Month: January 2017

Gearboxes

Gearboxes

01/22/17

“How can we change the rotational speed of an engine to a more appropriate value?”
A large portion of modern complex mechanical devices use engines of some sort to generate rotational motion. However, usually the speed of said motion is too small for any practical purposes. So how could we channel the kinetic energy to artificially increase the speed? Well, let’s think back to a very old concept, gears. Gears are special because of you were to take a large gear and connect it to a smaller one, any motion induced in the first one would be amplified in the second, and vice versa for the opposite direction. So what if we were to take this system and apply it to engine mechanics? Well, this gearbox setup is not only possible but is also one of the primary components of automobiles (to be used as transmission between the engine and the drivetrain) and wind turbines (translating the heavy torque low speed motion of wind blades into a faster RPM necessary for large energy generation)

State of the Blog 2017 address

Dear fellow science fans,

Many of you may not know this, but today is a very special day for me, and I would like to take some time to for something I have not done before and give a “state of the blog” address.

Exactly one year ago, I was going through a very tumultuous period in my life. But I had only thing on my mind. To improve as much as possible. I had realized that one area of myself that needed drastic improvement was my writing ability or lack thereof. To put it simply, I could not write coherently to save my life. This ineptitude had led me to butcher my own university applications, deny myself scholarships, and struggle with writing intensive classes.

But these experiences had made me realize something, that not being able to write was practically a disability! Writing allows us to convey information to others not in person, and in the modern digitalized society that we live And so, I wanted to give myself the power to communicate with the outside world. To accomplish this, I decided that I would have to write every day. To keep it interesting, and to make sure that I would keep things in line with what I am studying at school I decided that I would base my writing around science.

And so was born the science blog that you see here in front of your eyes.

What I thought would be a simple gimmick turned out to be one of the most practical educational tools I have at my disposal. Writing about science every day gives me a chance to expand my knowledge, solidify material learned from the lecture hall, improve my writing skills, connect with other scientifically minded people and give back to the global community.

However, like any cognisant individual, I realize that if I am to stay successful, I must always keep improving and never get complacent. Recently I had an epiphany, that a good portion of the most successful people inhabiting this planet have one thing in common; they have a variety of divergent interests but they have configured them to be convergent on one overarching passion that defines them. To illustrate; Elon Musk is passionate about many many different subjects such as physics, computer programming, and economics, but he instead of pursuing each one as a separate activity, he has merged all of these different elements together to serve as fuel his role of being one of the premier technology entrepreneurs on this planet. Steve Jobs held an eclectic range of interest ranging from Zen Buddhism to calligraphy, but he had extrapolated he learned from these fields to apply to computer technology. Albert Einstein was enamored with many passions such as the violin, sailing, and his Jewish culture, but he always knew that his primary role was to be a theoretical physicist.

So I thought that it would be logical if I were to do the same. Now, my current professional trajectory is leading me to a career in sustainable engineering. And since I am quite new to the field, I have this burgeoning desire to become not only an expert but an authority on all matters renewable. So I have decided to give this blog a focus on sustainable energy! From now on, at least 5 out of every seven days of the week will be dedicated to sustainable energy or some form of engineering. I will still be writing about a myriad of different scientific fields as I have done before (requests will also be gladly taken!) but I know that I need to specialize myself to succeed. If you are a regular follower, then you have probably already noticed this trend. Even though I am very new to this field, I think that if I work hard that I can have a lot to contribute

In addition, From now on, on January 21st of every year, I will be giving a “state of the blog address” summarizing the progress made since the year before and vocalize any new direction this blog will take. However, I will always keep to my old self, and continue on my “act first talk later” approach to internal changes (So keep tuned for more excitement!)

Before I sign off today, I would like all of you to take a look at an assessment I completed on the economic infeasible of continuing to rely on non-renewable energy, I can assure you that it will be worth all time put in

Who knows what the future has for us? I wish everyone the best year possible, and may we all experience exponential growth during these tumultuous times!

