November 2015 – Jennifer Straka

Keystone XL Pipeline

What is the Keystone XL Pipeline? The Keystone Pipeline already exists. What doesn’t exist fully yet is its proposed expansion, the Keystone XL Pipeline. The existing Keystone runs from oil sand fields in Alberta, Canada into the U.S., ending in Cushing, Oklahoma. The 1,700 new miles of pipeline would offer two sections of expansion. First, a southern leg would connect Cushing, Oklahoma with the Gulf Coast of Texas, where oil refineries exist in abundance. That leg went into operation in January 2014. Second, the pipeline would include a new section from Alberta to Kansas. Here, it will pass through a region where oil extraction is currently booming and take on some of this crude for transport.The southern leg of the Keystone XL ties into the existing Keystone pipeline that already runs to Canada, bringing up to 700,000 barrels of oil a day to refineries in Texas. At peak capacity, the pipeline will deliver 830,000 barrels of oil per day.

What is the current state of the Keystone XL Pipeline addition to Canada? TransCanada has been attempting to get a permit for the pipeline project for more than five years. Since the northern leg of the pipeline crosses international borders, TransCanada needs to obtain a Presidential Permit through the State Department for construction of the portion of the pipeline that goes from Canada to the U.S. Most recently, in mid-April 2014, the Obama administration postponed again a decision on a Presidential Permit, citing uncertainty about a court case in Nebraska over the pipeline’s route. While the northern leg stalled, TransCanada went ahead on the southern leg. In the image below the blue dashed line is the section in question.

How many jobs will the pipeline create? The numbers vary largely, so there is not a clear consensus on how many jobs will be created. TransCanada estimates the pipeline would bring 20,000 new jobs to the US. The State Department released a report in March 2013 stating that the pipeline could (directly or indirectly) create up to 42,000 jobs, including 3,900 construction jobs. But President Obama refuted that in July 2013, claiming “the most realistic estimates are this might create maybe 2,000 jobs during the construction of the pipeline, which might take a year or two, and then after that we’re talking about somewhere between 50 and 100 jobs in an economy of 150 million working people.” Some estimates have gone as high as 500,000, but that number seems very unrealistic.

What are the environmental impacts? One of my resources, the Natural Resources and Defense Council opposes the pipeline, largely due to the environmental impacts. They are not alone, as there are many who agree that the pipeline is damaging to the environment. A large issuse comes from the use of tar sands found in the deposits in Canada. The scientific name for tar sand is bitumen, a mixture of clay, sand, water, and oil that with modern technology can be refined into usable oil. Critics say that it is more corrosive than conventional oil. A report by a coalition of critics that include the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council claimed that “bitumen blends are more acidic, thick and sulfuric than conventional crude” and “contain significantly higher quantities of abrasive quartz sand particles.” There are worries that it could cause corrosion and therefore leaks in the pipeline. There have been leaks in the past, however, they have been due to faulty fittings and seals at pump or valve stations. Environmentalists also point to the process of refining tar sands oil, saying it will create large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, though the exact percentage increase is debated.

References:

1. Natural Resources Defense Council

http://www.nrdc.org/energy/keystone-pipeline/

2. TransCanada

http://keystone-xl.com/about/the-keystone-xl-oil-pipeline-project/

3. State Impact

https://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/tag/keystone-xl-pipeline/

Brainstorming Session #1

My partner for the experiment project is Jill Swan. Jill came up with an idea relatively early on in our brainstorming process to do an experiment relating to the energy use of different kinds of light bulbs. We hear everywhere that LED’s are the best, most efficient light bulbs, but we want to put that to the test.

The plan for the experiment is to power a socket that is connected to a switch and an outlet. Three types of light bulbs will be screwed into the socket one after the other- compact fluorescent, LED, and incandescent (pictured below in that order).

