Solar cells can put power stations in space

The dwindling supplies of fossil fuels that the earth is facing with modernization and increased use of electricity has lead to researchers and scientists looking for alternative sources renewable energy.

These alternative sources of energy have to be competent enough to provide the required energy not only for consumer products but also for use in vehicles and for powering homes and commercial establishments.
One of these sources of energy is solar energy which is found aplenty around us.

Though solar energy is already being harnessed today to provide electricity to homes and establishments, research is being carried on to build and use large scale solar power stations in space.

These power stations will be able to able to beam electricity to not only earth, but also to the moon and other planets. With this, there will be no need of people from earth depending on the dwindling supply of fossil fuels for their energy needs.

Scientists are working at developing these next generation solar cells that work wit th help of advanced technology that has the capacity of placing a solar power system in earth’s orbit. In fact, these researchers from Rochester Institute of Technology have just been awarded a three year, $200,000 grant to develop nanomaterials that will be used in these solar power stations for efficient utilization of solar energy.

These nanomaterials are basically materials which are no bigger than a billionth of a meter in size and are to be used in this space solar power program. Though this idea of space solar power has been around since the 1970s, nothing much has been used to implement it.

However scientists and other visionaries have always remained intrigued by the idea of creating space solar power systems. They had ideas of a football field sized ‘blankets’ made of solar cells that has the capacity to generate tremendous amounts of power for use on planet earth.

With this idea, these scientists are working at creating a new and improved solar cell that is competent enough to produce electricity for the whole earth. These solar cells are thin, light and efficient in producing electricity.

The solar cell used here are thin film devices that sandwich tiny granules of semi-conductor material known as Quantom dots and carbon nanotubes. Moreover, to put such large sized arrays in space, these products will have to be both lightweight and flexible. In addition to this, these solar cells have to have the capacity of withstanding the rigors of space.

Though today’s technology is not sufficient to make this happen, there are many theoretical possibilities that are offered by nanomaterials that makes it possible for this idea and vision to become a reality soon.

Solar cells are cheaper with its boost in efficiency

Increased number of vehicles, consumer products and homes all require an increased amount of electricity. However the dwindling supplies of fossil fuels in the world today has made it necessary for scientist and researchers look for alternative sources of energy.

Solar energy is one source of renewable energy that is found aplenty in the environment and is harnessed for the supply of electricity.
However though solar energy is available for free, the installation of a solar energy system requires a sizeable investment, which makes it not feasible for everyone to use and depend on solar energy for their electricity needs.

This is why a group of scientists from UNSW are working on a breakthrough to boost the efficiency of solar cell technology where the price of an installed solar system for a house falls from about $20,000 to $15,000.

The main reason for the high cost in about 45% of the existing solar cell technology is attributed to the high cost of the silicon used in these cells to convert sunlight to electricity.

The reason silicon is used in the electronics industry is because it is stable and non-toxic. However though silicon has these advantages, it is basically a poor absorber of light.
So to reduce costs in its production, scientists are now using cheaper, thin film cells that have less silicon than the expensive thick silicon wafers that are usually used in solar cells.

However there is a disadvantage to these one to two micron thick films of solar cells where they have the capacity of converting only 8 to 10 percent of incoming sunlight into electricity. This is in comparison to the 25% efficiency of the thicker, but more expensive silicon wafers used in solar cells.

This is why scientists are looking at ways of boosting the efficiency of thin film technology, while keeping costs as low as possible.

There has been some success in this avenue with researchers at UNSW’s ART Photovoltaics Center of Excellence reporting a 16 fold enhancement in the light absorption of 1.25 micron thin film cells, for light having a wavelength of 1050nm. In addition to this, the scientists have reported a 7 fold enhancement in light absorption in the more expensive wafer type cells having light wavelengths of 1200nm.

At present, most thin film solar cells are between 8 to 10 % efficient. However with this new technique, it will be able to increase the efficiency of the solar cells to about 13 to 15%. This is a considerable improvement in solar cells as if these cells are below 10% efficient, it is not affordable to install them in your homes. This is because they take up too much of roof area to power the house.

