Alternative Energy from the Ocean

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) was conceived of by the French engineer Jacques D’Arsonval in 1881. However, at the time of this writing the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii is home to the only operating experimental OTEC plant on the face of the earth. OTEC is a potential alternative energy source that needs to be funded and explored much more than it presently is. The great hurdle to get over with OTEC implementation on a wide and practically useful level is cost. It is difficult to get the costs down to a reasonable level because of the processes presently utilized to drive OTEC. Ocean thermal energy would be very clean burning and not add pollutants into the air. However, as it presently would need to be set up with our current technologies, OTEC plants would have the capacity for disrupting and perhaps damaging the local environment.

There are three kinds of OTEC.

“Closed Cycle OTEC” uses a low-boiling point liquid such as, for example, propane to act as an intermediate fluid. The OTEC plant pumps the warm sea water into the reaction chamber and boils the intermediate fluid. This results in the intermediate fluid’s vapor pushing the turbine of the engine, which thus generates electricity.  The vapor is then cooled down by putting in cold sea water.

“Open Cycle OTEC” is not that different from closed cycling, except in the Open Cycle there is no intermediate fluid. The sea water itself is the driver of the turbine engine in this OTEC format. Warm sea water found on the surface of the ocean is turned into a low-pressure vapor under the constraint of a vacuum. The low-pressure vapor is released in a focused area and it has the power to drive the turbine. To cool down the vapor and create desalinated water for human consumption, the deeper ocean’s cold waters are added to the vapor after it has generated sufficient electricity.

“Hybrid Cycle OTEC” is really just a theory for the time being. It seeks to describe the way that we could make maximum usage of the thermal energy of the ocean’s waters. There are actually two sub-theories to the theory of Hybrid Cycling. The first involves using a closed cycling to generate electricity. This electricity is in turn used to create the vacuum environment needed for open cycling. The second component is the integration of two open cyclings such that twice the amount of desalinated, potable water is created that with just one open cycle.

In addition to being used for producing electricity, a closed cycle OTEC plant can be utilized for treating chemicals. OTEC plants, both open cycling and close cycling kinds, are also able to be utilized for pumping up cold deep sea water which can then be used for refrigeration and air conditioning. Furthermore, during the moderation period when the sea water is surrounding the plant, the enclosed are can be used for mariculture and aquaculture projects such as fish farming. There is clearly quite an array of products and services that we could derive from this alternative energy source.

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Fuel Cell Technology and Ethanol

The research towards finding an ethanol fuel generator has reached a promising stage. The basis of this research is fuel cell technology. A fuel cell works just like a battery by electrochemically combining hydrogen and oxygen without combustion, to generate electricity. A battery cell requires charging or may drain off after prolonged use. But a fuel cell will continue producing electricity so long as the fuel is continued to be supplied.

The mechanics of a fuel cell include two electrodes sandwiched between an electrolyte. When oxygen is passed over one electrode and hydrogen is passed over the second, it generates heat, water and electricity. The process expels pure drinking water in the form of waste.

Ethanol is the main fuel source for the ethanol fuel cell generators. When fuel substance like ethanol is introduced, the system converts into a generator that provides the power to fuel the car or whatever device you want to run.

Fuel cell technology allows vehicles to run on alternative fuel. Alternative fuels are “green” fuels and they enable vehicles to run for a longer time and at economical rates apart from being environmentally friendly. Experts believe that ethanol will be the fuel for the future. If you add the light fuel cells to the car engine, your car can run just as efficiently as on gasoline. You will also get excellent performance from your vehicle, because Ethanol burns cleaner than petrol. You are also helping the environment as ethanol fuel cell generators give out little or no emissions.

Fuel cells are becoming smaller in size and can be introduced in the engines without compromising on the performance of the vehicles. Ethanol is the preferred choice for alternative fuel due to its natural properties. If ethanol is used as the fuel source for the fuel cells, you get the power of the ethanol fuel cell generator for your car, which is amazing. It’s a excellent way to be a part of the ‘save the environment’ brigade!

When you use ethanol fuel cell generators in your cars it shows that you care for the environment and are ready to do your bit for the environment in a small way. The alternative fuel industry has been revolutionized due to the use of ethanol fuel cell generators and it is a nice way to save the world and also save money in the long run.

Abhishek is an avid Environmentalist and he has got some great Alternative Fuel Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 70 Pages Ebook, “Energy Conservation And Alternative Fuel” from his website http://www.Wonder-Homes.com/643/index.htm.

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Benefits of Alternative Energy

The world’s reliance on oil is staggering, and it seems that new predictions for when we will run out of petroleum are popping up every day.

World governments are moving to start drilling in new places, in a desperate attempt to secure more black gold.

Oil is used for a variety of products, including fuel, which is the number one commodity that people associate oil with.

If we are to survive as a species, it is integral that we embrace the number of alternative fuels that are sitting before us. Even if one alone is not enough to wean us off oil, it is surely possible that together, we can replace oil once and for all, at least in terms of fuel.

There are innumerable benefits to embracing alternative fuels, and very few negatives. In fact, the only arguably bad thing about alternative fuels is that they ultimately decrease the profits of oil companies, although most people do not care about that.

Petroleum based fuels are known to release greenhouse gases and harmful pollutants in to the air. Over time, greenhouse gases have been shown to accelerate global warming, and the dirtier the air is, the unhealthier we are. By taking advantage of alternative fuels, we can reverse these downward trends, stop global warming, and make air completely safe to breathe again.

Proponents of oil say that our economy would be extremely damaged by our disposal of traditional fossil fuels. It seems, however, that the onset of alternative fuels will actually be beneficial to our economy.

Companies that research and provide alternative energy are popping up at an increasing rate, creating jobs and stimulating the economy. If alternative fuels were supported more heavily, additional companies could enter the market and continue to innovate. Solar power is the process of converting the sun’s rays in to energy.

The vast majority of sunlight which strikes the Earth is left unabsorbed, so we might as well try to take as much as we can get.

Solar energy is produced through the application of solar cells, and several solar cells put together form solar panels. The solar cells convert sunlight in to direct current energy through the photoelectric effect. When light hits the surface of the cell, electrons are released, and they are harnessed in to usable electricity.

Solar engineers are currently trying to develop more efficient and effective solar cells, so that we may one day be able to rely on them for the majority of our appliances.

Wind energy uses the power of the wind to generate electricity. Wind is converted in to electricity through the utilization of wind turbines, which have taken on a thin, three bladed shape in modern times.

Currently, wind power supplies one percent of the world’s electricity needs, although with coming advancements in wind technology and the expansion of the industry, that number could rise substantially in the next few years.

Hydroelectric power is the most used form of alternative energy, supplying nineteen percent of the world’s electricity. It is generated by the potential energy of falling water, which powers a water turbine and generator.

Large dams have been constructed solely for the purpose of creating this kind of energy, and due to the continuous flow of water, hydroelectricity has proven to be quite effective. Like other renewable energy sources, there remains a lot of untapped potential in this field.

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Bio Fuel and Bio Mass

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