Sincerely,

Isaac A. Gendler

U.S investment into sustainable energy

U.S investment into sustainable energy

Isaac A. Gendler

21 January 2017

“Why should the new U.S president change his current sustainable energy policies?”

The un-maintainable use of nonrenewable energy resources for the operation of our civilization is putting too much stress on Earth’s resources. As a result of this trajectory, the economics and environmental consequences of non-renewable energy sources will become more prohibitive, forcing many countries to become more foresightful about their current actions and invest more into the burgeoning renewable energy sector in tandem with fabricating more environmentally friendly policies. However, by electing a vehemently anti-sustainability president, the response of the United States to this shifting paradigm is flat out ineffective. If the country does not switch paths to renewable energy it is highly probable that it will miss out on future potential and suffer economically as a nation.

Presently, humanity derives over ninety-four percent of its energy from nonrenewable sources such as petroleum , natural gas, and coal. (Key World Energy Statistics 2016). What makes an energy source non-renewable is that there is only a limited amount of the source on the planet, and once used up they are gone for good.

As a result of the irreplaceable nature of non-renewable forms of energy, the economics associated with using the resources is becoming more volatile as time goes on. When the supply of these materials that humanity holds shifts, economic perturbations will take effect that can devastate entire industries. To illustrate, in 2014, as a result of the revolution in fracking technology generated an economic boom of activity in the U.S state of North Dakota. However, this gas fueled economic engine already has seemed to have been exhausted, with the resultant oversupply causing a precipitous plunge in prices, leading to near unprofitability in operations and scores of ghost towns strewn throughout the state. (Scheyder, Ernest.) The coal industry in the United States, once the primary economic driver of the Appalachia region, is in the midst of a complete collapse, with frequent bankruptcies and production levels dropping down to a thirty-five year low (Goldberg, Suzanne.). The oil industry, a resurging power a few years back, has seemed to have again dipped down in unprofitability, with the corporate mega-conglomerate British Petroleum announcing hundreds of thousands of layoffs worldwide (Reed, Stanley.). And this unceasingly pendulum-like fortune of the non-renewable energy industry is in no way a recent phenomena, with the oil and natural gas industry being infamous for its high frequencies of booms and bust (Alsaadi, Nawar) (Mastrangelo, Erin). This extreme volatility is not sustainable for the basis of an economy, and by continuing to rely on it, we will suffer as a nation.

But economic ruptures are not the only form of destruction that non-renewable sources bring. The most used forms of non-renewable sources (Petroleum, coal, natural gas) are major contributors to a most ruinous phenomenon known as global warming (Laikha, Rinkesh). To put it simply, the pollutants emitted by the production of these resources cause an increase in average global temperature, which in turn throws the operation of our planet out of balance by melting polar ice caps, increasing ocean levels, and disrupting weather patterns. This in turn not only causes further economic but also health and environmental devastation. To elucidate on this point, a very recent natural disaster named Hurricane Sandy was tremendously amplified by global warming due to a combination of higher sea levels temperature (Freedman, Andrew. ). Nearly sixty-five billion dollars were lost and countless homes destroyed in the aftermath (Rice, Doyle). Much of this could have been avoided if humanity was more foresightful about the usage of dangerous fuel sources. Events like Hurricane Sandy are only bound to get worse, as anthropogenic temperature change is increasing at an exponential rate, possibly being raised up by over seven degrees by the end of the century! (Friedrich, Tobias et. all) It doesn’t take a rocket scientists to know that negligence to act against such a coming threat would prove disastrous

So how can humanity get off this eternal nauseating boom and bust cycle of non-renewable sources? The answer is to invest in sustainable energy, systems, and policy. Sustainable energy is energy from natural processes such as wind and solar that differs from traditional sources primarily in that such natural supplies are constantly being replenished, allowing for a “never ending” usage of said resources. If humanity truly wants to ensure an infinite future, it would only be logical to base its infrastructure off sources that could exist for such a time period.