In fact, once its efficiency approaches 15%, then it will be considered to be commercially viable to use it for homes. This is because an average home will have sufficient energy for its home with a solar system with panels covering 10 square meters. However this does not include the consumption of energy for cooking and hot water heating. With this new procedure and technique, more homes are expected to depend on solar energy for their energy needs in the near future.

Solar Energy. The future source of energy

The concept of harnessing solar energy for the use of production of energy has been around for a long time.
However as this is and was an expensive option for many people, it was rather impractical for people to invest and bank on solar energy for the provision of their energy needs.

However today with the advancements made in technology, solar technology is now being made available at lower costs and with improved efficiency.
With these advancements made in solar technology, pretty soon consumers will be able to buy consumer products that run on solar energy like cell phones, automobiles, computers, office buildings and homes.

The present research that is being done on improving solar products includes the discovery of ‘plastic’ solar cells that has grown very much in popularity.

With the new ‘plastic’ solar cells, there are some chemical modifications done to the titanium oxide layers which are slotted to improve the solar efficiency to about 15 percent in the near future.

So far, plastic solar cells have been developed that produce efficiencies between 5 to 6 percent, which is considered to be amongst the highest found to this date, for this type of solar cell. With these developments, there is to be a wider use of plastic solar cells which are low cost, efficient and a long lasting source of solar energy.

Another group of professors in Switzerland have developed a form of dye-sensitized solar cells that very efficient in its functioning. This is one of the many types of thin film photovoltaic devices that are being developed today that show promise as a low-cost source of energy. These new cells have an ultra thin film of semiconductor crystals that are nano-sized.

These cells have been proven to show efficiencies of 11 percent in laboratory studies. This is in contrast to other new solar cells that have efficiencies that range between 4 to 5%. These cells can be coated on glass windows so that it is possible to supply electric power to homes and businesses.

They can also be used as coating on tents to provide power for soldiers on the field and campers on a trip. These cells are easily engineered into inexpensive, flexible sheets and are expected to be used in consumer applications in two to three years’ time with an unlimited number of ideas for its applications.

Yet another group of researchers for solar energy have found a new and promising means of boosting the efficiency of solar cells. In their research, carbon nanotubes were engineered into the structure of semiconductor solar cells that results in a doubling of the photo conversion efficiencies of the cells.

With this, the efficiency of solar cells jumped from 5 to 10% in some cells because of the carbon nanotubes. These carbon nanotubes can also be used in other types of solar cells like dye-sensitized solar cells and organic solar cells that are used based on conducting polymers so that there is a similar or stronger boost in efficiency.

 

Using horse muck as a form of energy

Horse owners own horses for many reasons like for transportation, as a hobby or for racing purposes.
However not many people have really known that horse waste can be the base for an invaluable and renewable source of energy too.

With the need for new sources of energy to fuel vehicles and provide electricity growing everyday, researchers have found some good news in being able to produce energy from horse muck.

It is the company Global Greeven Solutions Inc., and the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association that have been conducting negotiations to start the company Florida Greensteam Equine Energy LLC.
This is proposed to be an energy producing company that converts horse biomass into energy with the help of straw and wood chips. The resultant energy that is produced from horse muck is used to form electrical energy that can be sold in the local grid of Florida for its use.

However there have not been any definitive agreement signed upon for the government of the formation and operations of the joint venture of Equine Energy.
This is because the current agreement that has been signed only reflects the intention of the two parties, and nothing more than that.

It is the Global Greensteasm’s high-efficiency cyclonic burner and its heat recovery steam generator that have been specially designed and formulated. This speical formulation is to ensure that the burner and generator can handle and generate energy from horse muck.

In fact, the chief operating officer of the company states that the ecotechnology used in the Global Greensteam process helps in generating renewable energy.
This energy that is produced from horse muck is actually produced while complying with the most stringent of air quality regulations.

The main reason the generation of energy from horse muck takes place in Florida is because Florida is a state that has over 600 thouroughbred horse farms and training centers for horses. With so many horse farms and training centers, there are quite a few horses found here, which tend to generate much more animal waste that can be eliminated and taken care using normal means.

