Download Windy Power Tidal Energy - Hatboro

December 2004 - $4.99
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Windy Power
-how to make electricity
by blowing wind
Tidal Energy
-produce power
without being washed away
Felix
Keith Valley Middle School
Horsham, PA 19044
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17945 3860435 455748573
Table of Contents
Reference info
Windy Power
-how to make electricity by blowing wind
Tidal Energy
-produce power without being washed away
Path of Electricity
-how electricity gets to your home
Drown in the Wonders of hydroelectricity
-all about power from water
Advantages and Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy and
Hydroelectricity
-comparing different energy’s pro’s and con’s
Burn in the Power of Geothermal energy
-all about electricity from the inside of the earth
To Our Homes
-how electricity gets to your house
My Opinion
-what I think will be the earth’s future major source of electricity
Solar Energy
-all about energy from the sun
Back to
Cover
Windy Power
Back to
Cover
Felix
Wind energy is the energy
produced by the wind, which
can be used to generate
electricity by making it turn
the blades of a windmill,
turning a generator. The sun heats the
Earth’s surface unevenly, producing
different atmospheric pressure zones.
These different pressure zones cause
winds because the air moves from an
area of high pressure to an area of low
pressure to balance each other out. This
energy can be especially useful in places
where it may be hard to transport other
fuels such as in Antarctica and Mongolia.
A windmill can be used to capture wind
energy by passing through the tilted
blades and causing them to turn. These
blades are attached to a hub, which is
attached to a turning shaft, that connects
to a gear transmission box. This gearbox increases the speed of the turning
shaft and passes through the brake,
Comparing Wind Energy
Advantages
Wind energy is free because it
has an inexhaustible supply.
which is activated when there is too
much wind pushing the blades, and the
high speed shaft is connected to a
generator, which converts the high speed
shaft’s mechanical energy into electrical
energy. The electricity then passes
through the windmill’s tower to the
transformers and eventually the houses
in which it is used. This energy is a
renewable resource because there is an
inexhaustible supply since the sun keeps
heating the Earth at different spots.
Disadvantages
Only a few in the world have
steadily-enough blowing winds.
Wind energy causes no pollution. Wind generators are noisy and
disrupt nearby areas.
Building costs of windmills are
moderate.
Windmills may destroyed by very
strong winds.
They can be used in areas in
which it is hard to transport fuels.
They require large areas of land
and can kill migrating birds.
Tidal Energy
Felix Kampfer
dam across the entrance to
contain the water at high tide in
a shallow bay. As the tide goes
out, the water flows past
turbines, which power the
generator and makes electricity.
Another tidal power plant may
use an air chamber, in which
the water level rises at high
tide, forcing air out through the
turbine,
which
turns
the
generator, and the electricity
then goes to a transformer.
Tidal energy is the energy
produced by the moon and
sun’s gravity, causing water on
Earth’s surface to rise and fall
regularly on its shores. Along
some coast lines such as in
France and Canada, enormous
amounts of water flow into bays
at high tide. When the tide goes
out, water flows out to sea
again. You can capture the tidal
energy by having tidal power
Comparing Tidal Energy
plants built, which use a low
Back to
Cover
Advantages
Disadvantages
A dam across a
bay can prevent
boats and fish
from coming
through.
Very few places
are suitable for
having tidal
power plants
built.
Tidal power
plants consume
no fuel.
The construction
is expensive.
The plant offers
The plants
job opportunities. require tide
difference of 16
feet.
Path of Electricity
Back to
Cover
When the electricity leaves
the generator, which works
by having two opposite poles
of a magnet, slip rings, a coil
of wire, brushes leading to a
circuit with an electric consumer, and a
spinning axle, producing mechanical
energy. The two poles of the magnets
produce a magnetic field. The movement
of the coil of wire through the magnetic
field induces an electric current. The
electric current then travels to the two
slip rings, which are connected via the
brushes to the other circuit. The
electricity first travels to a step-up
transformer, which increases the current
from 11,000 volts to about 240,000 volts.
In a step-up transformer, two loops of
wire are wrapped around an iron ore.
The primary coil, or the coil that is
connected to the circuit in which an
alternating current flows, creates a
moving magnetic field through the iron
ore and induces a current in the
secondary coil, which is connected to a
separate circuit without a voltage source.
The higher voltage then travels through
high-voltage transmission lines to a stepdown transformer called a sub-station,
which works the same way as a step-up
transformer except that there are less
loops of wire attached to the secondary
and more on the primary coil, creating a
lower voltage instead of more loops on
the secondary and less loops on the
primary coil, which raises the voltage.
