Renewable & Inexhaustible Energy Sources

1
Renewable Inexhaustible Energy Sources

• Control Power
• CVHS

2
Energy vs. Power

• Energy is defined as the ability to do work
• Power is a term used to describe the measure of
  work being done (rate)

3
Energy Society

• Without energy, Life would not be possible
• Energy not only powers modern technologies
  including transportation, etc., but is also
  necessary to power living organisms (people,
  animals, plants, etc.)

4
Sources of Energy

• Nonrenewable
• Renewable
• Inexhaustible

5
Nonrenewable Energy

• This is a source of energy that once used, cannot
  be replenished
• Examples Coal, Natural gas, Nuclear, etc.

6
Renewable Energy

• This is a source of energy that can be
  replenished if it is used.
• Examples wood, ethanol, food, etc.

7
Inexhaustible Energy

• This is a source of energy that can be considered
  permanent (at least for a few million more
  years).
• Examples Sun, Wind, Waves, Geothermal

8
Renewable Inexhaustible Energy

• To combat the ill effects, and high costs of
  nonrenewable energy sources, new technology must
  be developed.
• These new energy technologies
  must heavily rely on
  renewable and
  
  inexhaustible resources
  in order to be sustainable

9
Renewable Energy Sources

• Animals
• Plants
• Biomass

10
Animals

• Source of food
• Source of work energy (especially in
  underdeveloped countries)
• Why are animals considered to be renewable and
  not inexhaustible?

11
Plants Wood

• One of the earliest used fuels
• Despite a decline in the 1900s, wood is once
  again a popular choice as a home heating fuel.
• Can be converted to wood gas (methanol) in
  liquid or gaseous forms
• Concerns
• Trees must be immediately replanted to compensate
  for long growth periods
• Burning wood releases pollutants
• Creosote Build-up

12
Plants Alcohol

• Can be produced from a variety of plant life
  including Corn, Sugar beats, Sugar cane, and
  wood.
• Used to run internal combustion engines, etc.
  (E85, Regular gas usually includes 10 ethanol)
• Major Forms Ethanol Methanol
• Concerns
• Corn ethanol cuts in on a source of food
• Still produces pollution

13
Biomass

• Bioconversion is a process that burns or converts
  waste organic material into a useable form of
  energy
• Incinerators burn biomass to produce electricity
  
• Anaerobic Digestion can be
  used to produce
  methane
  gas which can be burned
  like Natural Gas or
  Propane

14
Inexhaustible Energy Sources

• Sun
• Water
• Wind
• Geothermal

15
Sun

• Most energy sources derive their stored energy
  from the sun, including plants, trees, wind, etc.
• The sun provides an almost limitless source of
  energy that can be collected to produce heat
  (thermal) or electrical energy.

16
Water Hydroelectric

• Used for decades as an energy source for
  electricity generation
• Uses the power of moving water to spin a turbine,
  which turns a generator to produce electricity
• Most large scale
  sites have been
  developed in
  the
  US, meaning that
  only smaller
  sites
  may yet be utilized

Three Gorges Dam Expected Finished output 22,500
MW
17
Water Tides Waves

• Uses the force of tides and waves to produce
  electricity
• Very clean, but may interfere with natural
  ecosystems, and fishing locations
• Tide generators can only be used in certain
  locations

18
Water OTEC

• Uses the temperature differential between surface
  water and deep water (energy stored in water by
  the sun)
• Warm water creates steam (spins turbine) cool
  water condenses steam back into a liquid
• Can be used to produce electricity at remote
  ocean locations
• Problems
• Can only be used in certain locations (temp.
  differential)
• Dumping large amounts of cold water into the
  ocean can damage the ecosystem

19
Water Hydrogen

• Hydrogen is a very energetic clean fuel source,
  but is scarce in its natural state
• Water molecules can be split to produce Hydrogen
  and Oxygen
• Requires large amounts
  of energy
• Two Forms Electrolysis
  Pyrolysis

Pyrolysis
20
Wind

• Used for hundreds of years as a mechanical energy
  source
• Now used to produce electricity in large scale
  wind farms, and residential settings
• Problems
• Noisy
• Large areas of land/ sea
  required

21
Geothermal

• Uses steam from the earth to spin a turbine and
  produce Electricity
• Problems
• Loud
• Smelly
• May produce Pollution
• Heat pumps can also be used to heat water to
  55 F for home heating
• Problems
• Must be used in conjunction with another energy
  source

22
Conclusions

• Dependence on Fossil fuels must change sooner or
  later due to environmental concerns, and the fact
  that they will someday run out
• Many forms of energy will need to be implemented
  to replace fossil fuels
• Each, has problems associated with it that must
  be weighed against its benefits