Ashley Bergevin

At the Museum of Science I examined exhibits on wind and solar power. The first exhibit I examined was on wind power. There were pictures and explanations of 5 different types of wind turbines that are used and each design was different. One windturbine can not be used efficiently throughout every environment. Wind turbines use the power of wind to generate electricity, but they can not be installled anywhere. Factors to consider before installing a wind turbine are area and location because each environment has its own wind speed, wind direction, landscape and geography/ power equiptment each home building or community has its own electricity needs/ wind turbine type. There is a key to wind speeds. Superior 19-20+, excellent 18-19, good 16-18, light 14-16, minor 12-14, weak 0-12.

There are many parts of a turbine such as the plades, tower, nacelle, hub, low speed shaft, gearbox, high speed shaft, electric generator, yaw motors, electric controller, anemeters and wind vane. Wind turbines catch the energy of the wind and change it into form we can use. As the wind turns a turbines blades, the machinery inside the nacelle converts the energy into electricity. Wind power is measured in units called milowatts kW, which is equal to one thousand watts or in megawatts mW, equal to one million watts it is also measured by the total energy generated for on ehour mWh. for example on kilowatt generated at a steady rate for one hour could power 66 efficient light bulbs for one hour.

Also while looking at this exhibit I found that wind is a form of solar energy. Sunlight hitting the earth heats the ait unevenly, temperature difference starts moving the air, and warmer air rises and cooler air moves in to take its place creating wind.

The next exhibit dealt with solar energy. Whereever there is sunshine solar energy can be harnessed to generate eletricity. The sun provides about a thousand times more energy than the worl needs, yet solar technologies currently generate only about 1% of the worlds energy. This is becase sunshine is inconsistant and it takes large areas to harness useful amount of power. it has enormous potential and is the fastest growing power generation technology in the world. There are a few different types of solar panels some use photovoltaics, but there are others such as towers, troughs and parabolic dishes. These solar collectors use mirrors to focus sunlight at a centeral point generating enough hear to boil water, from there, the rest of the process of creating electricity is the same at other power plants.

My team had met the other day and discussed various ideas for our project. We’ve thought about different ideas involving wind, water and solar energy, as well as creating energy from food. through out our discussion we tended to focus on solar and wind energy. We went to many recommended websites and took note of which ideas caught our eye. We need to focus our ideas more and be more creative. So far the group seems very diverse and everyone will be able to contribute something different, which I find very important regarding group projects. The trip to the science museum will hopefully enlighten our group on what we can do on a small scale, as well as be informative to help us understand what we will teach.

The ideas we have for solar and wind energy so far are vague and in the next few meetings I hope that we will be able to define our objective.

Electricity is generated at a power plant and transmitted to various local areas where transformers turn it into usable voltage where it is then distributed to buildings through high voltage transmission lines, also known as the power grid. The power grid handles loads of electricity that consumers demand. The minimum predicted amount of power that the gris needs to handle is known as the baseload. Of course the power grid will need to handle more at times, such as in the afternoon and evening as well as throughout different seasons. These increases in power that are fairly consistant are known as peak usage times. When consumers turn on something that requires electricity they demand it, and the amount of people that require electricity at once is the demand load. The more people that require electricity at once puts a higher demand load on the power grid. Demand response allows this demand load to be decreased.

Writing about demand response meant more than learning about consumer energy demands — it meant learning about the power grid, how the grid responds to consumer consumption and how it could respond if it were a bit smarter. The current power grid, it turns out, is not smart, nor is it big into communication. Demand response is a way for consumers to make smarter decisions about energy consumption, as well as for the grid to do the same. A smart grid could tell you that you’re using your dishwasher at a peak energy usage time and if you wait a few hours there will be less demand. A smart grid could also be able to shift power from one source to another to avoid energy depletions that cause brownouts and blackouts. A smart grid could also be a green grid, balancing energy output from fossil fuel-driven power generators and renewable energy sources. Why haven’t we implemented this?

During peak usage times the demand is high and the supply is smaller for each consumer. This can cause problems such as brownouts, black outs, and power interruptions. As a nation we could build more power plants to decrease these problems, but that would cause an increase in environmental problems which has recently become a concern for the entire world. So the other option would be to work with the power plants we have  and try to make the system better. Demand response programs do not worsen the environment and are used only temporarily or occasionally to decrease the times demand load at peak times of usage.

So far there is no conclusive research showing how demand response programs will effect the economy or environment but based on research there are positive outcomes that can be assumed. If more consumers become aware of this idea and its effects it allows them to be more conscious of when they use electricity , which in turn could cause consumers to conserve additional energy. The less power that we consume lessens the pollution generated. When plants are generating peak power the tend to generate more pollutants then plants that generate power at smaller demand times.

