Archive for the ‘Water’ Category
Wind Farm Energy
The construction of large-scale wind farms has enabled us to take full advantage of the use of wind and turn this into an effective and useful energy source. The use of large wind turbines allows us to convert the power of wind into electricity. There are three different types of wind farms; those that are off shore, near shore and land based wind farms. Off shore wind farms are usually built at least ten kilometers away from land and are the most expensive to construct and maintain. Since they are built near the ocean, the salt content from the seawater can corrode the wind turbines, making them less effective.
However, off shore farms are often times the most effective wind farms for producing energy, due to the fact that oceanic winds can travel very quickly and in some areas almost constantly travel from the same direction. Near shore farms are installed in water, just shy of the shoreline or on the beach itself. These farms will also take advantage of wind traveling in one continuous direction and are also usually more effective than land based farms. It’s the continuous wind that makes these wind farms a solid source of energy production. Land farms are constructed around three kilometers or more inland.
Using the study of topography, scientists are able to identify the sites that receive the highest amount of wind. The wind turbines placed in these farms are extremely technologically advanced and even self-adjust aligning themselves into the direction of the wind in order to maximize efficiency. There are many benefits to large-scale wind farms and wind power in general. Probably the most important of these is the fact that wind is a renewable energy, meaning we will not deplete the Earth of this resource. Wind is also easily accessible in many countries all around the world.
So, as we look for new and different ways in which to help the environment, wind presents itself as one of the most advantageous methods we can adopt as a reliable form of energy. Another benefit of wind farms is that wind turbines produce no pollution making them a clean energy source. Over time, as more wind farms are constructed, we can help the world become less dependent on other energy forms that cause pollution and contribute to decreasing the greenhouse effect such as the toxic fumes created from burning coal. To make wind farms a truly viable and beneficial energy production source they must be financially beneficial.
The simple fact that wind power plants can generate electricity for less than 5 cents/kWh with a Production Tax Credit applied throughout the U.S., a price that is competitive with new coal-or gas-fired power plants, justifies it as a beneficial energy source. There are also several tax benefits, government incentives and grants, to help develop and broaden this relatively young but growing industry. We are part of a society that is constantly looking for ways to make things better, cleaner and more efficient. Energy is what moves us, what helps us thrive and propels us into a better future.
Ocean tidal power
The use of tidal power is seen as early as the twelfth century where tidal mills used the force of the tides to grind grain and corn. One of the Earth’s great renewable energy sources is the ocean´s tides and the power of the waves. The ocean’s tides are the product of gravitational pull of the sun and the moon, as well as, the Earth’s rotation. The tides have cycles of twelve and one half hours, twice per day, and are easily predictable. The eighteenth century brought competition from windmills and waterwheels. Tidal mills pretty much became extinct with the invention of cheap steam engines. In 1967, France became the first to be able to put tidal wave power to work on a large scale to produce electricity.
The generation of electricity from tidal waves is similar to that of hydroelectric power generation. Bigger dams, known as barrages, are built on the bottom of a tidal basin. Gates on the barrage allow the tidal basin to fill during incoming high tides. Likewise, the basin will empty through a turbine during the outgoing tide. This would turn an electric generator for the production of electricity. There are also systems that generate electricity from incoming and outgoing tides. This system can have a negative effect on plants and animals in the area. Tidal fences are also used to generate electricity. Vertical axis turbines are mounted on fences.
Passing water is forced through the turbines. Ideal locations for these are channels between two landmasses. Tidal fences are cheaper than tidal barrages and cause less of an environmental impact on large marine life. Tidal turbines are a new technology used for tidal energy. They are similar to wind turbines and are arranged underwater in rows. They work best in areas with strong tides. Although they are heavier and costlier to build, they also are capable of capturing more energy. They are also the least environmentally damaging of all the tidal power technologies, since they do not interfere with migration paths. In order for tidal power to work successfully it requires a tide difference of at least sixteen feet.
Unfortunately there are only a few places where this occurs. This means tidal power plants cannot just be constructed anywhere. There are only a handful of sites on Earth with this type of tidal range. At present, France is the only country that has been successful in using tidal power. It is hoped developments in technology, through research, will be made to allow better use of this, what is now, wasted energy. The future of tidal energy seems hopeful. Tidal power has great potential and hopefully we can make better use of it in the future in our quest to find a replacement for fossil fuels.