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10 Industrial Arts - Engineering

Alternative Energy Mr. Sleap

Ali Al-Mudafer 10ENGINY

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Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 3

The Nature and Purpose of Alternative Energy Systems ........................................................................ 4

Alternative Energy Systems .................................................................................................................... 5

Solar Energy ........................................................................................................................................ 5

Bio-Fuels .............................................................................................................................................. 6

Wind Power......................................................................................................................................... 7

Hydroelectric Power ........................................................................................................................... 8

Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Energy Systems ............................................................. 9

Evaluation of Advantages and Disadvantages .................................................................................. 10

Commercial and / or Industrial Applications ........................................................................................ 11

Solar Power ....................................................................................................................................... 11

Nyngan Solar Plant ........................................................................................................................ 11

Bio-Fuels ............................................................................................................................................ 12

Australian Renewable Fuels (ARfuels) .......................................................................................... 12

Wind Power....................................................................................................................................... 13

Macarthur Wind Farm .................................................................................................................. 13

Hydroelectric Power ......................................................................................................................... 14

Snowy Mountains Scheme ............................................................................................................ 14

Impact on Society .................................................................................................................................. 15

Solar Power ....................................................................................................................................... 15

Bio-Fuel ............................................................................................................................................. 15

Wind Power....................................................................................................................................... 16

Hydroelectric Power ......................................................................................................................... 16

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 17

Glossary of Terms.................................................................................................................................. 18

Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................... 19

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Abstract

This report will show how alternative energy solutions work and how it will reshape our future.

Alternative energy solutions is by definition any way of getting energy without the use of fossil fuels.

The purpose of this report is to give the reader a detailed examination of 4 different alternative

energy solutions to fossil fuels. This research task will explain how each of the alternative energy

solutions have evolved over time. It will explain how each of the systems work, and how major

improvements will happen over time.

The world is running out of fossil fuels. The only way to prevent the world losing electricity is by

using alternative energy solutions.

This report uses a range of different websites to show how alternative energy solutions will help the

growth of renewable energy. Many companies have already made the move to alternative energy.

The Australian Government is even assisting families that want to install solar panels on their roof,

by reducing the cost significantly.

This report shows how alternative energy solutions have impacted on society, and how it will impact

in the near and far future.

Some alternative energy systems will overtake others in terms of development and use, but right

now, I think the world is on track and improving.

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The Nature and Purpose of Alternative Energy Systems

Alternative Energy by definition is energy that is generated in ways that do not deplete natural

resources or harm the environment. It is an energy source that is an alternative to fossil fuels. The

main types of harmful ways to generate energy is using fossil fuels and nuclear power. The meaning

of the word ‘alternative’ is used because it is the replacement for fossil fuels which is supplying most

of the population. There are many alternative ways to generate energy. Some are:

Biofuel

Biomass

Geothermal

Hydropower

Solar energy

Tidal power

Wave power

Wind power

The use of alternative energy is increasing considerably over time people have found out that fossil

fuels are running out and an alternative solution must be made. People will hopefully start making

the move to the cleaner future of energy. The annual growth rate fortunately is increasing, which

tells us that people have realised the very important fact that fossil fuels will eventually run out.

However, the switch to renewable energy comes at a cost. First of all, the owners of huge mining

and petroleum companies are making a huge profit. If you think about it, how many jobs in Australia

will be lost if the mining industry alone just stopped? It’s a lot. Secondly, at the moment alternative

energy systems are very expensive. It would cost a fortune to make Australia run on renewable

energy.

The world needs renewable energy in order keep the Earth living. The ozone layer is getting

destroyed, global warming is increasing. This will stop if the world used an alternative to fossil fuels.

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Alternative Energy Systems

Solar Energy

The method of solar energy is definitely the fastest growing out of all other alternative energy

solutions. It is easier and cheaper to install, and when installed, it does its job silently and reliably.

Solar energy is captured by using solar panels which convert the Sun’s light energy into electrical

energy.

These solar panels are filled with solar cells which

absorb the Sun’s photons (particles from light).

