In the “Conserving at Home” exhibit in the Museum of Science, we learned about various ways we can converse energy while at home. We were able to experiment with a device that allowed us to see the difference in energy consumed between different household appliances (I believe they were a washing machine, hair dryer, and dishwasher). It was very eye-opening seeing just how much energy is used when everyday, basic household appliances are being used. Both the dishwasher and washing machine used nearly three times the amount of energy that the hair dryer used. In another portion of the exhibit, we were able to examine the amount of heat within a house and how much escapes without us even realizing it. Cracks around the windows and door frames, as well as the quality of insulation used contribute most to the heat energy wasted in our homes on a daily basis. This exhibit taught me that a higher awareness of what I use, to generate heat energy or power an electrical appliance, and how I use it are essential for being able to reduce my consumption rate.

In the “Catching the Wind” exhibit we examined the role played by the production of wind powered energy as a renewable source. First and most important, the location of the wind turbines is essential to the amount of energy produced. Turbines in locations that do not have enough, or powerful enough wind throughout the year will not be efficient producers of energy. Turbines need to be located in areas that receive a lot of wind and a lot of strong wind in order to produce a great amount energy. Along with location, the turbines need to be placed in an economically friendly area that the community will feel comfortable with having them. However, not all these needs can be met so compromises must be made.

In the “Energized” exhibit, we learned how big of an impact our daily lives and daily consumption of energy has on the environment. In particular, the exhibit focused on how we can get away from fossil fuels and other non-renewable energy sources and create other self-sufficient alternatives. Some of the alternatives shown in the exhibit were solar, wind, hydro, and other methods in which manure or other forms of decaying bacteria are used to produce a gas to power a generator. All of these alternatives will possibly allow us to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels in the near future.

For our generator experiment, we used a hand shaken generator. This generator was simply a tube lined with coils in which a mobile magnet was shaken inside to produce a current with the coils. For five separate trials, we took the generator and shook it for 30 seconds, however each trial we increased or decreased the number of shakes we had in that 30 second span and had Labview track the voltage created, per second, by the shaking. Once we had our data, we summed the voltage created per second and then plotted that data onto a scatterplot. Here are our results:

Shakes — Voltage

22 — 16.00569

41 — 133.4468

71 — 61.2941

90 — 96.83239

154 — 239.8341

Other than the odd outlier at 41 shakes, we had a fairly linear trend to our voltage in relation to the number of shakes we exerted.

In our Lego robot experiment we learned how to assemble and use our Lego robots through the Labview program on our computers. In this program, we could control the power and time setting that was being exerted into the wheels of the Lego robot. Since we could control that, we were testing different power levels to produce different speeds on our Lego cars for different amounts of time, in order to measure the distance the car traveled.

For each time and power setting we used, we calculated our percent of error. As we tested each trial our percentage of error generally decreased because our measurements became more precise and allowed our calculations come out to be closer to the distance measured by the computer program itself.

For each trial we measured the circumference of the car wheel in order to estimate the distance it would travel in a specified amount of time given a certain power. Using the circumference, velocity, and distance we were then able to calculate our percentage of error.

After clearing up some confusion we were able to get underway in our experiment, so we were only able to get two trials in only one setting of power and time. Here are our results:

Setting 1: Power=75, Time=1Sec

Trial 1: 1.5611 Wheel turns (Labview), 0.279m (Labview), 0.279m/s (Labview), 1.418 Wheel turns (measured), 0.254m (measured), 0.254m/s (measured), 13.3% error.

Trial 2: 1.5944 Wheel turns (Labview), 0.285m (Labview), 0.285m/s (Labview), 1.561 Wheel turns (measured), 0.279m (measured), 0.279m/s (measured), 2.1% error.

Iceland is aptly named because of its location and typical climate; however, it is also resting on a hotbed of fiery roc and water that allows the country to produce a majority of its heat, hot water, and electricity from geothermal energy. They pride themselves highly on their ability to create such a sustainable form of energy in such a clean and environmentally friendly way.

Geothermal energy is simply the energy and power drawn from the Earth’s internal heat and the heat stored in the rock and water beneath the Earth’s crust. Iceland is able to use this geothermal energy to heat and produce hot water for about 87% of their country’s needs as well as 25% of the electrical needs. They are able to drill into the surface of the Earth to release the hot steam and water trapped in the rock and sediment that are used to propel the blades in large turbines connected to generators to convert this immense heat energy into useable electrical energy.

