Notes
Slide Show
Outline
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Overview of Ocean Energy
  • Ocean energy is replenished by the sun and through tidal influences of the moon and sun gravitational forces
  • Near-surface winds induce wave action and cause wind-blown currents at about 3% of the wind speed
  • Tides cause strong currents into and out of coastal basins and rivers
  • Ocean surface heating by some 70% of the incoming sunlight adds to the surface water thermal energy, causing expansion and flow
  • Wind energy is stronger over the ocean due to less drag, although technically, only seabreezes are from ocean energy
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What’s renewable energy?
  • Renewable energy systems transform incoming solar energy and its alternate forms (wind and river flow, etc.), usually without pollution-causing combustion
  • This energy is “renewed” by the sun and is “sustainable”
  • Renewable energy is sustainable indefinitely, unlike long-stored, depleting energy from fossil fuels
  • Renewable energy from wind, solar, and water power emits no pollution or carbon dioxide
  • Renewable energy is “nonpolluting” since no combustion occurs (although the building of the components does in making steel, etc., for conversion machines does pollute during manufacture)
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Renewable Energy (Continued)
  • Fuel combustion produces “greenhouse gases” that are believed to lead to climate change (global warming), thus combustion of biomass is not as desirable as other forms
  • Biomass combustion is also renewable, but emits CO2 and pollutants
    • Biomass can be heated with water under pressure to create synthetic fuel gas; but burning biomass creates pollution and CO2
  • Nonrenewable energy comes from fossil fuels and nuclear radioactivity (process of fossilization still occurring but trivial)
    • Nuclear energy is not renewable, but sometimes is treated as though it were because of the long depletion period
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The eventual decline
of fossil fuels
  • Millions of years of incoming solar energy were captured in the form of coal, oil, and natural gas; current usage thus exceeds the rate of original production
  • Coal may last 250 to 400 years; estimates vary greatly; not as useful for transportation due to losses in converting to liquid “synfuel”
  • We can conserve energy by reducing loads and through increased efficiency in generating, transmitting, and using energy
  • Efficiency and conservation will delay an energy crisis, but will not prevent it
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Available Energy
  • Potential Energy:  PE = mh
  • Kinetic Energy:  KE = ½ mv2 or ½ mu2
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Economics
  • Cost of installation, operation, removal and restoration
  • Compare cost/watt & cost/watt-hour vs. other sources
  • Relative total costs compared to other sources
  • Externality costs aren’t included in most assessments
  • Cost of money (inflation) must be included (2 to 5%/year)
  • Life of energy plant varies and treated as linear depreciation to zero
  • Tax incentives or credits offset the hidden subsidies to fossil fuel and nuclear industry
  • Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) require early funding to justify permitting
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Ocean Wind Energy
  • Over or in proximity to the ocean surface, the wind moves at higher speeds over water than over land roughness
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Ocean Wind Energy
  • Wind energy results from uneven heating of the atmosphere
  • Wind resources vary greatly worldwide; strong over oceans
  • Power is proportional to the cube of the wind speed
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Ocean Wind Energy (continued)
  • Long fetch (distance) of unhindered wind increases speed and available energy beyond land installations
  • Offshore wind turbines diminish public outcry against wind turbines (low visibility, monopod supports)
  • Turbines are typically placed on concrete supports in groups; rotors are often 80 m in diameter
  • Turbines are also placed along a coast on the foreshore area to intercept the prevailing wind from over the ocean
  • Must avoid bird migration routes; turbine ~20 to 30 rpm
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Ocean Wind Energy (continued)
  • Present and planned offshore wind energy plants will supply significant consumer demand and reduce need for coal- and oil-fired plants and resultant pollution
    • Middlegrunden near Denmark
    • Oil-drilling platforms
      • Small auxiliary turbine
      • Platform design can be modified to support large wind turbine
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Wind Energy Equations
(also applies to water turbines)
  • Assume a “tube” of air the diameter, D, of the rotor
    • A = π D2/4
  • A length, L, of air moves through the turbine in t seconds
    • L = u·t, where u is the wind speed
  • The tube volume is V = A·L = A·u·t
  • Air density, ρ, is 1.225 kg/m3 (water density ~1000 kg/m3)
  • Mass, m = ρ·V = ρ·A·u·t, where V is volume
  • Kinetic energy = KE = ½ mu2
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Wind Energy Equations (continued)
  • Substituting ρ·A·u·t for mass, and
     A = π D2/4 , KE = ½·π/4·ρ·D2·u3·t
  • Theoretical power, Pt = ½·π/4·ρ·D2·u3·t/t = 0.3927·ρa·D2·u3,
    ρ (rho) is the density, D is the diameter swept by the rotor blades, and u is the speed parallel to the rotor axis
  • Betz Law shows 59.3% of power can be extracted
  • Pe = Pt·59.3%·ήr·ήt·ήg, where Pe is the extracted power, ήr is rotor efficiency, ήt is transmission efficiency, and ήg is generator efficiency
  • For example, 59.3%·90%·98%·80% = 42% extraction of theoretical power
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Generic Trades in Energy
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Energy Storage
  • Renewable energy is often intermittent, and storage allows alignment with time of use.
