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Theory

As a group we built a model of a geothermal power plant and reservoir to learn more about geothermal energy and its advantages and disadvantages. We used steam, a pot and a pinwheel to demonstrate the power of geothermal energy.

What is Geothermal Energy?

Click here to watch a short video on what exactly Geothermal Energy is or read below. 

Geothermal energy is a form of renewable and sustainable energy in which we are able to get from the Earth itself, the Earth has four different sections: crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core, each with their own form of heat. By the temperature inside the Earth reaching up to 9,000°F this can be used as a form of renewable energy. Geothermal energy depends on water moving through the water cycle and the interior heat of the earth. The water on Earth is part of the global water cycle which makes this a form of renewable resource. While the rainwater seeps into the crust of the earth, this is being heated inside the earth and the rainwater resurfaces as steam or hot water. Hot water which becomes trapped under impermeable rock is called a geothermal reservoir. Geothermal energy is obtained through geothermal reservoirs which are operated by turbines. Geothermal energy only release water and the geothermal plants do not emit any greenhouse gases. Currently there are different kinds of geothermal plants which are dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle. The cycle consists of the hot water or steam from the reservoir creating electricity.

Below is an image of a geothermal plant and a diagram of how geothermal energy is created through a reservoir.

 

 

Set-Up

Our experiment had changed from what we had originally researched due to our professor Dr. Shatz suggesting a better method. We used the materials listed below.

Materials: Pot, Stove Top, Ruler, Pinwheel, Permanent Marker & Electric Kettle

1. We set the equipment up by boiling the water and place the pot on the stove top. (By boiling the water the process was much quicker as the stove top took longer to heat the water)
2. We then took the pinwheel and made a mark on it. (This allowed us to know when the pinwheel made a full circle)
3. We then took the pinwheel and placed it above the pot of boiling water and also held a ruler next to the pot,measuring the height. We tried this at several heights and counted in intervals of 20 seconds to measure how many spins.

The steam that was created through the boiling water represented how geothermal energy works and the pinwheel displayed how geothermal energy can cause it to spin.

For each height we recorded our data.

Results

Conclusion

Our results displayed that the pinwheel did not spin higher than 28 inches, we had a range from 10 inches to 27 inches with the distance from the table in which the pinwheel spun. At 28 inches we learned that the steam dispersed at this height which caused the pinwheel not to spin. In addition we learned that the closer the pinwheel was to the pot the slower it spun, however, while the pinwheel was placed in the centre it spun much faster.

From the experiment we gained a greater understanding of geothermal energy.

 

From November 30th 2015 to December 12th 2015, the United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Paris, France. This marked the 21st meeting of this conference which had the European Union and 185 nation participating all with their own representatives. Called the Paris Agreement it focuses on dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. Currently the agreement has not yet entered into force but was adopted on the final day of the conference. As Earth Day approaches (April 22nd) the agreement will be open for signatures with 120 states expected to sign the agreement. 

“The objective of the conference was to achieve for the first in 20 years a binding and universal agreement on climate for all the nations in the world.” As well as one of the most influential people keying in on the conference Pope Francis published an encyclical called Laudato si’ intended to influence those regarding the matter of climate change and to be against it.

The goal of the conference was that greenhouse gas emissions to be reduce for the outcome of limiting the increasing global temperature. Currently since the 17th Conference which was held in 2010 the increase is set at 2°C above pre industrial levels. The delegates pledged to reduce this and keep it below 2°C without an increase, however many believed that there would be no guarantee of this.

Each of the 195 countries which committed to the Paris agreement states that they will “reduce emissions as part of the method for reducing greenhouse gas.” Also stated to “reduce their carbon output as soon as possible to do their best to keep global warming well below 2°C.” In addition islands such as the Pacific, the Seychelles and the Philippines stated that they were threatened by the rising sea level and had proposed a goal of 1.5°C, however, it was settled as 2°C. 

France’s Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius stated that the Paris agreement was “ambitious and balanced” and a “historic turning point in reducing global warming.”