However, technology alone will not be able to solve the global problems faced by humanity caused by its past negligence of the Earth’s resources, sustainable policies must be put in place. Current examples can be drawn from Portugal’s remuneration system for individuals generating their own renewable energy (Jimeno, Moïra) , California’s “action plan” to obtain 33 percent of its power be based on renewables by 2020 (Elliott, E. Donald) and setting pollution threshold limits for areas of nature (Fenn, M. E). However, we must not settle for what already has been done, and as the climate rises so must our endeavors.

Nations around the world have already taken heed to this call. China, one of the most powerful countries on earth and heaviest polluters on the planet, is pouring money into environmental protection(Janing, Wang) and sustainable energy (Dupuy, Max, and Wang Xuan). The United Arab Emirates, one of the premiere powers of the OPEC group, has admitted that relying exclusively on the petroleum market is unmaintainable for a country in the long term (Saadi, Daania), and is planning to have thirty percent of the nation’s energy come from renewable sources by 2030 (McAuly, Anthony). India, one of the fastest growing economies on the planet, targets to increase the nation’s solar capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2022 (Ross, Katherine.) ( For reference, the world’s solar capacity was 181 gigawatts in 2014 (Renné, David)) For the United States to make a true paradigm shift, the federal government should act similarly and conduct a strategic maneuver by setting up a national sustainable energy target date, and ensure it through tactical action by constructing new large-scale renewable energy projects and subsidizing existing businesses to use green technology. Such a move with a sturdy monetary backing would cajole individuals, corporations, and governments to take action to shift the infrastructure of the United States to be sustainable for the long term

But to its own detriment, the United States has decided to select the most anti-sustainability candidate for its future lear, Donald Trump. Trump not only doubts the veracity of climate change (openly calling it “a hoax created by the Chinese” (Trump,Donald)), but also wants his administration to implement a “100 day plan” which include rescinding all Obama-era restrictions on non-renewable resources, going forward with the Keystone pipeline, and canceling billions in payments to the U.N climate change protocols (Pandey, Avaneesh) (Kelly, Amita, and Barbara Sprunt).

In Trump’s viewpoint, investment into sustainable energy and policies (which he directly calls “an expensive feel-good for tree-huggers” (Trump, Donald 65)) should take a backseat to what he claims are more “proven” forms of energy such as petroleum and coal (Plumer, Brad), Trump’s policies goes even further with this mindset by proclaiming that any environmental restrictions created by preceding administrations (specifically ones concerned with coal production) should be abolished, as they supposedly restrict the potential of the United States economy (Trump, Donald J.). In his own words, Trump states that “Obama’s war on coal [implying regulations] is killing American jobs,.. and is creating a great business disadvantage”(Trump, Donald) and that “[He is] going to get rid of the EPA, of it in almost every form” (Fix, team)

However, Trump is not the only individual with this viewpoint. Many proponents of non-renewable energy like to point out that investment in such industries through projects likes the Keystone pipeline brings jobs, that comparable renewable energy projects are indeed quite expensive (Musial, Walter), and that such systems have to be constructed not only at a large scale to provide a practical amount for civilization but are also limited by geography and times of day (Laikhal, Rinkesh). According to their reasoning, it would be wise for the United States should go down Trump’s path and invest more into non-renewable sources.

But to the contrary, investment in sustainable energy and infrastructure has shown to have a great impact on the economy. Such technology has shown the possibility of creating up to one million more jobs by 2030 while increasing the U.S GDP by 145 billion dollars (Muradov, Nazim). Jobs in the renewable energy sector if the United States already have exceeded the number employed in petroleum/natural gas extraction and coal(Hirtenstein, Anna) and new technologies such as offshore wind turbines will allow for much more flexibility in geographic locations as well as higher efficiency extractions (Iyalla, Atelisika). Not only that, the price for solar panels and wind turbines have been dropping at astounding rates, making investment far less prohibitive (Randall, Tom). One could easily say that green energy implies both types of green, environmental and monetary.

