are:
Global capacity was increase by 27% in 2007. Record installations in US, China and Spain:
“We’re on track to meeting our target of saving 1.5 billion tons of CO2 per year by 2020”, said Steve Sawyer, “but we need a strong, global signal from governments that they are serious about moving away from fossil fuels and protecting the climate.”
Meeting energy needs using wind power is growing very rapidly, which is a great thing. It is still a small contributor to our overall energy needs but every bit helps.
Related: USA Wind power capacity - Capture Wind Energy with a Tethered Turbine - Wind Power Technology Breakthrough
Geothermal Power in Alaska Holds Hidden Model for Clean Energy, how it works:
Related: Google Investing Huge Sums in Renewable Energy and is Hiring - New York Steam Pipes
This is a pretty counter-intuitive statement, I believe:
But some simple math shows it is true. If you drive 10,000 miles you would use: 667 gallons, 556 gallons, 200 gallons and 100 gallons. Amazing. I must admit, when I first read the quote I thought that it must be an wrong. But there is the math. You save 111 gallons improving from 15 mpg to 18 mpg and just 100 improving from 50 to 100 mpg. Other than those of you who automatically guess that whatever seems wrong must be the answer when you see a title like this I can’t believe anyone thinks 15 to 18 mpg is the change that has the bigger impact. It is great how a little understanding of math can help you see the errors in your initial beliefs. Via: 18 Is Enough.
It also illustrates that the way the data is presented makes a difference. You can also view 100 mpg as 1/100 gallon per mile, 2/100 gallons per mile, 5.6/100 gpm and 6.7 gpm. That way most everyone sees that the 6.7 to 5.6 gpm saves more fuel than 2 to 1 gpm does. Mathematics and scientific thinking are great - if you are willing to think you can learn to better understand the world we live in every day.
Related: Statistics Don’t Lie, But People Can be Fooled - Understanding Data - Seeing Patterns Where None Exists - Optical Illusions and Other Illusions - 1=2: A Proof
Towards more renewable energy posted to Google’s blog by Larry Page, Co-Founder and President of Products:
To lead this effort, we’re looking for a world-class team. We need creative and motivated entrepreneurs and technologists with expertise in a broad range of areas, including materials science, physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, land acquisition and management, power transmission and substations, construction, and regulatory issues. Join us. And if you’re interested, read about our previous work toward a clean energy future
Very cool. And I think something Google might be able to pull off well. It is also true this may be a distraction and not work well. For many companies that would be my guess for how it would play out. Google has done an exceptional job of allowing engineers to do what they do best. And I think there is a chance they can translate that into effectively managing such a project as this. Google continues to try what they believe even if that is not the conventional path. Good for them.
Related: posts on energy - posts on Google management - Google’s cheaper-than-coal target - Wind Power - Large-Scale, Cheap Solar Electricity - 12 Stocks for 10 Years Update - Larry Page and Sergey Brin Interview Webcast - Google’s Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (press release)
Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog © curiouscat.com 2005-2008 powered by WordPress
USA High School Alumni