Currently power plants have a high demand load and the demand is expected to rise by 40% by 2030. We need to find ways to relieve stress on the power grid as well as reduce green house gas emissions and the cost of energy. The power outages could be from losing power supply, malfunctioning power grid, or discrepancy with supply and demand.  These power outages are  not only inconvenient but causes many businesses to lose money.

In 2003 the United states, with a population of 280 million people, used 3883 kWh. Consumers must pay for the kWh that they use, an average of 8.3 per hWh. The price paid varies because it is determined by regulation, fuel cost, weather, time of day and demand. These demand response programs allow consumers to save money. If a person were to install a Time of use meter into their home they could track the kWh usage each day/year. Tracking their usage lets consumers shift their usage patterns from peak times(high price) to lower price times. Demand response is important to solving the infastructure problems that arise. The system could sense demand load problems and reduce power in strategic place,s preventing power failure.

A new model of demand response is the smart grid that connects to smart buildings. It is a new version of the current power grid that is  a two way power system through provider/consumer. structure is like the internet. it would be a web of access points that could be identified and contacted. through the contact points the grid would automate the flow as needed and could isolate load problems and handle uneven supplies of energy from renewable sources like wind and solar.If the building is not up to date with the smart grid it is essentially pointless because it can not respond. When smart buildings are hooked up to a smart grid, the building responds to information from the grid. the building will automatically react by reducing power usage, if the consumer requires the electricity they can still increase there electricity if need be. This is still being tested and studied but so far when this was used, in a year long study it caused an average decrease of 10% on electricity bills, and a 15% reduction in peak load usage.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/demand-response.htm

http://www.pge.com/mybusiness/energysavingsrebates/demandresponse/whatisdemandresponse/

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/2012-top-trends-in-demand-response

We have been learning about various types of energy so our professor thought it would be beneficial to have Tom Vales come in and speak to us. When entering our class he had various items that i had never seen before and he informed us of what they are, what they do and some of he history behind them.

The first item that was introduced was the Stirling Engine, created for steam engines. In the past steam engines would blow up and injure or kill many people, because of this Sterling created the hot air engine. For this machine to generate energy it requires different temperatures on the top and bottom plate. The difference of temperature must be about 7 degrees farenheight. The machine that was displayed in our classroom was placed over a cup of hot water, and when heat rose it was trapped between the cup and the machine which created the power for it to run. It could be anywhere from 50-80% efficient.  Many cars use technology like this for beverage heaters. It originally ran on oil and coal, but we have been running out of those fossil fuels, and they are not good for the environment.

He also showed us the Tessla coil which was created in Serbia by Nikola Tessla. The power outlets were also created from Tessla. The Tessla coil is a wireless transmission of energy that will work even though a cork, and can light a lightbulb without the lightbulb being inserted into a socket. the Tessla coil has argon which causes a purple glow.

Tom Vales was a very enlightening speaker and I appreciate that he took the time to speak to our class. The knowledge that he shared was very interesting and he made it very enjoyable incorporating humor throughout his whole lecture.

An 8.9-magnitude earthquake generated a tsunami that hit Japans northeast coast in 2011. This hit a nuclear power plant and created a disaster for Japan. Fukushima Daiichi exploded and radio active emissions occurred for weeks, exposing radiation and trauma to people living nearby. Luckily many were evacuated before the explosion because of the tsunami. In April 2011 the Japanese government announced the disaster had reached level 7, which had not occurred since 1987 when the Chernobyl disaster occurred. Two months after the disaster TEPCO and the government were still struggling to bring the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi under control. They originally believed it could have been solved in 6 to 9 months but it is clear that was to optimistic and it would take a longer period of time. The world health organization (WHO) believed the effects of this disaster are insignificant and the radiation will remain at low levels.

Although radiation occurs naturally and we are all exposed to it throughout our life, Fukushima increased the amount of exposure substantially. The average U.S citizen receives a dose of 3mSv per year, where as people living closest to Fukushima saw 12 to 25 mSv in the first year after the disaster, people living farther away saw about 3-5mSv. The lifetime risk of contracting certain types of cancer rose slightly for those group of people, but not a significant amount. That is not the case for plant workers who inhaled large doses of radioactive iodine, which potentially raises the risk of thyroid cancer, even though the thyroid is more resistant to cancer than other parts of the body. The WHO’s report stresses that its research has been thorough but the final effects of the radiation won’t be known until sometime in the future, when scientists can look back and understand what exactly happened.

Radiation is invisible and makes the effects of its exposure hard to understand, which can cause many psychological effects such as fear, anxiety and depression. The people who were involved in this disaster may not be allowed to live in other countries if they decide to move, which can also cause much mental stress if  they are not allowed to leave. But the peoples exposure to radiation at the time of the explosion should not be the only concern.