Then the silicon cells in the panel react, causing

the electrons to be free from the atoms. The

silicon that the solar cells are made out of carries

millions of atoms that have charged electrons.

The most common design of solar panels these

days uses two different types of silicon. This is so it creates negatively and positively charged atoms.

To create a negative charge, the silicon is combined with boron. To create a positive charge, the

silicon is combined with phosphorus. This combination of different solar cells creates more electrons

on the positively charged silicon, which therefore results in less electrons in the negatively charged

silicon. The positively and negatively charged silicon cells are packed in together.

This configuration creates a reaction that produces direct current (DC) electricity, which then goes to

the inverter which then converts the direct current to alternate current (AC).

This electricity can be processed in two different ways. Either sell all the electricity produced by the

solar panels to the grid, and use the grid’s power for your home.

Or the other way, where you use the power

produced by the solar panels in your home. If you

don’t have enough power generating for your

needs, you use the extra needed from the grid. But

if you are generating too much power (more than

you need), you sell the extra power to the grid.

People use the first option if the price per kilowatt

generated is higher than the price of the grid

electricity used. People use option two if it is vice

versa (price of power generated is lower than price

of grid electricity). This is dependent on the type of contract you have.

Some people in remote areas who don’t have any access to the main grid need to have large

batteries. This is so all the extra power generated will go to the battery and is then used when it is

dark or when there isn’t enough power generated from the solar panels.

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Bio-Fuels

Bio-Fuel is made using bio-mass. Bio-mass is the plants that could be bio-fuel. In other words, bio-

mass is just the plant itself, and when it is treated and the right things extracted from it to make it a

fuel, it becomes bio-fuel. The most common types of bio-fuels are ethanol and bio-diesel.

Ethanol is an alcohol, the same that’s in beer

and wine. It is made by fermenting the

biomass that’s high in carbohydrates like

starches, celluloses or sugars in a process like

preparing beer. Ethanol is used as a fuel

additive most of the time, just to reduce the

amount of carbon monoxide and other

emissions. But these days some vehicles that

run on 85% ethanol are available.

Bo-diesel is made using the combination of alcohol (or

methanol) with animal fat, vegetable oil or recycled cooking

greases. Similar to ethanol, it can be used as an additive with

normal diesel, or it can be used in pure form (using only bio-

diesel in your vehicle).

Bio-fuels are a great alternative to gasoline and diesel. But it

all comes at a significant cost. It is much harder to make

biofuel than to make regular diesel or gasoline.

Bio-fuels are a renewable energy, because it uses plant oils

and fats, and plants can be easily grown. This makes it

renewable.

At the moment the use of bio-fuels is a small percentage

compared to gasoline and diesel. Bio-diesel in theory is compatible with all vehicles that use diesel. I

think the percentage could have been more if manufacturers recommend bio-fuels. They don’t trust

the use of bio-fuels as they don’t want to have customers using a foreign material in an engine that

is designed to be used on gasoline/diesel. E.g. Below is a picture I took of the area you fill up your car

with fuel on my

mother’s car.

Notice how it says

not to use bio-

diesel and only to

use diesel.

Warnings like this

could mean that if

you fill it up with

bio-diesel, you

could void your

warranty.

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Wind Power

A wind turbine is a name for a device

that converts the wind’s kinetic energy

into electrical energy. A wind turbine is

basically a generator that’s powered by

aerofoils. Wind turbines have no turbine

in them, but it gets the name from

parallel hydroelectric technology. Wind

is definitely is a very good way to

capture the free kinetic energy caused

by changing atmospheric pressure.

The first all steel windmill and tower was

produced by a company named United

States Wind Engine & Pump Co. the first

wind turbine that generated electricity

was invented by Charles F. Brush in 1888

in Cleveland, Ohio, US.

The way a wind turbine works is pretty simple. First the wind hits the blades. These blades have to

be angled at a sweet spot because the flatter they are, the higher the maximum speed is higher. But

if the blades were angled higher, the torque would be higher, but the maximum speed would be

less. It is the same principle to gearing. Then the central low speed shaft turns in the same speed

measured in revolutions per minute (RPM) as the rotors. The shaft is usually travelling at 16 RPM, so

a gearbox converts the low speed to rotation to a high speed 1600 RPM so the generator can

efficiently transform kinetic energy into electrical energy.