So instead of letting all this waste go to waste, researchers have found a means of using this humongous amount of horse muck in creating energy, and electricity that proves to be useful to the people of Florida. According to records, there are about 50,000 thoroughbreeds and other breeds found in the Ocala region that produce more than 400,000 tons of animal waste in a year.

Though most of this horse muck; about 60 – 70% can be land applied or composted to get rid of it. However there still remained a need of finding out an earth-friendly method of effectively removing the remaining 30 – 40% of horse muck from the surfact of the earth.

And this is, and how horse muck and straw or wood chips have been used to help in creating a new, and renewable source of energy that the world is looking for.

 

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The manufacturing process of Windmills

Windmills are used to harness the power of the wind to produce electricity. Usually windmills are erected using pre-made parts, on site. The basic fan type windmill consists of the tower, gearbox and fan.

Tower parts are usually made of galvanized steel using a roll of coiled sheet metal that is put on a de-spooling device to be fed to the production line.
The sheets are run under a straightener to remove twists and kinks and then cut to the right size and shape.
sometimes the pieces may be placed on a machine to roll and weld seams wherein its ends are passed under a crimping machine to be moved to the finishing station.

Holes are drilled in the metal parts of the finishing station at specific places, as per the windmill design.

These parts may be painted or coated before being fit into a windmill.
The gearbox of the windmill has various gears, rotors, wheels and axles found in it which are die cast and assembled by hand. These parts are placed in a weather resistant housing that is built to accommodate the gearbox parts and the attached wheel and tail assembly. The fan of the windmill is made of a metal rim that is attached with curved blades.

A hole is drilled in both ends of the rim which are connected with a small screw and clamp, to which the fan blades are attached.

The rim is then connected to a center axle, and attached with five pairs of evenly spaced spokes. The fan blades and tail of the windmill are cut from a sheet of metal and run through a machine to give them a curve.
They are then attached to the metal rim using small bolts and metal clamps so that they can be raised or lowered depending on the wind.

The site the windmill has to be placed has to be an area with a prevailing wind of at least 15 mph. the area has to be cleared of trees and other structures that block wind. Sometimes, a dirt mound or concrete base is build to raise the windmill so that it catches more wind.

When assembling the windmill, the main body parts are connected first, to be bolted on the ground and then raised vertically. Connecting rods are used to join other poles while clamps are bolted at joints for stability. Once the tower is raised, it is loosely bolted to the base wherein stay wires are strung from the ground to the tensioners and ground anchors.

When leveled, the bolts are tightened and its integrity tested.
Sometimes a ladder is built in the design for easy access and maintenance at the top. then the fan wheel, main shat and gearbox are attached where the gearbox is first clamped and bolted to the top of the tower.
Then the main shaft is inserted into the bottom of the gearbox wherein the fan and its axle are connected to the gearbox.

This is when the tail section is attached to the gearbox wherein the pump is hooked to the main shaft to make the windmill operational.

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Using fat to make biofuel

The engineers from North Caroline State University have developed a new biofuel technology to turn any fat source into fuel that can be used for powering jet airplanes.
Any form of oil can be used for the production of fuel like vegetable oils, animal fat and even from algae.

The technology used here in the creation of the fuel is called Centia which means “green power” in Latin.

NC State has received provisional patents for the process of converting fats into jet fuels and for additives in cold weather biodiesel fuels.

Researchers of the process claim that besides being “100 percent green” this technology has its advantages over other biofuel projects as any lipid based feedstock or raw material with a fat source can be used for converting into fuel.

Even the low quality feedstock like cooking grease can be used for producing fuel. This low quality feedstock reduces fuel production costs by 30% when compared to using corn or canola oils to make fuel.
Moreover this form of fuel production does not compete with the demand for creating sufficient food supply to be used for fuel production.

