Demand response are the changes in electric usage by end-use customers from their normal patterns of electricity consumption to the price of electricity over time. Incentive payments are set up to lower electricity use at times of a high market price. In electrical grids the demand response is similar to dynamic demand mechanisms.

Dynamic demand is technology for adjusting load demand on an electrical power grid. There is a difference between the two is that one responds to requests to shut off where as dynamic just shut off when there’s issues in the grid. Demand response is used in large and small commercial and residential customers.

We chose to do our project on solar power. As a group we decided to build project very similar to the solar cell lab from which we will collect the solar energy and acknowledge how it works. Since we visited the museum of science we decided to create a device that can collect 1000 watts per square meter under good sun. In order to construct our experiment we will need two three inch circles from white construction paper and 2 three inch circles from black construction paper. You then need to get four same sized plastic beverage containers. You need to put one black circle and one white in the containers and then put 1/4 cup of cold water in each and record the temps. Then we need to place the bottles in the sun. Checking the bottle every five or so minutes we will then be able to see the difference in temps between the white and black circles in the containers. The good thing about solar power is that it doesn’t give off any greenhouse gases. Solar power is Eco friendly and beneficial in regards to having to pay for typical energy.

In this lab we had a tube with magnets that moved back in forth when shaken and within the tube was wires coiled. Faraday’s law states that when changing magnetic fluxes through coiled wires generates electricity through the exchange of currents and voltage. We tracked the number of shakes within 30 second intervals at different rates. We then attached the wires to the NXT and counted the number of shakes in order to measure the voltage. We recorded this three different times at three different rates. The computer recorded the voltage values and then opened them onto an excel spreadsheet. We then used the equation e=m^4/volt and sumof^2 and all of the values to receive the average value from shakes. After we created charts, we found that the faster you shake the greater the voltage. In my eyes this lab was created in order to understand how power can be created by something so simple and to show it as a source.

Tom Vales came into our class and showed us a few electrical inventions, majority of which are used in our everyday lives. He introduced the Tesla Coil. The Tesla Coil is a resonant transformer circuit that is used to produce high-voltage, low current, high frequency alternating current electricity. This device was created to transmit electrical power without wires. An antenna would be constructed to pull the transmitted electrical energy into the electrical system. It can be considered a simple radio transmitter that operates within a broad range of high frequencies which transmits power and not information. This is similar to how we receive wall electricity.He showed a hot air engine which consisted of a cup of hot water and the steam made the contraption on the top move because the the temperature difference. This is considered to run on solar energy. He also presented a sterling engine that was a motor that was spinning. This was the substitute for steam engines in replacement to create power for machines. John Petleys copper and bismuth was also shown. This is when the invention is heated on one end and cooled on the other and then creates energy. He briefly spoke about the mendesedo motor which floats solar powered magnetics. There are four solar cells that make a current through the wire to propel the machine making power. In conclusion Professor Vales showed us a few different tools doctors used for quack medicine when referring to alignment. Having him visit class was a nice change from our normal labs. We were able to sit back and learn about these inventions without the stress of following a specific rubric.

On March 11, 2011 the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. This was said to have been one of the main reasons behind Fukushima Daiichi which was the largest disaster since the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, coming in as a level 7 on the International Nuclear Event scale.

The plant consisted of 6 boiling water reactors designed by General Electric but was maintained by Tokyo Electric Power Company. When the earth quake hit 2 of the 6 boilers were shut down for maintenance and the remaining kicked over to emergency generators. Due to the tsunami that came shortly after causing flooding and the generators failed. They were not able to proceed to circulate the coolant water. The pumps stopped and reactors overheated, causing reactors 1,2, and 3 to meltdown. Several hydrogen-air chemical explosions occurred allowing many radioactive gasses to be released. Workers were evacuated for radiation safety.

On March 20th the Japanese government announced that the plant would be decommissioned once the crisis was over. Not only was the radioactive material released into the air but also the ground and ocean. During tho time people were advised to stay away from tap water. A few of the workers were severely injured and some were killed. This not only affected the workers but the people living near the plant, the cancer rate went from 0 to 100.

June 7th the government convened an investigation on the disaster. They interviewed 772 people (plant workers, government officials and evacuees). They said that the government and TEPCO failed to prevent the disaster not because of the tsunami but because they did not invest the appropriate time and mine into planning for a nuclear disaster like this.

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Fukushima-Accident-2011/#.UTlFhZgapzo

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/01/reassessing-health-effects-fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-accident

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2013/images/handouts_130225_01-e.pdf

When speaking about any controversy involving green energy the Solyndra scandal is one that cannot go without a mention. Solyndra was a California U.S. solar panel manufacturing company. The company produced cylindrical panels of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). They sold solar photovoltaic systems composed of panels and mounting hardware for large, low-slope commercial rooftops. These were to be mounted horizontally rather than vertically for maximum coverage and energy production.

