That's huge amount of energy!!!

This article by Sean Quigley throws light on usage of fuel cells as a source of backup energy to increase reliability of telecommunication in remote places. 

Fuel cells need hydrogen as a fuel which can be provided in canisters or can be produced on site by various methods.

Generally, companies use diesel generators or batteries as a source for backup energy for the cell tower. Fuel cell could be a better replacement for various reasons. Firstly, fuel cells are a clean source of energy, unlike diesel generators. The end product is just water. Secondly, though initial setup might be expensive, the maintenance costs are much lower when compared to other energy sources. With the benefit of tax credit, fuel cells are an overall advantage for an enterprise. Thirdly, fuel cells are more efficient than other energy sources. Diesel generators operates around 22 percent efficiency whereas fuel cells can go upto 90 percent efficiency under the optimum conditions. Lastly, fuel cells, when compared to other energy sources tend to be more reliable during natural disasters. There have been several instances in the past to prove this point.

Analysing all the features of fuel cell, we can arrive at a conclusion that fuel cells are the perfect energy source replacement, not only for telecommunication, but also in various other fields. With the rapid depletion in fossil fuels, fuel cell provides us with clean, efficient, and a renewable form of energy.

A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction of positively charged hydrogen ions with oxygen or another oxidizing agent.

Environmental impacts from the solar energy technologies-

*Reduction in the production of greenhouse gases.

*Land use-depends on the purpose to use solar panels.(also on topography, the amount of sunlight at that particular area)

*No noise from this form unlike the conventional methods.(noise from gas turbines, windmills)

*socio-economic benefits such as significant job opportunities, reduced dependence on fossil fuels(as they are imported).

It has its disadvantages too but very minimal which can be minimized.This includes weather conditions(if its cloudy then the amount of sunlight trapped is less), discharge of coolants which can pollute the water. Technology in the solar power industry is constantly advancing and improvements will intensify in the future. Innovations in quantum physics and nanotechnology can potentially increase the effectiveness of solar panels and double, or even triple, the electrical input of the solar power systems.

1. What is the fuel needed for fuel cell and by what methods can it be provided?

A. Fuel cells use pure hydrogen gas as their fuel and it can be obtained by various means. It can be delivered by hydrogen producing plant in canisters. It can be produced on site by thermochemical processes that use heat and chemical reactions to release hydrogen from organic materials such as biomass.

2. Why is a fuel cell more efficient than other energy sources?

A. Fuels cells use electrochemical reactions to produce a potential difference to produce electricity, where as other form of energy sources have moving components like turbines, pumps, etc., that dissipate a certain amount of energy. Fuel cells don't have moving parts and hence are more efficient

3. What would be the annual maintenance costs for the fuel cell setup for a cellphone tower?

A. The telecom tower industry in India is estimated to consume over 2.5 billion litres of diesel annually making it the second largest consumer of diesel in the country. This business continuity service results in a revenue under-recovery (revenue loss) of INR 14.64 per litre of diesel to the public sector oil marketers totalling to approximately INR 3,660 Crore (USD 732 million approx) annually. (Source: http://www.gsma.com/membership/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/true-cost-providing-energy-telecom-towers-india.pdf ) . Fuel cells wouldn't account for such high costs.

Q-What are the advancements in the design of solar panels?                                                      A-The solar panels are designed in parabolic and hemispherical shape to maximise the amount of sunlight falling on it. The latest design has reflectors around the setup to concentrate the energy on the solar panel.

http://geo-energy.org/Basics.aspx

Working of geothermal plants:

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/how-geothermal-energy-works.html#.VhKfhvmqpBc

Photographs:

www.ucsusa.org

www.carbonneutral.com

* With increasing fossil fuel prices and limitations on the emission of greenhouse gases, development of geothermal energy has become more competitive, as a renewable and ‘green’ energy resource.

* Some of the legal issues raised by geothermal energy resources include questions of ownership and allocation of the resource, the grant of exploration permits, exploitation rights, royalties, and the extent to which geothermal energy issues have been recognized in existing planning and environmental laws.

* By using geothermal sources of energy present generations of humans will not endanger the capability of future generations to use their own resources to the same amount that those energy sources are presently used. Further, due to its low emissions geothermal energy is considered to have excellent potential for mitigation of global warming.

If I said up to 500% efficient, would you believe me? Yes that’s right. Depending on individual circumstances savings can be that high. On average though operating costs with heat pumps are about 75% less than electric heating devices and 50% less than air source heat pumps. Cooling costs are 25% - 50% lower when compared to conventional air conditioners. In addition, because hot water is supplied by the heat pump at these efficiency and higher, your overall savings are increased even more.

Q- Why is geothermal energy a renewable source of energy?

Because its source is the almost unlimited amount of heat generated by the Earth's core. Even in geothermal areas dependent on a reservoir of hot water, the volume taken out can be re injected, making it a sustainable energy source.

Q-What does a system like this cost? How long is the payback period for your geothermal heat pump system?

A search through internet gave results of various articles and research in this field. Eliminating the complicated ones, I could obtain an article where the scope of usage is immense. I collected data based on working principle as videos from internet.