Obama released a statement regarding the Paris agreement in which he stated “in my first inaugural address, I committed this country to the tireless task of combating climate change and protecting this plant for future generations.Two weeks ago, in Paris, I said before the world that we needed a strong global agreement to accomplish this goal — an enduring agreement that reduces global carbon pollution and sets the world on a course to a low-carbon future. A few hours ago, we succeeded.  We came together around the strong agreement the world needed.  We met the moment.” 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/12/12/statement-president-paris-climate-agreement

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_United_Nations_Climate_Change_Conference

Currently the gas prices and government standards have caused a change to be put in place regarding fuel efficient cars. Many years ago fuel efficient cars were extremely unpopular however, in recent years many companies such as Toyota, BMW & Ford have now started to focus on fuel efficient cars, the style and the size in order to attract a new market. The auto industry is currently looking to cut greenhouse gasses in half by producing more hybrid cars. With many private investors and the government supporting research and development the aim of helping consumers save money through this is key and also reducing the production of petroleum. Currently the inciting factor for having a fuel efficient car is the savings it can bring in the long run and the benefits to the environment. Kelly Blue Book presents the top 10 most fuel efficient cars under $25,000 and emphasizes on style to make it more appealing for the consumer. The EPA states that 1 in every 10 cars on the road do not meet the federal requirements put in place for fuel efficiency. 

In addition fuel efficient cars such as hybrids have become extremely popular over the years, especially in London where a hybrid car saves you money. Back in London where I grew up, congestion charge was implemented in 2003 for any moving vehicle that drove into central London. The radius of the congestion charge zone is currently 2.7km with an £11.50 daily charge ($16). However, a new law implemented that any fuel efficient car would be given a 100% discount from the congestion charge, over the years there was a rise in London of those purchasing hybrid cars to avoid the congestion charge fee. 

http://www.kbb.com/car-reviews-and-news/top-10/highest-mpg-cars-under-25000-2015/2000011743-10/?r=613538365310389900

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

https://www3.epa.gov/fueleconomy/regulations.htm

In our group meeting on Monday and Wednesday last week we discussed possible ideas of what we would do for our final project. We selected a project which we found online which compares nonrenewable and renewable fuels. If we had gone along with this project we would have been determining if the energy in a biofuel is equivalent to the energy found in a nonrenewable fuel such as petroleum. However, we were unable to follow through with this project as it consisted of the use of fire, which our professor was not comfortable with. After further discussion, we found another project that would be suitable that uses a hot stove top, this experiment is to build a model of a geothermal power plant so we can understand what exactly geothermal energy is. According to renewableenergyworld.com geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth, which makes it clean and sustainable. Currently we are gathering materials for our project and hope to get started on Monday. 

Sources

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair projects/project_ideas/Energy_p030.shtml#procedure

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Energy_p023.shtml#procedure

Our class assignment was to visit the Museum of Science. I looked at the exhibition called Conserve at Home which shows different methods of how you are able to conserve energy at home. The exhibition has several displays that show you in the mock up home how energy is consumed through different appliances such as a washing machine. The exhibition showed how much energy we consumed by simply using these everyday appliances. In addition to the energy consumption the exhibition displayed how heat escapes from the house which is resulting in energy being wasted and using more than need be. I also visited the Catching the Wind exhibition which displays how wind can be turned into green energy. The exhibition features five small turbines that transform wind into energy and also track the production. Another exhibition that I visited was Energized, which “focuses on sunlight, wind, moving water, and other self-replenishing sources that generate cleaner energy with fewer negative side effects.” 

All these exhibitions gave myself a better understanding of renewable energy and the different forms which are available. Our experiment is to determine whether a biofuel is equivalent to the energy used by a nonrenewable fuel. Overall the trip to the Museum of Science was very insightful. 

Before spring break we had the pleasure of having Professor. Tom Vales from the Department of Engineering give us a special lecture. He demonstrated different motors to the class and first discussed the Mendocino Motor which is a “solar-powered magnetically levitated electric motor.” This particular motor had magnets which were connected to the shaft. The magnets which are attached to the base repel magnets causing the shaft to hover, the shaft turns to 90 degrees when it comes in contact with light. 