Solyndra filed chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2011. This was only two years after the U.S. government guaranteed a loan worth $535 million; this was done under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Solyndra then made the decision to close all operations and lay off 1100 employees after the board members could not chose or find a way to get money into the business. These innovative solar panels were very high priced and the company did not have enough lager company customers to create the proper capital to stay afloat. Harrison and Stover then filed bankruptcy.

After this was done, the FBI and treasuries department held an investigation. The Obama Administration once believed that Solyndra was going to be he breakthrough for solar energy pushing forward with the enhancement of “green jobs”. It is known that most businesses do not hold the taxpayers responsible for potential losses when they fail. Therefore it must be known that it is a tricky situation when political investment is involved in furthering or helping companies like this. It allows for political favoritism for the powerful and can hurt rather than benefit the taxpayers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/solyndra-scandal-timeline/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solyndra

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/obama-fundraises-with-players-in-solyndra-scandal/

In this experiment we discussed Newton’s 2^nd Law, The law of conversation of energy, Velocity and Acceleration, and Power.

We began the experiment by looking at the weights hung on the pulley to potentially be lifted by the motor connected, the weights were either 50, 20’s, 10’s, and 5’s. The point of this experiment was to figure out how when you have the same mass but a different speed and vise versa what the time and battery discharge is.

First we made sure the USB is plugged into the computer and port A on the NXT robot. Then you need to follow the instructions on how to run the Labview program.

TRIALS 

Change power Levels not Weight

WEIGHT 250g is .25 kilograms

Trial 1

• 40 power level
• Acceleration is 9rpm

Trial 2

• 60 power level
• Result: Acceleration increase

Trial 3

• 100 power
• Result: Acceleration increase

Change Weight not power Trials

POWER LEVEL 40

Trial 1

• .19 kilograms
• Result: Acceleration increase

Trial 2

• 1.3 kilograms
• Result: Acceleration increase

Trial 3

• .07 kilograms
• Result: Acceleration increase

We worked on this lab for the past couple of weeks. We first assembled the robot and learned how to connect the robot to the computer and use the lab view software.

This lab was created to help us understand the VI measures the distance that the wheels travel and the speed at which the care travels. Recorded was the distance travelled (a ruler was used) and then you must calculate the percent error.

(distance of ruler) − (distance of computer)

% Error  =  ――――――――――――――――――   ×100

Average (distance comp. and distance ruler)

With your ruler you need to measure the diameter of the wheel and then compute the circumference.

Circumference = p*diameter

The degrees that the wheel rotated are related to the number of turn the wheel makes because each wheel rotation is 360 degrees.

Seconds are related to milliseconds because 1 second is equivalent to .0001 milliseconds.

From the equation Distance = circumference* # of turns the wheel turns we are able to relate the distance to the number of turns.

We were told to run 3 tests with the same time but different power levels of 75%, 50%, and 25%. The inconsistency with our data may have been because of the fact that our measurements were not particularly precise due to the circumference being recorded with a ruler.

We then used Excel to transfer and record all of our information.

What is Hydro-fracking?

Hydro-fracking is natural gas extraction. This is a method that allows for natural gas mining to be more economically friendly. The process increases the flow of water from a bed rock well by increasing the size and extent of the bedrock fractures. These fractures bring water to the well. This alternative is much more cost effective than drilling. Water is forced into a low yield water well at a high pressure and volume opening up and cleaning out the existing features in the bedrock.

Drilling companies add chemicals to the water and then drill. Theres a high chance these chemicals can contaminate our water. A lot of companies believe that hyrdo-fracking is a clean source of energy, when in reality a lot of methane is released into the atmosphere. Methane is one of the greenhouse gasses that is destroying our earth.

Regarding the use of fuel, the Obama administration issued new regulations that require manufactures of automobiles to increase the efficiency of cars being made. This has been leading these car manufactures down a newer route of creating more efficient ways for these cars to run. These companies are trying to reach 35.5 mpg in only a few year and still hope that by 2025 it can be 55 mpg. Millions of dollars has been used by the government in research on how to go about with these improvements.

The government is not the only place that is researching new ideas but the military has also being turning to new ideas such as radiators, air filters, etc.. They are also trying to find a way to use the heat that the trucks/ cars produce and turn that into a form of power.

Overall there are many new approaches being made to move these alternatives along.

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/business/carmakers-back-strict-new-rules-for-gas-mileage.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/rick-newman/2012/08/27/tough-government-gas-mileage-rules-good-for-drivers-auto-industry