  • Compressed air, flywheels, weight-shifting (pumped water storage at Niagara Falls)
  • Batteries are traditional for small systems and electric vehicles; first cars (1908) were electric
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Energy
Transmission
  • Electricity and hydrogen are energy carriers, not natural fuels
  • Electric transmission lines lose energy in heat (~2% to 5%); trades loss vs. cost
  • Line flow directional analysis can show where new energy plants are required to reduce energy transmission
  • Hydrogen is made by electrolysis of water, cracking of natural gas, or from bacterial action (lab experiment level)
  • Oil and gas pipelines carry storable energy
    • Pipelines (36” or larger) can transport hydrogen without appreciable energy loss due to low density and viscosity
    • More efficient than 500 kV transmission line and is out of view
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Legal aspects and other complications
  • PURPA: Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act of 1978. Utility purchase from and sale of power to qualified facilities; avoided costs offsetting basis of purchases
  • Energy Policy Act of 1992 leads to deregulation
  • “NIMBYs” rally to shrilly insist “Not In My Backyard”!
  • Investment taxes and subsidies favor fossil and nuclear power
  • High initial cost dissuades potential users; future is uncertain
  • Lack of uniform state-level net metering hinders offsetting costs
  • Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) require extensive and expensive research and trade studies
  • Numerous “public interest” advocacy groups are well-funded and ready to sue to stop projects
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Conclusion
  • Renewable energy offers a long-term approach to the World’s energy needs
  • Economics drives the energy selection process and short-term (first cost) thinking leads to disregard of long-term, overall cost
  • Increasing oil, gas, and coal prices will ensure that the transition to renewable energy occurs
  • Offshore and shoreline wind energy plants offer a logical approach to part of future energy supplies
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References: Books, etc.
  • General:
    • Sørensen, Bent. Renewable Energy, Second Edition. San Diego: Academic Press, 2000, 911 pp. ISBN 0-12-656152-4.
    • Henry, J. Glenn and Gary W. Heinke. Environmental Science and Engineering. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 728pp., 1989. 0-13-283177-5, TD146.H45, 620.8-dc19
    • Brower, Michael. Cool Energy. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press, 1992. 0-262-02349-0, TJ807.9.U6B76, 333.79’4’0973.
    • Di Lavore, Philip. Energy: Insights from Physics. NY: John Wiley & Sons, 414pp., 1984. 0-471-89683-7l, TJ163.2.D54, 621.042.
    • Bowditch, Nathaniel. American Practical Navigator. Washington:USGPO, H.O. Pub. No. 9.
    • Harder, Edwin L. Fundamentals of Energy Production. NY: John Wiley & Sons, 368pp., 1982. 0-471-08356-9, TJ163.9.H37, 333.79. Tidal Energy, pp. 111-129.
  • Wind:
    • Patel, Mukund R. Wind and Solar Power Systems. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1999, 351 pp. ISBN 0-8493-1605-7, TK1541.P38 1999, 621.31’2136
    • Gipe, Paul. Wind Energy for Home & Business. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Pub. Co., 1993. 0-930031-64-4, TJ820.G57, 621.4’5
    • Johnson, Gary L, Wind Energy Systems. Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. TK 1541.J64 1985. 621.4’5; 0-13-957754-8.
