In the past week there have been two major announcements of solar powered cars and the mainstream press is attempting to peddle the idea that they will be a hassle free and energy efficient way to charge a car. Perhaps if our cars are all made from air the solar panels on the roof will be able to run them efficiently. However as all modern cars are not made from air the idea that a solar rooftop will be able to provide enough energy to power a car through a minutes worth of travel let alone a whole day of driving is a completely ignorant and uneducated assumption to make.

Unfortunately for solar powered cars the math just doesn’t add up. Even the most efficient solar powered cars in the annual race across the Australian desert are light weight three wheel racing carts with single seat and no windscreens or doors. The entire vehicle is a solar panel on wheels and the chasis/frame is constructed of the lightest aluminium or carbon fibre framing available on the market. Sure they can get up to 80km/hour in the heat of the day in the middle of the desert but try driving one around in the city and you will soon realise that there is a massive jump from the current state of the art in solar cars to a normal city vehicle. Even the smallest cars on the market are at least a hundred times heavier than the most advanced and powerful solar cars. The wheels alone on a standard family vehicle are heavier than the entire solar vehicle.

One thing that will be useful from having a solar powered rooftop is that the battery will never be completely flat. Another thing is that you can leave the radio on for much longer as long as there is sunlight or depending on the type of solar panel at least ambient light to absorb.

Car manufacturers could increase vehicle battery charging efficiency more effectively by figuring out how to wirelessly absorb the radiant energy emitted by the all pervasive cellular network in major cities. Of course that won’t solve the actual energy crisis as it just takes power from the grid but at least car batteries would always be charging even if there was no sunlight to absorb. Of course the telecoms companies wouldn’t be so happy about having to shoulder the cost of charging everyones cars so they might put up their prices to offset that outlay.

Tags: Circuits, Components, e=mc2, electricity, Energy Storage, mobile, renewable, solar, supply, Sustainable, transport by Sparky
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An interesting twist on the Hydrogen production system using sunlight and water to react with copper and aluminium oxide that when heated to 200 Degrees Celsius and combined with “catalytic nano particles” initiate a chemical reaction to quickly release the stored hydrogen. The Hydrogen is then fed into a Fuel cell battery to provide a constant source of power to a household.

The idea basically being that all the hydrogen for one day can be created quickly from the chemical reaction and then temporarily stored in holding containers reliving the necessity to permanently store hydrogen which is a major obstacle for a Hydrogen based economy.

If the demonstration system can confirm the suggested results from the preliminary modelling this would be a handy way to provide a constant source of energy to a household without having to worry about battery replacements every few years and could be built into every house

The hybrid device contains series of copper tubes coated with a thin layer of aluminum and aluminum oxide and partly filled with catalytic nanoparticles. A combination of water and methanol flows through the vacuum-sealed tubes.
“This set-up allows up to 95% of the sunlight to be absorbed with very little being lost as heat to the surroundings,” Hotz said. “This is crucial because it permits us to achieve temperatures of well over 200 ºC within the tubes. By comparison, a standard solar collector can only heat water between 60 and 7 ºC.”

Once the evaporated liquid achieves a high enough temperature, tiny amounts of a catalyst are added. The combination of high temperature and catalysts produces hydrogen very efficiently, Hotz said. The hydrogen can be immediately directed to a fuel cell to provide electricity to a building during the day, or compressed and stored in a tank to provide power later.

Tags: construction, e=mc2, electricity, Energy Storage, Fuel, hydrogen, renewable, solar, water by Sparky
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There is a marketing blitz going on for a solar tower company that has inked a contract to build a massive tower in the Arizona desert that turns heat generated by a greenhouse into electricity by directing it up a massive chimney twice that when built will be the second tallest building in the world. Apparently they can use the energy generated to provide power for 150,000 homes. They also say the build costs will be paid off within 11 years of operation and the life span is 80 years. What they don’t say is whether the costs in terms of energy that will be used to construct the facility will ever be recuperated.

Tags: construction, e=mc2, renewable, solar, wind by Sparky
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There is a puff piece in the New York times today outlining the corporate PR for why North Africa is the right place to build the solar energy infrastructure to provide power to Europe once the fossil fuels run out.

According to the article “North Africa’s solar energy potential equals 1 million barrels of oil annually”. With this number we can extrapolate some actual statistics on the actual usefulness of this much energy.

According to indexmundi in 2009 Europe consumed 18,823.59 thousand barrels per day which is 18,823,590 barrels per day.

So we can see that the amount of energy to be obtained in one whole year from all of Northern Africa by harnessing the power of the sun is equivalent to approximately 1.5 hours of oil use in the whole of Europe.

What amazes me is that the New York times doesn’t even bother to run this simple statistic. Oh wait, no it doesn’t. This is the NYT we are talking about here…

Tags: construction, corporations, e=mc2, Energy Storage, Fuel, media, oil, renewable, solar, supply by Sparky
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An interesting report has just been released detailing the USA Department of Defense recently accelerated interest in non fossil fuel technologies in order to continue to function.

Basically it suggests that the US military can not ignore the issue of peak oil for any longer and has to invest heavily in development of new energy efficient infrastructure to allow the system to continue to operate.