Two things will be evaluated in our experiment- a multimeter will be used to measure the electricity being used and a solar cell will measure the light output. The bulbs are all the same wattage (60). Like the previous experiments in class, the student will take the average of 3-5 trials and use those numbers to graph the information to determine the efficiency of the light bulbs. Jill and I hypothesize that the LED will be the most efficient, followed by the CFL, with incandescent being the least efficient.

Since our brainstorming session we have gathered the needed materials at Home Depot and have a plan for how we are going to assemble all the pieces to make a working circuit. We met a very helpful man at Home Depot who assisted us and have also done research on the internet. One of the biggest concerns for us is the safety of ourselves and the other students who will be handling the experiment. We are not familiar with the wiring for electrical circuits and so we have purchased some items to keep everyone safe. We have electrical tape to cover the exposed wires so that no one can touch them and be electrocuted and we have a box to hold the switch as a back-up safety measure.

We have divided the work up as follows: Friday during class we are going to try and assemble the experiment. We will communicate over google drive to work together on the experiment handout. Over Thanksgiving break I will make the powerpoint. I will send it to Jill to make sure she agrees with what I have out together. Jill will write the final blog post and she will send it to me to make sure I agree with what she has written.

MIT Nuclear Reactor

The MIT Nuclear Reactor has been in commission for 54 years. “NRL has provided a safe and reliable neutron source and the infrastructure to facilitate use of that source. During its long and distinguished history, the NRL has supported educational training and cutting-edge research in the areas of nuclear fission engineering, material science, radiation effects in biology and medicine, neutron physics, geochemistry, and environmental studies.”

The nuclear reactor does not produce energy. It is for research purposes only. It also does not do any research into information that relates to weaponry. The reactor allows for student interaction, a great benefit to MIT and other students who want a hands on experience in regards to nuclear reactors.

The reactor there today is the second generation model, referred to as the MITR-II. In 1973, the MITR-I was shut down to allow conversion to the MITR-II, which offered a higher neutron flux level. The current reactor is a heavy-water reflected, light-water cooled and moderated nuclear reactor that utilizes flat, plate-type, finned, aluminum-clad fuel elements.

There are many safety precautions at the nuclear reactor lab- background checks, signatures at the reception desk, radiation measurements in multiple forms, full-time operator, pressurized chamber, metal and concrete containers to hold radioactive material, just to name some of the many ways the lab ensures the safety of its employees and the people and systems that could be affected. There are many fail safes to ensure no radioactive material gets released from the lab. The reactor is in a special containment building, so if anything were to happen, the material would be kept from leaving the lab.

One thing I found interesting during the visit was that the lab helped make radioactive “seeds” for cancer treatment. I think it is great they are using the resources to contribute positively to the community.

I was not aware until this class that a nuclear reactor was so close to where I live. The trip reinforced my thoughts that nuclear reactors can be very safe when the proper precautions are taken.

Pandora’s Promise

Pandora’s Promise is a documentary covering the debate over nuclear power. It presents the aspects of both sides, pro and anti-nuclear and many of the pro-nuclear interviewees were at one time anti-nuclear. This provides an interesting perspective on how some very enthusiastic environmentalists publicly condemning nuclear power can now be very much so in support of nuclear power.

Overall the documentary presents a position in support of nuclear power and does so by “debunking” many of the myths associated with nuclear power. These myths mostly center around the danger nuclear power presents such as the history of nuclear accidents- Three Mile Island, Fukushima, Chernobyl… They addressed the fact that the death toll is thought to be very high, with some extremists (as shown in the documentary) when that is actually not the case at all. Nuclear power has one of the lowest amount of deaths in regards to energy types, an even lower position than solar energy.

I was not aware of the varying levels of background radiation that exists everywhere in varying quantities. Radiation is a naturally produced substance and it is different when one goes to different locations, such as being higher in high altitudes. Chernobyl had a lower amount of radiation than many other locations, so what does this mean? Many people who lived in the area before the accident have returned and, as far as they are aware, no one has suffered any deaths related to the radiation.

