Posts Tagged ‘environment’

A Basic Explanation Of Wind Turbines

August 18th, 2009

by Jim Samposzi

Since the spiral of the world’s ecological state, many ecologists and other people who are concerned have been looking day and night for a different source of power. A lot have found very promising types but a lot of these sources aren’t sufficient enough to wipe away other, more natural unfriendly ways of gathering electricity. Our nation still depends on generating power in ways that hurt our ozone layer, and our air quality.

Wind turbines are structures that harness the force of winds to turn thick blades. This structure, referred to as the rotor, pipes this energy through a shaft and into a gearbox, and the gearbox, sends it to a generator. This process takes place easily and efficiently, but is not capable of replacing other energy sources. Wind turbines typically power farms for automated grain machines and light industrial sights that need a generator to be on at all times. Wind turbines are common in the western parts of the country, primarily in Wyoming and areas in California. They are seen in the hundreds sometimes in fields of these areas.

The blades on wind turbines are beveled or pitched. This is so because if the blades were not pitched, they would be unable to turn unless hit by a substantial wind; this would lead to a waste of possible power. More specifically, these blades will not even start up with winds higher than 55 mph. The reason for this is because a high wind like this could damage the wind turbine. In addition, a brake is included on the wind turbine which stops the blades if the wind is too lofty. In addition, this component, does not operate in winds under eight mph because it would be pointless.

Wind turbines are simple in design but interesting in how they actually produce power. Wind turbines all come with two important components: a yaw drive and yaw motor. These pieces allow the rotor to position and re-position it when there is a shift in wind pattern. This function gives way to the best harnessing of power; if wind turbines did not have this, they would be sitting idol at the most insignificant shift in wind patterns.

Wind turbines have a few uses but are used mostly by individuals in rural areas. Though, these machines are rather loud and residents that live close to a collection of them have been reported to have complained about them. And, in in many situations these large fields of turbines have obsolete units that no longer serve any purpose. Many people are fighting to abolish them, while many have no idea where to put them.

Although they are capable of harvesting power, some turbines are obsolete; other people in the energy industry continue to conceive new and improved wind turbines that generate more power than the older ones. A Canadian man, for instance, has developed a wind turbine able to create 50 kilowatts of electricity! This is a huge milestone and it will be interesting to see if others like it get put to work on generating power.

Jim is a publicist with more than 12 years editorial experience. Jim is presently consulting as a technical writer with many well-known b2b portals and is considered the local authority on wind turbines. Take the time to visit our great web portal for more information on Wind Turbines and Wind Generator.

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Posted in Alternative Energy

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Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFL): Save Energy In Your Home And Benefit The Environment

July 21st, 2009

by: Xavier Toolhausen

For the last couple of years compact fluorescent bulbs have been very popular in the lighting industry. And there is a reason for this popularity; there are several benefits associated with using compact fluorescent bulbs. The primary advantage is of course the reduced pollution caused due to these bulbs since they consume less electricity than the conventional incandescent bulbs.

A Compact fluorescent bulb or energy saving light as it is commonly called is a type of fluorescent tube. They are designed to give the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb of the same voltage. They can save almost $30 over their useful life and emission of green house gases is reduced by 2000 times its weight. However, they do cost significantly more than the normal incandescent bulbs yet the power saving benefits of the compact fluorescent bulbs more than makes up for the high price.

The assembly of a compact fluorescent bulb consists of magnetic ballast and a tube coated with phosphor and filled with mercury vapor. The electrical current that passes through the magnetic ballast flows through the mercury vapor causing the emission of ultra violet light. This light in turn excites the phosphor coating and a visible light is emitted.

Most compact fluorescent bulbs are designed to fit into existing light fixtures and can easily replace the incandescent bulbs.

Also, once the tungsten filament in the normal incandescent bulb gives way they have to be discarded but compact fluorescent bulbs are available in two varieties the integrated compact fluorescent bulbs and the non- integrated versions.

In the integrated compact fluorescent bulbs the electronic ballast with the gas filled tube with a bayonet fitting or the Edison crew is a single unit. These units have to be replaced after their useful life is up.

But the non-integrated compact fluorescent bulbs have separate ballasts which are permanently installed. These are magnetic ballasts which are placed in the light fixture while the replaceable bulb houses the starter. The magnetic ballasts are larger and last longer than the integrated compact fluorescent bulbs. The non- integrated versions are more sophisticated and also more expensive than the integrated compact fluorescent bulbs.

Compact fluorescent bulbs are available for alternating current and for direct current.

The lifespan of a compact fluorescent bulb is 9 to 15 times more than the normal incandescent bulbs. They use between one fifth and one third of the power needed to light up an incandescent bulb.

Since the operating temperature of compact fluorescent bulbs is very low, they can also be used in places that require low temperature such as near paintings and sculptures that may get damaged due to the high temperature of incandescent bulbs.

A compact fluorescent bulb appears brighter than the incandescent bulbs. An energy saving lamp is 17- 21% efficient at converting electrical power to radiant power. In terms of the luminosity, a compact fluorescent bulb produces 60- 72 lumens per watt while an incandescent bulb can just do 8 to 17 lumens per watt.

So even though compact fluorescent lamps cost more buying them is not only good for the environment but also for your pocket.

Xavier Toolhausens is a freelance writer with over 10 years writing experience. Xavier is presently engaged as a technical writer with the fuzing.com portal and has become the in house guru on energy saving solutions. Take the time to visit our very useful website for additional information on Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and Cfl.

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Posted in Home, Home Appliances, Home Improvement

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Electric Cars: Driving Our Future

July 14th, 2009

by Michael Skatoli

In the next year electric cars, or zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) as they are sometimes called, will be an everyday sight on streets right across the world. The stuff of science fiction films will have have become science fact.

