Obnovljivi izvori energije

VIVACE: Vortex Hydro-Energy Mimics Schools of Fish
by Daniel Flahiff



Vivace is a new energy technology that gets its name from a phenomenon that engineers have been battling for 25 years. VIV (vortex induced vibrations) destroyed the Narrows Bridge in Washington State in 1940, and the Ferrybridge power station cooling towers in England in 1965. Ironically it is also the same phenomenon that allows schools of fish to swim as fast as they do. Now Dr. Michael M. Bernitsas and researchers at the University of Michigan are turning this ‘threat’ into a resource. Rather than suppressing VIV, Vivace actually creates and then harvests energy from VIV, and it does it all using slow water currents, a previously untapped source of sustainable energy.



Most of the water that covers 70% of our planet flows at less than 3 knots - too slowly to harvest its power using current technology. Wave and tidal turbines require an average of 5 or 6 knots to operate efficiently, as does the timeless watermill. But Vivace, the technology being developed by Dr. Michael M. Bernitsas at the University of Michigan, is designed to operate at currents of less than 2 knots, opening up a world of possible applications from river power and dam replacement to perpetually powered ocean sensors, uninterruptible power for vulnerable coastal facilities, and the supply of electricity to offshore facilities.



In its current configuration Vivace looks nothing like a fish (though Dr. Bernitsas says it likely will in the future) but more like a ladder with round, sliding rungs. Vivace exploits VIV by simply placing this ladder across a slow moving current which causes the rungs to oscillate up and down on springs. The oscillating movement creates mechanical energy which is then converted to electricity. The modules are designed to be reusable and are considered less of a threat to marine life than turbines because of their slow movement.

What will it cost? Estimates are coming in at about 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour. When compared with nuclear (4.6 cents a kilowatt hour) wind (6.9 cents a kilowatt hour) and solar (16 to 48 cents a kilowatt hour) Vivace looks like a serious competitor. Dr. Bernitsas’ company Vortex Hydro Energy is working to deploy a pilot project on the Detroit River within 18 months. Here’s hoping it goes ’swimmingly’!




Izvor: Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/03/vivace-vortex-hydro-energy/#more-17112

Morava je suviše plitka za ovako nešto ali Sava, Dunav, Drina i Tisa odgovaraju nameni.

Sahara Forest Project Converts Desert into Oasis
by Jorge Chapa




Recently a trio of entrepreneurs announced an incredible solution for the world’s resource problems: turn the Sahara desert into a source for food, water, and energy. The Sahara Forest Project (.PDF) is a solution that combines seemingly disparate technologies - Concentrated solar power and Seawater Greenhouses - and turns them into a mean, green super-massive biomachine. The elegant system could potentially produce enough energy for all of Africa and Europe while turning one of the world’s most inhospitable regions into a flourishing oasis.


The Sahara Forest Project is the brainchild of Charlie Paton, Michael Pawlyn and Bill Watts. The project aims to provide a source of renewable energy, food and water to desert regions around the world by taking a number of proven technologies and merging them into a system that works holistically to do its work. It’s an exciting synergy, as both Seawater greenhouses and concentrated solar power technologies are perfectly suited to work in hot, dry climates.

A Seawater Greenhouse converts sea water into fresh water using nothing more than the sun’s rays. It does this by running air through a structure whose walls are infused with cold sea water. As air enters it is immediately cooled, humidified, and then condensed into fresh water by sunlight.

Concentrated solar power is a technology that utilizes thousands of mirrors to focus sunlight upon a water boiler, heating it to over 1,000 degrees fahrenheit. This generates steam, which in turn drives a turbine to produce energy.

The Sahara Forest Project also has the ability to provide for agricultural growth and development in inhospitable arid regions. Fresh water produced by the Seawater Greenhouses can be used to grow a crops such jathropha, which can easily be turned into biofuel.

The development team expects that the Sahara Forest Project would span 20 hectares and cost about 80 million euros. It will be presented as part of the Future of Science’s Fourth World Conference, to be held between the 24th and 27th of September, which will be focusing on the theme of food and water for life.