In contrast, jobs created by non-renewable resource industries projects are of lesser quantity compared to ones created by renewable equivalents (Jobs, Bill) (with works such as the Keystone pipeline will only amount to 35 permanent positions (Sanders, Keith)), coal is on a path to death being dictated by market forces (Worland, Justin), and as stated before, the sinusoidal market of non-renewables is too volatile to supplement an economy. As for the question of the beneficiality of imposing environmental regulations over it, economics research has shown that not only do stringent regulations not cause major harm to economies (Dechezleprêtre, Antoine et. all), but that failure to act in unison in preventing further climate has the potential to ravage thirty-six percent of the United States GDP by the end of the century (Burke, Marshall et. all). By no means can old forms of energy provide a new future for our civilization.

To put this theory into practice, a clean energy path is necessary, and only through individual action can this happen. Such change can happen at the grassroots level. Not only can citizens act with their wallet by adopting and installing green technology to support companies and shift the market further into green energy’s favor, but can get out into the streets, join green organizations and lobby government officials to take heed. With such a proactive mindset, people can convince other individuals to change their minds and shift the coming tide into a new, sustainable future, both economically and environmentally.

References

Alsaadi, Nawar. “Why Oil Booms And Busts Happen.” OilPrice.com. OilPrice.com, 25 Feb. 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Burke, Marshall, Solomon M. Hsiang, and Edward Miguel. “Global Non-linear Effect of Temperature on Economic Production.” Nature 527.7577 (2015): 235-39. Web.

Dechezleprêtre, Antoine, and Misato Sato. The Impacts of Environmental Regulations on Competitiveness. Issue brief. London: London School of Economics, 2014. Print.

Dupuy, Max, and Wang Xuan. “China’s String of New Policies Addressing Renewable Energy Curtailment: An Update.” Pardon Our Interruption. Renewable Energy World, 18 Apr. 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Elliott, E. Donald. “Why the U.S. Does Not Have a Renewable Energy Policy.” SSRN Electronic Journal (2013): n. pag. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.

Erin, Erin. An Analysis of Price Volatility in Natural Gas Markets. Rep. Washington DC: US Energy Information Administration, 2007. Print.

Fenn, M. E. “Setting Limits: Using Air Pollution Thresholds to Protect and Restore U.S. Ecosystems.” Issues in Ecology 14 (2011): n. pag. Print.

Fix, Team. “The Fox News GOP Debate Transcript, Annotated.” The Washington Post. WP Company, 3 Mar. 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Freedman, Andrew. “How Global Warming Made Hurricane Sandy Worse.” Climate Central: A Science & News Organization. Climate Central, 1 Nov. 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Friedrich, Tobias, Axel Timmermann, Michelle Tigchelaar, Oliver Elison Timm, and Andrey Ganopolski. “Nonlinear Climate Sensitivity and Its Implications for Future Greenhouse Warming.” Science Advances 2.11 (2016): n. pag. Print.

Goldberg, Suzanne. “The Death of US Coal: Industry on a Steep Decline as Cheap Natural Gas Rises.” The Guardian [London] 8 Apr. 2016: n. pag. Print.

Hirtenstein, Anna. “Clean-Energy Jobs Surpass Oil Drilling for First Time in U.S.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 25 May 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Iyalla, Atelisika. “Onshore vs. Offshore Wind – LCA of Wind.” LCA of Wind. LCA of Wind, 8 Nov. 1997. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Jimeno, Moïra. Portugal: Summary. Rep. Sres-legal, 29 June 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Jobs, Bill. “Employment in Green Goods and Other Services.” Bureau of Labor Statistics (2011): n. pag. Print.