The second demonstration was the Stirling engine which is a “machine used to provide power or refrigeration, operating on a closed cycle in which a working fluid is cyclically compressed and expanded at different temperatures.” The Stirling engine was invented by Robert Stirling as a substitute for steam engines. 

The most interesting demonstration was the Tesla coil which is “an electrical resonant transformer circuit invented by Nikola Tesla around 1891. It is used to produce high-voltage, low-current, high frequency alternating-current electricity.” Professor. Tom Vales had the coil produce electricity which he used light bulbs to show how electricity travels through a wooden stick. This caused the light bulb to light up and the wooden stick was an insulator. He also called upon other students in the class to participate in the demonstration.

Overall, it was a very interesting class. 

Below is a photo I took from the experiment.

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

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

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

Explanation 

The solar energy experiment allowed us to understand the implementation of photovoltaic cells. “Photovoltaic is the name of a method of converting solar energy into direct current electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon commonly studied in physics, photochemistry and electrochemistry.” 

Solar energy has become extremely popular according to renewableenergyworld.com, “The solar panel is becoming an increasingly popular form of alternative energy around the world, using photovoltaic and silicon solar cells to convert radiation into power. Solar power has had a long history of failed starts and limited distribution. As an alternative to the burning of fossil fuels, solar panels rank alongside wind and hydropower as essential energy options for the future of the planet, and offer the additional benefit of being easier to integrate into the home.” 

The experiment in class allowed us to see how voltage has an effect on distance and by using colored filters (red, blue and green) we were able to see how this would change the voltage. Our professor discussed about the source of light where the closer the panel is to the light then a better result of voltage would be presented. We once again used the Lego NXT robot, the colored filters as mentioned before, the Labview program, Excel, a ruler and a solar cell. 

By using the colored filters we were able to measure which one allowed the highest amount of voltage. Each color had a different result. The other stage of the experiment consisted of us holding the flashlight at different distances from the solar cell using several attempts to get a variety of results. Our results displayed that when the voltage decreased the distance between the flashlight and the solar cell was further and increased as the flashlight was closer to flashlight. 

Results

Our results had a slight issue due to the LabView reading at 1cm. Meaning our results are not as accurate as they should be. 

Our first test was voltage with no source of light. The result produced was 0.22505. We next used the flashlight and the solar sensor, we used the measurements of 1cm, 10cm and 20cm. Like mentioned before the voltage was decreasing the closer it was from the light source. Our results were 0.68954 V (1 cm), 0.65889 V (10 cm) and 0.6499 V (20 cm)

The other part of the experiment was running the LabView program for another three times. We now used the filters. They all produced a similar result with Orange (0.60499 V), Purple (0.63323 V) and Blue (0.61141 V).

Below is our graph. 

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/ugc/blogs/2012/09/the-growing-popularity-of-solar-panels.html

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

The human mission to Mars is one that has been a goal for many years. Recently, I learned about Mars One which is based in the Netherlands, which is a “not for profit foundation with the goal of establishing a permanent human settlement on Mars.” In 2020 the first unmanned mission is scheduled to take place and in 2026 crews will be departing on a one way journey to Mars. This has been labeled “the next giant leap for mankind.” This is all in order to get a better understanding of Mars and also to see if human’s are able to survive on the red planet. The average distance between Earth and Mars is 225 million km.  

Apart from Mars One, other companies such as NASA and SpaceX are attempting to go to Mars to explore the last of terrestrial planets. Mars is also the second smallest planet in the solar system and is referred to as the Red Planet because of the surface color, which is a brownish-red. 

With many attempts to send unmanned robots to Mars, the last successful landing was in August 2012, which landed in Gale Crater and the landing site was named by NASA, Bradbury Landing. With NASA attempting to land a manned spaceship by 2035 using the Orion spacecraft, this is a few years behind of what Mars One is aiming for. 

Below is an image of NASA’s journey to Mars.