The electricity generated is then transferred through a cable which leads to a transformer, which

changes to the suitable voltage for residential or commercial use.

The best way a wind turbine can

generate power efficiently is by

mounting them on high areas.

Blades need something to spin. It’s

a law of physics that you can’t

make energy out of nothing. The

wind will slow down as it passes

the wind turbine. So if you want to

build a wind farm, having the wind

turbines close together is not a

good idea.

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Hydroelectric Power

Hydroelectric power

(also known as

hydropower or

hydroelectricity) is

where you use the

gravitational force of

the water as it flows

down a hill or dam.

Hydroelectric power is

similar to a wind

turbine, but instead of

using the kinetic

energy from the wind,

it uses the

gravitational force on

the water.

The way hydroelectric power works is using a turbine. The higher water level is trying to move to the

lower water level because of gravitational potential energy. As the water leaves the dam, it passes

through the turbine, the turbine turns, due to the high force of the falling water.

The turning turbine turns the generator, where the generator converts kinetic energy into electrical

energy. This electricity is then connected to the grid to supply the people.

Hydro-plants range from small

‘micro hydros’ that can power

only a few homes, to huge

dams that can provide

electricity for millions of

people.

Hydroelectric power relies

heavily on the height of the

water in the catchment,

compared to the level in the

river (or where the water is

released into).

The number of hydroelectric power plants are increasing, which is a good thing, as hydroelectric

power plants make good use of the gravitational force that the Earth gives us.

Overall, the use of hydroelectricity is very important, as gravitational force is constant, therefore it is

a very efficient way to produce electricity.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Energy Systems

Energy System Advantages Disadvantages

Solar Power Doesn’t cause pollution

Can be used in remote areas

Solar energy is infinite (will last forever)

Many things can run using solar power

Require little maintenance

Can only be harnessed in daylight

Relatively expensive to make

Unreliable climate means unreliable source of energy

The most efficient solar panels can only convert 20% of sun’s energy

Bio-Fuel Is renewable

Reduces greenhouse gasses

Low levels of pollution

Expensive

Could cause shortage of foods

Could damage your vehicle

Harder to make

Wind Power Runs during day and night

Doesn’t cause greenhouse gasses

Can be placed anywhere

Range in sizes

Loud

Strength of wind varies

Take up a lot of space

Produce a lot less electricity than the average fossil fuelled power station

Hydroelectric Power Reliable and efficient

Clean and renewable

A hydroelectricity dam can be used not only for electricity

Flexible when it comes to electricity demands

When dams need to be built, the town needs to be flooded so everyone has to move out

Expensive to build

Safety concerns (worries about dam failures)

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Evaluation of Advantages and Disadvantages

The shown advantages and disadvantages show the main reason why companies aren’t switching

over to alternative energy solutions. There’s always going to be a negative for every positive. Wind

power can be run at night and during the day. They can be put virtually anywhere on high grounds.

But they are way too expensive to make and install. Even some of the public say that it’s in the way

and they want to leave to landscape as it is and enjoy the nice quiet view. Wind turbines need to be

a fair distance away from each other, because as the wind passes one of them, the air is slowed

down, due to energy conservation.

Solar power can only be run

in daylight, and only

generate a decent amount

of electricity in a very sunny

day. In some countries, that

is a rare thing. Solar panels

are very expensive. And for

some people it is not worth

making the upgrade. But

solar isn’t just about the

bad, it is very efficient.

When installed, it runs

virtually in a silent manner.

In fact it even gives your

house more insulation

against the heat from the roof. When sola farms are built, and rotors are installed so the solar panels

rotate in the direction of the sun, they become very efficient.

Hydroelectric power can run in the day or night (like wind power). But it requires a fast flow of water

to achieve a decent amount of electricity. Hydroelectric power plants are a very good idea to be

installed in an area where not many people live, because the building procedure requires all the

water to be flooded down the river.