All of this can be accomplished without emitting the harmful emissions that come from fossil fuels which is why it is a much better and cleaner alternative to energy production. Although, it does have an environmental effect because of the release of hydrogen sulfide as well as the disposal of some toxic fluids and gasses brought up from beneath the Earth’s surface.

http://www.nea.is/geothermal/

http://blog.renewableenergyworld.com/ugc/blogs/2013/03/geothermal-energy-in-iceland-too-much-of-a-good-thing.html

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/geothermal-profile/

Stirling Heat Engine: This engine, invented by Robert Stirling, is a much different and more efficient engine than what is in any gas or diesel powered car on the market today. The reason for this potential of such a greater efficiency in the Stirling Engine is that all the gasses used to power the engine never actually leave the engine; therefore, there is no exhaust and the engine runs very quietly. This process is called the “Stirling Cycle,” and uses an external heat form from gasoline to solar power. This engine operates on a mechanical cycle created by the external heat source being converted into the mechanical energy. Because the engine operates on a completely closed cycle, it is able to regenerate the heat energy that it needs to power the mechanical spinning of the engine. Some of the main applications of the Stirling Engine are for marine vehicles and solar power generation because each use the heat energy to create either mechanical power to drive a marine vehicle, or the generation of solar powered electricity.

Peltier Device: The Peltier Device is simply a thermodynamic cooler that operated based on the Peltier effect. This effect is a theory that states that a cooling effect, as well as a heating effect, occurs when an electrical current passes through two dissimilar conductors. The voltage applied to the ends of these conductors is what creates the temperature change because the heat is forced to move from one end to the other.Usually these coolers are comprised of  range of different elements that make up the two dissimilar conductors, typically connected through two ceramic plates that give off the temperature change.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/stirling-engine.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engine

http://www.marlow.com/resources/general-faq/6-how-do-thermoelectric-coolers-tecs-work.html

Electric cars are quickly becoming the staple of the modern car industry. Car companies have began to successfully build and market engines and cars that are electrically powered. While most cars are still a “hybrid” between gas and electric powered, there are cars that are being produced that are completely electrically powered. Many of the major car companies are now producing these fully electric cars, but there is one company that stands out among the rest: Tesla. Tesla’s cars combine the luxury and power from a gas powered car with the environmentally cleanliness of the electric car.

The conventional combustable engines have no been replaced with an electric motor. These motors convert electricity into mechanical power, while simultaneously acting as a generator. These motors have only one moving piece, the rotor, which spins and has little to no mechanical issues in its way. Tesla’s motor is one of the most efficient and powerful motors with an efficiency of about 88%, nearly three times the conventional engine. As the motor simultaneously acts as a generator, the car is able to recharge itself by collecting the energy while the accelerator is pressed.

The Tesla motors are comprised of two components: the rotor and the stator. The rotor is a rotating shaft with copper wiring running through it that, while it rotates, rotates the wheels.The surrounding stator does not actually come into contact with the rotor, but is creates the rotating magnetic field around the rotor and induces the current of electricity. The torque is created from the second magnetic field in the rotor which chases the rotating stator field.

As the accelerator (gas pedal) is pushed by the driver, the “Power Electronics Module” is told how much power and torque are being requested by the pressure put on the accelerator. So, if I floor the accelerator, the module knows I want full torque from the motor put into the wheels. If I remove my foot from the accelerator, the module then knows to begin the re-generation of electricity.

What do you do when you need to recharge? Simple, recharging stations. Just like your phone or laptop, you can plug the Tesla into a charging station and “refill the tank.” These charging stations are much more convenient and take much less time. You also don’t have to breath in all those toxic fumes like at a gas pump. Levels of charging range from plugging your car in at home to on the go at a charging station. Now, because the Tesla has around a 240 mile range when it is fully charged, you do not need to charge it every time you go out and it takes around 3-3.5 hours to fully charge the motor from a completely empty position. Depending on the type of outlet and the amount of electricity conducted from the outlet to the car, the charging times will vary, but you can recharge anywhere you can find an outlet which makes for a very simple process.

http://my.teslamotors.com/roadster/technology/motor

http://www.pluginamerica.org/drivers-seat/understanding-electric-vehicle-charging

http://www.teslamotors.com/models-charging#/highpower

In today’s society, electricity is an absolutely necessary component to our daily lives. Almost everything we use and almost every activity we do requires some sort of electricity. This necessity for electricity calls for the production of electricity to be high and seamless. A few ways we mainly produce electricity are with coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants. Each has their benefit and they each differ from one another in multiple ways; from products used to the way the electricity is produced, these three forms of electricity production power our society day in a and day out.

Coal-Fired Plants: These electricity power plants are based on a system of creating steam to drive the turbines which produce the electricity. First, the coal is broken down into a fine powder which is then mixed with hot air. After that it is blown into a firing station where the main source of heat is created due to the combustion of the burning coal. Inside the boiler, the water is then turned into steam from the heat of the firing of the coal, followed by the steam being piped from the boiler to the turbine because of the high pressure of the steam. Once it is piped into the turbine the pressure pushes against the turbine shafts, connected to the generator, and forces the magnets to spin within the coils which produces the electricity. Once the steam is finished turning the turbine, it is pulled into a condenser where it is converted back into clean water and cooled to be put back into the cycle.