Izvor: Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/09/04/sahara-forest-project/#more-14022

Oxford Unveils Next-Gen Underwater Turbines
by Olivia Chen



Underwater turbines that harvest tidal currents have already become an established technology in the world of clean energy. So in order to push the frontier further, a group of engineers at Oxford have been tinkering away on a design that promises to be even more powerful and efficient. The group recently introduced an innovative Transverse Horizontal Axis Water Turbine that will not only collect more energy but require 60% lower manufacturing costs and 40% lower maintenance costs.



The THAWT is considered to be a “second generation” turbine as opposed to the first generation models that resembled windmills. It consists of a cylindrical rotor that rolls around its long axis with the flow of water, instead of turning at right angles. Promising to be more efficient and powerful than other underwater turbines, each THAWT is predicted to produce 12 megawatts of energy - enough to power 12,000 family homes and significantly more than other underwater turbines of today.

Despite these achievements, concerns still exist regarding the ecological effects of erecting underwater turbines fields . Earlier this year, an underwater turbine was installed in Ireland’s Strangford Lough, and its makers claim that the propellers spin slowly enough to allow marine life to swim by unharmed (about 10 to 20 times a minute).

Although it has yet to be determined how this new model will take into account the critters of the sea, Steph Merry, head of marine renewable energy at the Renewable Energy Association, has stated that they taking into full consideration the “balance between the need to tackle climate change and the requirements to safeguard the ecology of tidal areas.”



Izvor: Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/09/10...rse-horizontal-axis-water-turbine/#more-14162

Solar Updraft Towers to Generate Food and Energy
by Mike Chino



A new breed of solar tower may soon be sprouting up in Namibia, providing the nation with a carbon-free source of electricity and food during the day and night. At one and a half kilometers tall and 280 meters wide, these massive solar updraft towers could potentially produce 400MW of energy each - enough to power Windhoek, the nation’s capital. Proposed by intellectual property company Hahn & Hahn, the towers generate energy by forcing heated air through a shaft lined with wind turbines. Additionally, the base of each tower will function as a 37 square km greenhouse where crops can be grown.



Solar updraft towers are an oft-overlooked source of alternative energy, although they do require a great expanse of space and copious amounts of sunlight. Theo von Backström from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University states: “One of the main reasons why commercial solar chimney power plants have not been built that they have to be very large to be economically viable”. Fortunately Namibia’s arid desert region provides plenty of space for such a generator, and the country sees around 300 days of sunshine per year.

Solar updraft towers generate energy by using sunlight to heat the air within a vast transparent greenhouse situated at the base of the chimney. As the hot air rises, it is funneled into the reinforced concrete chimney, driving a series of wind turbines which in turn generate energy.

The structure’s greenhouse base provides the perfect environment for growing crops, which actually allow the plant to produce energy after the sun has set. The water used for crops is heated during the day and transfers this energy to the tower at night. Once the towers are constructed they require very little maintenance, and Namibia has agreed to finance half of the costs of the $780,000 pre-feasibility report.

We’d love to see the towers incorporate a Seawater Greenhouse and produce their own water as well!



Izvor: Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/09/10/solar-updraft-towers-in-namibia/#more-14192

Štos iz Holandije, napunuli su vodom napuštene rudnike i izbušili par vertikalnih tunela do površine, u raznim delovima grada. Dublje okno služi za zagrevanje vode i samim tim se koristi i za grejanje stanova zimi. Pliće okno hladi vodu i koristi se za centralnu klimu preko leta.

Hot Air Balloons Could Power Your House
by Mike Chino



Hot air balloons have long fueled the imagination and now Brisbane-based Solartran has conceived of a way to harness the serene floating forms to generate significant amounts of renewable energy as well. Developed by Ian Edmonds, the “balloon engine” uses solar energy to drive a giant hot air balloon as a “piston”, producing as much as 50Kw - enough energy to power 10 homes!


Photo by Alex Jagendorf

Ian Edmonds’ balloon engine works by first trapping solar energy in a greenhouse, and then using this heated air to inflate a giant balloon. As the ballon rises it pulls on an earthbound tether, spinning a generator to produce electricity. Once the balloon has ascended to its apex of 3 kilometers it automatically release its air and descends, giving the entire process a similar arc to the workings of a two-stroke engine.



