July 28, 2010
A sycamore seed design may be set to revolutionize the wind power industry.
British engineers have designed a giant wind turbine called the Aerogenerator that would rotate on its axis mimicking the way sycamore seeds fly.
The Aerogenerator has two arms coming out of its base to form a V-shape, with rigid “sails” mounted along their length. The arms act like aerofoils as the wind passes over, helping to generate lift.
It would measure nearly 900 feet from tip to tip and could generate 20MW or more of power.
Engineering firm Wind Power Limited is developing the Aerogenerator, along with architects at Grimshaw, academics at Cranfield University and Rolls Royce, Arup, BP and Shell.
The first Aerogenerator could be up and running by 2013.
Feargal Brennan, head of offshore engineering at Cranfield University, says “Upsizing conventional onshore wind turbine technology to overcome cost barriers has significant challenges, not least the weight of the blades, which experience a fully reversed fatigue cycle on each rotation.”
“As the blades turn, their weight always pulls downwards, putting a changing stress on the structure, in a cycle that repeats with every rotation – up to 20 times a minute.”
“In order to reduce the fatigue stress, the blade sections and thicknesses are increased which further increases the blade self-weight. These issues continue throughout the device.”
“Drive-train mountings must be stiff enough to support the heavier components inside the nacelle on top of the tower, otherwise the systems can become misaligned and the support structure is also exposed to extremely large dynamic thrust and bending stresses, which are amplified significantly with any increase in water depth.’”
July 21, 2010
Wind power is now generating 2% of global electricity demand, according to the World Wind Energy Association.
The countries with the highest shares of wind energy generated electricity: Denmark 20%, Portugal 15%, Spain 14%, Germany 9%. Wind power employed 550,000 people in 2009 and is expected to employ 1,000,000 by 2012.
Globally 38,025 MW of capacity were added in 2009, bringing the total to 159,213 MW, a 31% increase. The graph shows the top 10 producers (with the exceptions of Denmark and Portugal) and includes Japan (which is 13th).
From 2005 to 2009 the global installed wind power capacity increased 170% from 59,033 megawatts to 159,213 megawatts.
Over the 4 year period the capacity in the USA increased 284% and in China increased 1,954%. China grew 113% in 2009, the 4th year in a row it more than doubled capacity. In 2007, Europe had for 61% of installed capacity and the USA 18%. At the end of 2009 Europe had 48% of installed capacity, Asia 25% and North America 24%.
July 20, 2010
The airline industry is taking its first steps towards green energy.
British Airways has announced it is investing in a factory that will convert tonnes of household rubbish into enough jet fuel for all its flights from London City airport twice over.
Some 500,000 tonnes of waste generated by Londoners will be used by the UK facility each year to produce 16 million gallons of fuel.
Construction of the plant in east London will start within two years. It is set to produce fuel from 2014, creating up to 1,200 jobs.
BA said the plant would produce twice the amount of fuel needed to power all its flights from London City Airport.
It will be the first plant in Europe to produce jet fuel from waste matter.
It is estimated that the overall equivalent CO2 reduction as a result of the plant producing sustainable energy and fuel is approximately 550,000 tonnes per year.
The plant will be built by the US company Solena Group, with BA committing to buy all of its output.
The waste wil be fed into a high temperature “gasifier” to produce BioSynGas.
A chemical process called Fischer Tropsch is then used to convert the gas into biofuel.
Waste products from the process can be used to power the plant as well as supply 20MW of electricity to the national grid.
A solid waste product can be used as an aggregate in construction.
BA argues the plant will cut the amount of waste that is sent to landfill, reducing the amount of methane that is produced. Methane is thought to be a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
July 15, 2010
JR Ewing, the worlds most ruthless oil baron, is now promoting solar power. He has turned his back on black gold and starring in an advert for solar panels.
Almost 20 years after hanging up his trademark 10-gallon hat in the TV drama Dallas, actor Larry Hagman is reprising his most famous role in an advertisement for SolarWorld, a German-based manufacturer of solar panels.
In the ad, JR Ewing says the oil industry has become “too dirty”, prompting a search for another money making opportunity.
“In the past it was always about the oil. The oil was flowing and so was the money,” he says.
“But I’m still in the energy business. There’s always a better alternative,” he adds, gazing up at the roof of his California mansion covered in solar panels and flashing a grin of perfect sparkling teeth.
In real life Hagman, 78, is a keen green. In 2003 his mountaintop home near Santa Barbara, was fitted with the country’s largest residential solar power system in 2003, reportedly cutting the actor’s annual electricity bill from $37,000 (£24,000) to $13.
The panels on his 46 acre estate soak up so much sun that he is frequently able to sell power generated by them back to his local electricity company.
Hagman says he decided to film the 30-second advertisement after becoming angry at the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
“With all that oil gushing away in the Gulf I figured it was time to call for a new direction in where we’re getting our energy,” he told the New York Times.
“Since Sarah Palin is saying ‘Drill, baby, drill’ I’m saying ‘Shine, baby, shine’. It’s a lot cheaper and cleaner.”
July 14, 2010
The wave energy developer Aquamarine Power has secured over £3 million in funding from the Scottish government to support the development of its next-generation Oyster wave energy device.
The company received the grant from the Wave and Tidal Energy: Research, Development and Demonstration Support (WATERS) fund, run and administered by Scottish Enterprise on behalf of a collaborative venture involving Scottish Enterprise, Scottish government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
The funding will support the further development of the 2.4MW Oyster demonstration project in Scotland.
Phased installation of the project will begin at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney in summer 2011.
Martin McAdam, CEO of Aquamarine Power said: “The marine energy industry has the potential to provide huge economic benefit to Scotland and Scottish businesses, with the creation of skilled jobs, a global export market and a secure and clean domestic energy supply. At this early stage of the industry, funding initiatives like the WATERS scheme are vital to help deliver this for Scotland.”
Aquamarine Power’s Oyster is already the world’s largest working hydroelectric wave energy device .
The original test unit was installed just off shore, in Orkney, comprising a large buoyant steel flap hinged to a base that sits on the sea bed. As waves roll over the device, the flap drives two hydraulic pistons attached to each side.
High pressure water from these two pumping cylinders is pumped ashore, driving a Pelton wheel with spoon-shaped buckets that then harvest the energy via a flywheel connected to an induction generator.
