General Project Description
Thoughtful management of energy consumption can generate considerable energy savings for consumers. However, several obstacles hinder the establishment of an effective energy management system, especially the unavailability of qualified resources and lack of access to information necessary for its establishment. Read More »
INTRODUCTION
National energy security, rising energy prices, increasingly competitive global markets, and stringent regulations for environmental emissions are the primary driving forces in the search for sustainable and economically viable technologies that incorporate efficient and clean approaches to energy conversion and utilization. Internal combustion (IC) engines are the prime movers of choice when high power densities and efficiencies are desirable. Because of relatively cheap fuel prices in the last few decades, IC engines had been optimized for high power densities and low emissions. However, in recent years, with escalating fuel prices and concerns about sustainability, engine efficiency has assumed greater importance. Read More »
INTRODUCTION
Mass rapid transport systems (MRTSs) are needed to support sprawling growth in urban India. Inadequate MRTSs have led to a rise in the use of personal vehicles, causing an increase in road congestion, delays, fuel use and environmental pollution. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is changing the face of transportation in that city with the launch of its Metro Rail project. The DMRC’s mission is to cover the New Delhi area with a metro rail network, planned in four phases, with a target date of 2021 for completion of the last phase. Read More »
Power boilers consist basically of a steam generator, a steam turbine–driven generator for electric power generation, and a turbine effluent steam condenser, which in most cases is cooled by water.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether air instead of water cooling of a coal-fired boiler steam condenser is a desirable option in cases in which the boiler must be sited remote from its source of fuel. For a coal-fired power plant, for example, it is not uncommon to locate the plant a considerable distance from the coal mine and transport the coal by rail to the plant. This may be necessary to obtain an acceptable supply of water that is suited to the needs of the boiler, for steam production, and for condensation of the steam turbine effluent. Read More »
Building momentum through word of mouth, the product development group at Graco has been adding CFD analysis to its early engineering workflows with big results.
Getting engineers to switch tools or change their work habits is never an easy task. Management may mandate a move to a particular piece of software or make modifications to the engineering workflow, but that top-down approach often is met with resistance, jeopardizing the overall product development goals. Read More »
Introduction
As the supply of fossil fuels decreases, it is possible that future stationary or mobile energy systems will use hydrogen fuel cells. This article outlines some rules of thumb for fuel cells and describes the basic calculations required to size a fuel cell appropriately and determine hydrogen fuel requirements. Read More »
Renewed World Energies applies time-tested engineering strategies to the design of its cutting-edge algae bioreactor.
Among the general public, interest in alternative fuels tends to rise and fall with each tick in the price of traditional gasoline. However, the growing importance of energy security and environmental protection means that alternative fuels are here to stay. The real question nowadays is which types of alternative fuels will have the greatest staying power.
On that score, biofuels derived from algae have a lot going for them. Algae are inherently renewable, require little energy to produce compared with other bio feedstocks, and do not take agricultural land out of food production. When grown under the proper conditions, algae can produce large quantities of oil that can be harvested and then converted into a variety of biofuels, including green diesel and a even a bio-based jet fuel.
INTRODUCTION
Renewable alternative energy sources are becoming more economically viable, partly as a result of concerns about the effect of CO2 from fossil fuel on global warming and the rising cost of oil and natural gas. Biogas from the anaerobic digestion of organic waste from livestock operations and food processing has long been used as a source of fuel in developing countries such as China and India.
New advances in aerobic digesters and biogas cleaning technology over the last few years have led countries such as Germany to forecast that 17% of their energy requirements for natural gas will be supplied from biogas by the year 2020. Read More »
INTRODUCTION
The term CCHP (combined cooling, heating, and power) is used to describe all electrical power generation systems that utilize recoverable waste heat for space heating, cooling, and domestic hot water purposes. The main difference between CCHP systems and the typical methods of electrical generation is the utilization of the waste heat rejected from the prime mover to satisfy the thermal demand of a facility. Read More »
Problem Description
This article describes the performance of a novel vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). The Zephyr VAWT has a patented stator cage that can increase the turbine’s performance through the creation of low-pressure vortices. The patented features of the turbine allow it to perform in both low-wind and high-turbulence conditions; however, a relatively low maximum efficiency is exhibited by the current prototype design. A problem arises when incoming air is diverted away from the convex sides of the rotors, reducing opposing forces to the direction of rotation; however, the solidity (blockage) is increased, reducing the overall flow through the turbine. Read More »