  • Waves:
  • Smith, Douglas J. “Big Plans for Ocean Power Hinges on Funding and Additional R&D”. Power Engineering, Nov. 2001, p. 91.
  • Kotch, William J., Rear Admiral, USN, Retired. Weather for the Mariner. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1983. 551.5, QC994.K64, Chap. 11, Wind, Waves, and Swell.
  • Solar:
    • Duffie, John and William A. Beckman. Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes. NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 920 pp., 1991.
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References: Internet
  • General:
    • http://www.google.com/search?q=%22renewable+energy+course%22
    • http://www.ferc.gov/ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
    • http://solstice.crest.org/
    • http://dataweb.usbr.gov/html/powerplant_selection.html
    • http://mailto:energyresources@egroups.com
    • http://www.dieoff.org. Site devoted to the decline of energy and effects upon population
  • Tidal:
    • http://www.unep.or.kr/energy/ocean/oc_intro.htm
    • http://www.bluenergy.com/technology/prototypes.html
    • http://www.iclei.org/efacts/tidal.htm
    • http://zebu.uoregon.edu/1996/ph162/l17b.html
  • Waves:
    • http://www.env.qld.gov.au/sustainable_energy/publicat/ocean.htm
    • http://www.bfi.org/Trimtab/summer01/oceanWave.htm
    • http://www.oceanpd.com/
    • http://www.newenergy.org.cn/english/ocean/overview/status.htm
    • http://www.energy.org.uk/EFWave.htm
    • http://www.earthsci.org/esa/energy/wavpwr/wavepwr.html
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References: Internet
  • Thermal:
    • http://www.nrel.gov/otec/what.html
    • http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/otec_hi.html#anchor349152 on OTEC systems
  • Wind:
    • http://awea-windnet@yahoogroups.com. Wind Energy elist
    • http://awea-wind-home@yahoogroups.com.  Wind energy home powersite elist
    • http://telosnet.com/wind/20th.html
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Units and Constants
  • Units:
    • Power in watts (joules/second)
    • Energy (power x time) in watt-hours
  • Constants:
    • 1 m = 0.3048 ft exactly by definition
    • 1 mile = 1.609 km; 1m/s = 2.204 mi/h (mph)
    • 1 mile2 = 27878400 ft2 = 2589988.11 m2
    • 1 ft2 = 0.09290304 m2; 1 m2 = 10.76391042 ft2
    • 1 ft3 = 28.32 L = 7.34 gallon = 0.02832 m3; 1 m3 = 264.17 US gallons
    • 1 m3/s = 15850.32 US gallons/minute
    • g = 32.2 ft/s2 = 9.81 m/s2; 1 kg = 2.2 pounds
    • Air density, ρ (rho), is 1.225 kg/m3 or 0.0158 pounds/ft3 at 20ºC at sea level
    • Solar Constant: 1368 W/m2 exoatmospheric or 342 W/m2 surface (80 to 240 W/m2)
    • 1 HP = 550 ft-lbs/s = 42.42 BTU/min = = 746 W (J/s)
    • 1 BTU = 252 cal = 0.293 Wh = 1.055 kJ
    • 1 atmosphere = 14.696 psi = 33.9 ft water = 101.325 kPa = 76 cm Hg =1013.25 mbar
    • 1 boe (42- gallon barrel of oil equivalent) = 1700 kWh
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Energy Equations
  • Electricity:
    • E=IR; P=I2 R; P=E2/R, where R is resistance in ohms, E is volts, I is current in amperes, and P is power in watts
    •  Energy = P t, where t is time in hours
  • Turbines:
    • Pa = ½ ρ A2 u3, where ρ (rho) is the fluid density, A = rotor area in m2, and u is wind speed in m/s
    • P = R ρ T, where P = pressure (Nm-2 = Pascal)
    • Torque, T = P/ω, in Nm/rad, where P = mechanical power in watts, ω is angular velocity in rad/sec
  • Pumps:
    • Pm = gQmh/ήp W, where g=9.81 N/kg, Qm is mass capacity in kg/s, h is head in m, and ήp is pump mechanical efficiency