Bio-fuel is increasing over time. Some Holden vehicles are modified at the factory to be able to run

on bio-fuels (ethanol for gasoline, bio-diesel for diesel). This shows that Australia is taking steps into

a greener future. Bio-fuels reduce the amount of pollution by a significant amount. In fact, if you

have the right equipment at home you can even make your own, but that’s only recommended for

experienced people (or it could damage your vehicle). Manufacturers are even not recommending

the use of bio-fuels on their modern cars, because it is a foreign type of fuel and they fear it will

damage your vehicle.

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Commercial and / or Industrial Applications

Solar Power

Nyngan Solar Plant

The Nyngan solar plant site is located on an agricultural property, which is nearly 10 kilometres away

from the town of Nyngan. This town receives a good amount of sunlight, which makes it an ideal

place for a solar plant. The solar plant will be built on a site that’s 460 hectares, but the solar field

will use nearly 250 hectares of space.

The company AGL installed these solar panels. The area used to be a sheep paddock. The site is flat,

and is a rural land, which makes it a very efficient place to build a solar plant. The Cobar – Nyngan

132 kV transmission line is located south of the site, which allows for efficient connections to the

grid.

The Nyngan solar plant will generate 102 megawatts of power, which puts it at the forefront of

Australian solar power generation. This solar plant at the moment is the biggest in the southern

hemisphere, which makes Australia (and the earth) proud. It is expected that this solar plant will

generate approximately 233000 MWh of electricity per year, which provides around 33000 homes.

The Nyngan power plant will be

The Materials Used

In this huge project, the good choice of

materials could mean much more

durability and much less repairs. The

Nyngan solar plant will consist of

approximately 1.35 million solar PV

modules. They are well installed on

aluminium frames. The use of aluminium

helps in durability and construction

because it is lightweight. The around

150000 steel posts will be supporting the

aluminium frames. The solar panels are

going to be on a 25 degree angle, so the

frames have to be accurately cut to size.

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Bio-Fuels

Australian Renewable Fuels (ARfuels)

Australian Renewable Fuels is a bio-diesel plant located in Barnawartha which is in Victoria. The

company Australian Renewable Fuels has 3 plants. One in Picton in Western Australia, one in

Adelaide in South Australia and one in Barnawartha in Victoria. This company used a combination of

vegetable oil, used cooking oil and animal fat (or tallow). ARfuels is Australia’s largest bio-diesel

producer in Australia. It produces a capacity of 150 million litres annually.

ARfuels was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in May, 2005. The construction of the

company was completed in 2006. Mr Andrew White is the Managing director and CEO of ARfuels.

(About) The Materials Used

ARfuels is a company that

ensures that materials used in

the bio-diesel is at the best

quality. All production facilities

are capable of reliably running

at design capacity. ARfuels

uses a good range of feedstock

like tallow, vegetable oil and

used cooking oil. They continue

to research new sources of supply. They don’t want to interfere with the world’s food chain supply.

Australian Renewable Fuels efficiently uses the materials of animal fat, used cooking oil and

vegetable oil efficiently. The efficient use of burnable material from plants is next step towards

helping our earth. They are a well-known wholesaler to many fuel retailers.

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Wind Power

Macarthur Wind Farm

The Macarthur Wind Farm took

about 2.5 years to build. It has

been fully operational since early 2013. The farm was constructed by Vestas and Leighton

Contractors. The company AGL Energy was part of the development of this giant project that cost $1

billion.

The Macarthur Wind Farm is located

on three properties that are used for

sheep grazing. The land that’s about

5500 hectares is about 16km away

from Macarthur. The wind farm is

made up of 140 3MW turbines, which

gives a huge total of 420MW. That’s

very impressive, because not only

does it save about 1.5 million tonnes

of greenhouse gases each year, it is

the largest wind farm in the southern

hemisphere.

The benefits of having wind turbines

on flat ground is so the wind isn’t

disrupted, resulting in a much efficient

operation. They made sure that each

turbine had a good amount of space

around it, so after the air passes one

turbine and it slows down, it can

regain speed for the next turbine.