The Pike Research study states that when counted as a single organisation, all the branches of the DOD combine to form the largest single consumer of energy on the planet. With energy the “lifeblood” of the US military, and energy independence a high priority for commanders in the field, it will become necessary for the DOD to continue to find better and more efficient renewable energy technologies; especially in mobility applications, including portable solar power as well as land, air, and sea vehicles.

We live in hope that one day the brain dead factions of the military will be unable to find enough energy to fulfil their evil ambitions of complete world domination. Perhaps they will even dismantle the ridiculous Nuclear arsenal and find ways to use it to power the future energy needs of global society. Otherwise at least they won’t have enough energy to provide the logistical support that they currently require in terms of transportation of goods, equipment, vehicles and manpower. That should put a significant dampener on their ability to wage perpetual war.

Tags: construction, e=mc2, military, oil, renewable, Sustainable, transport by Sparky
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An British Cryogenics company, Highview Power Storage, is now jumping on the air fuel bandwagon with a demonstration system that can cool air to liquid and store it in high pressure tanks. This is reminiscent of the mdi-air car which has yet to make it to mass market after many years of intense resistance from the automotive industry and associated Euro zone govt departments especially the French.

The British method is not for transportation though. Instead they see a benefit in using bio-mass from waste recycling facilities to provide the energy required to liquefy air and harnessing their cryogenics knowledge to super cool the liquid nitrogen result as an alternative to Li-Ion batteries. When the air is decompressed it expands creating force to be used to power an electric turbine. They claim to be able to get 70% of the energy back from the conversion process with the addition of a little extra heat to increase the rate of expansion of the liquid air.

Next up they are planning to build a 3.5 MW system to provide power for the local community. It may not be the most efficient way of storing energy but if it is combined with solar and wind it could provide a very stable energy supply for many years. That is going to appeal to any long term project where stable energy is a requirement so they most likely have a decent market segment. If all else fails they can just export the energy to the grid for tax credits or sell directly to a major supplier and become part of the bassload grid supply chain.

Tags: Circuits, e=mc2, Energy Storage, Fuel, mobile, recycle, supply, transport by Sparky
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Given that we are fast approaching the end of accessible energy positive fossil fuels and that there is a significant problem with existing infrastructure to make up the energy deficit there is one quick solution that no one seems to be actually discussing in earnest.

With the recent events in the Middle East, Egypt in particular, it seems prudent to take on the thorny subject of nuclear powered vehicles being used as power stations for the major cities of the world. We already know that it is possible to track nuclear powered vehicles from their radioactive emissions of neutrinos even from one side of the globe to the other with the correct equipment and physics knowledge. That effectively means that all nuclear powered subs are naked when it comes to stealth purposes. Everyone has got their pants down, no one is more stealthy than anyone else.

So, given that there is no stealth and the energy needs to the major metropolises are much more of a security issue than the possibility of a “surprise military attack” doesn’t it make sense for all those vehicles to be docked and connected to the grid?

In one foul swoop we rid the world of the extremely dangerous and careless potential of a massive environmental disaster due to one of those vehicles suddenly expiring while at sea, we reign in the military weapons that they use to hold the world to ransom and we make efficient use of all the nuclear power that is now being wasted on pointless war games and in the process secure the energy supply of the major metropolises of the world thereby ensuring that the transition away from fossil fuel is as painless as possible.

With all this talk about “orderly” transition with clearly defined objectives in the political process why not actually take the same advice and apply it to the energy crisis. The time for talk and posturing is over. If the Military have any self respect and care for their fellow humans and the world we live in then they should be prepared to make this sacrifice by giving up their toys for the betterment of humanity.

What say you Navy boys and girls? Are you marines up to the task of securing the energy supply of the world or are you unable to open your minds and see a future society where weapons of mass destruction are not a constant threat to humankind but instead provide the power we need to get to through the next 200 years?

The ball, as they say, is firmly in your court…

Tags: e=mc2, Energy Storage, Engine, Fuel, nuclear, oil, unrest by Sparky
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According to Standford researchers and the WWF it is now possible using modern technology to have a fully sustainable “green” energy supply for the whole world within the next 30 – 40 years. The WWF go so far as to say there will be enough energy to fulfill the needs of the human race at the projected rate of global consumption for the year 2050. Assuming we make some major changes to the way we live, build the infrastructure to allow the energy to be transported and everyone starts using public transport and riding bikes, etc..

The news is that there is no news here.

What is more concerning is the lack of coverage in the mainstream press about the logic that is being used to explain how the sustainable future can be achieved. For example in the WWF report they say it will only cost 1.3 trillion Euros to convert Europe over to a fully sustainable infrastructure. They don’t discuss the fact that to build the new infrastructure they will need to rely on fossil fuels as the energy source for building all the new technology and transporting it, etc…

So what they are effectively pushing is the idea that we should burn up all the remaining fossil fuel as fast as possible to convert it into sustainable energy infrastructure. Ah, Hello!!! Doesn’t anyone else see the pointlessness of going this route? Firstly it will do absolutely nothing to ease global warming in the short term. Secondly it will use up the remaining fossil fuels and thirdly I do believe they are blatantly missing out the issue of peak oil and exponential growth of consumption of said oil which means it is effectively running out already. Certainly in the next 10 years we will see the bottom of the barrel being reached as India and China continue to increase their consumption of the remaining exponentially dwindling reserves.