One of the most interesting parts of the documentary in my option was when the fine print of an anti-nuclear add was read and it turned out to be sponsored by the oil and gas industry. It is true that solar and wind energy at this point are not capable of making up for the energy production fossil fuels contribute, at least not today and maybe not ever.

The fact is that the world’s energy needs are continuing to grow, especially as third world countries develop. Electricity brings a higher quality of life to people and the people of developing countries are making strides in gaining access to electricity. As this energy demand grows, so does the strain on the environment as we use resources (fossil fuels) that produce emissions. Nuclear is a very clean producer of energy and it can reuse its fuel! The dangerous products that nuclear energy produces are very minimal and can safely be stored. New models of reactors can even use this stored material as fuel.

While I was in support of nuclear energy before this documentary, it did a clear and concise job of explaining many of the key issues people, including myself, associate with nuclear power- weapons, toxic material, safety… I feel it is very informative and addresses the issues in ways that the general public can understand. There are many misconceptions when it comes to nuclear energy and it is an interesting take having people who used to believe in those misconceptions take part in the explanation of why they are inaccurate.

Solar Energy Experiment

In the Solar Energy experiment, I worked with my partner to experiment with the effect distance has on voltage as well as how filter color affects voltage.

The first chart demonstrates the results we got in regards to distance and voltage. We had a flashlight and a small solar cell and held the flashlight at different distances from the solar cell. The distances were 0 cm, where the solar cell was turned upside down against the table in an attempt to block all light from it, 2 cm, 4 cm, 6 cm, and 8 cm. For the most part, each time the flashlight got farther from the solar cell, the amount of voltage decreased. This makes sense with what we learned in class, as the closer the light source is to the solar cell the higher the voltage. The second graph represents our results in regards to the filters. We experimented with four filter colors, yellow, red, blue, and purple. Yellow allowed for the highest amount of voltage while red allowed for the lowest. Second and third highest were purple and blue respectively.

Solar Energy Efforts Around the World

There are many interesting ways to harness solar energy. These ideas come from all over the world. I will be discussing three of them in this post.

1. Solar Botanic is a company in London that creates “trees” that people can “plant” aka install on their property to harness the energy from the sun, as well as the power of the wind. While the artificial trees from Solar Botanic don’t exactly have the ability to remove carbon emissions and pollution like a natural tree, these trees can directly provide power to your car and your home. Nanoleaves, composed of nantenna electromagnetic collectors, convert both “visible” and “invisible” radiation into electricity. This sophisticated approach allows for energy to be gathered at a high efficiency even after the sun has set, or on a cloudy day. The image below represents how the product works.

2. Scott and Julie Brusaw have created and are still in the research and development stage of Solar Roadways. They are a startup company founded in 2006 in Sandpoint, Idaho. If immediately implemented, an entirely unrealistic prospect even by the company’s own admission, with commercially produced solar panels available today, the resulting energy savings gained from not burning fossil fuels could cut the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions in half, according to Solar Roadways projections. Solar road panels are made with layers of super-strong glass embedded with photovoltaic cells, electrical wiring and LED lights, which can be used to create signs on the surface directing traffic or alerting motorists to hazardous conditions. The picture below is a rendering of what a Solar Roadway would look like.

3. Engineers in Belgium officially switched on Europe’s first solar powered train tunnel, spanning a 2.1-mile stretch of the rail line connecting the City of Lights to Mokum. The installation’s 16,000 solar panels will be used to provide 50 percent of the energy needed to power nearby Antwerp Central Station and to provide extra juice for both high-speed and traditional trains. Originally developed to help protect travelers from falling trees in an ancient forest, the project is expected to produce up to 3,300 megawatts hours per year, while decreasing annual CO2 emissions by about 2,400 tons.

References:

1. Solar Botanic

http://solarbotanic.com/how-it-works/

2. Biofriendly Corporation

http://biofriendly.com/blog/solar/10-inventive-ways-to-use-solar-power/

3. How Stuff Works

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/solar-roadways.htm

4. Engadget

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/europes-first-solar-powered-train-tunnel-goes-live-on-belgian-h/