Hot air balloons have always captivated us as an incredible mode of transportation, and we’re excited to hear of their application in generating renewable energy. Edmonds expects the cost of his balloon engines to be on par with that of wind power, making it a great system for places where the sun is hot but the winds seldom blow.

+ Solartran

Via News Scientist

Lead photo by Floet2008



Izvor: Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/01/26/hot-air-balloon-engine-by-solartran/#more-18666

Optiwind Accelerating Wind Turbine Taps New Energy Fields
by Ariel Schwartz



Traditional three-blade turbines are great if you have lots of space to play with, but the Optiwind Compact Wind Accelerating Turbine is ideal for high-density, low-wind areas. The turbine’s series of small, five bladed fans funnel in wind and accelerate it, thereby cranking up wind speeds to generate more power.

At six meters in diameter, the Optiwind’s blades are also significantly shorter than traditional turbine blades, which often extend to 80 meters. That means the turbine can be used in areas that don’t have much space to spare, like schools, hospitals, and hotels. Still, potential sites should have 3.5 acres of open land available to comply with local zoning laws

The Optiwind’s design reminds us of the Jellyfish vertical axis wind turbine, but while the 36-inch tall Jellyfish is suited for households, the 200-foot tall Optiwind is meant for bigger structures. Optiwind’s 150 kilowatt model is meant for buildings that use $35,000 of electricity each year, and the 300 kilowatt model works for operations that require $75,000 of energy or more.

NIMBYs may protest that the Optiwind is unsightly and doesn’t belong in high-density areas, but at least the turbine isn’t very noisy–unlike most other wind turbine models.







Izvor: Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/05/06/optiwind-accelerating-wind-turbine-taps-new-fields/optiwind03/

Zanimljiv koncept koji bi mogao lako da nadje primenu bas zato sto trazi manje vetra. Ali sto se tice njihovog predloga da je moguce postavljati ovakva postrojenja u gusce naseljenim zonama, tu bi stao na stranu NIMBY-ja. Pogotovo ako pravi "buku"...

hmm, buka se može neutralisati, emitovanjem talasa iste amplitude a različite faze, recept koji se npr. koristi u helikopterskim slušalicama.

Mozda bi cak i moglo da se usavrsi na nacin da bude prihvatljivo, ali milsim da dizajn pa cak i velicina nije bas najelegantnije resenje. Ili bar postoje elegantnija. Prosto mi se cini da zone vece gustine nisu mesto gde ovo moze da se proda i tu je mala greska ove prezentacije. Prosecan covek stvarno nece izabrati ovo resenje u okolini svoje kuce, pogotovo u konkurenciji brojnih mogucnosti. Jednostavno ljudi koji su ovo dizajnirali treba da ciljaju drugaciju namenu za uspeh svog projekta.

Ima i manjih, jedan od novijih koncepata ekoloških kuća koje sam postovao ima na vrhu par malih vetrenjača. Na sve izvore obnovljive energije gledam kao na privremena rešenja, do prelaska na fuziju. Svi alternativni izvori energije daju malo energije u poređenju sa fosilnim i traže glomaznu ili jako prostranu infrastrukturu.

Sve sto smo do sad je onda prelazno resenje do fuzije
Milsim da je obnovljiva energija zapravo buducnost, a ne prelazno resenje. Odlican je za manje potrosace, bilo da se radi o pojedinacnim korisnicima bilo o manjim grupama( komsiluci, postrojenja itd.) Pruza dovoljnu energetsku nezavisnost i omogucava znacajnu ustedu. Sa druge strane fuzija i kad bude realizovana, bice uzasno skupa tehnologija nedostupna vecini covecanstva. Tu opet ulecu obnovljivi izvori kao spas za sve koji ce cekati decenijama da kupe tehnologiju od bogatih zemalja. Kombinacija nekoliko obnovljivih izvora sa ustedom su pun pogodak za vek koji je pred nama.