A search through internet gave various articles and research in this search. Skimming through the various articles, I found an article which would give a  better insight about the topic. I gathered information about the topic and learned about the research going in this field. I collected data in various forms such as images, videos, articles.

Basic Principle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/fuel-cell.htm

Photographs: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Solid_oxide_fuel_cell_protonic.svg/220px-Solid_oxide_fuel_cell_protonic.svg.png

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Fuel_cell_NASA_p48600ac.jpg/250px-Fuel_cell_NASA_p48600ac.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Water_fuel_cell_capacitor.png

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imV_ufIzxPY

Article: Telecom Era: April/May 2013 Issue

http://www.powerfromthesun.net/Book/chapter09/chapter09.html

http://is.njit.edu/competition/2009/Cat2_2_Winner_Group142/about.html

http://redrok.com/neat.htm

Principle of working: 

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2002/solarcells/

Photograph:

http://solargis.info

http://www.seia.org/policy/solar-technology/concentrating-solar-power

Article:

http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol

(1-Strongly agree 2-Agree 3-Neutral 4-Disagree 5-Strongly Disagree)

Q-Will Solar Panels have a negative impact on the environment?

Q-Can Solar energy solve the problem of energy crisis?

Q-What factors prevent you from installing solar panels?

1-Affordability 2-Inconvience 3-Lack of Awareness 4-Other(Please Specify)

Q- How can we bring down the cost of solar panels? (answer in words)

Thank You for sharing your thoughts.

A survey plays a vital role in understanding the point of views of the target audience, which in my case are engineers. So this survey will enlighten us with the knowledge of the obstacles that engineers would face while designing.

Q. If a fuel cell could give us more efficient and clean power, why would you chose a traditional combustion method as energy source for various purposes?

Q. What are the design obstacles that you would face if you used a fuel cell instead of a battery in a automobile?

Cladding-the application of one material over another to control the infiltration of weather elements.

Benign- gentle and kind

Heliostat- device that includes a mirror, which turns so as to keep reflecting sunlight towards a predetermined target, compensating for the sun's apparent motions in the sky.

Vexation- the state of being annoyed, frustrated, or worried.

Electroyzer: Device that produces hydrogen gas by the electrolysis of water.

Automotive industry

Telecommunication

Emergency power supply for residential as well as industrial use.

Using modified solar panels in the place of asphalt concrete for the construction of roads.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/16952/shirdis-solar-cooker-finds-place.htm

lhttp://www.extremetech.com/extreme/194313-the-netherlands-has-laid-the-worlds-first-solar-road-we-go-eyes-on-to-investigate

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X1500420X

Feasibility of the application in automotive industry is questionable. With hydrogen, one of the most inflammable gases right under you, there would be a concern for safety. However, the new methods of producing hydrogen from methanol does revive the fuel cells application but is yet to be seen in real. Use of fuel cells in Telecommunication and emergency power supply proved to be a very feasible from the information that we have. With energy provided by fossil fuels replenishing , the future of fuel cell usage has just begun and is going to increase in the years to come.

Though, applications in telecommunication and emergency power supply prove to a feasible option, applications in automotive industry is still under development and the present technology creates safety concerns in the minds of people.

Fumarole,vent in the Earth’s surface from which steam and volcanic gases are emitted.

The most common use of geothermal energy is for heating residential districts and businesses. The first U.S. district to use geothermal energy for heating dates back to 1893.

A geothermal heating system can fully replace a natural gas or oil heating system. In combination with a photovoltaic system, you can reduce the annual costs by more than 60 percent and also reduce CO2 emissions.

Investing in a geothermal system is profitable both from and economical and an environmental perspective.

• Flashed Steam Plants — The water “flash” boils and the steam is used to turn turbines.
• Dry Steam Plants — These plants rely on the natural steam that comes from the underground reservoirs to generate electricity.
• Binary Power Plants — These plants use the water to heat a “secondary liquid” which vaporizes and turns the turbines. The vaporized liquid is then condensed and reused.
• Hybrid Power Plants — In these plants, binary and flash techniques are utilized simultaneously.

Geothermal energy is also used to heat sidewalks and roads in order to prevent freezing in the winter.

Take this survey to help us in developing further plans to implement the project.

Q-Will harnessing heat energy from earth have a negative impact in the longer run?

Q-What factors will prevent you from installing a geothermal energy harnessing?

Q-Can the project be implemented on a larger scale?

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/take-a-look-at-the-worlds-largest-solar-thermal-farm-91577483/?no-ist

http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/ivanpah-solar-project#.VhVLi1Sqqko

A. Fuel cell is still under development. With not much knowledge about the efficiency and reliability of fuel cells, engineers tend to take a more traditional route in providing energy to their product that they develop.

A. Hydrogen fuel cells need hydrogen as fuel which needs to be provided by canisters or produced onsite. Transportation and storage of hydrogen would pose an issue. Hence, designers want to keep their design user friendly and hence they would use energy sources that are easily available.

Q1- 4, It is very minimal

Q2- 1

Q3- Affordability

Q4- Govt. can provide subsidy on solar panels. Eliminating Silicon wafer is essential in bring the price down. In order to increase its efficiency, the following method could be used:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X1500420X

http://www.innovation-america.org/reducing-cost-solar-cells