Basic electric cars are already for sale to motorists in many countries and are ready to become a lot more sophisticated and widespread in the next few years.

The idea of an electric vehicle is nothing new, it has been around for decades. However, the pressing need to reduce carbon emissions in an attempt to slow global warming has accelerated the development of the next generation of road transport.

Consumer electric vehicles and ZEVs are already being manufactured and will shortly be widely available in car dealers around the globe. We are already familiar with hybrid vehicles, which have been in existence for a few years. These vehicles alternate between electric and gasoline propulsion to help reduce emissions. Electric cars take eco-friendly motoring to the next level, in that they have no emissions whatsoever – they don’t even have a tail pipe. The benefits of this are set to be dramatic, particularly in polluted heavily populated areas, as electric vehicles and ZEVs become more popular.

So how does the electric car work? Electric cars use electric motors and motor controllers in place of the usual internal combustion engine. Rather than conventional gasoline, these vehicles are powered by electricity from battery packs, although new methods of energy storage are being developed that will probably replace battery packs in the not too distant future. As we speak, special filling stations for the electric vehicle revolution are springing up on roadsides around the globe where motorists can pull in and refuel their electric vehicles, just like at a normal filling station.

However, for many car owners, the transition from the usual gasoline car that we all know and love to electric vehicles and ZEVs will require a huge leap of faith. However, electric vehicles have so many advantages that the transition should be a pretty easy one.

Running costs – The fact that electric vehicles are cheaper to run and cost less to maintain will likely win over their strongest opponents. Drivers will get far more miles for their dollar and the expense of maintaining these cars will be a lot cheaper than servicing a normal car.

The environment – As electric vehicles become more common, the benefits to the environment will be huge. This is especially true in large city areas where smog and poor air quality at street level presents a serious health hazard to residents.

A few concerns do remain over electric cars, such as how long it takes to recharge batteries, the top speeds and acceleration of the vehicles, and issues such as handling and performance. However, as car producers pump more and more resources into fine tuning these vehicles, these worries are likely to be solved sooner rather than later.

Michael is a publicist with more than a dozen years editorial experience. Michael is currently employed as a journalist with our b2b site and is considered the in house expert on alternate fuel vehicles. Visit our very useful web portal for more information on Electric Cars and Electric Vehicle.

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Posted in Electric Vehicles

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High Power Photovoltaic Solar Panels – The Next Generation

July 14th, 2009

by Mary Quintlett

A solar panel is basically a device that enables the collection of and conversion of solar energy into electrical energy or even heat.

The Concept of Solar Panels

Solar panels are also known as photovoltaic panels and the atoms that are present in these panels are excited by the action of the sun’s energy. These atoms are present in a silicon layer that lies between two panels known as protector panels.

A formation of electric current takes place as a result of the action of the electrons from the aforementioned, excited atoms, and these are then used by a myriad of external devices. The history of solar panels dates back by hundreds of years, when their sole purpose was to heat the water for use in homes. Many-a-times specially shaped mirror is used for the concentration of light onto a tube of oil. Due to this action, there is a heating up of oil and as these heated oil travels through a vat of water, it instantly results in the boiling of this water. The steam that is a resultant of this process of boiling is used to turn a turbine for the generation of electricity.

The History of Solar Panels

It was in the year 1839 that the photovoltaic effect was discovered by Antoine Cesar Becquerel, a French physicist. His experiment in this regard involved the placement of an electrolyte cell in an electrolyte solution; two metal electrodes made up the electrolyte cell.

When this device was exposed to sunlight, Becquerel found that the generation of electricity saw a marked increase. It was in 1883 that Charles Fritts coated sheets of selenium with a thin layer of gold and built the first genuine solar cell. Over a period of time many experiment were conducted and discoveries were made when it came to solar cells. Albert Einstein also published his thesis on the photoelectric effect, during this time and also won the Nobel Prize for his research.

It was space satellites that made large scale use of solar electrical energy for the first time. By 1980, the United States of America, produced a solar cell which provided an efficiency of nearly twenty percent, this efficiency was increased to around twenty four percent in the next two decades and currently there are a few companies that are manufacturing solar cells that offer efficiency levels of nearly twenty eight percent

The Working of Solar Panels

Pure silicon forms the basic element of all solar panels as its makes for an ideal platform that aids transmission of electrons. This material is used on the plates that form a solar panel. Solar panels are also created by combining silicon panels with other elements, with negative or positive charges.

The Silicon atoms are exposed to the bombardment of photons when negative plates of solar cells are faced towards the sunlight. Once all free electrons are drawn away from the plates, enough electricity is generated to power various electronic appliances that do not require too much electricity to power them.

Features and Types of Solar Panels

Basically there are three types of solar panels, namely mono-crystalline solar panels, polycrystalline solar panels, and amorphous solar panels. The life expectancy of solar panels depends on the type of solar panels selected by you; generally its around twenty years or so.

Solar panels do not require sustained maintenance for their upkeep although; if lead acid batteries are used then they must be checked every six months and topped up with distilled water if required. If you are looking for a solar panel for your needs and do not know what size to go for, then the best way would be to calculate your average consumption of electricity on a daily basis. This would give you a fair idea of what kind of solar panel to go for. In the long run, solar panels will reduce your electricity bill by a long way, and hence the option of using solar energy must be explored in a positive manner.

Mary Quintlett is considered an authority on Photovoltaic Solar Panels. She has written numerous editorial pieces for the Solar Energy industry.

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Posted in Alternative Energy

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