SpaceX another company attempting to head to Mars says that they will be making their first trip to Mars in 2026, although they are not as advanced as NASA, they claim that they will be able to do this before them. Space X stated they will be using the Falcon 9, which is a two stage rocket. 

Below is an image of Next Gen: Falcon 9.

Overall there have been many initiatives for space travel to Mars and by these three space companies attempting to reach Mars to see if human life is sustainable, space travel to Mars is something in the very near future. 

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

http://www.mars-one.com/

http://www.spacex.com/

https://www.nasa.gov/

http://theplanets.org/mars/

Some parents do not agree with vaccinations, many have questioned whether it is right or wrong to vaccinate a child. There have been the opinions of some criticizing parents who do not vaccinate their children, stating they are exposing others to diseases such as Measles, Mumps, and Rubella or others stating that vaccinations cause autism. According to the CDC, a publication released in November 2015 stated that vaccines do not cause autism, in order to reassure the parents who chose not to vaccinate their children. Despite this article being released many still did not allow this to change their beliefs regarding the dangers of vaccinations and why they argue against vaccinations. A battle lies between whether it is right to vaccinate or whether it is wrong. 

In January 2015, there was an uproar about the vaccination argument once again when a measles outbreak in California occurred, spreading to other states, all pointing the finger at Disneyland California. The disease spread to many other surrounding states where people where asked to self-quarantine themselves who displayed symptoms of Measles in order to protect children who were not able to be vaccinated due to age and other problems. 

An article published in the BBC regarding the outbreak at Disneyland California had contributors such as Clayton Graver stating “it is my choice whether or not I want to be vaccinated, it is your choice whether or not to wash your hands or take basic public health precautions, it is an individuals choice whether he or she wants to gamble with their child’s life. It is not your place to say what they have to do.” Despite this statement many felt that there are many children at risk who’s parents would like to have them vaccinated but are not able to be vaccinated due to age and health risk like mentioned before. However, the issue with vaccination continues as many remain uneducated or fall into unproven stereotypes regarding the connection between autism and vaccinations. Although Disneyland claimed that the Measles outbreak was possibly started from a foreign visitor the fact remains that there are children in America who have not been vaccinated and still pose a risk the greater public. 

Although we cannot protect ourselves from all diseases, people believe that diseases such as MMR which could be eradicated by vaccines such as Smallpox and Polio possibly next should not be up for discussion. I believe that vaccinations are important as I have seen first hand the effects of polio. In 2015, WHO announced that polio was no longer an endemic in Nigeria. We still have thousands living with the disease, however with education in the poorer areas the stereotypes of vaccinations has disappeared. Nigeria’s problem with polio vaccination being denied in many communities began with community leaders spreading rumors that charities such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Boarders were injecting Polio into people and it was a disease that was brought by the “white man”. Now with local activist fighting the stereotype, Nigeria is almost Polio free. Therefore, I personally believe in the power of vaccinations and what can happen without them. 

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/nigeria-polio/en/

https://www.baptiststandard.com/opinion/other/17000-right-or-wrong-vaccinations

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-30942928

Last week, we conducted the generator experiment which was to learn about Faraday’s Law. Faraday’s Law is the “basic law of electromagnetism predicting how a magnetic field will interact with an electric circuit to produce an electromotive force – a phenomenon called electromagnetic induction. It is the fundamental operating principle of transformers, inductors, and many types of electrical motors, generators and solenoids” 

During the experiment we used the Lego MindStorm Robot, an adapter, a USB cord, a telephone cable, excel, the magnet that moves forward and backwards inside of the coil and the voltage probe. 

We shook the generator which had the magnet moving forward and backwards inside the coil. While shaking the generator the faster it was shaken the higher the result of the voltage and vice versa, the slower it was shaken the lower the result of the voltage. 

Our Professor. Lisa Shatz gave us several steps to follow which were to shake the generator at a slow or fast rate, we then counted each shake timing it for 30 seconds, we then recorded our data in excel and did this three more times, we then created a graph which showed our results. 

Below is a photo of the tube with the magnet inside. 

Below are some images from the experiment: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday%27s_law_of_induction