Da, fuzija je u razvoju užasno skupa jer zahteva mnogo nove tehnologije, ali sama elektrana neće biti toliko skupa. Pogledaj samo koliko je love skucano u fisiju a koliko košta moderna nuklearka. Fuziona centrala troši malu kafenu šoljicu deuterijuma ili tricijuma umesto par desetina tona koksa/lignita. Opasnost od zračenja ili havarija je neuporedivo manja u odnosu na fisiju. Ako GE sada nudi 0.3MW centralu veličine povećeg frižidera, koja se samo zakopa u dvorištu i posle pet godina menja gorivo, zamisli šta će uraditi tehnologija koja gorivo dobija elektrolizom vode. Šoljica će biti dovoljna za 50-tak godina. Nijedna druga alternativa ne može da ponudi slične performanse.

Pošto eksperimentalni reaktor grade EU, SAD, Kanada, Rusija, Indija, Kina, Koreja i Japan mi ćemo se šlepovati kroz EU. Masovna upotreba u bogatim zemljama (ovde govorimo o periodu 2040-2060 godine) će spustiti cene na prihvatljiv nivo i za ostale nacije. Do tog trenutka, izvori obnovljive energije (i energetska efikasnost) će činiti značajan deo svetske energetske privrede.

btw. Artur Klark je predvideo da će tada, kada energije bude bilo u izobilju i bude jeftina, energetska efikasnost naglo opasti (ljudska priroda) i da čemo imati gadan problem sa toplotnim zagađenjem planete.

Britanija uveliko radi na razvoju obnovljivih izvora energije
Gradi se najveća farma vetrenjača na svetu
Autor: J. S. | 17.05.2009. - 00:02



Na obali britanskog okruga Kent ove godine počeće izgradnja London Array, najveće farme vetrenjača na svetu. Kada budu gotove, 341 vetrenjača moći će da proizvede i do jednog gigavata električne energije, dovoljno da, ako je povoljan vetar, snabdeju strujom 750.000 domaćinstava.

Farma će biti građena u dve faze, 12 milja od obale Kenta i Eseksa, na području od 144 kvadratna kilometra mora.
Uprkos svojoj veličini, svaka turbina biće 100 metara iznad površine mora, one će sa kopna ipak biti nevidljive golim okom. U prvoj fazi biće izgrađeno 175 turbina, dovoljno da proizvedu i do 630 megavata električne energije. Kada budu gotove, moći će da snabdeju strujom ceo okrug Kent i Istočni Saseks. Uz to, E.ON, jedna do tri energetske kompanije koja ih gradi, procenjuje da će se emisija karbon-dioksida smanjiti za 1,9 miliona tona godišnje, a posao na izgradnji farme obezbediće plate za stotine ljudi. Britanci se nadaju da će radovi biti gotovi taman za Olimpijadu koja se 2012. godine održava u Londonu.
Projekat vredan tri milijarde funti doveden je u pitanje početkom ove godine kada je naftna kompanija „Shell“ najavila povlačenje iz projekta. Projekat je spasen zahvaljujući britanskom kancelaru Alistaru Darlingu, koji je najavio da će industrija obnovljive energije dobiti paket pomoći iz budžeta u iznosu od 525 miliona funti.
E.ON gradi farmu vetrenjača sa Danskom kompanijom „Dong Energy“ i kompanijom iz Abu Dabija, „Masdar“. Izgradnja London Array je samo „kap u okeanu“ onoga što Britanija planira da uradi u narednih par godina, što se tiče razvoja alternativnih izvora energije. Prema ciljevima EU, ova zemlja mora da nađe način da u narednih 11 godina proizvede čak 40 odsto struje iz obnovljivih izvora energije. Većina bi trebalo da „dođe“ iz 7.000 novih turbina sa kopna ili mora.

Izvor: Blic
http://www.blic.rs/slobodnovreme.php?id=92891

Uprkos greškama (UK nema kancelara a Alister Darling je valjda ministar finansija) interesantan članak.

Kako napraviti još koji megavat korišćenjem dalekovoda.

Wind Turbine Towers Win Metropolis Next Generation Prize!
by Ariel Schwartz



Today Metropolis Magazine officially announced the winner of their 2009 Next Generation prize! Titled Wind-it, the brilliant project aims to give our existing energy grid a much needed boost by installing wind turbines in ailing electrical transmission towers. The project is designed for France, but creators Nicola Delon, Julien Choppin, and Raphael Menard believe it could be integrated everywhere, from China’s Sichuan Province to the streets of New York City.



