In August of last year I started a discussion on SFNchat about the global warming frenzy that produced so many responses I published them in this blog. My title then was,"A very meaty and real subject for SFNChat 8-08-06." This posting is a follow up on that exchange. The entire exchange follows this posting.
The continuing frenzy over energy and global warming, fed by media hype and political opportunism has continued to grow. The information searching and mental research on the broad subject of energy I have been involved in now for almost ten years has led me through many varied sources of sometimes emotionally packed information. Much of this information is quite biased in many ways. (Even scientists are not immune from bias and promoting their agendas.) Picking through this information for those nuggets of solid information to include in A Convenient Solution, my book on the subject, has been a very rewarding if rather tedious chore.
(Incidently, I have been so engrossed in polishing up this book for publication I have not done much else on a daily basis. The final edits are submitted and it should be in bookstores by January.)
During the period of researching, writing and rewriting, and after starting out as an enthusiast for the hydrogen fuel cell system, I changed my opinion of the most practical energy system several times and will admit to some rapid reversals on several parts I favored over others. While I believe we will move into a variety of power sources, fuels, vehicle types and combinations, we will probably end up with a single energy system by evolutionary means. Economics and environmental concerns have been among the most important deciding factors. My favors fluctuated frequently, but finally settled on one particular system of energy production and transportation power that I believe would be the best answer for the near future and maybe quite some time. It solves many of the technical, economic, and environmental conundrums that seem so troublesome to so many of us, myself included.
In this follow up I would like to pose a question for all of you. There are several parts to the whole system: The system that generates the power, the fuel or power system used, and the means of distributing the power from its source to its end use. My question is, select the parts or combination of parts you think will comprise this best system. All must be within current technology to build or create and use. I will post my opinion and reasons for it in this blog before Christmas.
The following are available, but additional items could be within the mantle of current technology, and if so, I would surely like to know about them.
I FUELS - what fuel?
Fossil-based power source fuels:
Coal
Petroleum fuels including: Gasoline, Diesel fuel, Heating oil, Heavy oils
Other mined fuels: Natural gas (methane), LP gas (propane)
Non fossil-based power source fuels:
Renewable fuels: Ethanol, Methanol, Butanol, DMF, Methane, Wood, Plant waste and Agri-byproducts
Manufactured fuels
Methanol, Hydrogen (net energy loss)
Nuclear fuels
Uranium, Exotics
II POWER SYSTEMS - which one?
Systems of many types convert fuel into energy and apply that energy directly to wheels or power trains. Some systems convert the fuel energy into other forms, almost exclusively electricity. The electrical energy produced is then either used directly or fed into the electric power grid. This is the second section of the overview.
Combustion-based systems:
Internal combustion engines, Reciprocating engines, Turbine engines, Steam engines, Stirling engines
Non combustion-based systems:
Nuclear reactors, Fuel-cells, Batteries
Hybrid and combination systems
All are combinations of the previously named systems
III POWER GENERATORS - which one
Coal fired steam, nuclear reactors, gas fired turbines, wind, solar, geothermal, and several hydro systems: dams, tidal estuary, and wave action
IV TRANSPORT AND STORAGE - which one
Liquid or gaseous– trucks, pipelines, tanks.
Electricity– the electric grid, batteries
ENJOY!
The continuing frenzy over energy and global warming, fed by media hype and political opportunism has continued to grow. The information searching and mental research on the broad subject of energy I have been involved in now for almost ten years has led me through many varied sources of sometimes emotionally packed information. Much of this information is quite biased in many ways. (Even scientists are not immune from bias and promoting their agendas.) Picking through this information for those nuggets of solid information to include in A Convenient Solution, my book on the subject, has been a very rewarding if rather tedious chore.
(Incidently, I have been so engrossed in polishing up this book for publication I have not done much else on a daily basis. The final edits are submitted and it should be in bookstores by January.)
During the period of researching, writing and rewriting, and after starting out as an enthusiast for the hydrogen fuel cell system, I changed my opinion of the most practical energy system several times and will admit to some rapid reversals on several parts I favored over others. While I believe we will move into a variety of power sources, fuels, vehicle types and combinations, we will probably end up with a single energy system by evolutionary means. Economics and environmental concerns have been among the most important deciding factors. My favors fluctuated frequently, but finally settled on one particular system of energy production and transportation power that I believe would be the best answer for the near future and maybe quite some time. It solves many of the technical, economic, and environmental conundrums that seem so troublesome to so many of us, myself included.
In this follow up I would like to pose a question for all of you. There are several parts to the whole system: The system that generates the power, the fuel or power system used, and the means of distributing the power from its source to its end use. My question is, select the parts or combination of parts you think will comprise this best system. All must be within current technology to build or create and use. I will post my opinion and reasons for it in this blog before Christmas.
The following are available, but additional items could be within the mantle of current technology, and if so, I would surely like to know about them.
I FUELS - what fuel?
Fossil-based power source fuels:
Coal
Petroleum fuels including: Gasoline, Diesel fuel, Heating oil, Heavy oils
Other mined fuels: Natural gas (methane), LP gas (propane)
Non fossil-based power source fuels:
Renewable fuels: Ethanol, Methanol, Butanol, DMF, Methane, Wood, Plant waste and Agri-byproducts
Manufactured fuels
Methanol, Hydrogen (net energy loss)
Nuclear fuels
Uranium, Exotics
II POWER SYSTEMS - which one?
Systems of many types convert fuel into energy and apply that energy directly to wheels or power trains. Some systems convert the fuel energy into other forms, almost exclusively electricity. The electrical energy produced is then either used directly or fed into the electric power grid. This is the second section of the overview.
Combustion-based systems:
Internal combustion engines, Reciprocating engines, Turbine engines, Steam engines, Stirling engines
Non combustion-based systems:
Nuclear reactors, Fuel-cells, Batteries
Hybrid and combination systems
All are combinations of the previously named systems
III POWER GENERATORS - which one
Coal fired steam, nuclear reactors, gas fired turbines, wind, solar, geothermal, and several hydro systems: dams, tidal estuary, and wave action
IV TRANSPORT AND STORAGE - which one
Liquid or gaseous– trucks, pipelines, tanks.
Electricity– the electric grid, batteries
ENJOY!
posted by HoJo | 4:34 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home