Following the recent completion of three nuclear power plants, there is now some 9.6 GW of nuclear capacity in the United Kingdom. The nuclear share of electrical output, which has stood at around 13% for many years, should rise to around 20% when this capacity is in full operation. A further two reactors are currently under construction which will increase the British nuclear capacity to more than 12 GW by the late 1980s, which could bring the nuclear share of electrical output to around 25%. (more…)
Geographers researching the development of nuclear power have shifted emphasis from commercialization, cost, risk, public acceptanc ...
The long-term prospects for the U.K. economy are inevitably uncertain, and the most recent Department of Energy long-term proje ...
Nuclear fission and fusion Research and Development continues to account for nearly half of the total spending by IEA countries, al ...
Sir Arthur Eddington’s general address on subatomic energy at the 1930 World Power Conference in Berlin stirred the imagination of ...
For years it was out of desperation that observers have advised and viewed of American energy policy and geopolitical risks regardi ...
Several molecular systems have been constructed that mimic various aspects of photosynthesis. Two of these utilize molecular systems that are derived from natural photosynthesis but that incorporate chemically based modifications to produce artificial photosynthetic devices. These devices use artificial photosynthetic pigments to drive chemical reactions across lipid bilayers or use noble metal catalysts to change the function of the photosynthetic process to produce hydrogen and oxygen instead of sugars ethanol and oxygen. Neither of these systems are sufficiently robust to be operated for extended periods of time as energy unit conversion devices, but they have shown that it is possible to produce artificial photosynthetic assemblies that function well in a laboratory setting. (more…)
The basic processes that occur in such a system are well understood. The semiconductor electrode efficiently absorbs light, produci ...
Certain materials, generally metal oxides, can sustain the unassisted photo-electrolysis of water into H2 and O2. The energy co ...
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen with oxygen to generate electricity, heat and water to produce. ...
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that directly converts a fuel to electricity by means of reactions on the surfaces of ...
The fuel cell can trace its roots back to the 1800s when a Welsh-born, Oxford-educated barrister, Sir William Robert Grove, realize ...
Solar energy desalination is a method by which the sun’s energy is used to desalinate brackish or seawater to produce fresh drinkable water. There are two methods for using solar energy: directly by heating and evaporating the brackish or seawater in a solar still (this method is called solar distillation) and indirectly by capturing solar energy using one of the techniques that transform solar radiation into thermal or electrical energy to drive a conventional desalination method (the indirect method is called solar-assisted or solar-driven desalination). (more…)
Solar distillation is the process in which solar heat is used to purify water from an impure water source by evaporation and conden ...
Since the 1980s, no large-capacity solar distillation plants have been built, mainly for the following reasons: Large installation ...
Our homes collect large amounts of solar energy, our homes when built are often placed on our sections to get the best solar en ...
So you're finally tired of those exorbitant electricity bills, or, you're catching onto a "greener" way of life. Either way, solar ...
Nowadays, solar power have become more affordable. That makes it a viable alternative energy option for homeowners who would li ...
Drying is one of the most important post harvest steps. It enhances the storage life of the crop products, minimizes losses during storage, and saves shipping costs. The drying process is the removal of water from the wet surface of the food. In this process, heat is transferred by convection and radiation to the surface of the produce. This heat raises the temperatures heat and evaporates the moisture from the exterior of the agricultural products, diffusing the interior moisture to the surface and replenishing the evaporated surface moisture. (more…)
Solar dryers are special structures that enhance the drying power of the sun and protect the agricultural product from dust, dirt, ...
The moisture content of the feedstock affects the gas composition and the energy balance of the process since gasification is an en ...
Biomass Storage Biomass storage is required to ensure the continuous operation of the facility. To limit the space required for ...
As a result of high and rising costs of fossil fuels and fossil fuels affect global environment concern , and by the reduction ...
Solar distillation is the process in which solar heat is used to purify water from an impure water source by evaporation and conden ...
Most discussions of energy use in paper production and papermaking are confusing because of a failure to define exactly what is meant by energy. It is important to keep track of the form in which energy is used. The major inputs to a paper mill are wood, purchased energy in the form of electricity and fossil fuels, and water. Some components of the wood are used as a raw material and some as by-product fuel. What the industry generally reports is the process energy use at the mill, which is the sum of the purchased energy and the process by-product energy (part of the energy originally in the wood) that is used. (more…)
More than 48% of the raw material fiber used for paper production (chemical pulp or mechanical pulp) in the United States in 2002 w ...
Agricultural and forestry residues provide the largest proportion of biomass used for the production of biomas bioenergy. Some esti ...
To date, most discussion and research relating to the various of biomass role in mitigating CO2 emissions has been focused around i ...
Another large source of renewable carbon supplies is waste biomass. It consists of a wide range of materials and includes munic ...