The French design team proposes inserting wind turbines into broken electrical towers, thereby turning the towers into wind energy powerhouses and providing an energy boost to a ready-made grid. Wind-it could also be placed in newly built electrical towers. The design, available in three sizes, could provide enough energy to power one room in a house or even 20 whole houses depending on size and wind speed. According to Delon, if a third of France’s electrical towers were outfitted with turbines, they could rival the energy production of two nuclear reactors–that’s 5% of the country’s total electrical demand.

The project comes at the right time for France, which hopes to expand its wind power capacity to five times the current level by 2020. “There are a lot of people who are against wind turbines because they say it disfigures the landscape,” Delon says. But the Wind-it nullifies that argument by adding wind power to structures that are a familiar part of landscapes everywhere.




Izvor: Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/05/19/metropolis-next-generation-prize-winner-wind-it/#more-29706

Odlicna tema.

Vetroturbine ce se sigurno pojaviti na po vojvodjanskim poljima.

Zbog eventualnih popravki ja bi ih najradije napakovao pored puteva. Proracun nije tesko izvesti koje bi bile odgovarajuce.

Negde sam procitao da za ove turbine ne treba jacina vetra nego konstantnost. Tako da se turbina dimenzionise prema tome.

Nije pitanje da li se isplati nego koliko se isplati?

U ovako neki posao treba krenuti sa puno entuzijaznma i uloziti jako puno para koje ce se sporo vracati nazad. (svako ko ima puno para ne razislja previse o ekologiji...vec o ekonomiji - lakse je uvesti nesto iz Kine i preprodavati)

Solar Sunflower Field Energizes Austin, Texas
by Ariel Schwartz



A retail lot in Austin, Texas recently sprouted a stunning field of solar sunflowers that soak up the sun’s rays to provide shade while generating a steady stream of renewable energy. Designed by public art team Harries/Heder, the installation consists of 15 flower-like solar photovoltaic panels located on a pedestrian and bike path between the village of Mueller and Austin’s highway I-35. According to Harries/Heder, the flowers are “an icon for the sustainable, LEED certified Mueller Development and a highly visible metaphor for the energy conscious City of Austin.”




When construction on Mueller, a mixed-use urban village in Austin, Texas first began nearly a decade ago, developers set up a number of environmental and aesthetic rules to safeguard the green spaces and keep the town from taking on an industrial feel. So when a massive retail lot was proposed, Mueller agreed to let it be built on one condition: loading docks behind the stores had to be covered up. Enter Sunflowers, An Electric Garden — Austin’s largest public art installation.

In addition to providing shade for walkers and bikers, the solar flowers collect energy during the day to power the installation’s blue LED lights at night. Leftover power is sent to the grid to offset the cost of maintaining the installation. If only every city required industrial sites to be covered up with similar art projects!

Izvor:Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/17/austin-texas-gets-an-electric-sunflower-garden/

LEAF POWER: Artificial Glass Leaves Produce Energy via Transpiration
by Sarah Parsons



Everyone knows that trees combat climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide out of the air. Now, plant leaves are tackling global warming in another way — by serving as models for a technology that produces clean, renewable power. UC Berkeley researcher Michel Maharbiz, has worked with other scientists to develop an alternative energy system based on transpiration, a natural process where trees pull water from roots to tops, with liquid eventually evaporating off of the leaves. The system relies on artificial glass leaves to generate a steady stream of energy and is yet another example of biomimicry at work.






An early version of a transpiration actuation system developed by the Maharbiz Group was inspired by fern spore-release structures

The synthetic leaves are essentially energy scavengers, deriving power from the evaporation-driven flow of water. Leaves are crafted from glass wafers containing a series of tiny, water-filled channels. Fluid flows through the channels until it reaches the edge of the leaf, where it then evaporates. The actual power production takes place in the leaf’s central stem walls, which are lined with metal plates connected to a circuit. The charged metal plates separated by a layer of water essentially create a capacitor. Water flowing through the leaf is periodically interrupted by small air bubbles–because air and water each have different electrical properties, every time an air bubble passes through the plates, an electric current is generated. This electricity can then be harvested and used to power devices, homes or other energy-sucking items.