This means there is a short fall of 20 – 30 years of easily accessible and energy positive fossil fuels left to assist us in achieving the goals that Stanford and the WWF have so kindly set out for us.

Seriously you would think that one simple fact is so obvious that it would be the single most important issue for any credible report to be focused on.

Instead the Establishment choose to completely ignore the problem and look at what would be possible assuming we don’t run out of fossil fuels. This clearly works in their favour as we all know that with an unlimited supply of energy, anything is possible.

Tags: e=mc2, Energy Storage, Fuel, Fundamentals, Magnetics, nuclear, oil by Sparky
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Make sure you check out this great blog on the amazing potential of Thorium nuclear reactors for greatly reducing the immediate electrical energy needs of the world.

Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTR) are currently being built in China to pave the way for the sustainable energy revolution. America and the rest of the western world has had the ability to utilize this technology for almost 100 years but due to the powerful forces at play in the energy and military sectors they have chosen not to make the most of this amazing resource. Instead they would rather use petrol and coal to maintain their positions in the energy and societal hierarchy.

If the Chinese can pull it off and there is no valid reason that they will not, then they will instantly become the worlds leaders in energy production and supply. Immediately reversing the consumption of carbon based fuels and decreasing their carbon footprint on the planet. It will catapult them far and away into the first position of the global economy and everyone will be playing catchup from then on.

If only the Indians would follow suit. Surely they are not completely sucked into the western dogma of the military industrial complex and are able to take the decisive lead in switching their focus from military weaponization of nuclear fuel to a cleaner greener and totally sustainable approach that is represented by thorium based reactors.

Tags: e=mc2, Fuel, Fundamentals, nuclear by Sparky
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Here’s a handy list of the most promising technologies being worked on to extract energy from water.

1. The plasma spark plug

The plasma spark circuit was realized a few years back in the open source energy community and triggered a wave of interest and research that resulted in several companies bringing a version of the circuit to market independently. The basic premise is that the normal spark plug can be enhanced to provide a plasma spark when the current from the battery is run through a unique circuit. The resulting spark can be used to crack water and burn fuel at extremely lean ratios of upto 80:20 water:fuel combinations.

2. The Geet Plantone fuel system allowing leaned out ratios of 80:20 water:gasoline

The Geet Plantone system uses Browns gas or HHO which is extracted from water using a unique electrolysis method. The fuel is then used to run the engine which is designed to work with this specific fuel type. The potential in the Geet Plantone is that the system is almost self fueling once running and very close to a completely closed system.

3. The Firestorm sparkplug from Robert Kruiper

The Firestorm spark plug was apparently thought of and prototyped within a space of two hours. Then refined over the years and patented very broadly. The inventor Robert Kruiper originally tried to sell the technology but then decided to manufacture it himself as he could make more money that way. However after many years of funding drives he has still not brought it to market. Independent investigators and researchers have built, tested and verified the voracity of the design and have confirmed that it can be used to ignite extremely leaned out ratios of fuel up to 80:20 water:gasoline. The principal is almost exactly the same as the plasma spark plug except the Firestorm does not suffer from degradation due to the unique use of metals on the tip.

4. The Plasmatron from MIT aka ArvinMeritor’s Plasma Fuel Reformer

Another plasma sparkplug concept. This time from MIT where it was apparently conceived in 1996 and then refined over the next 7 years before being licensed to Arvin Meritor who originally predicted it would become available to the market by 2010. Basic idea is to use plasma to extract hydrogen from a liquid like water or other fuel and combine it with the existing fuel in the spark chamber to get a greater efficiency in the burn process of at least 20%.

5. The Al-Ga composite from Jerry Woodal at Purdue

This promising technology was discovered by Jerry Woodal while working for IBM all the way back in 1967. He was working with aluminium and gallium and added water to cool the metal quickly when he experienced a large explosion which tweaked his interest. Since then he has worked with his colleagues at Purdue to refine the technology to the point where they can produce a composite metal which will force hydrogen loose from water immediately leaving an alumina powder and pure gallium as the result.

6. Solar hydrogen electrolysis and photosynthesis using silica catalysts from MIT

Another MIT technology that promises to allow hydrogen to be recovered from water much more efficiently than standard electrolysis. They are also finding new materials with the base composition that can be used as the catalyst. The potential is to greatly decrease the material cost of producing hydrogen through electrolysis. Not sure what the impact on total energy cost will be though.

7. Using Geobacter to produce base acetylate for oil/plastic production

This technology is from UMass/Amherst Professor Derek Lovely and promises to provide renewable green fuel using micro bacteria to produce the base acetylate which can be used to create all oil based fuels and plastics. Basic idea is to use sunlight to provide power to attract the electrons in water so the bacteria can feed directly off the electrons with the waste product produced by the bacteria being acetylate.

Tags: Uncategorized by Sparky
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