Kelly, Amita, and Barbara Sprunt. “Here Is What Donald Trump Wants To Do In His First 100 Days.” NPR. NPR, 9 Nov. 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

“Key World Energy Statistics 2016.” Key World Energy Statistics (2016): n. pag. Web.

Laikha, Rinkesh. “Overview of Non-Renewable Energy Sources – Conserve Energy Future.” Conserve Energy Future. Conserve Energy Future, 16 May 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Laikha, Rinkesh. “Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy – Conserve Energy Future.” Conserve Energy Future. Conserve Energy Future, 03 Feb. 2015. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Mcauly, Anthony. “UAE Eyes New Clean Energy Generation Target by 2030.” The National. The National, 20 Jan. 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Muradov, Nazim. “Pathways to Decarbonization of Energy.” Lecture Notes in Energy Liberating Energy from Carbon: Introduction to Decarbonization (2014): 117-39. Web.

Musial, W., and B. Ram. “Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States: Executive Summary.” National Renewable Energy Lab Proceeidngs (2010): n. pag. Web.

Musial, Walter. Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States. Rep. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 4 July 2016. Web. 6 Dec. 2016.

Pandey, Avaneesh. “Donald Trump Wants To ‘Cancel’ The Paris Climate Deal.” International Business Times. IBT, 10 Nov. 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Plumer, Brad. “The 6 Most Important Parts of Donald Trump's Energy Policy.” Vox. Vox, 26 May 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Randall, Tom. “Wind and Solar Are Crushing Fossil Fuels.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 6 Apr. 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Reed, Stanley. “Stung by Low Oil Prices, BP Will Cut 4,000 Jobs.” The New York times 12 Jan. 2016: n. pag. Print.

Renné, David. Renewables 2015 Global Status Reporty. Rep. Cambridge: REN 21, 2015. Print.

Rice, Doyle. “Hurricane Sandy, Drought Cost U.S. $100 Billion.” USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Ross, Katherine. “India Charts a Roadmap to Achieve Ambitious Solar Targets.” Renewable Energy World. Renewable Energy World, 8 June 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Saadi, Daania. “Adipec 2016: Dearth of Energy Investment Could Trigger Soaring Oil Prices, Says UAE Energy Minister | The National.” The National. The National, 07 Nov. 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Sanders, Keith. “CNN’s Van Jones Says Keystone Pipeline Only Creates 35 Permanent Jobs.” Politifact. Politifact, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Scheyder, Ernest. “In North Dakota’s Oil Patch, a Humbling Comedown.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 18 May 206. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Donald, trump (realDonaldTrump) “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” 11:15 AM – 6 Nov 2012

Donald, trump (realDonaldTrump) “Obama’s war on coal is killing American jobs, making us more energy dependent on our enemies & creating a great business disadvantage.” 11:32 AM – 3 Jun 2014

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Hydrogen fuel cells

Hydrogen fuel cells

01/20/17

“Is it possible to extract the energy from fuels without an internal combustion engine?”

Fuels are tremendously useful substances for portable energy storage. However, extracting said energy from them is typically a highly pollutive process. But instead of disposing of this technology altogether, could it be possible that we could use our engineering mindsets to create a pollutive free fuel extractive technology? Well, let’s think about it. We know that fuels are typically rich in hydrogen [H2] gas, and we know that the surrounding atmosphere (at least on earth) is filled with a copious amount of oxygen [O2] gas. Furthermore, hydrogen in its ionized state has a positive charge and oxygen has a negative one, and that a current can be created if positive and negative charged states were connected together in a circuit. So what if we were to create a contraption that would separate the hydrogen gas into hydrogen ions and the oxygen gas into oxygen ions, funnel the extra electrons from the hydrogen side into the negative oxygen side, and finally combine then dispose of the surplus hydrogen and oxygen by combining them into water and flushing them out? This is the exact operating principle behind hydrogen fuel cell technology. Hydrogen fuel cells are typically implemented in automobiles and their demand growing at an exponential rate, with a 65% increases in sales from 2014-2015!