Though the electricity produced is a relatively small amount when compared to power produced by fuel cells and batteries, Maharbiz asserts that the glass leaves are actually quite effective for this type of energy-scavenging system. Researchers are currently working on modifications to optimize the amount of power the leaves can produce.

Eventually, leaves could be implemented into whole artificial trees. Maharbiz envisions the trees acting as a complementary tech to solar, where sunlight could power panels and help drive transpiration in trees. With any luck, solar panels and artificial, power-producing trees will soon be as common to the American home as white, picket fences.

Izvor:Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/03...lass-leaves-produce-energy-via-transpiration/

A Wind-Power Vision for the Bronx’s Grand Concourse
by Yuka Yoneda



Is it possible that the designers of NYC’s city seal peered into the future to see how important wind energy would be to us in the year 2009? Most likely not, but their decision to include a windmill in the city’s crest did provide the perfect inspiration for Philadelphian firm Austin + Mergold LLC to rethink the Bronx’s Grand Concourse in a recent architectural competition held by the Bronx Museum of the Arts. The project envisions the wide, urban avenue as New York’s newest monument to clean energy, lined with an army of powerful weblike wind turbines - a.k.a. The Grand Resource.



Just like the Dutch windmills of yore, the gentle giants that dot the whole stretch of the concourse will be structures of both beauty and practicality. In order to preserve the bustling community that currently calls the Grand Concourse its home, the open-diagrid towers will compensate for any space lost to the footprints of the turbines by providing an elevated infrastructure of gardens, cafes and open spaces (similar to the High Line in Manhattan). This skyway will also allow pedestrians to walk along the street without having to worry about the cars passing below.

The Grand Concourse’s high-flying design was chosen as as one of the competition’s 7 finalists and will showcase their project at the Bronx Museum of the Arts this coming November.

Izvor:Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/19/the-grand-resource-a-new-vision-for-the-bronxs-grand-concourse/

‘Oyster’ System is a New Way to Harness the Power of Waves
by Sarah Parsons



Recently Edinburgh-based company Aquamarine Power unveiled plans to install a new type of wave power system in place in the seabed off the Orkney Islands coast. Dubbed the Oyster, the system utilizes an on-shore base that is much easier to maintain than standard wave power designs, and the system is capable of operating at shallow depths, making it more consistent than systems that operate far out at sea. Each unit is capable of producing 300-600kw of electricity, so a commercial farm of ten units could provide clean energy for a town of 3,000 homes!








Turns out waves are good for more than just surfing and scenery. Companies across the globe are turning to the briny deep to develop wave power plants, systems that generate electricity from the motion of the ocean. Locations like California, Oregon, Sweden and Scotland have already been targeted as wave power hotspots, and soon the Orkney Islands will be joining the group.

Aquamarine Power’s “Oyster” device differs a bit from existing wave power systems. The Oyster uses hydraulics to transfer high-pressure water to shore, where it’s then converted to electricity, essentially using wave power to fuel an onshore hydroelectric plant. Once activated by a wave’s motion, an underwater oscillator equipped with pistons pumps water through a pipeline to shore. Onshore generators then convert the water into electricity.

This wave-hydroelectric hybrid offers a couple of advantages: For one, the system’s most complex equipment is onshore, meaning that maintenance workers don’t need to worry about repairing underwater gearboxes or generators that could be damaged by volatile ocean waters. Also, the system is placed at a relatively shallow depth (about 12 to 16 meters deep), where seas are more consistent than further offshore, making power delivery itself relatively consistent. Developers also made sure the system runs silently and relies on only water for hydraulics (rather than oil or other toxic substances) in order to minimize disturbances to ocean life.

The Oyster is still in very early stages of development–a trial demonstration is set to begin in the fall of this year. But developers say that they hope to eventually introduce the system to the coasts of Spain, Portugal, Ireland, UK, US, South Africa, Australia and Chile. Let’s hope the tech lives up to its expected reputation: Calculations by the Carbon Trust suggest that each Oyster could save about 500 tons of carbon dioxide each year.

