Types of energy: traditional and alternative. Energy of the future

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

All existing areas of energy can be conditionally divided into mature, developing and being in the stage of theoretical study. Some technologies are available for implementation even in a private economy, while others can only be used within the framework of industrial support. It is possible to consider and evaluate modern types of energy from different positions, but universal criteria for economic feasibility and production efficiency are of fundamental importance. In many respects, the concepts of using traditional and alternative energy generation technologies diverge today in these parameters.

Traditional Energy

This is a wide layer of established heat and power industries, providing about 95% of the world's energy consumers. The generation of the resource takes place at special stations - these are the objects of thermal power plants, hydroelectric power stations, nuclear power plants, etc. They work with a ready-made raw material base, during the processing of which target energy is generated. The following stages of energy production are distinguished:

• Production, preparation and delivery of raw materials toobject of production of one or another type of energy. These can be processes of extraction and enrichment of fuel, combustion of petroleum products, etc.
• Transfer of raw materials to units and assemblies that directly convert energy.
• Processes of energy conversion from primary to secondary. These cycles are not present at all stations, but, for example, for the convenience of delivery and subsequent distribution of energy, various forms of it can be used - mainly heat and electricity.
• Maintenance of finished converted energy, its transmission and distribution.

At the final stage, the resource is sent to end users, which can be both sectors of the national economy and ordinary homeowners.

Thermal power industry

The most common energy industry in Russia. Thermal power plants in the country produce more than 1,000 MW using coal, gas, oil products, shale deposits and peat as feedstock. The generated primary energy is further converted into electricity. Technologically, such stations have a lot of advantages, which determine their popularity. These include undemanding to operating conditions and ease of technical organization of the workflow.

Thermal power facilities in the form of condensing facilities and combined heat and power plants can be built directly in the areas where the consumable resource is extracted or where the consumer is located. Seasonal fluctuations do not affect the stability of the stations, which makes suchenergy sources are reliable. But TPPs also have disadvantages, which include the use of exhaustible fuel resources, environmental pollution, the need to connect large amounts of labor resources, etc.

Hydropower

Hydraulic structures in the form of energy substations are designed to generate electricity as a result of converting the energy of the water flow. That is, the technological process of generation is provided by a combination of artificial and natural phenomena. During operation, the station creates a sufficient pressure of water, which is then directed to the turbine blades and activates the electric generators. Hydrological types of energy differ in the type of units used, the configuration of the interaction of equipment with natural water flows, etc. According to performance indicators, the following types of hydropower plants can be distinguished:

• Small - generate up to 5 MW.
• Medium - up to 25 MW.
• Powerful - more than 25 MW.

A classification is also applied depending on the force of water pressure:

• Low-pressure stations - up to 25 m.
• Medium pressure - from 25 m.
• High-pressure - above 60 m.

The advantages of hydroelectric power plants include environmental friendliness, economic availability (free energy), inexhaustible working resource. At the same time, hydraulic structures require large initial costs for the technical organization of the storage infrastructure, and also have restrictions ongeographic location of stations - only where rivers provide sufficient water pressure.

Nuclear power industry

In a sense, this is a subtype of thermal energy, but in practice, the performance indicators of nuclear power plants are an order of magnitude higher than thermal power plants. Russia uses full cycles of nuclear power generation, which allows generating large amounts of energy resources, but there are also huge risks of using uranium ore processing technologies. Discussion of safety issues and popularization of the tasks of this industry, in particular, is carried out by ANO "Information Center for Nuclear Energy", which has representative offices in 17 regions of Russia.

The reactor plays a key role in the execution of nuclear energy generation processes. This is a unit designed to support the reactions of fission of atoms, which, in turn, are accompanied by the release of thermal energy. There are different types of reactors, differing in the type of fuel and coolant used. The most commonly used configuration is with a light water reactor using ordinary water as a coolant. Uranium ore is the main processing resource in the nuclear power industry. For this reason, nuclear power plants are usually designed to locate reactors close to uranium deposits. Today, there are 37 reactors in operation in Russia, the total generation capacity of which is about 190 billion kWh/year.

