Evenings with Einstein

On the last day of class, I had the privilege of participating in not one but two experiments.  The first one involved testing different materials as insulators. To conduct this experiment, two pieces of chocolate were placed in separate boxes. One box was covered in aluminum foil and the other in black paper.  The hypothesis was that the aluminum box would raise the temperature of the chocolate higher when placed under the same lamp as the black box.  However, we were unable to get accurate readings with the thermometers provided as the second box temp raised with the time and the aluminum box rose at a slower rate/practically stayed the same.

The second experiment began with a video depicting a villager mixing bleach and water  in a clear bottle and using such bottle to provide light to homes.  These homes did not have electricity and were made from scraps/earth materials.  The reaction of the bleach provided the once dark room with enough sunlight to conduct activities during the day.  As the sun filtered through the bottle, it would illuminate the entire room.  To simulate this, we placed the same water bottle in a box attached to the window.  Just like in the movie (but on a smaller scale of course) the box was illuminated. This test showed us how people are innovating third world countries to provide people with replicas of resources such as electricity. Similarly I have seen this done with clay water filters in Africa where a group of students created water filters out of clay, providing clean water to an entire village.

 

 

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the need for renewable energy, many countries have raced to become the leaders in Solar energy.  This can be seen in the competition between the United States and China. President Obama made it his mission after entering office to make the US the top country in solar powered energy. But before his first year as Presdient was  completed, China seemed to be taking the lead. The driving factor behind this is that Chinese companies such as Suntech Power Holdings are selling solar panels for less than the cost of materials, assembly, and shipping. While the federal government invests strongly in the US market, the cheap labor in China (even for engineers) is fueling their competitive advantage. In addition the Chinese government is pouring resources into projects by offering subsidies to developers which includes free land and cash for development. While these two countries may be competing in the development stage, they are still not the top dogs when it comes to countries with the most installed solar energy.

Germany, Spain and Japan are the top three users of solar energy. Germany installed 3,806 megawatts of PV solar energy capacity in 2009 while Spain installed 3,386 and Japan installed 2,633 MW. With that said, these countries are becoming a lucrative market for the Chinese companies who can offer the product at the lowest price around the globe.  It will be interesting to see how these rankings will change as the global community continues to embrace the idea of renewable energy.

Sources:

http://1bog.org/blog/top-10-countries-using-solar-power/

http://1bog.org/blog/infographic-top-ten-countries-that-use-solar-energy/

 

 

 

Natural gas production has become increasingly popular in the energy production field in recent years.  Thanks to a discovery of a deposit of shale gas that spans across several states, there has been a rapid growth of natural gas production through the process of hydraulic fracturing.  Often referred to as “fracking”, this process involves shooting pressurized water deep into the layer of the ground to release these deposits of gas for collection. While this process is gaining popularity, it is also attracting controversy. Is the use of natural gas better than the burning of coal as a means of energy production?

There are many positive factors in using natural gas instead of the burning of coals as means of energy. The most important of these reasons is that natural gas emits 45% less carbon dioxide then coal. CO2 has been proven to be a deadly Greenhouse Gas by having devastating effects on our environment and the driving force behind this gas is coal burning. In addition to being perceived as a cleaner energy source, natural gas provides an economic benefit due to record low prices and an abundant supply. While natural gas is perceived as a safer, less harmful, and more economically stimulating energy source, there are still negative consequences in its use.

Although natural gas may be marketed as a better alternative to coal, it is still a fossil fuel meaning it is nonrenewable and emits harmful gases. Not only does it still admit carbon dioxide but it also contains high amounts of methane, another harmful gas. There are also concerns with the impact of large piping systems on the ecosystem and the risk of explosion.

So the question remains: Should the United States switch from coal to natural gas? Well the answer is if there is no other option then they should.  It is picking the lesser of two evils. But with all of the technology and innovation in our world today, we should not have to settle for the second worst energy source that will destroy our planet at a slightly slower pace.