Izvor:Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/05/oyster-generates-electricity-from-waves/

Energija uz nultu emisiju štetnih gasova
Italija: Prva električna centrala na vodonik
Autor: Tanjug | 14.08.2009. - 23:07


Energetska kompanija Enel iz Italije, danas je pustila u rad prvu električnu centralu koja će kao pogon koristiti vodonik i imati nultu emisiju štetnih gasova.

Elektrana je, kako prenose agencije, izgrađena u Fusini, u industrijskoj zoni Porto Margera kod Venecije.
"Stanovnici Venecije i okoline prvi će u svetu dobijati energiju koja će biti proizvođena uz nultu emisiju štetnih gasova", navodi se u saopštenju italijanske kompanije, koja misli da je elektrana u Fusini prva na svetu koja "reciklira vodonik".
Centrala, snage 12 megavata, koristiće vodonik nastao kao nusprodukt hemijskih reakcija u lokalnim petrohemijskim fabrikama, pre svega u fabrici "Polimeri Evropa", koja je vlasništvu grupacije Eni. Proizvedena energija, 60 miliona kilovatčasova godišnje, moći će da zadovolji potrebe 20.000 porodica, a sprečiće emisiju više od 17.000 tona ugljendioksida u atmosferu, navodi se u saopštenju Enela.
Centrala je prvi objekat u projektu "Vodonik park", koji sa četiri miliona evra podržavaju regionalne vlasti u Veneciji i italijansko ministarstvo ekologije.

Izvor:Blic
http://www.blic.rs/svet.php?id=106251

Uskoro jeftina sunčeva energija
Autor: E. B. | 30.08.2009. - 00:01



Solarne ćelije će uskoro u obliku farbe moći da se nanose na krovove ili zidove kuća, čime ćemo dobijati energiju sunca znatno jeftinije.


Brajan Korgel s Univerziteta u Teksasu tvrdi da bi boje sastavljene od nanočestica koje upijaju zrake sunca mogle da zamene skupe standardne ćelije u narednih tri do pet godina.
– Sunce daje gotovo neograničenu količinu energije. Međutim, sadašnja tehnologija za prikupljanje te energije je preskupa i ne može da konkuriše fosilnim gorivima – kaže Korgel.
Zato je njegov tim poslednje dve godine radio na razvoju jeftinih nanomaterijala. Oni su 10.000 puta tanji od vlasi kose, a njihove mikroskopske dimenzije omogućavaju veću primenu. U eksperimentima upotrebljavaju ekološki prihvatljiv i relativno jeftin materijal bakar/indijum/galijum-selenid (CIGS). Budući da je poluprovidan, mogao bi da se štampa i na prozorska stakla koja bi delovala kao solarne ćelije.
Prema Korgelovim rečima, ti nanomaterijali bi mogli da se štampaju na plastične folije ili čelične površine, a vremenom će moći da budu „odštampane“ i na površine kuća.
– Kuću ćemo obojiti materijalom koji upija svetlost i naneti nekoliko drugih slojeva – kaže Korgel.
Trenutna iskorišćenost materijala je samo jedan odsto, a da bi bio komercijalno upotrebljiv, treba je povećati na 10 odsto. Tim američkih naučnika je optimističan. Veruju da će se materijali u upotrebi naći za tri do pet godina.

Izvor:Blic
http://www.blic.rs/blic_it.php?id=108417

stavljam ovde jer planiraju da ih koriste u koordinaciji sa vetrenjačama

100,000 Synthetic Trees Could Help Combat Climate Change
by Sarah Parsons



The field of geo-engineering has launched all kinds of outlandish ideas for combating climate change, from dumping iron into the world’s oceans to shooting mirrors into space. A report published last Thursday from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME) suggested that a forest of 100,000 artificial “trees” could be “planted” near depleted oil and gas reserves to trap carbon in a filter and bury it underground. The carbon suckers look more like fly swatters than actual arbors, but researchers say that once fully developed, the “trees” could remove thousands of times more carbon than a real tree.



The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME)’s report evaluated hundreds of geo-engineering projects and suggested three that could help mitigate global climate change (and that were actually feasible using current or soon-to-be-ready technology). Depending on how you look at it (and how creative a thinker you are), the suggestions could be lauded as really interesting, or just really insane.

