ES Lesson 10:
• Alternative methods of electrical power generation.
© 2012 C. Rightmyer, Licensed under The MIT OSI License, 20 July 2012
Electrical power delivery system
Electricity and Magnetism, Gareth Stevens Publishing, Steve Parker, 2007
A gas powered steam generator
A steam turbine rotor
A coal fired generator
Potential concept for sequestering CO2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carbon_sequestration-2009-10-07.svg
A hydro-electric generator
A ladder for migrating fish
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/water/hydro_benefits.html
A nuclear fission generator
How a nuclear fission power generator works
1. reactor block
2. cooling tower
3. reactor
4. control rod
5. support for pressure
6. steam generator
7. fuel element
8. turbine
9. generator
10. transformer
11. condenser
12. gaseous
13. liquid
14. air
15, air (humid)
16. river
17. cooling-water circulation
18. primary circuit
19. secondary circuit
20. water vapor
21. pump
A geothermal generator
How about electricity from cow poop!
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/dean-of-invention-how-cow-waste-generates-electricity.html
Cows eat lots of grass and grain
Cows produce poop 24 hours per day
A portable diesel generator
Methane is pumped to an electrical generator.
Excess power is routed into the grid.
A parabolic mirror based solar-thermal generator
Linear parabolic
mirrors
Inert gas in heat tubes
pumped to boiler
ES demo 10-1. One method for tracking the sun’s elevation angle.
How to use the parabolic equation to determine
the shape the reflecting mirror
focal point (p=3 inches)
y-axis
x-axis
y = x2 / (4p)
For example: let p =3”, then
for x=0”, y= 0”
for x=4”, y = (16/12) = 1.33”
for x=6”, y = (36/12) = 3”
When the mirror is pointed directly at the sun, all solar energy striking the
mirror is reflected towards the heat collection tube located at the focal point.
http://www.gizmology.net/parabola.htm
World’s largest solar thermal generating plant
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/take-a-look-at-the-worlds-largest-solar-thermal-farm-91577483/
A wind generator
Cut away view of a wind generator.
http://www.alliantenergykids.com/EnergyandTheEnvironment/RenewableEnergy/022397
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Wind/wind.htm#DIYWind
ES demo 10-2. How a wind generator works
Solar photovoltaic generators in desert
Nellis AFB, Nevada
An up close look at the tracking systems
http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/Jpegs/02406.jpg
Urban solar photovoltaic generators
ES demo 10-3. A solar PV powered toy
ES demo 10-4. Solar electric generation using a PV panel.
How can we compensate for PV and Wind outages?
CAES: Compressed Air Energy Storage
PHS: Pumped Hydro Storage
H2: Hydrogen Storage
SNG: Substitute Natural Gas
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/07/hydrogen-energy-storage-a-new-solution-to-therenewable-energy-intermittency-problem
A Sodium-sulfer heavy duty battery
Battery
This battery supplies 4 megawatt-hours of electrical power
Using otherwise wasted grid power with my electric car
The Tata compressed air vehicle
How to convert water into Hydrogen and Oxygen
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/07/hydrogen-energy-storage-a-new-solution-to-therenewable-energy-intermittency-problem
Using hydrogen for vehicle fuel
http://www.toyota.com/mirai/fcv.html
Driven with hydrogen
http://www.toyota.com/mirai/fcv.html
A potential future storage concept using the recently
published MIT developed solar heated graphite sponge
MIT developed solar graphite sponge