However, one must be cautious when using this technology. Because all fuels will be composed of more than hydrogen gas, those chemicals will be released as well, inducing pollution. In addition, these impurities can cause short circuiting. Since we all aspire to be scientific thinkers, we must be remember to be cautious of any new breakthroughs.

Grid Parity

Grid Parity

01/19/17

“What happens when renewable energy becomes cheaper than it’s more corrosive counterparts?”
One of the major slanders against renewable energy is that it is too expensive to compete with traditional sources such as coal and petroleum. However thanks to the efforts of generations of scientists and engineers, the upfront cost for cleaner systems has dropped exponentially in the past few years, so much so that countries and states such as California and Germany have reached something called grid parity, or when renewable prices actually become cheaper than their corrosive counterparts with no subsidies! In fact, solar energy prices are falling so fast against rising electric utilities that according to a recent report by Deutsche Bank, 80% of the world market will have achieved grid parity by 2017!

Floating solar arrays

Floating solar arrays

01/18/17

“How can we achieve greater efficiency of solar arrays using water?”

Solar panel arrays are some of the most benevolent technologies in existence. However, they can often require large parcels of land, which could be expensive and take away from the possibility of being used for other activities. So how can we use our engineering mindset to circumvent this issue? Well, if our main quandary is that solar panels take up a large amount of land, why not take them off land? Specifically, what if we were to create solar panels designed to float on water? This is the operating principle behind floating photovoltaics (also known as “floatovoltaics”), which use a specialized form of solar panels placed in water reservoirs to generate clean electricity for the local area. Floating solar arrays are more efficient than traditional models and can be hidden from the public view, but designers of such systems must take into consideration the effects of increased wind speeds over water and the local habitat. Companies around the world are already suiting to take up the challenge of implementing these systems, with Kyocera of Japan, Sonomoa clean power of California, and Infratech industries of Australia investing money to build these models.

Pumps

Pumps

01/17/17

“How can we move fluids within a machine using mechanical power?”

Modern mechanical machines such as automobiles and solar heaters work using an internal transfer of fluids. However, since fluids can be difficult to control, specialized machinery must be used to ensure a smooth transfer of material. So how can we make such an apparatus? Well, we know that fluids are respondent to mechanical actions such as suction or pressure, what if we were to make a solid device that accomplishes this? This is the fundamental idea behind an engineering tool known as a pump, and it has become one of the most widely used devices in the current technological paradigm of humanity.

Net metering

Net metering

01/16/17

“How can renewable energy sources give back to the grid?”

Grid connected renewable energy systems can easily receive energy from local power generation units when there is a deficit. However, would it also be possible to send over energy to the grid when there is a surplus? Well, let’s think about it. If electricity can be received from a power generation station (such as a coal plant) one way, then wouldn’t it be logical to send electricity generated (such as from a solar panel) the other way? Furthermore, since individuals are billed for every time they receive electricity from the grid, couldn’t individuals bill the electric company for this activity? This is the fundamental idea behind net metering, which uses a bi-directional meter to measure the net energy received/given off by a housing unit to determine the compensation. Net metering has already spread it’s away across the United States, and hopefully one day the entire world!

Why wind turbines are placed at higher altitudes

Why wind turbines placed at higher altitudes

01/15/17

“Why are wind turbines placed at higher altitudes?”

Wind turbines are a very common sight nowadays. However, if you look closely, you can notice a recurring pattern: such edifices seem to be disproportionately placed at higher altitudes. Why is this so? Well, we simply have to analyze the physics and engineering surrounding the decision. When the planet’s wind collides with solid objects, turbulence will generated, disrupting wind flow and inducing a lower speed. The closer the wind is to the ground, the closer it will be to solid objects, causing more turbulence, and since the amount of energy that a wind turbine produces is contingent to the surrounding wind velocity, it would be only logical to place them at higher altitudes.