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Need To Understand Alternative Energy Resources?
Today's news is filled to references to the ever smaller oil reserves. It seems that as the world population becomes more hungry for energy to power it's hoped for better lifestyle. It is also apparent that the main source of energy for this lifestyle, oil, is going to be much more expensive to use. Some basic energy resources other than oil may have to be utilized to bolster the shortfall that the oil production leaves. These resources fall into several broad categories.
Coal The coal resources in the US are almost as large as the oil reserve in Saudi Arabia. Coal can be used directly to power electrical generators with proper attention to the air quality of the exhaust gases. Coal also can be processed into coalgas, a "synfuel" made mostly from coal. This is not a new technology as Germany used coalgas to power it war machine in the second world war. With improvements brought about by today's technology, this could be a valuable resource. Heavy Oil, Heavy oil, a cousin of coal, is a near solid form of petroleum with the consistency of silly putty. As energy prices rise, heavy oil production may become more feasible. Natural Gas Natural gas is used for heating and electricity production due to it's availability . This clean burning fuel is also adaptable to power vehicles when they remain within range of the refueling station. Nuclear Once we get past the fear that the mention of nuclear power generates, it is a good source of large electrical generation systems. It has the inherit drawbacks of waste disposal but is in use in many areas of the world. Alcohol and other Biofuels Alcohol in the form of ethanol is being produced in large quantities from plants. Corn is the main source of ethanol in the US but is in direct competition with food production for humans and animals. Other plants such as hemp are used for ethanol production in other countries. Other biofuels produced from plants and plant waste are methanol and biodiesel. Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. It has to be generated from other compounds and stored under pressure. The infrastructure issues are not insolvable but will require a huge capitol investment. Solar Solar power is used to generate electrical power. When the sun shines brightly, the solar cells will produce an electrical current. This power can be used immediately or stored for later use. At night or on cloudy days, the power must be used from storage or other sources. Wind Like solar, wind power is being utilized in areas where the wind currents are favorable to stationary power generation. These large wind powered generation systems supplement the power grid. These are by no means the only sources of alternate energy. As the need arises, the technology to bring alternate energy on line will become more practical. |
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This intel was contributed by grampz
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May, 2012
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