The voltage is transformed to 2,400
volts, and goes to another step-down
transformer, lowering the voltage to 120
volts and sends it to the connected
houses.
Future Alternate Major
Source of Electricity
I think we should rely on wind energy
more in the future because we will
eventually have used up all of the fossil
fuels and will need another way of
generating electricity. Wind energy is free
and causes no pollution to the
environment. It also has an inexhaustible
supply, because wind always blows, and
can be used in areas where it may be
hard to import other fuels such as in
Antarctica and Mongolia.
Wind energy is better than tidal
energy because there are more places
around the world for wind farms than
there are for 16 feet-difference-requiring
tidal power plants. Tidal power plants
have dams across bays that prevent
boats and fish from traveling there, which
disrupts the nature of the fish. As
opposed to a moderate windmill cost, the
construction of tidal power plants is very
expensive and increases taxes for other
residents.
Reference Information
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/index.html
http://www.crest.org/index.html
http://home.clara.net/darvill/altenerg/index.htm
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/glossary/index.html\
Pictures provided by Google.
Back to
Cover
Drown in the Wonders of Hydroelectricity
This great alternative
energy source is produced by
flowing water. It is the most
widely used energy source! It
also provides 10% of the U.S’s
energy.
Hydroelectricity
is
used on most suitable rivers
large enough to supply enough
energy for a area.
The Hoover Dam, in
Nevada, is one example of a
hydroelectricity power source.
Some other states that have
this type of power sources are
California(3),
Oregon(2),
Washington State(1), Montana
(5), and New York(4).
When
the
flowing
water flows through the turbine,
it spins. An armature that is
connected to the turbine and
generator spins as well. The
magnet’s electric field inside the
generator then pushes and
pulls to produce an electric
current in the wire.
The current is then converted
into electrical energy from
mechanical energy. Then, the
current
goes
to
the
transformers.
This energy source is
and will always be renewable
because water is unlimited.
Back to
Table of
contents
Advantages
Disadvantages
Once the dam and power In the United States, most
plant are built, producing suitable rivers have been
electricity is inexpensive.
dammed.
Hydroelectricity does
create air pollution.
not The dam can reduce the
number of algae, affecting
other organisms in the
river’s food web.
The dams reduce flooding The dams can block the
downstream.
movement of fish such as
salmon and herring.
Hydroelectricity Energy
Advantages
Disadvantages
Geothermal energy is very There are few places where
cheap.
magma comes close to
Earth’s surface.
Geothermal energy is likely Where
magma
doesn’t
part of meeting energy come close enough, a very
standards in future.
deep well is required which
would cost hundreds of
dollars.
The plant has low operating These sites are uncommon
costs.
and may cause air pollution.
Back to
Table of
contents
Geothermal Energy
Burn in the Power of Geothermal Energy
Back to
Table of
contents
This
amazing
alternative energy source is
just heat from Earth’s interior.
Do you know which one I am
talking about?! Geothermal,
duh!
Geothermal energy
is very simple, pumping water
though pipes into Earth’s
interior heat. It is created by
heating water with magma.
Many
geothermal
energy sites are in northern
California, regions in New
Zealand, and mainly in
Iceland. Reykjavik, Iceland’s
homes are 90% heated by
geothermal energy.
This energy source
rather simple. Water is
pumped through pipes into
Earth’s layers. That water is
cold, so when it comes back
up, it is steam because of the
magma in Earth’s layers. The
steam then turns a turbine
which turns the armature. The
armature is connected to the
turbine and generator.
The
magnet’s electric field inside the
generator then pushes and
pulls the wire to produce an
electric current in the wire. The
current is then converted into
electrical
energy
from
mechanical energy. Then, the
current
goes
to
the
transformers.
Geothermal energy is
renewable as well because they
need water to produce the
energy and water is unlimited.
To Our Homes
After the electricity is
sent out of the generator at
11,000 volts, the electricity
goes through a step-up
transformer to 240,000 volts.
The step-up transformer has
more loops in the secondary
coil, which means less loops in
the primary coil. Those volts
are carried over long distance
to a sub-station which is a
step-down transformer.
Back to
Table of
contents
This transformer has
more loops in the
primary coil and less
loops in the secondary
coil. The volts are now
only at 2,400. Then the
volts go through another
step-down transformer to
120 volts. Those volts
then go into the homes.
