Schools of Fish Inspire New Wind Farms that Will Increase Energy 10X
Every now and then you come across an article and concept that makes you really smile and feel good on the inside. Typically they are "feel-good" stories that you see online or on the news, but today I came across this story about how scientists have designed new wind farms based on how schools of fish swim. So not only are we creating technology to help the environment but we are looking at nature for help. The new vertical-axis wind turbines are designed by Caltech and are currently being tested in the California desert. Here is a little statement from a Caltech engineer: Additionally here is a statement from the author of the study: Read more about the new advance over on the BBC
The Solar Project
Coordinates: Solar Two Power Tower Project The Solar Project consists of the Solar One, Solar Two and Solar Tres solar thermal power plants based in the Mojave Desert, USA and Andalucía, Spain. Solar Two was demolished in 2009.[1] Solar One[edit] Solar One was a pilot solar-thermal project built in the Mojave Desert just east of Barstow, CA, USA. Solar One's method of collecting energy was based on concentrating the sun's energy onto a common focal point to produce heat to run a steam turbine generator. In the late 1970s, a competition was held by DoE to obtain the best heliostat design for the project. The project produced 10 MW of electricity using 1,818 mirrors, each 40 m² (430 ft²) with a total area of 72,650 m² (782,000 ft²). WikiMiniAtlas During times of high winds, blowing dust is sometimes illuminated by the reflected sunbeams to create an unusual atmospheric phenomenon in the vicinity of the power tower. Solar Two[edit] Solar Tres[edit] Land use[edit] In popular culture[edit]
Wind Turbine Output Boosted 30% by Breakthrough Design
Clean Power Published on April 29th, 2009 | by Timothy B. Hurst Passive structure design of “Wind Energizer” by Leviathan Energy reportedly increases wind turbine efficiency 30% in field tests. Technological advancements in wind energy efficiency have generally come incrementally and usually made via a process of increasingly large wind turbine blades. But that pattern of incremental improvements may be a thing of the past if Leviathan Energy has anything to say about it. The principle theory at work is that by placing passive objects around a wind farm it will change the circulation around a large wind turbine. “This is a disruptive technology,” Leviathan Energy CEO Dr. Farb is a bit of a modern day renaissance man. The Wind Energizer is a donut-shaped structure made from steel and plastic, but the exact dimensions of it depend on site-specific data, like the tower height, length of the blades, prevailing wind direction and intensity, etc. Images courtesy of Leviathan Energy Timothy B.
Solar Updraft Tower
A solar updraft tower is a large-scale solar power plant (30-200 MW) for regions of the earth that are rich in sunlight. Solar updraft towers generate electricity from solar radiation: the sun heats the air under a large translucent collector roof. Because of the density differential created between the warm air in the collector and the cooler ambient air, air flows radially into an open-ended tube arranged vertically at the centre of the collector roof and rises within it. The airflow drives turbines installed at the base of the tube and generates electrical energy. The essential components of a solar updraft tower are the collector, the turbine and the chimney. The collector in a solar updraft tower resembles a greenhouse: a covering made of glass, synthetic material or foil admits a maximal amount of solar radiation that heats the air beneath the collector. The turbine is propelled by the tube’s rising air that was warmed in the collector.
Spain's Gemasolar Array
Torresol Energy has overcome one of solar energy’s biggest challenges: operating when the sun doesn’t shine. The 19.9 MW Gemasolar concentrated solar power plant in Spain’s Andalucia province has two tanks of molten salt (MSES) that store heat energy generated throughout the day. Unlike normal plants that have less thermal storage or none at all, this stored energy enables Torresol to satisfy peak summer energy demand long after sunset. A joint venture between Spanish giant Sener and Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s Future Energy Company, the Gemasolar plant has hurdled one of alternative energy’s biggest obstacles. Check out a video of the operation after the jump! The MSES consists of 60% potassium nitrate and 40% sodium nitrate. Gemasolar is expected to produce approximately 110,000 MWh of energy each year – enough to power 25,000 homes. + Torresol Via Forbes
Molten Salt Solar Plant
The Department of Energy just invested $737 million into the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project in Nevada, which will generate energy well into the night by using molten salt as an energy storage medium. To do this the plant will focus nearly 20,000 heliostats upon a solar power tower filled with salt, heating the material to 1,050 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it has been heated the salt will retain its thermal energy for a long time, and it can be mixed with water to produce steam on demand, which can be used to drive turbines to produce electricity. Nevada’s new molten salt solar plant will be run by rocket scientists from Pratt and Whitney. In the report, it was stated that, “molten salt is used in solar power tower systems because it is liquid at atmosphere pressure, it provides an efficient, low-cost medium in which to store thermal energy, its operating temperatures are compatible with today’s high-pressure and high-temperature steam turbines, and it is non-flammable and nontoxic.”