In addition to artificial trees, the IME report suggests growing algae in tubes on the sides of buildings. The algae, which traps carbon during photosynthesis, could be collected and transformed into charcoal, which could then be buried underground. The report also points out the benefits of painting roofs white, which reflects sunlight and helps mitigate heat island effect in urban areas.

While the ideas sound good in theory, researchers have yet to see how the tech would actually work, as no one has quite mastered carbon capture and storage. And even the engineers themselves warn that these geo-engineering projects won’t provide a solution to global warming–they’re meant to be used in conjunction with larger, more long-term efforts to reduce global carbon emissions.

The report also includes a 100-year plan to de-carbonize the global economy, and will be presented at party conferences this fall. Who knows–with the right investments and innovations, the next 10 to 20 years could bring a world filled with fake forests and floating space mirrors.

Izvor:Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/09/03...-could-help-combat-climate-change/#more-58709

Japan Plans $21 Billion Solar Space Post to Power 294,000 Homes
by Ariel Schwartz



The concept of space-based solar power was introduced way back in 1968, but it’s only recently that the world has latched on to the idea. Japan is definitely getting in on the action with its latest spacey plan - a $21 billion solar-powered generator in the heavens to produce one gigawatt of energy, or enough to power 294,000 homes. The Japanese government announced the plan back in June, but there has been an important new development - Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and industrial design company IHI Corp. are now teaming up in the race to develop new technology within four years that can beam electricity back to Earth without the use of cables.




Mitsubishi and IHI are joining a research group containing 14 other countries to tackle the daunting task of getting Japan’s four square kilometer solar space station up and running in the next three decades. By 2015, the Japanese government hopes to test a small satellite decked out with solar panels that beams power through space and back to Earth.

There are still a number of hurdles to work through before space-based solar power becomes a reality though. Transportation of the solar panels into space is too expensive at the moment to be commercially viable, so Japan has to figure out a way to lower costs. Even if costs are lowered, solar stations will have to worry about damage from micrometeoroids and other flying objects. Still, space-based solar operates perfectly under all weather conditions, unlike Earth-based panels that are at the mercy of the clouds.

Japan isn’t the only country in the race for space power. Solaren and California’s Pacific Gas and Electric utility are working together on a project to deliver 200 megawatts of power from space over a 15-year period that begins in 2015.

Izvor:Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/09/01/japan-plans-21-billion-solar-space-post-to-power-294000-homes/

The SunCatcher: Concentrating Solar Dishes Set Efficiency Record
by Kevin Dalias



Wouldn’t it be amazing if the old magnifying glass on a sunny day trick could be used for good instead of evil? Well, meet the SunCatcher. Created by Stirling Energy Systems in collaboration with Tessera Solar, the SunCatcher is a parabolic dish composed entirely of precision mirrors. Following the sun from east to west, the SunCatcher squeezes every last drop of energy out of the sun’s rays by focusing the light onto its very own innovative and truly sustainable power conversion unit. Read on to find out how it works!



Each SunCatcher is carefully engineered to wake up in the morning and follow the sun across the sky, concentrating an entire day of direct sunlight onto a single point called, quite appropriately, the power conversion unit (PCU). The SunCatcher’s PCU contains a set of hydrogen gas-filled receiver tubes that become pressurized as they’re heated by the sun’s carefully focused energy. The high temperature and pressure of the hydrogen gas then powers the on-board Solar Stirling Engine, and finally, a generator connected to the output of the Solar Stirling Engine converts the sun’s light to grid-quality electricity. The hydrogen gas is then cooled by a radiator system and recycled through the technology, completely eliminating the need for water and creating an entirely self-contained process.

Stirling Energy Systems has already found incredible success with the SunCatcher in dozens of markets across the globe, having seen more than 50,000 on-sun hours to date. Stirling’s Solar Dish equipment also boasts the distinction of holding the world’s efficiency record for conversion of solar energy into electricity. The array responsible for setting this record was installed nearly 25 years ago in Huntington Beach, CA and only increases our belief that we’ll be seeing more of the SunCatcher in the not-too-distant future.





Izvor:Inhabitat
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/31/the-suncatcher-solar-power-comes-into-focus/