Unconventional energy source and its application

In the modern world, there are enough problems. Despite the forecasts of science fiction writers, people have not been able to defeat hunger, and infectious diseases still represent a mortal threat to life and health of those living on Earth. But the main trouble is the exhaustion of resources that give our civilization energy. A new unconventional source of energy can become an outlet. What is meant by this concept?

What it is?

Simply put, an unconventional source of energy is a way of obtaining it, which is not used commercially, is experimental and is just preparing for wider use around the world. But the main distinguishing feature of such methods of obtaining energy is their complete environmental safety and renewability.

They may include wind power plants, solar panels, power stations operating from the energy of tides. In addition, the same class can include biogas plants, as well as promising projects of thermonuclear installations (albeit with great stretch).

Solar energy

This unconventional energy source can only very relatively be called "unconventional." The reason is only that at present the technology of using solar energy on the Earth is not very developed: the pollution of the atmosphere affects, and the photocells still cost very much. Space is a different matter. Solar batteries are available on all spacecraft and regularly provide their equipment with free energy.

It is not necessary to assume that this "unconventional" source of energy has attracted the attention of people only in our time. The sun is a free source of heat from ancient times. Even the civilization of Sumer used containers on the roofs of houses in which the water was heated by hot summer days.

In principle, since then the situation has changed little: they are effectively developing this energy sector only in those countries where there are desert and hot regions. So, most of Israel and California in the US receives the energy generated by solar cells. The advantages of this method are enough: modern photocells have increased efficiency, so that every year the world will be able to produce an increasing amount of absolutely clean and safe energy.

Unfortunately, the price of the technology (as we have already said) is still high, and in the production of batteries, so toxic elements are used that it is useless to talk about any kind of ecology. The Japanese, who widely use non-traditional and renewable sources of energy in practice, do somewhat differently.

Japanese Experience

Of course, solar panels are more or less intensively used in Japan. But in recent years they have returned to practice with a thousand-year history: on the roofs of houses are installed tanks and pipes of black color, the water in which is heated by the sun's rays. Given the plight of energy in this island nation, the savings are significant.

At the moment, analysts believe that by 2025 solar energy will take socially significant positions in most countries of the world. In short, the use of non-traditional energy sources in the next 50-70 years should become massive.

Biogas

All large human settlements have from time immemorial faced one common problem - waste. Whole rivers of sewage became even greater when a person tamed cattle and pigs and began to grow it massively.

When waste was not yet so much, they could be used to fertilize fields. But at the time when the number of pigs began to number in millions, it was necessary to somehow solve the problem. The fact is that the faeces of this species of animals in fresh form are simply toxic to plants. To make them useful, you need to withstand slurry, aerate it and partially use drugs to stabilize the pH level. It is very expensive.

Biogas is the oldest trend!

Scientists quickly drew attention to the experience of Ancient China and India, where even before our time people began to use methane, obtained from the decay of household waste. Then it was used most often for cooking.

The gas losses were very high, but it was enough to simplify the domestic work. Incidentally, in these countries, such solutions are actively used to this day. Thus, biogas as an unconventional source of energy has great prospects if we approach the issue using modern technologies.

The technology of processing of sewage of cattle-breeding enterprises was offered, as a result of which pure methane was obtained at the output. The problem of its development is that it is possible to create such enterprises only in regions with developed livestock breeding. In addition, the prospects for increasing biogas production are lower, the more agricultural enterprises use antibiotics and detergents: even a small amount of them inhibits fermentation, as a result of which all the manure is covered with mold.

Wind generators

Remember Don Quixote with his "giants"? The idea of using the force of the wind has long worried the minds of scientists, and so very soon they found a way out: windmills began to provide the rapidly growing urban population with first-class flour.

Of course, when the first electric current generators appeared , the minds of scientists again got hold of the same idea. How can you not want to use the unlimited power of the wind to get free current?

This idea was quickly implemented, and therefore in Japan, Denmark, Ireland and the United States, there are now many areas, which are supplied with electricity by 80 percent or more by using windmills. In the US and Israel today there are already a dozen companies that develop and install wind generators - this is a very promising non-traditional source of energy. The definition of "unconventional" here is not very appropriate, since wind energy has a long history.

Problems in their case are also sufficient. Of course, electricity is obtained free of charge, but to install the windmill, again, you need a desert area, where most of the year the wind blows. In addition, the cost of manufacturing and installation of a powerful generator (with a mast height of several tens of meters) is estimated at tens of thousands of dollars. That's why not all countries can afford "free" electricity, in which the very possibility of current generation by wind power is quite real.

Thermonuclear energy

This is the ultimate dream of many modern physicists. Work on curbing the thermonuclear reaction began in the 50s of the last century, but until now the operating reactor has not been received. However, the news from these fronts is quite optimistic: scientists suggest that in the next 20-30 years they will still be able to create an operational prototype.

By the way, why is this direction of science so important? The fact is that when two hydrogen or helium atoms merge, hundreds of thousands of times more energy is formed than if several thousands of uranium nuclei broke up! The reserves of transuranium elements are large, but they are gradually depleted. If we use hydrogen to generate energy, its reserves only on our planet will last for hundreds of thousands of years.

Imagine a compact reactor that can operate for several decades without refueling, completely providing electricity to a huge alien base! A thermonuclear unconventional source of energy is a practical chance for the whole of mankind, which makes it possible to begin the wide development of the Cosmos.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of shortcomings in technology. First, there is still not a single working prototype, and breakthroughs in this direction were very, very long time ago. Since then little is heard of any real success.

Secondly, the fusion of light nuclei produces a huge number of light neutrons. Even crude calculations show that the elements of the reactor in just five years will become so radioactive that their materials will begin to degrade, completely degenerating. In a word, this technology is extremely imperfect, and its prospects are still vague. However, even if at least rough calculations are true, then this unconventional alternative source of energy can certainly become a real salvation for our entire civilization.

Tidal stations

In the myths and legends of the peoples of the world, you can find a lot of references to those divine powers that guide the ebb and flow. A tremendous force inspired the human being, which can propel such masses of water.

Of course, with the development of industry, people again turned their views to tidal energy, which made it possible to create power stations, in many respects repeating the ideas of long-tried and well-proven hydropower plants. Advantages - cheap energy, complete absence of harmful waste and the need for land flooding, as in the case of hydroelectric power plants. The disadvantage is the high cost of construction.

conclusions

As a result, it can be said that non-traditional renewable energy sources can provide approximately 70% of humanity with inexpensive and clean electricity, but for their mass use it is necessary to reduce the cost of technology.