SOURCES

http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/tag/fracking/

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fracking-for-natural-gas-pollutes-water-wells

http://catalystnewspaper.com/2012/12/14/educate-yourself-the-pros-and-cons-of-fracking/

 

The induced electromotive force in any closed circuit is equal to the negative of the time rate of change of the magnetic flux through the circuit. – the most widespread version of Farady’s Law.

 

Essentially, any change in the magnetic environment will create a voltage among the coil. For this experiment we used a generator that by shaking it back and fourth created a voltage output.  Through comarison of the # of shakes and sum of the square of voltages, we were able to graph the correlation in a 30 second period.

Our LabView results:

# of Shakes	Sum of the square of the voltages
67	48.1505276
91	312.8672713
68	272.2310937
123	269.1242462

 

 

 

If you asked my ten years ago if I knew anyone who drove a Hummer, I could point out a few townspeople who rolled around in the living room on wheels. If you also told me that my mom was getting a Prius, I would have mapped out all the quickest routes to ride my bike to school. However in 2013, the only Hummers I have seen lately belong to small children doing doughnuts in their electric powered ones at the end of my street. As gas prices have risen dramatically and the skeptics are coming around on the Global Warming issue, the automobile industry has responded to consumer demand and government regulations.

According to the U.S Department of Energy, the 2013 most fuel efficient cars  include impressive models such as the Smart electric convertible at 107 MPGe, Scion iQ EV at 121 MPGe, Ford Focus electric at 105 MPGe, and Tesla Model S at 95 MPGe.

While these electric models sound like amazing additions to our highways, there are still many issues to work out. The two largest concerns with electric models are Price and Range. The Tesla Model S can drive for about 200 miles on a single charge which may seem like a long distance but will you be ending up near a charging station? Unlike in gasoline powered cars, drivers cannot just get off at the nearest rest stop to charge their Tesla.  Until the automobile industry makes a push for investment in infrastructure, the electric car remains a fantasy for the average consumer . However, in addition to these electric models there are many Hybrid models such as the Prius that gives 50 MPG.  Until the electric car can be produced at a lower price with an abundant supply of charging stations, these Hybrids offer the American people affordable options to increase their gas mileage and reduce their carbon footprint.

We have come a long way since the land of triumphant Hummers and embarrassing Prius’s but there is still work to be done. A Hybrid car may no longer be associated with the fanny pack anymore but that does not change how dangerous our transportation pollution is.  While many automobile companies are off to a good start, the rest better pick up the pace to meet the fuel efficiency standards of the future.

Sources:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/best/bestworstnf.shtml

http://www.teslamotors.com/

 

 

The experimental world was a much simpler place back in the Newton days. However thanks to stored data, we were still able to apply Newton’s Second Law F=ma. The idea was to use the motor of Lego Mindstorm to slowly lift small weights to the top of a pulley system. Unfortunately, the technological equipment failed us miserably and we were given previous data to come to conclusions through graphing.

Speed (RPM		Mass (KG)		Pwer Level		Time (S)		Acceleration (RPM/s)			Height(M)
113.8889		0.25		100		1.98		57.51964			0.18
74.36472		0.25		80		2.23		33.3741			0.18
45.89059		0.25		60		3.857		11.898			0.18
14.78		0.25		40		12.558		1.178373			0.18
21.50856		0.21		40		8.454		2.544187			0.18
43.85536		0.17		40		4.093		10.71447			0.18
47.20591		0.13		40		3.746		12.60168			0.18
50.20959		0.09		40		3.658		13.72597			0.18

The race for efficiency has made everything in life more convenient from ordering pepperoni pizzas to reviewing medical scans. One of these innovations has become to be known as “Smart Grid”.  An odd concept to grasp is to think about the amount of electricity that pulsates through our nation between plants, houses, businesses, street lights, stop lights, computers, phones, televisions, sky scrapers, stadiums, airports, train stations, marinas, etc. The list could go on forever. Since Edison himself, electricity has been measured through workers checking meters and equipment.  In an age where I can turn off my kitchen lights or close my blinds with a phone, it seems outdated.  This is where Smart Grid comes in.