In Europe, modern renewable energy sources technologies were explored thoroughly for the first time after the oil embargo/ price cr ...
The development of the ‘‘new’’ wind and solar technologies is of great importance for the future contribution of RESs to energy supply. Although the present wind and solar technology contribution of 0.4% to total primary energy consumption per capita is still very small, the growth of these industries has been considerable in the past 6 to 8 years. Today they provide 10 times the energy of 10 years ago. Wind energy shows the most remarkable growth dynamics; its contribution is now reaching energetically relevant dimensions. (more…)
Although technology change (usually involving an improvement in energy efficiency) is not inherently a geographic process, it does ...
In Europe, modern renewable energy sources technologies were explored thoroughly for the first time after the oil embargo/ price cr ...
In 2001, there were 14,000 small wind turbines for home/domestic use in the United States. The market potential for national an ...
In 2006, total world wind generating electricity capacity was around 72,000 MW, producing some 160 terawatt-hours (TWh) per yea ...
Global energy consumption in the last half century has increased very rapidly and is expected to continue to grow over the next ...
The energy that people use every day comes from many different sources. The resources are divided into two main groups: renewable energy and nonrenewable energy. Renewable energy sources are those that can be used again and again. Renewable energy resources have unlimited supply. (more…)
In Europe, modern renewable energy sources technologies were explored thoroughly for the first time after the oil embargo/ price cr ...
During the US Presidential Election 2008 Campaign, the renewable portfolio standard was one of the main agendas for Presidentia ...
The broad range of home solar energy systems are mostly known as Photovoltaic Systems (PV) or Thin Film Solar Technology. The s ...
The hydrogen can come from various sources including fossil fuels, wind, solar, biomass, nuclear, solar thermo-chemical reactio ...
Renewable energy sources cannot run out and causes so little damage to the environment that its use does not need to be restric ...
High-speed maglev technology offers four main advantages: non-contact operation; low-mass vehicles (on a per seat basis, maglev vehicles weigh approximately one-third to three-quarters as much as high speed trains); high speed; and wayside system control and self-propelled vehicles (each car contains its own secondary part of a linear synchronous motors).
Non-contact operation means that vehicle traction does not depend on adhesion between contact surfaces, e.g., wheels and rails. (more…)
A propulsion alternative is to transfer power to the vehicle and then have a magnetic structure on the vehicle that can create ...
Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS) can be viewed as an array of magnets moving over a conducting sheet and being pushed upwards by ...
Designers in China have launched the first wind turbine levitating in the world of permanent magnetic levitation (Maglev) in the Wi ...
All electromagnetic suspension-based systems employ some type of feedback control mechanism to maintain stable levitation. (An inte ...
Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) system in which an array of magnets is attracted upwards to a steel rail. It is possible to de ...
In contrast to electromagnetic suspension systems, electrodynamic suspension systems can provide stable suspension without a feedback system. Imagine a magnet held above a moving flat sheet of aluminum or copper. Following Ampere’s law of induction, an electric field is induced in the moving metal surface that causes eddy currents to flow in closed loops near its surface. The eddy currents in turn set up their own magnetic field, whose polarity, in accordance with Lenz’s law, opposes that of the magnet’s field. Consequently, the magnet is repelled from the moving metal surface, countering the force of gravity. If the magnet is pushed down toward the moving metal surface, the induced currents and the resultant repulsive force increase, restoring the equilibrium position automatically. Conversely, if the magnet is moved upward, the levitating force decreases. (more…)
All electromagnetic suspension-based systems employ some type of feedback control mechanism to maintain stable levitation. (An inte ...
Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) system in which an array of magnets is attracted upwards to a steel rail. It is possible to de ...
Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS) can be viewed as an array of magnets moving over a conducting sheet and being pushed upwards by ...
A propulsion alternative is to transfer power to the vehicle and then have a magnetic structure on the vehicle that can create ...
The next time you hear an airplane flying overhead, look up, and pause for a moment. What you see is a machine that is heavier than ...
Global warming, CO2 emissions, deforestation and loss of biodiversity on the planet are just side effects of our carbon footprint. Like hundreds of organizations to develop initiatives to reduce the effects of human energy consumption, others have simply chosen to ignore the movement. If you want to help Mother Earth, there are ten top list ways to waste of energy that you can avoid: (more…)
Heating and Cooling systems can be a major contributor to a homes energy costs and associated greenhouse gas emissions. For som ...
Spring is here, which means that the summer heat is already here in Arizona. We all know how essential having an effective air ...
Nowadays, a lot more people are increasingly aware of the amount of energy they consumed everyday and what effect it was having ...
Ceiling fans are a popular room addition; comfort can be easily obtained with a flip of a switch. An immediate cooling breeze is cr ...
Don't sweat it out when you don't have to. Got your A/C running and still feel warm? Here are some tips that will help keep you ...