Alternative Energy

1. Alternative Energy Alternative Energy Sources Tides Biomass Fuel Cells By: Sam Born and Scott Myers

2. Tides Discovery of Tides • In the seventeenth century, Sir Isaac Newton discovered that tides are caused by a gravitational pull exerted by the moon • This pull has a very small effect on the landmasses on Earth, but since the oceans’ waters are liquid, this pull effects the movement of the water, therefore causing tides • Sir Isaac Newton also found that when the gravitational pull is exerted, the oceans bulge outward • These bulges, which are located along an invisible line pointing towards the moon, are called lunar tides • Lunar tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational pull of the moon

3. Tides Creating Tidal Power • Tidal power is the use of the ocean’s tides to generate energy and eventually electricity • Tidal power is converted from kinetic energy into mechanical energy when the flow of the tides spin the underwater rotors of the generator • The energy collected in the rotors then moves to a gearbox where extra gears help produce more energy (similar to wind turbines). The energy is then converted to electricity and brought through underground wires back to land. • Two main types of turbines: • 1. Tidal Barrage – a barrier that traps water at high tide, creating a tidal basin • 2. Tidal Stream Generator – a turbine with underwater rotors that converts tidal power to energy

4. Tides

5. Tides Current Uses • The first tidal power station was set up in La Rance River, France in 1966 • Major producers of tidal power are France, United Kingdom, Russia, Canada, and Australia • Only 22 sites in the world were declared fit for a tidal power plant • Tidal power is not common because many countries do not want to spend a lot of money on plants

6. Tides Advantages and Disadvantages

7. Tides

8. Biomass

9. Biomass Basic Biomass • Biomass is a clean renewable energy from organic material • Biomass energy usually comes from wood, waste, alcohol fuels, crops, and landfill gases • Biomass fuel can be taken from dead material • Plants and trees die from natural causes • Because we are going to continue making waste products, and plants and trees are going to continue dying, Biomass is renewable.

10. Biomass How Biomass Works • The waste or wood is gathered in trucks and transported to a biomass plant • At the plant, the waste is fed into furnaces • The heat is then used to boil water and the energy from the steam is used to rotate turbines and generators • The turbines produce electricity which is then distributed through the power grid to towns and cities

11. Biomass

12. Biomass Current Uses • The top producer of biomass energy is Finland. 20% of Finland’s energy is biomass • Other nations include Sweden, Austria, United States, and Brazil • Biomass energy is a good alternative for fossil fuels because it burns cleaner

13. Biomass Advantages and Disadvantages

14. Fuel Cells Basics of Fuel Cells • A fuel cell is a device that chemically combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity • Two by-products are water and heat • It is a developing resource

15. Fuel Cells Creating Energy • Electricity is generated from fuel by combining the hydrogen and oxygen moleculesfound in the fuel • A fuel cell consists of two electrodes, an anode and a cathode • Electrodes are electrical conductors used in circuits • The hydrogen molecules react at the anode and the oxygen reacts at the cathode • The cells then release their by-products of water and heat

16. Fuel Cells Current Uses • The idea of fuel cells is being tested all around the world to power vehicles and some appliances • The United States leads the world in amount of fuel cell research • Other countries include Japan, China, Germany, Republic of Korea, and Canada • Fuel cell energy has been used to power cars and is being tested in appliances like vacuums, cell phones, etc.

17. Fuel Cells

18. Fuel Cells Advantages and Disadvantages

19. Vocabulary Lunar Tides: The rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational pull of the moon Tidal Barrage: A barrier that traps water at high tide, creating a tidal basin Tidal Stream Generator: A turbine with underwater rotors that converts tidal power to energy Biomass: A clean renewable energy from organic material Electrodes: Electrical conductors used in the circuits of fuel cells

20. Quiz Q. What is biomass energy? Biomass is a clean renewable energy from organic material Q. Where was the first tidal power station built? La Rance, France Q. Name one advantage of fuel cells. A. Quiet, durable, high efficiency, reliable, can be any size, eliminates pollution Q. What are the two by-products of fuel cell energy? A. Water and Heat

21. Quiz Q. Name a disadvantage to tidal power. Expensive, hard to find location, bad for sea environment, disrupts tidal cycles, reduces ocean kinetic energy Q. Why is biomass a good alternative for fossil fuels? It burns cleaner Q. TRUE OR FALSE: Electrodes are electrical conductors used in Coal power plants. False Q. Who discovered that tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon? A. Sir Isaac Newton