Fukushima exposed land, water and food to this radiation as well. The radiation in land can be responsible for extra cancers years after the exposure. Many reports have not included the long term doses in the environment when estimating recovery time. Scientists have found butterflies with mutations, fish caught off the coast with levels of cesium 250 times what the Japanese government allows for consumption, radiation in the ocean 1250 times the normal level and higher concentrations of radiation in agricultural products in surrounding areas in the past.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-severity-of-the-fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-disaster-comparing-chernobyl-and-fukushima/24949

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/28/world/asia/japan-who-radiation/index.html

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/01/reassessing-health-effects-fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-accident

Faraday’s Law states that changing magnetic fluxes through coiled wires generate electricity (currents and voltage).   The greater the change in magnetic flux, the greater are the currents and voltages.  In this lab we shook a tube that had a magnet that traveled back and forth through a coil of wires.

In this lab we needed a generator, voltage probe, NXT adaptor, NXT, Labview, and an excel sheet to record our data. The generator, voltage probe, NXT adaptor, NXT were all connected to our computer. Labview allowed the connection to take place and it is where the voltages were recorded and then sent to an excel sheet. The procedure that took place required us to begin shaking the tube at a particular rate while counting the number of shakes in the time period(30 seconds). We did this 5 times at different rates. After collecting all the data we calculated the sum of the squares of the voltages(SSQV) for each trial, then created a graph to show the information.

In this lab we needed to correlate the number of shakes of the generator, in a thirty second time interval, with the voltages that the generator creates. Throughout the 30 second time interval voltages were recorded each second, and we found the sum of squares voltages for each number of shakes. The results were as follows:

When transferred onto a graph you can see that the more it is shaken the more voltages are generated. As you can see 77 shakes created more voltages than 88 shakes. This could potentially be human error and would have needed to be tested more than once to find more specific and correct data.

We did an experiment using the NXT robot to learn about Newtons second law (F=ma). The goal was to understand how acceleration, power, and battery discharge are affected by mass, and power level. We tested this two ways.

• keeping mass consistent and varying the power level.
• keeping the power level consistant and  varying mass.

The experiment was set up for us but we were required to remove and replace weights(mass) on an upright pully, measure the height(m) to determine how far the mass would travel and using NXT and lab view. Labview automatically recorded our speed, battery discharge and time. We had to input power level, mass, accerlation, height, gravity, joules and Power ourselves. The only calculations that needed to be made when recording our data were

• Acceleration=rotations per minute(speed)/#of seconds(time)
• Joules= mass*gravity*height
• Power= Joules/time

There is room for error when doing this test because the length of the string attached to the mass could be longer or shorter depending on the group. When starting and stopping the mass from moving the time could be up to a second off which would cause discrepancy. The distance we measure our selves could also vary from the Labview results.

First we kept mass consistent and varied the power level. Our results were as follows.

(above)When we increased the power level(Force) the Power(W) decreased.

(above) However when we increased the power level, acceleration increases at a high rate.

Next, we kept the power level consistent and varied mass.

(above)The greater the mass, the greater the battery discharge. This represents that the heavier the object the more battery power was needed to lift the object.

(above)The greater the mass, the slower the acceleration.

This lab required Labview, Excel, and NXT adaptor and light sensor, a light source, a solar cell, voltage probe, colored film filters, and a ruler. We attached the light sensor and solar cell to the NXT robot and connected NXT to the computer. We opened Labview which could access the NXT robot and its results. Labview also accessed an excel sheet where it  records the results from each trial. In Labview the output of voltages was recorded each second for 10 seconds per trial. For each trial we got the average for the 10 seconds to find the voltage.

For the first 5 trials we tested different light intensity by varying the distance of the flashlight to test if the difference of light intensity would change the voltage. The results of this lab showed that greater distance of light from the solar cell results in less intensity of the light, hence less voltage produced.

Next we tested how the voltage would change with different filter colors. The bar chart below shows the difference between filter colors. No filter produced the highest voltage and when filters are added the voltage drops significantly. The lightest color(light blue) had higher light intensity; where as the darker colors, hot pink and blue, had lower light intensity and had lower voltage output.

In this lab we learned about the relationship between light intensity and the voltage output of solar cells. Light intensity can be varied by the distance of the light source or if the light is filtered. In conclusion we learned the further away the light source from the cell or the darker the filter, the the longer the wave lengths are which causes lower the intensity/voltage. Also, we found the smaller the distance from the cell or lighter the filter, the wave lengths were also shorter and provided a higher voltage output and higher light intensity.

This is useful if a consumer wants to invest in solar cells for energy. It would be beneficial for locations where it is cloudy less often. This is because clouds act as a filter which decreases the wave lengths of the light/light intensity and decreases the voltages produced, making solar cells less efficient. Solar cells would be most useful in areas where sun shines frequently so the solar cell would be used more efficiently. The midwest/west cost would be better for solar energy rather than new england.

