As I talked about in my last post, I enjoy listening to a program on NPR called Science Friday. It airs on... Friday. I'm fairly excited about a project which they featured on the program. I like the idea of clean energy.
Being that I work for an energy provider, I am acutely aware of how it is produced. My employer uses several means for the production of electricity: nuclear fission, hydroelectric turbines, natural gas powered turbines, and wind power. While wind power is the least intrusive upon the environment, it has a reputation as an unreliable provider. Even in windy areas, the wind sometimes dies down. No more power. On the other end, sometimes the wind is blowing, but nobody is using the electricity. The turbines get shut off, and we lose potential power.
What if wind power could be more than just wind power? The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Xcel Energy think they have a solution. Wind power can be used to create hydrogen. No bad side effects. Electricity from wind turbines is used to power electrolyzers that split water into its elemental forms - pure hydrogen and oxygen. No potential for power is lost. No environmental damage.
What is everyones favorite new energy source? Hydrogen. What is the problem with hydrogen? It is incredibly rare on planet earth. That hydrogen fuel cell car you've had your eye on has nothing to run on. Enter the wind turbine. Wind=Clean Electricity=Hydrogen=Fuel Cell Vehicles. I'd be pretty stoked to own a car who's only byproducts were water and heat.
Click here to read more about clean energy.
Read more about wind power.
4 comments:
That sounds really amazing!
I must admit that my interest in energy is still pretty superficial, but the more I read about it the more I do think I wouldn't mind doing something like what you do. Yay for Nick, his degree in English, and his prolific writing on the subject of energy!
Time for you all to rent the DVD called "Who Killed the Electric Car?" It looks like we're up against a more difficult foe than simply engineering. Auto industry and oil companies are our biggest opponents. It's time we all spoke up and DEMANDED a better way than the combustion engine.
I'm still hoping that the wealthier among us can propel Tesla Motors long enough that they can move from their electric sports car, to the sedan.
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