"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Engineering
Brine from Desalination
06/16/19
“Why is Brine created from desalination?”
Desalination is one of the lifelines for many water-poor countries, whether it be in the Middle-East, South Asia, or Western North America. However, during the process of creating more drinkable water, a portion of brine is also created as a byproduct. One of the most pressing challenges for policy-makers, scientists, and engineers is to find out what to do with this Brine from Desalination.
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Cooling Tower Water Treatment
06/15/19
“Why do we need to treat cooling tower water over time?”
Cooling towers are one of the lifelines to our civilization. It enables hydro-thermal systems to control their operation temperature and return to normal processes. However, if left unchecked overtime the water will become contaminated with bacteria which could impede the flow of water. For this reason, cooling towers need to undergo periodic water treatment. With Cooling Tower Water Treatment we can ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure.
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Water Treatment
06/14/19
“How can we make water safe to drink?”
Water is one of the most important resources for humans. However, before it can be drunk, it must be treated to ensure quality. Through a multitude of processes, Water Treatment can ensure the safety of drinking water.
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Laser Interferometers
06/14/19
“How do Laser Interferometers work?”
Laser Interferometers work as follows: A coherent laser beam will be emitted from a source. The beam will then hit a mirror at an angle to its wave of propagation, causing it to split into parts parallel and perpendicular to the original travel. These will be reflected by mirrors, and will head back to the original mirror where they will combine and interfere. This new wave will travel to a detector, where the interference pattern will be picked up and can be analyzed to measure small displacements.
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How Downed Communication Systems Could Delay Power Restoration
06/12/19
“How do fallen communication systems exacerbate power outages?”
When a power outage occurs, interdependent infrastructure systems will fail. When the phones and internet that makes up the communication infrastructure also fails, then it will make it more difficult for utility workers to bring power online. This is How Downed Communication Systems Could Delay Power Restoration.
Energy Storage Tariffs
06/11/19
“How can you be paid for your energy storage?”
Energy storage is one of the most crucial technologies for the energy transition. And like solar before it, it will need some help from policy to get its feet on the ground. One of the things it can use are feed-in tariffs, so that any energy sent to the grid will be compensated financially. These Energy Storage Tariffs are being discussed by multiple energy market operators around the world.
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Backfeeding
06/08/19
“How can electricity flow in the opposite of the intended direction?”
Electricity is designed to be flown in a single direction from a generator. However, if said generator experiences a fault and needs to shut down, then electricity will flow back and be used for its own local loads. This Backfeeding can be quite dangerous and organizations need to design their equipment so everything works smoothly.
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Water and Electricity Interdependence
06/07/19
“How are water and electricity directly interrelated?”
Water and electricity, two of humanity’s most vital resources, are often thought as being from completely different worlds. However, the reality is that the generation of one resource uses some of the other! To illustrate, water needs to be pumped through mechanical pumps reliant on electricity while power plants use water for their operation. In this way there is Water and Electricity Interdependence. So every time you let the faucet run, you’re not only wasting water but also electricity!
Electricity Markets
06/06/19
“How can energy be bought and sold?”
Energy is one of the most vital parts of modern infrastructure. And in many countries, deregulation has led to Energy markets, or platforms where electricity can be bought, sold, and distributed. The pricing for electricity markets depend on the current supply, demand, and mix of energy resources.
