Tag: Green energy

A quick note on the sustainability of electric vehicles

A quick note on the sustainability of electric vehicles

A quick note on the sustainability of electric vehicles

Isaac Gendler

06/25/17

“How effective are electric vehicles at promoting sustainability?”

 

Electric vehicles are often touted as one of the drivers of the frontier of sustainability. However, one should keep in mind that electric vehicles draw their power from the grid, and if the grid is not powered by sustainable sources then electric vehicles will not be sustainable either. So one when we continue the battle against greenhouse gases in transportation, we must keep in mind that we must not limit our efforts to only one field.

Pumped hydrogen storage

Pumped hydrogen storage

Pumped hydrogen storage

06/24/17

“How can we use a gravitational potential to store energy?”

 

If you have ever taken an introductory physics class, then you know that anything with a mass at some distance from the Earth has an energy potential associated with it given by the equation P.E = mgh, with m being the mass g being gravity and h being the height. So logically speaking, if we were to vastly increase the mass then we would also vastly increase the potential energy. So if we have a large enough mass, we can store enough energy for an electric grid!

 

This is the exact idea behind a technology known as pumped hydrogen storage. Pumped hydrogen storage takes two water reservoirs at a height gradient, and discharges energy to the grid by moving the water through a turbine and stores more energy by using a grid powered pump increase the level of water on the top layer

Solar Communications Security System

Solar Communications Security System

Solar Communications Security System

06/22/17

Isaac Gendler

“Can solar powered grid systems have security systems in place?”

 

Solar power is often fused to the surrounding energy community through the use of smart grids. However, such systems are prone to cyber attacks. After realizing the potential consequences of such actions,  researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, United Technologies Research Center, and Pacific Northwestern National Laboratory have joined forces (with a hefty 900,000 USD grant from the U.S Department of Energy) to develop a generic cybersecurity system for monitoring communications between distributed resource energy generators (such as solar). This would ensure the safety of customers when using such systems, and can galvanize electric utility providers to switch to clean and sustainable energy!

Solar ponds

Solar ponds

Solar ponds

06/04/17

“How can we generate solar energy using ponds?”

 

It is well known that we can generate solar energy using photovoltaics and concentrated solar thermal, but is there another way? Well, let’s use our scientific mindset to find out. First, let’s collect a pool of salt water. Because of the salinity gradient between the top and bottom layer, there will be a noticeable temperature gradient (usually of around 30 degrees at the top and 90 degrees at the bottom). This temperature gradient can then be exploited with a thermocouple to produce an electrical current, thereby inducing electrical power! This system is known as a solar pond and is popular in developing countries for its low cost

Energy payback time

Energy payback time

Energy payback time

04/04/17

“How long does it take solar panels to recuperate the amount of energy taken to construct them?”
Solar panels produce energy in a safe and sustainable manner. However, it also takes energy to create these machines, and many individuals argue that it might take more energy than it is worth. So how can we estimate the time needed for a solar panel module to recuperate its production energy? Well, let’s solve this question by thinking like engineers. We can reason that energy payback time is fundamentally a problem with two variables, the amount of energy it took to create the specific type of module and the amount of energy the module produces over its lifetime. The former is contingent upon the processes involved during construction of the module, and the latter depends upon the geographic location of the module as well as its efficiency. Therefore if know these variables, we can estimate the energy payback time. The energy payback time for solar panels can range from 3.3 years for a monocrystalline panel in Canada and Northern Europe to nearly 8.5 months in California and Africa using thin-filmed photovoltaics! With this data, we can defeat the pseudo-fact that solar PV systems take an enormous amount of time for a return on investment.

Solar powered prosthetic skin

Solar powered prosthetic skin

Solar powered prosthetic skin

03/24/17

“Is it possible to use solar power to power artificial skin?”
Many individuals on this planet suffer from skin related wounds, whether it originates from combat, accidents, or sustenance abuse. But with the advance of prosthetic engineering, artificial skin capable of intercommunicating with the human brain is coming out of the realm of science fiction and into science fact. However, since these machines are contingent upon electrical signals, power is needed to be provided for operation. So how can we use our engineering mindsets to solve this problem? Well, luckily for us, Dr. Ravinder Dahiya of the University of Glasgow school of Engineering has developed a solution using one of my favorite technologies, solar energy. In a recent paper published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, Dahiya and his team illuminate us on how a graphene-based artificial skin can be underlaid with thin-film solar photovoltaics to provide all necessary power! This is an astounding discovery and one that is sure to assist the lives of many individuals in a most benevolent way. Dahiya states that further work needs to be done on creating an energy storage system to capture all energy generated by his system, which could then be used to power external electrical systems.

Active solar water heater

Active solar water heater

Active solar water heater

02/27/17

“How can we create another iteration of an active solar water heater?”
Batch-collector solar water heaters are one way of heating water using solar power, but as engineers, we are never satisfied with just one way of doing things! So, how can we innovate on this design to create a new system? Well, let’s think about it. We know that using a cylinder to store heated water is a well thought out design choice. But how about we were to modify how it is heated up? Instead of just having a passive system where the cylinder is warmed by the sun, let’s instead extract it using a solar powered pump, push it through a solar panel, and let it come out back into an isolated part of the cylinder as heated water, which has a pump to escort it to the user’s house. These pumps will come equipped with two ball valves to stop the pumps in case the solar panel is no longer in use.

Concentrated solar power

Concentrated solar power

Concentrated solar power

02/06/17

“Is there a way to generate solar power without using photovoltaics?”

 

Solar PV systems are one of the most ingenious gifts that technologists have bestowed upon humanity. However, engineers are a rather creative people and like to do the same thing in multiple ways. So how can we “re-invent the wheel” when it comes to solar power? Well, we know that the sun produces sun rays. And if we focus these sun rays onto a focal point, then a large amount of energy can be transferred to an object that point. So what if we were to take a large array of concave lenses, focus all of the sunlight onto a source of water, and use the resulting energy to turn said water into steam to drive a turbine that generates electricity? This is the operating principle behind a system known as concentrated solar power and is commonly used in highly irradiated areas such as California, Spain, and South Africa.

Solar night lighting

Solar night lighting

Solar night lighting

02/01/17

“How can we light up the night using solar power?”

 
Turning on lights at night is one of the key requirements for safety in a populated area. However, such lights can be very taxing on the electrical grid. Could there be a way to circumvent this issue? Well, let’s think about it. We know that solar panels can be used to generate energy independent of the grid. And we also know that all of the excess energy can be stored in the batteries at night. So what if we were to take solar panels, generate some energy during the day, and then store it in batteries, so when the night comes, our lights can have a power source independent of the grid? This most fascinating setup is known as solar lighting, and is very useful for the fact that not only does it beneficial for the environment but also beneficial for a user’s wallet through net metering!