Another benefit of Centia in creating fuel is that the resultant fuel burns cleaner and is better for the environment.
With Centia, what other biodiesel processes throw away, is put to use. In other biodiesel processes, a low value commodity called glycerol is obtained as a by-product. This is usually discarded in other biodiesel plants while NC State engineers burn it to provide the necessary high temperatures required in Centia.

Creating a fuel fit for rockets has to be done by a rocket scientist, especially if it is to be done from oils or agricultural crops. This is because the chemical and physical properties of other biodiesel fuels don’t match the requirements of jet fuels. This is because jets travel at 25,000 to 35,000 feet with temperatures that reach 70 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. This is why jet fuels have to be able to flow better in cold temperatures.

There are four steps to the Centia process where the first one consists of engineers using high temperature and water pressure to rid the accumulated feedstock of oils and fats from free fatty acids.
Then the free fatty acids are placed in a reactor for the decarboxylation step where carbon dioxide is taken off the free fatty acids.

With this, scientists are left with alkanes or straight chain hydrocarbons of 15 or 17 carbon atoms, depending on the feedstock that is used in the process.
On the completion of these two steps, any fuel can be prepared; this is why the last two steps of the process changes according to the fuel output that is required.

The straight chains are broken up into molecules with branches in the last two steps. This makes the chains more compact while changing its chemical and physical characteristics.
A mixture of molecules of 10 and 14 carbon atoms are required for producing jet fuel and biodiesel fuel while gasoline needs only eight carbon atoms.

Scientists control the process to get the fuel that they require and then with chemical tweaking, they create the final desired fuel. Comparatively, animal fats are harder to work with, but cost wise, they are better.

However the resultant jet fuel from these fats proves to save lots of money in the budge of the aviation industry.

 

Use your booze as your future fuel

Till date, all types of alcoholic drinks, or booze as they are commonly called, are produced only with the intention of drinking for socializing, fun, recreation and to drown one’s sorrows.
However the researchers of Abertay’s School of Contemporary Science have found a different and more beneficial use for alcoholic drinks.

The researchers here have been awarded the prestigious Carnegie Trust Research Grant to help them in the investigation of turning the residues that are found in the production of beer and whisky, into a form of renewable biofuel.

This is anticipated to be a project that takes about a year to find new methods of turning the spent grain of these drinks into an efficient biofuel, bioethanol.

Bioethanol is a much more environmentally friendly alternative to the present fossil fuels you find around you.
The reason it is considered better to using bioethanol, instead of traditional fuels for your fueling purposes is that it is CO2 neutral. It is also produces 65% less greenhouse gas emissions because it burns at temperatures that are at a much better level for fire safety.

With the supply of fuel being predicted to be finite, with half of the world’s oil supply already having been consumed in the passed 200 years, scientists are looking for simple and cost effective means of producing more biofuels from low value and waste products. there is a race going on for finding environmentally friendly alternatives to fuels for the future of the world, and this is why spent grains of alcohol and beer manufacture are considered to be a safe and efficient option for this.

Today Brazil and USA together produce over 70% of global supplies through the creation of bioethanol from sugarcane and maize starch respectively.
Though the US has beaten Brazil in its production, Brazil is still the largest exporter that sends about 3.2 billion liters of bioethanol in the last year alone.

Like all things in life, there are some negative aspects to this method of generating fuels. Both these countries tend to create an increased demand for land to grow the energy crops they require for generating bioethanol. In fact, in countries like Brazil, the safety of tropical forests too is threatened where even the benefits of using biofuel too may be cancelled out.

This is why researchers are considering using the waste products received from the manufacture of alcohol for creating biofuels. This may be a more complicated process of turning waste products into bioethanol. However it is a perfect example of a second generation biofuel.

The products used for the creation of this biofuel is usually disposed of or at the most, used for processing animal feed.

Instead of this, using them to produce fuel would be an attractive means of using this resource. However presently, there are many technical challenges and hindrances that have to be overcome to help in converting waste biomass into fuel.

And the search is still on for a more efficient and cost effective process for producing biofuels from alcoholic wastes.

 

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8.3x17x67mm 900mA
10.5x17x67mm 1200mA
10.7x17x67mm 1750mA


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