This wind turbine is truly impressive,

because it provides power for 220

thousand average Victorian

households.

The Materials Used

Building a wind turbine requires a

good choice of strong parts and light

weight parts. The towers are made of stainless steel, which is a good choice due to its strength.

Blades are made of carbon fibre due to its lightweight form and strength. The blades are designed to

be less sensitive to dirt, which results in improved performance.

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Hydroelectric Power

Snowy Mountains Scheme

The Snowy Mountains Scheme is a 3950 MW hydroelectric power generation project located in the

Snowy Mountains in Australia’s Southern Alps. The hydroelectric plant is a well-engineered project

and structured with good thought. It took 25 years to complete, and was completed on time and

within budget.

The Snowy Mountains Scheme is built where there are steep mountains, which easily turn the

turbines due to the extra use of gravitational energy. Melted snow and rain is collected and stored in

lakes and reservoirs, which then is diverted through pipelines and tunnels to meet the turbines after

hundreds of metres.

Once the water passes the turbines, it needs to go somewhere. It flows through to rivers to be used

for irrigation in the dry lands west of the Great Dividing Range. This ensures that the Scheme is not

disadvantaging the flowing water from the dry areas of NSW

The Materials Used

The Scheme consists of 16 major

dams, 7 power stations, a

pumping station and a total of

225km of tunnels, pipelines and

aqueducts.

The Scheme’s power stations use

‘Francis’ Turbines. Francis turbines

have guide vanes, which control

the amount (volume) of water

required to turn the turbine and

determine how much electricity is

produced. This concept is like

gearing.

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Impact on Society

Solar Power There’s no doubt that solar

panels is the most popular

renewable choice to be

made. Solar is the option

that is virtually always

taken when it comes to

people wanting to

introduce renewable

energy. Solar panels have

been a huge impact on

society because they are

becoming more and more

popular. They realise that

the huge cost will pay off

after a couple of years.

After those years are over,

you start making money (or reducing costs of electricity use).

I think solar will rapidly improve in the future because technology (efficiency) is constantly improving

and the panels are becoming cheaper to buy. Solar companies will increase and more competition

will happen amongst companies, which is part of the reason panels are getting cheaper. In the future

I predict that coal and fossil fuels will be a thing of the past. Solar will be one of the sources of the

world’s needs. New technologies of solar panels are getting introduced. Even bendable ones are out

for sale. I predict that bendable solar panels will be placed virtually anywhere

Bio-Fuel Bio-fuel is a fairly new thing. It has only

been sold commercially for the past

couple of years. Only a small

percentage of people use bio-fuel as

their source of fuel. Bio-fuel companies

are starting to expand, creating new

jobs. A small percentage of people are

against the making of bio-fuel. They

think that it disturbs the world’s food

chain, which could be the case if

companies use the farms that’s used for

eating crop. But some companies use

algae, which don’t affect us humans, but could affect the food chain of animals in the ocean.

I think biofuel is a really good alternative to fossil fuels. In the next coming years, bio-fuel will be an

alternative to vehicles that use combustion engines. But my prediction is that other zero emission

energy sources will replace bio-fuel. Although bio-fuel is renewable energy, it still does produce

some sort of pollution. Bio-fuel will at some point be a popular choice of fuel, but since it still gives a

bit of pollution, something better will replace it.

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Wind Power Wind power is a very reliable source of electricity. If set up

in the right locations, it can produce a substantial amount of

electricity. Wind power can work during day and night, as it

depends on the one and only wind. Like solar farms, wind

farms are usually found in remote, elevated areas. This is

because wind is stronger and less obstructed. Wind farms

are utilised in farm areas, usually where livestock is grazed.

There are two sides of the argument when it comes to using

wind turbines. One side says it’s not affecting them and

they like the technological look to the farms. The other side

thinks that they produce a lot of noise pollution and they

want the nature to be left as it is. In my opinion I agree with

the first side (I want wind farms).

