There are enough problems in the modern world. Despite the predictions of science fiction writers, people have not been able to overcome hunger, and infectious diseases to this day pose a deadly threat to the life and he alth of those living on Earth. But the main problem is the depletion of resources that give energy to our civilization. A new non-traditional source of energy can become a way out. What is meant by this concept?
What is this?
Simply put, an unconventional energy source is a way of obtaining it, which is not used on an industrial scale, is experimental and is only being prepared for wider use around the world. But the main distinguishing feature of such methods of obtaining energy is their complete environmental safety and renewability.
These may include wind farms, solar panels, tidal power plants. In addition, the same class may includebiogas plants, as well as promising projects of thermonuclear plants (albeit at a stretch).
Solar energy
This unconventional energy source can only relatively be called "unconventional". The only reason is that at present the technology of using solar energy on Earth is not too developed: the pollution of the atmosphere affects, and solar cells are still very expensive. Space is a different matter. Solar panels are available on all spacecraft and regularly provide their equipment with free energy.
It is not to be assumed that this "non-traditional" energy source has caught the attention of people only in our time. The sun has been a free source of heat since ancient times. Even the civilization of Sumer used containers on the roofs of houses in which water was heated on hot summer days.
In principle, since then the situation has not changed much: this area of energy is effectively developed only in those countries where there are deserted and hot regions. For example, most of Israel and California in the United States receives energy generated by solar panels. This method has many advantages: modern photovoltaic cells are characterized by increased efficiency, so that every year the world will be able to produce more and more completely clean and safe energy.
Unfortunately, the price of the technology (as we have already talked about) is still high, and the production of batteries uses such toxic elements that we can talk about some kind of ecologyit becomes completely pointless. The Japanese act somewhat differently, widely using non-traditional and renewable energy sources in practice.
Japanese experience
Of course, solar panels are more or less heavily used in Japan as well. But in recent years they have returned to a practice with a thousand-year history: reservoirs and black pipes are installed on the roofs of houses, the water in which is heated by the sun's rays. Given the dire energy situation in this island nation, the cost savings are substantial.
At the moment, analysts believe that by 2025 solar energy will take socially significant positions in most countries of the world. In short, the use of non-traditional energy sources in the next 50-70 years should become massive.
Biogas
All large human settlements from time immemorial faced one common problem - waste. Entire rivers of sewage became even more when man tamed cattle and pigs and began to massively raise them.
When there was not much waste, it could be used to fertilize the fields. But at that moment, when the number of the same pigs began to number in the millions, it was necessary to somehow resolve the issue. The fact is that fresh feces of this species of animals are simply toxic to plants. To make them useful, you need to withstand the slurry, aerate it and partially use drugs to stabilize the pH level. It's very expensive.
Biogas is the oldesttrend
Scientists quickly drew attention to the experience of ancient China and India, where even before our era, people began to use methane obtained by rotting household waste. Then it was used most often for cooking.
Gas losses were very large, but it was enough to simplify homework. By the way, in these countries such solutions are actively used to this day. Thus, biogas as an unconventional energy source has great prospects, if we approach the issue using modern technologies.
A technology for processing wastewater from livestock enterprises was proposed, as a result of which pure methane was obtained at the output. The problem of its development is that it is possible to create such enterprises only in regions with developed animal husbandry. In addition, the prospects for increasing biogas production are lower the more antibiotics and detergents are used in agricultural enterprises: even a small amount of them inhibits fermentation, as a result of which all manure is covered with mold.
Wind generators
Remember Don Quixote with his "giants"? The idea of using the power of the wind has long excited the minds of scientists, and therefore very soon they found a way out: windmills began to regularly provide the rapidly growing urban population with first-class flour.
Of course, when the first electric current generators appeared, the minds of scientists again took possession of the same idea. How can you not want to use the unlimited power of the windto get free current?
This idea was quickly put into practice, and therefore in Japan, Denmark, Ireland and the USA there are now quite a few areas, the supply of which is 80 percent or more with electricity through the use of windmills. In the USA and Israel today there are already more than a dozen companies that develop and install wind generators - this is a very promising non-traditional source of energy. The definition of "unconventional" is not very appropriate here, since wind energy has a long history.
There are also enough problems in their case. Of course, electricity is free, but to install a windmill, again, you need a desert area where the wind blows most of the year. In addition, the cost of manufacturing and installing a powerful generator (with a mast height of several tens of meters) amounts to tens of thousands of dollars. And therefore, far from all countries can afford "free" electricity, in which the very possibility of generating electricity by wind power is quite real.
Fusion energy
This is the ultimate dream of many modern physicists. Work on curbing the thermonuclear reaction began back in the 50s of the last century, but so far an operating reactor has not been obtained. However, the news from these fronts is quite optimistic: scientists suggest that in the next 20-30 years they will still be able to create a working prototype.
By the way, why is this area of science so important? The fact is that when two atoms of hydrogen or helium merge, it forms inhundreds of thousands of times more energy than if several thousand uranium nuclei had decayed! The reserves of transuranium elements are large, but they are gradually depleted. If hydrogen is used to generate energy, its reserves on our planet alone will last for hundreds of thousands of years.
Imagine a compact reactor that can operate without refueling for several decades, fully providing electricity to a huge alien base! A thermonuclear non-traditional energy source is a practical chance for all mankind, giving an opportunity to start a wide space exploration.
Unfortunately, the technology has a lot of shortcomings. Firstly, there is still not a single working prototype, and breakthroughs in this direction were very, very long ago. Since then, little has been heard of any real success.
Secondly, the fusion of light nuclei produces a huge amount of light neutrons. Even rough calculations show that the elements of the reactor in just five years will become so radioactive that their materials will begin to break down, completely degenerating. In a word, this technology is extremely imperfect, and its prospects are still vague. However, even if at least rough calculations are correct, then this unconventional alternative energy source can certainly become a real salvation for our entire civilization.
Tide Stations
In the myths and traditions of the peoples of the world, you can find a lot of references to thosedivine forces that govern the ebb and flow. Man was in awe of the gigantic power that could set such masses of water in motion.
Of course, with the development of industry, people again turned their eyes to tidal energy, which made it possible to create power plants that largely repeat the ideas of long-tested and well-proven hydroelectric power plants. The advantages are cheap energy, the complete absence of hazardous waste and the need to flood land, as is the case with hydroelectric power plants. The disadvantage is the high cost of construction.
Conclusions
As a result, we can say that non-traditional renewable energy sources can provide humanity with inexpensive and clean electricity by about 70%, but for their mass use it is necessary to reduce the cost of technology.
