Upon watching Tony Stark be amazing, and create energy, I decided to Google renewable energy ideas, here is what I found:
Wind Power:
Tornado Power Plant: Tornadoes are among natures most powerful and destructive forces. In fact, tornadoes have the highest energy density of any storm in nature. If the energy of a tornado could somehow be sustained and harnessed, it could be used as an effective renewable source of energy. Canadian engineer Louis Michaud believes he has figured a way to do just this. He calls it an “Atmospheric Vortex Engine.” This engine ore AVE would consist of a 200-meter-wide arena with 100-meter-high walls. Warm humid air enters at the sides, directed to flow in a circular fashion. As the air whirls around at speeds up to 200 mph, a vacuum forms in the center which holds the vortex together as it extends several miles into the sky. Michaud estimates that as much as 200 megawatts of electricity (enough for a small city) could be provided by such a system.
High Altitude Wind Power: Traditional wind turbines have been around for years, and have continuously improved their efficiency. Unfortunately, modern wind turbines are limited by the wind speed and consistency of their location. Hawaii based company Makani Power (funded by google) believes they have invented a new technology that will allow them to circumvent the constraints of traditional turbines by capturing wind at much higher altitudes via energy generating kites. The Makani concept takes kites up to 400 meters above the ground, in order to get consistent winds at high altitudes. The electricity that is generated is transmitted to the ground along a tether.
The new low cost source of power can be installed onshore and offshore and get the most out of virtually untouched high-altitude winds. Hardham's idea came up while kitesurfing in San Francisco and soon designed a working prototype.The kite wings are light, carry several sensors and a GPS unit that helps managing the entire system, from flight optimization to data transmission. Watch them in action, here.The current prototype produces 20 kilowatts of power, but in the next years Makani Power plans to have a kite that produces 1200 kilowatts. In 10 years, the future of sustainable energy might be seen, up in the sky, along the thousands of miles of the US coastline.
Wave Power:
Minesto Tidal Energy: Minesto Tidal Energy has created an underwater kite, not dissimilar from Makani’s wind kites. This new technology will allow the utilization of low water speeds, making wave power a feasible solution in many new locations. Because water is 800 times more dense than air, it contains 800 times the energy of the air while in motion. Minesto’s underwater kite also travels ten times faster than the water flow it operates in. Speed and energy have a cubic relationship, so at ten times higher kite speed, it produces 1,000 times more energy than a non-moving model.
Finavera Renewables Aquabouy: Minesto Tidal Energy has created an underwater kite, not dissimilar from Makani’s wind kites. This new technology will allow the utilization of low water speeds, making wave power a feasible solution in many new locations. Because water is 800 times more dense than air, it contains 800 times the energy of the air while in motion. Minesto’s underwater kite also travels ten times faster than the water flow it operates in. Speed and energy have a cubic relationship, so at ten times higher kite speed, it produces 1,000 times more energy than a non-moving model. The Finavera AquaBuOY is a floating buoy structure that converts the kinetic energy of the vertical motion of oncoming waves into clean electricity. It utilizes a cylindrical buoy as the displacer and the reactor is a large water mass enclosed by a long vertical tube underneath the buoy.
Solar Power:
Solar Satellites: Current energy-efficient solar power plants can produce significant amounts of electricity, but consistency is a major hurdle. Earth based solar power does not work in unfavorable weather conditions and cannot harvest electricity at night. Solar Satellites on the other hand, have the advantage of being above the weather conditions, and would be able to harvest electricity from the sun 24 hours per day. The technology is in very early stages with scientists at NASA, and in conjunction with private companies, they are working on making the technology feasible. While potentially an excellent solution, the issues with the technology reside in the prohibitive costs of getting materials in space, and the technology required to send the collected energy back to earth for consumption.
Solar Islands: Creating solar power plants that produce a large amount of electricity requires a great deal of space for the mirrors and solar cells. Additionally, solar power plants need to reside in areas of the world that have sunlight for the majority of the year. In the United States, places like this are abundant, but in other regions of the world, other solutions must be used. CSEM, an energy and technology company from Switzerland has pioneered a solution by conceptualizing the first “Solar Island.” These solar islands could be placed on land or in the ocean, and would have the capability of generating up to One Gigawatt of electricity. The concept has gone over so well, the UAE has commissioned a pilot program from the company.
Solar Updraft Tower: A solar updraft tower is a unique type of solar power plant that relies on older, proven technologies instead of newer technologically sophisticated (and expensive) solar cells. Solar updraft towers utilize the chimney effect, the greenhouse effect, and traditional wind turbines to produce power. In this model, air is heated by the sun, then contained in large greenhouse type structure at the base of a VERY tall chimney. The resulting temperature difference causes air to rise up the updraft tower which drives the turbines that generate electricity
Inflatable Solar Collectors: One of the major problems with solar energy is cost. Solar cells, mirrors, and rigging equipment are expensive and reduce the value of solar technology as a viable alternative energy solution. To address this problem, the company Cool Earth Solar has developed an inflatable solar collector that is cheap, lightweight, durable, efficient, and can be repaired with tape. According to Cool Earth Solar,
“One solar power plant using Cool Earth’s technology (covering 150 miles by 150 miles) would generate enough power to meet all the electrical needs of the United States through 2030.”
Geo/Oceanic Thermal
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion: Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion or OTEC, is a novel approach to renewable energy that exploits the natural temperature gradients in specific locations in our oceans. The system is relatively simple. The power plants consist of an all weather, hurricane proof platform that is located in the ocean where warm and cold ocean currents meet. Warm surface water is used by the plant to heat propane, which boils to turn turbines that generate electricity. The propane is then condensed through cold water harvested from lower ocean currents. The propane is then recycled, evaporated and condensed, forming a closed system that can generate up to 100 megawatts.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems: The amount of energy contained just below the earth’s surface is nearly limitless and if tapped could provide a singular solution to the world’s energy needs. The concept has such great potential that it has caught the attention of Google, who is privately funding its research and development. The system works by drilling a well several kilometers into the earth’s crust. Water is then injected into the well where it fractures the deep rocks, creating pockets from which steam is generated as additional water is pumped into the well. The steam is then extracted through pipes where it turns turbines to create electricity. The water is then recycled back into the well where it is reheated and reused.
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