In the future I think wind farms will be a huge thing. They

will definitely replace fossil fuels and help the world

become much better. I predict that most farm lands will

have at least one wind turbine. New technologies will be

introduced to increase the efficiency of these turbines. The costs are decreasing and the efficiency is

increasing. One problem that may be encountered is finding the perfect land. Here in Australia it’s

not a problem (flattest and spacious country), but other congested or crowded countries will not

have enough land.

Hydroelectric Power Hydroelectric has been a very

successful way to harness

energy. It is an efficient way to

make good use of the force from

gravitational energy. The impact

it has on society is that

whenever one is built, it causes

huge flooding in the area. Which

means it could cost residents but

mainly the company building the

hydroelectric power plants.

The production of hydroelectric

plants will not be growing much,

because if affects many of the

residents living there. People will

have to leave their home whenever a hydroelectricity power plant is built, due to the place flooding.

Hydroelectricity can be used in a good way. It can be utilized in areas where there’s always flowing

water, like rivers, creeks and waterfalls.

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Conclusion

Everything in this world has some sort of negative, even if it’s just a tiny one. One of my principles is

that for every positive, it will create a negative. Energy is something the world needs to stay alive.

Eventually, fossil fuels will run out. Alternative energy solutions is the main key to prevent that.

Companies are able to make a move right now to an alternative solution, but the reason that they

aren’t, is because there’s the same number of advantages as disadvantages. The main disadvantage

is money and the main advantage is efficiency and better ‘futureproofing’ to the earth. To some

people money is more important.

Alternatives to fossil fuels is considered because they reduce the carbon footprint by a lot. Our earth

will overall improve and stop getting polluted, which then virtually guarantees a nice non-polluted

life for the future generations. Alternative energy systems are able to produce energy without

destroying our earth. They have an infinite source of fuel, which is given to us by the nature. We

humans hog up a lot of energy to heat our homes, light our streets and transport us around the

world. Experts say that we need to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and find alternative

ways of sourcing energy.

Solar panels will eventually be on most houses’ roofs. Solar farms will increase rapidly and

companies will have super giant solar farms. Prices will drop significantly which encourages more

people to use solar panels. Bio-fuels will hit its maximum potential, but other zero emission energy

systems will overtake it eventually. It is a good way to use waste cooking oils and fats. Wind power

has been a very successful way to harness free energy which would otherwise be wasted. It makes

good use of the farm lands that’s used for livestock grazing. Their efficiencies are increasing and

making better use of the wind that’s blowing. Hydroelectric power is a successful method to harness

electricity. The only problems happen is during construction, where surrounding citizens have to

leave their homes to flood, due to flood caused.

These alternative energy solutions will not only make the earth smile for us, it will decrease global

warming, greenhouse gasses and any other pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels. When

fossil fuels finally runs out, we need to be prepared with renewable energy solutions. Our future

heavily relies on alternative energy solutions. If fuels run out and we’re not prepared, we must face

living like the old days, without cars, electricity or any mobile technology. We still have some time

left to make a move towards a cleaner, greener future. This generation can’t hog all resources and

leave it for future generations to figure out a solution themselves. We are a world that wants to

improve, invent and most importantly, help others.

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Glossary of Terms

Alternative Energy: Energy fuelled in ways that do not use up the earth's

natural resources or otherwise harm the environment, especially by avoiding

the use of fossil fuels or nuclear power.

Solar: Light rays emitted by the Sun.

Bio-Diesel: An alternative fuel to the petroleum diesel

Renewable: A natural Resource or source of energy that is not depleted when

used.

Pollution: The presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance

which has harmful or poisonous effects.

Environment: The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or

plant lives or operates.

Fossil Fuels: A natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past

from the remains of living organisms.

Generator: A dynamo or similar machine for converting mechanical energy

into electricity.

Global Warming: A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's

atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased

levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

Energy: Power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical resources,

especially to provide light and heat or to work machines.

Watt (W): A unit used to measure power or electricity.

Gearbox: A set of gears that converts or trades torque for speed (or vice

versa).

Wind: Power obtained by harnessing the energy of the wind.

Gravitational Force: The force that attracts an object towards the centre of the

earth.

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