The world needs safe, clean, and affordable energy, everyone wants an abundant supply of clean energy and a healthy solar energy industry, but where do we start? The best path to a stable renewable energy industry is to create self sufficient companies that do not need government financial assistance. The best companies depend on business models in a competitive environment, if a product meets the needs of consumers it will naturally be successful. Companies need subsidies when establishing an emerging industry, some will survive and others will not. Subsidies can be dangerous acting as a crutch, keeping companies alive by  hiding the true cost. The true cost is found in a companys profit margin, but the profits are misinterpreted because some of the cost is transferred to tax payers. If real costs are known, renewable energy will become more competitive and cheaper.

Solyndra was founded in Silicon Valley in 2004. The next year the company was invited to apply for a government guaranteed loan under the Energy Policy Act, which was designed to support innovative clean energy technologies. The full application from Solyndra came in 2008 and the Department of Energy began a review for the loan. In 2009 Energy Secretary announced a $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra, which was the first since the program began in 2005. DOE was pushed by officials to give a final decision on the loan approval quickly so the Vice President, Joe Biden could announce it. The loan was approved in 2009 and  funded with stimulus money.

By the time this loan was approved Solyndra was in trouble. Solyndra’s panels were more expensive to make, but they should have been cheaper to install until the costs were doubted. The company had planned to build solar panels without polysilicon because the prices had skyrocketed giving the company a chance in the market. But, in 2008 the price of polysilicon began to drop sharply.  Chinese firms crouded out American firms in the solar panel market. Also, the management had made wasteful spending decisions on unused equipment. Natural gas prices fell as well, making investment in more expensive alternative energy less enticing. In 2010 an audit by PriceWaterhouseCoopers questioned if Solyndra could survive. In 2010 the DOE found that the company could not make its loan payment, a violation of the federal loan. A few months later  in 2011 the loan was restructured and some investors provided Solyndra with $75 million more in financing. Part of the deal was that the investors would be paid back before the government if the company fell. Finally, in late 2011 the company filed for bankruptcy.

Solyndra had first applied for a Department of Energy grant under the George W. Bush administration. Both political parties had viewed the company as potentially worthy of government investment even before receiving the loan in 2010.

Republicans argued that the Obama Administration betrayed American taxpayers, they had been repeatedly warned Solyndra was in a poor financial situation and may fail. They believe that his donors got special access and taxpayer money for the failed operation. There are 23 million Americans struggling for work and millions of public dollars were wasted. On the other side, Democrats argue that the government wanted to create jobs, even though it has been difficult through green technology.

Although some companies may fail, the U.S. solar workforce today is around 120,000. Many consumers are creating a demand for solar energy to reduce their monthly energy bills. This is because solar energy is affordable and sustainable source of clean energy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/solyndra–explained/2012/06/01/gJQAig2g6U_blog.html

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/obama-fundraises-with-players-in-solyndra-scandal/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2013/02/14/government-subsidies-silent-killer-of-renewable-energy/

Hydraulic fracturing is the process of collecting and preparing natural gas and oil by creating cracks or fractures underground. In order to find what formations can be used for permeability and porosity of surrounding rock is checked, as well as the thickness target shale. Once chosen a mixture of water, sand and other chemicals are pumped at a high pressure down a well borne and enters the formation. The pressures and fluids are monitored and adjusted if needed. The sand opens the fractures which allows natural gas and oil to flow to a well borne and be collected at the surface. This is a sophisticated process that uses advanced equipment to create fracture that are safely contained within the target shale in a short period of time

The mixture that protects the shale and creates fractures is 98% water and sand. The other ingredients are acid, gelling agent, iron control, friction reducer, cross linker, clay stabilizer, anti-bacterial agent, scale inhibiter, surfactant, pH adjusting agent, breaker, and a corrosion inhibiter

December 2011 EPA realeased a draft analysis of a ground water invention in Pavillion Wyoming. The concern citizens have is that private water wells have been contaminated. The report indicated that ground water in the aquifer contains compounds similar to hydraulic fracturing. EPA retested private and public wells and they were consistent with the previous report, which is below health and safety standards. The hydraulic fracturing that occurs in Pavillion is close to drinking wells and drinking water aquifer.  The sample of water water wells, and deep water monitoring wells contained chemicals such as methane,glycols, alcohols, petroleum and other chemicals. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry recommended owners have other sources of water available for drinking and cooking.

The analysis of Pavillion well water caused EPA to begin a national study on the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing near drinking water resources. The Obama Administration believes natural gas is a key role in our nation’s clean energy future and wants the development of hydraulic fracturing to be safe and responsible.

http://www.api.org/policy-and-issues/hf.aspx

http://www.epa.gov/hydraulicfracture/