Smart Grid is a two way communication system between the device receiving the electricity and the centers monitoring that transfer of electricity. These data centers can be used to adjust electric output accordingly whether it be for a few consuming objects or a few thousand. This will become increasingly important as our country (with EPA fingers crossed) moves towards wind and solar power.  Luckily, the idea of Smart Grid became a reality in December 2007 it gained legislative support through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.  This new system will have many benefits moving forward that will provide the American people with a safer and more efficient energy network.

Sources:

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

http://www.smartgrid.gov/

http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/#/landing_page

 

Germany has become to be known as the leader in renewable energy.  With the amount of electricity produced using renewable energy at 25%, they have rightfully earned that title.  According to Germany’s Federal Environment Agency, CO2 emissions have fallen by 2.4% since 2010 and this is only the start of their longtime energy plan.  With hopes of hitting targets of 35% renewable energy by 2020 and 80% by 2050, some experts believe that the German government may be setting the bar too high to reach.  Whatever the predictions for the future are, environmentalists around the globe are using Germany as an example of innovation and campaigning for similar changes across the globe.

The German energy policy may be the new poster child for environmental movements but if you were to talk to consumers in Germany, a much different picture is painted.  As nuclear energy has been phasing out and renewable energy has rapidly increased, German households have seen prices soar.  An estimated 800,000 households are unable to pay their energy bills as prices have increased 85% in the last decade and are estimated to increase anywhere between 30% and 50% in the next decade.  Another negative impact of this energy policy is making the German land an unattractive home to businesses who take cost into serious consideration.  If energy prices continue to soar, companies may look to other countries as a source of operations.

The balance between leading the charged towards renewable energy and keeping costs at an affordable rate must be found in order for Germany to be a success story. It is agreed that renewable energy standards like Germany’s will immensely help our environment and that every country should create long term energy plans. But if these plans do not address the financial burden put on consumers, these changes will not be sustainable.

Sources:

Germany's Energy Policy: Man-Made Crisis Now Costing Billions

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/50697

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323751104578149144050909144.html

 

 

Today I traded in my usual Friday routine of kicking back with a grilled cheese and a side of V8 for an afternoon of metric conversions and Lego Mindstorm.  Our mission today: power up the Lego Mindstorm and track his short bursts of travel across the table.  First we gave it a test and after he shot across the table, I became a proud parent as he made it nearly a foot before stopping.  With the test over, it was time to get down to business and through using a computer program we were able to control the power at which Ralph (our Mindstorm looked like a Ralph) would accelerate.  Our first three tries were at a power level of 75 on each wheel.  We would first track his distance using a ruler and then compare the results to what the computer generated. Through converting our numbers into meters (thank god for Google) we were able to calculate an error rate.  We conducted our trials three times at 75 power, three at 50, and three at 25.  Our error rate ranged from 17% to 25% which I thought was not too shabby for novice Mindstormers. Looking back on the process, I found it worth while but would hope that by the end of the semester we can get Ralph to fetch us some drinks or at least do the Cat Daddy.

Circumfrence (M)	Power	Human Measured Distance (M)	Wheel Turns (M)	Distance(M)	Velocity(M)	Error %
0.17	75	0.304	1.42	0.2417	0.2417	20%
0.17	75	0.2921	1.4722	0.24602	0.24602	16%
0.17	75	0.28575	1.433	0.2436	0.2436	15%
0.17	50	0.1905	0.9388	0.15961	0.159641	16%
0.17	50	0.1905	0.95	0.1615	0.1615	15%
0.17	50	0.1905	0.922	0.1567	0.1567	18%
0.17	25	0.08255	0.366	0.0623	0.0623	25%
0.17	25	0.0889	0.433	0.0736	0.0736	17%
0.17	25	0.08382	0.3805	0.0649	0.0649	23%

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