Energy of Tomorrow

ENERGY OF TOMORROW Flternative Fuels OF The Fubune= As we move further into the 21st century, the pressing issue of alternative and sustainable energy becomes more and more significant to society. Fossil fuels will not last forever, and over the next two centuries these revolutionary energy sources might become commonplace in society, as we attempt to build a better and cleaner future. Solan Enengy Our planet orbits a massive ball of what is essentially pure energy, yet we are not tapping into it as much as we could. But that's changing. CONCENTRATED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS Concentrated Photovoltaic Systems, or CPVS, use lenses to concentrate a large amount of sunlight onto a small area of P cells to generate electricity. Why it works: 95% SOS Dual-Land Use: Shade crops can be grown underneath the devices. 95% recyclable! Disperses no waste, and is practically built for ecologic safety. 6-month Energy Payback: After half a year of use, it pays for itself. This technology focuses and intensifies the sun's light to heat a fluid to high temperature, which is then used to drive a turbine that is connected to a generator. CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER Why it works: A 100 sq. mile plot of land with CSP troughs could create enough electricity for the entire U.S. It's the lowest operating cost of any solar technology. Fully functional in land that is considered inadequate for living or agriculture. Altennative Fuels There are many things we can burn for combustion besides petroleum. These fuels are both sustainable and non-impactful on the environment: HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS These devices use hydrogen as a fuel to interact with an oxidant, and create electricity by converting chemical energy into electrical energy. They are currently used in some EV vehicles, particularly public transit. POWERED Why it works: It's non-toxic, non-polluting, and environmentally friendly. Heat and water are its only two byproducts. Enough hydrogen is produced each year to power 30 million cars or 5-8 million homes! It's an abundant & naturally occurring element in every region of the world. METHANE HYDRATE Methane Hydrate is the world's largest natural gas resource. It is extremely abundant in many areas of the world, however it is currently very expensive to mine. Why it works: Compahéd to Estimated 300,000.000 TRILLION CUBIC FT. 13,000 TRILLION CUBIC FT. .of methane in hydrates. However, some experts predict that mining methane can have catastrophic consequences on the earth's atmosphere. .of conventional natural gas remaining on earth. Nuclear Enengy Ever since the Cold War, nuclear power has had a bad reputation. However, despite the dangers of nuclear power, it has the capabilities to be an extremely lucrative, and relatively safe, source of energy THORIUM-BASED NUCLEAR FISSION Typically, uranium is used in nuclear reactors. But thorium can also be used in a similar manner to create energy through nuclear fusion, and it is more abundant and safer. Thohium vs. Uranium 3-5% -> It is estimated that 5.4 million tons of usable tho- rium exists on Earth...with 16% in India. Where as only 3-5% of uranium is usable, virtually all of naturally occurring thorium is usable. Its nuclear waste remains radioactive for 500 years... uranium is 10,000 years. When a lighter element (such as hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium) is turned into a heavier element (helium) through collision (or fusion) at extremely high temperatures (100 million degrees Celsius!) NUCLEAR FUSION Why it works: There is no highly radioactive nuclear waste, as there is with fission. Fusion could create energy to satisfy humanity's demands for thousands of years. No material for nuclear weapons is produced as a byproduct. Ocean Enengy There is a lot of space in the ocean. It covers roughly 70% of the Earth. There is plenty of energy to be capitalized on with all of that empty space. TIDAL ENERGY OFF-SHORE WIND Tidal energy is the most predictable naturally occurring phenomenon is the ocean's tide. Yet, it is hardly used to produce energy. Very similar to current windmill technology, offshore wind is much larger and based out on the open ocean. Why they work: MEGAWATTS Barrages Tidal Fences Turbines Current turbines in (1111! development have a capacity of 5 megawatts. (1 megawatt powers roughly 750 homes.) Forces water through turbines, which activate a generator. Giant turnstiles, which can also capture energy from ocean currents. Similar to wind turbines, they can be lined up in rows underwater. While some of these are currently being used throughout the world, others are theoretical and a long way from practical use. However, one thing is clear: the future looks bright with these energy sources lighting the way. Plymouth Rock ENERGY Sources: http://cafcp.org/stations/10factsH2 http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/fuel-cell-profile/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303907.html http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/01/5-surprising-facts-about-concentrated-photovoltaics/ http://files.eesi.org/concentrating_solar_0506.pdf http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/52478.pdf http://interestingenergyfacts.blogspot.com/2008/03/geothermal-energy-facts.html http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Current-and-Future-Generation/Thorium/#.UfK0z6WQkXg http://www.forbes.com/sites/energysource/2012/02/16/the- thing-about-thorium-why-the-better-nuclear-fuel-may-not-get-a-chance/2/ http://web.ornl.gov/sci/fed/Fusion-Facts/fusn.htm http://www.eere.energy.gov/basics/renewable_energy/tidal_energy.html http://www.eesi.org/files/offshore_wind_101310.pdf http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/energy-production/frozen-fuel.htm