Characteristics of alternative energy

Almost all sources of alternative energy compare favorablyfinancial affordability and environmental friendliness. In fact, in this case, the processed resource (oil, gas, coal, etc.) is replaced with natural energy. This may be sunlight, wind currents, earth heat and other natural sources of energy, with the exception of hydrological resources, which are now considered traditional. Alternative energy concepts have existed for a long time, but to this day they occupy a small share in the total world energy supply. Delays in the development of these industries are associated with problems in the technological organization of electricity generation processes.

But what is the reason for the active development of alternative energy today? To a large extent, the need to reduce the rate of environmental pollution and environmental problems in general. Also, in the near future, humanity may face the depletion of traditional resources used in energy production. Therefore, even despite the organizational and economic obstacles, more and more attention is paid to projects for the development of alternative forms of energy.

Geothermal Energy

One of the most common ways to get energy at home. Geothermal energy is generated in the process of accumulation, transfer and transformation of the internal heat of the Earth. On an industrial scale, underground rocks are serviced at depths of up to 2-3 km, where the temperature can exceed 100°C. As for the individual use of geothermal systems, surface accumulators are more often used, located not in wells at depth, buthorizontally. Unlike other approaches to generating alternative energy, almost all geothermal energy sources in the production cycle do without a conversion step. That is, primary thermal energy in the same form is supplied to the end consumer. Therefore, such a concept as geothermal heating systems is used.

Solar energy

One of the oldest alternative energy concepts, using photovoltaic and thermodynamic systems as storage equipment. To implement the photoelectric generation method, converters of the energy of light photons (quanta) into electricity are used. Thermodynamic installations are more functional and, due to solar flows, can generate both heat with electricity and mechanical energy to create a driving force.

The schemes are quite simple, but there are many problems in the operation of such equipment. This is due to the fact that solar energy, in principle, is characterized by a number of features: instability due to daily and seasonal fluctuations, dependence on the weather, low density of light fluxes. Therefore, at the design stage of solar panels and batteries, much attention is paid to the study of meteorological factors.

Wave energy

The process of generating electricity from the waves occurs as a result of the transformation of the energy of the tide. At the heart of most power plants of this type is a pool,which is organized either during the separation of the mouth of the river, or by blocking the bay with a dam. Culverts with hydraulic turbines are arranged in the formed barrier. As the water level changes during high tides, the turbine blades rotate, which contributes to the generation of electricity. In part, this type of energy is similar to the principles of operation of hydroelectric power plants, but the mechanics of interaction with the water resource itself has significant differences. Wave stations can be used on the coasts of the seas and oceans, where the water level rises to 4 m, making it possible to generate power up to 80 kW/m. The lack of such structures is due to the fact that culverts disrupt the exchange of fresh and sea water, and this negatively affects the life of marine organisms.

Wind energy

Another method of generating electricity available for use in private households, characterized by technological simplicity and economic affordability. The kinetic energy of air masses acts as a processed resource, and an engine with rotating blades acts as a battery. Typically, wind energy uses electric current generators, which are activated as a result of the rotation of vertical or horizontal rotors with propellers. An average domestic station of this type is capable of generating 2-3 kW.

Energy technologies of the future

According to experts, by 2100 the combined share of coal and oil in the global balance will be about 3%, which should push back thermonuclear energyas a secondary source of energy resources. Solar stations should take the first place, as well as new concepts for converting space energy based on wireless transmission channels. The processes of becoming the energy of the future should begin as early as 2030, when the period of abandonment of hydrocarbon fuel sources and the transition to "clean" and renewable resources will come.

Russian Energy Outlook

The future of domestic energy is mainly associated with the development of traditional ways of transforming natural resources. The key place in the industry will have to be occupied by nuclear power, but in a combined version. The infrastructure of nuclear power plants will have to be supplemented by elements of hydraulic engineering and means of processing environmentally friendly biofuels. Not the last place in the possible development prospects is given to solar batteries. In Russia, even today, this segment offers many attractive ideas - in particular, panels that can work even in winter. Batteries convert the energy of light as such, even without a thermal load.

Conclusion

Modern problems of energy supply put the largest states before a choice between power and environmental cleanliness of heat and electricity generation. Most of the developed alternative energy sources, with all their advantages, are not able to fully replace traditional resources, which, in turn, can be used for several more decades. Therefore, the energy of the future is manyexperts present it as a kind of symbiosis of various concepts of energy generation. Moreover, new technologies are expected not only at the industrial level, but also in households. In this regard, one can note the gradient-temperature and biomass principles of energy generation.