My Opinion
Back to
Table of
contents
My Opinion
I believe that hydroelectric
power
is
a
better
alternative
than
geothermal
energy
because it does not create
air pollution. The steam, in
the geothermal energy,
from the cooling of the
extremely hot water could
be
considered
air
pollution.
Hydroelectric
power is the most widely
used renewable energy
source in the world today.
Geothermal energy is
found in rare locations
because not all magma
flows close enough to the
surface to be reached,
where as hydroelectric
power can be made from
any major river.
Hydroelectric power
pays for itself after the
dam and power plant are
built. The water flowing
through the turbines will
always flow, because the
water is unlimited. The
flowing water will provide
steady supply of energy.
The
geothermal
will
always be
costly. First, if the magma
doesn’t come close to the
surface, research has to
be done to find where it
does come close enough.
Secondly, if they can’t
find the magma close
enough the engineers
have to dig a deep well
that would be very
expensive. Even after the
well is compete you still
have to pay to pump the
water through the pipes in
and out of the ground.
Another
reason
that
hydroelectric power is a
good alternative energy
source is because the
reservoir behind the dam
is a good place for
drinking water and the
dam reduces flooding
downstream.
Back to Energy from the
Table of
By: Amanda
contents
Solar energy is created in a
solar plant, and lining up rows of
mirrors focusing on the sun’s rays
to heat a tank of water. Or solar
energy can be converted directly
into a solar cell. Solar energy is
usually found in California.
Sun
Solar Energy
Solar energy can be used to
heat houses or buildings. There are
two ways to do this such as passive
solar systems and active solar
systems. A passive solar system
converts sunlight into thermal
energy without using pumps or
fans. An active solar system
captures the sun’s energy, then
uses fans and pumps to distribute
the heat.
Solar energy is a renewable
resource because the sun’s rays
are renewed everyday.
Back to
Table of
contents
Solar Energy
Solar Energy
By: Amanda
Advantages
Disadvantages
Solar energy is not
wasteful.
Solar plants are
expensive.
Solar energy has an
inexhaustible supply.
Sunlight varies with
weather and time of day.
Solar energy is used to
heat buildings.
Solar plants require large
areas of land.
Back to
Table of
contents
Biomass Energy
Biomass fuels are made from
living things such as leaves, food
wastes, wood, and even manure.
Biomass Energy
By: Amanda
Biomass
is
a
renewable
resource because trees deep
growing, food keeps being wasted,
and wood keeps being burned.
Biomass fuels are created when
wastes such as sugar cane, corn
The path of electricity that
stalks, and manure are burned in a
biomass energy takes is when the
furnace.
fuel is burned, then the heated
water is used to make steam. The
steam turns turbines. The turbines
then turn the generators. Finally the
energy is sent to transformers and
is sent around the country.
Biomass is usually produced on
large fields and farms.
Back to
Table of
contents
Biomass Energy
Biomass Energy
Advantages
Disadvantages
Using biomass energy
doesn’t add to global
warming.
Collecting the waste for
biomass can be difficult.
Biomass energy is very
cheap.
When you burn biomass fuel
it adds greenhouse gasses.
Biomass energy has a less Some of the materials used
demand
on
Earth’s to produce biomass is not
resources.
available all year round.
Back to
Table of
contents
Transformers
Transformer
A device that increases or
decreases voltage is called a
transformer. A transformer consists
of two separate coils of wire
wrapped around an iron core. One
coil, called the primary coil is
connected to a circuit in which an
alternating current flows. The other
coil, called the secondary coil is
connected to a separate circuit that
does not contain a voltage source.
When a current flows in the
primary coil it produces a magnetic
field. The magnetic field changes as
the
current
alternates.
This
changing magnetic field is like a
moving magnetic field. It induces a
current in the secondary coil.
The solar energy travels from
the generating plant (solar cells,
solar water heating, of solar
furnaces) to a step up transformer.
Then it rises to 240,000 V. Next it
goes through high voltage
transmission lines to the step down
transformer (sub-station). Finally it
goes through another step down
transformer, through 120 V wires
and into your house.
My Choice
I believe that we should rely on
biomass instead of solar energy.
Because biomass energy is a
renewable resource, there is
enough to rely on.
There are many advantages to
using biomass energy. Some
advantages of using biomass is that
it does not add to global warming. It
is a renewable resource because
plants can be grown over and over
again. Biomass is cheap and it
makes sense to use. The only
disadvantage is that collecting the
wastes for biomass can be hard to
find. In solar energy the plants are
expensive, the sunlight varies with
time and weather, and it requires
large areas of land.