Natural Gas: Electricity production by natural gas is the cleanest and most efficient way of producing electricity. Its process is quite similar to the process of coal firing electricity production. The gas is pumped into the turbine where it is mixed with air and burned, thus creating the heat energy from its chemical energy. Along with the heat, combustion gasses are created from this burning of the gas and air mixture, which expands and causes the pressure within the turbine to build up. This pressure causes the blades of the turbine to spin, and the generator is connected to the blades of the turbine which converts the heat and mechanical energy into electricity. The combustion gasses are then piped into another generator where it is used to heat another set of pipes full of water, creating steam and then released through an exhaust stack.

Nuclear Power Plants: Similar to both of the forms of electricity production I described above, nuclear power plants create electric power by using steam to power a turbine which further powers a generator creating the electricity. In this process, however, uranium is used as the fuel. The uranium atom is split in a process called “fission,” where this split releases energy in the form of heat and radiation. First, the uranium is formed into pellets and then stored in long control rods which are kept cool by submerging them into water. Once they are removed from the water the nuclear reaction takes place which causes heat. This heat is transferred into a steam generator where heat is forced through water creating the steam. The pressure from the built up steam is then forced into the turbine where is turns the blades which are connected to the generator, thus creating the electricity. The steam is then cooled and converted back into water which is put back into the cycle to be used again.

https://www.duke-energy.com/about-energy/generating-electricity/coal-fired-how.asp

http://www.edfenergy.com/energyfuture/generation-gas

http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/nuclear1.htm

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of drilling into the Earth (10,000 ft or so) so a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals can be shot down at high pressure into the sediment to fracture the rock and release the gas trapped below the surface of the Earth. Fracking is, in a way, a displacement of the gas under the surface of the Earth using the mixture of water, chemicals, and sand. Each well can be fractured up to 18 times, and with around 500,000 wells in the U.S., that creates a lot of fracking.

On average, around 400 tanker trucks are necessary to transport the water, sand, and chemicals to and from each gas well. Anywhere from one to eight million gallons of water are used for each fracture and about 40,000 gallons of chemicals are used for each fracture. The chemicals that are mixed in with the water and sand include: hydrochloric acid, formaldehyde, radium, mercury, lead, uranium, and up to 600 more.

You may ask yourself: how is this all effecting our environment? I would say that fracking is in fact harming our environment more than we are benefitting from it. If we do the math, 500,000 wells times 40,000 gallons of chemicals and 1-8 million gallons of water comes out to 20 billion gallons of chemicals and in the trillions of gallons of water that we are pumping into the Earth. This all contributes to the overall pollution of our atmosphere and the contamination of a large amount of fresh water and drinkable water in the areas where the fracking wells are located.

While fracking does provide the U.S. with lower gas prices and allows us to reach these resources like gas and oil, it causes a lot of harm as well. We have become more and more dependent of these fossil fuels which has acted as blinders that focus our vision away from other renewable energy sources. Contamination of nearby drinking water and adding to the pollution of our atmosphere are two other major problems that come with fracking.

Introduction

http://www.dangersoffracking.com

http://www.nrdc.org/energy/gasdrilling/

The U.S. power grid is an electrical system that connects the producers of electricity to the consumers through power lines and facilities. The grid is comprised of generating stations where mass quantities of electricity are produced, however these massive quantities of electricity need to be produced simultaneously to keep the grid stable because large amounts of electricity are not able to be store effectively and efficiently. Along with the generating stations, the large transmission lines actually transport the electricity from producer to consumer. These power lines do lose some of the electricity throughout the process or transporting it, but we are able to increase the voltage on these lines which allows us to increase the amount of power being transported. This increase in the carrying capacity of these transmission lines makes the transmission of electricity more efficient. The electricity itself has varying ways in which it is created and produced. The main ways include using coal, hydroelectric, and natural gas. In the U.S. there are three power grids operating constantly, so we do not have a nation wide grid.

The emerging Smart Grid is a new way we are starting to deliver electricity and information between consumer and producer. The new grid system is a two-way communication network between the producer and consumer or electricity. Simply put, making the grid “smart” is just saying that we are computerizing the power network. The Smart Grid allows the power industry monitor the grid and system more closely because of the information they receive back from each consumer. This advancement creates a quicker and more efficient way to transport electricity with a more simple way to detect outages and fix them. Some pros to the Smart Grid are being able to use and handle the power produced from wind and solar sources, lower prices for electricity consumption, and easier ways for larger consumers to monitor and maintain a desired level of consumption. Some of the cons include an expensive rebuilding of the grid and hackers that may get into the system and tamper with meters because of the advance in technological networks that would be implemented in the new Smart Grid.

http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/article/power_grid.cfm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_grid

http://energy.gov/oe/services/technology-development/smart-grid

https://electrical-systems-lighting.knoji.com/pros-and-cons-of-the-smart-grid/