abstract

Energy of the future. Alternative methods of the future

Plan

Towards the solar era of energy

Thermonuclear fusion

high altitude wind

space mirror

Nanotech solar cells

global supernet

Waves and tides

Microbiological Energy

The creation of nuclear technology is rightfully recognized as a revolution in the energy sector, and its creators argue, not without reason, that nuclear energy should and will become the core of the energy industry of the future. So is it possible under these conditions to talk about some kind of "solar age" of energy? Yes, until quite recently such talk would have been groundless. But today, with the rapid reduction of easily accessible reserves of oil and gas and the constant tightening of requirements for the chemical, radiation and thermal purity of energy production, it is already obvious that soon the development of terrestrial energy will be constrained not by technical, but by environmental barriers, and powerful thermonuclear power plants will most likely have to be located outside the Earth. At the same time, there is a rapid improvement in the processes of capturing and converting solar energy that is absolutely clean in all respects.

Even more remarkable prospects are opening up for solar energy in space. It is no coincidence that Academician M. V. Keldysh was very concerned about the development of this direction, being the head of the Soviet space program. “At his meetings,” recalls Academician V.S. Avduevsky, “various options for the design of orbital solar power plants, methods for launching and assembling in space, issues of creating films for solar batteries, problems of converting energy and transferring it to Earth, taking into account environmental protection and economic effect”.

Nowadays, the problem of mastering the solar energy of space is becoming one of the main incentives for the development of extraterrestrial production, just as at the end of the last century it served as the basis for the very birth of scientific astronautics. Then K. E. Tsiolkovsky was amazed at the well-known fact that almost all the energy of the Sun is wasted uselessly for people, and purposefully began to look for a way to master all this energy. As a result, he created the theory of jet propulsion and invented a liquid fuel rocket as a real means of space flight. The dream of flying to the stars has turned into a science - theoretical astronautics. Published in 1912, the second part of his seminal work, Exploration of World Spaces with Reactive Devices, Tsiolkovsky concluded with the words: “Reactive devices will conquer boundless spaces for people and give solar energy two billion times greater than that which humanity has on Earth.

The best part of mankind, in all probability, will never perish, but will move from sun to sun as they fade.

The historical optimism of Tsiolkovsky's teachings inspired many to work selflessly to implement his ideas. And in the USSR, after the victory of October, these ideas received nationwide recognition, circles, societies, groups for the study of interplanetary communications and jet propulsion began to appear throughout the country. Graduated engineers and scientists began to pay attention to the problem. One of them, academician D. A. Grave, in 1925 considered it necessary to encourage astronautics enthusiasts with his authoritative greeting, in which he wrote: “Circles for the exploration and conquest of world space are met with a somewhat skeptical attitude towards themselves in many public circles. It seems to people that we are talking about fantastic unsubstantiated projects of traveling through interplanetary space in the spirit of Jules Verne, Wells or Flammarion and other novelists in general.

A professional scientist, say, for example, an academician, of course, cannot support this point of view.

My sympathy for your circle rests on serious considerations. Already five years ago I pointed out in the pages of the Kommunist newspaper the need to use the electromagnetic energy of the Sun. At the same time, I was guided not by some fantastic considerations, but by the inexorable logic of the totality of facts ...

The only way of a practical approach to the use of the electromagnetic energy of the Sun is outlined by the Russian scientist K.E. Tsiolkovsky with the help of jet instruments or interplanetary vehicles, which have already been fully developed for these purposes and are the reality of tomorrow. So the organization of these circles is timely and expedient.”

Tsiolkovsky himself and his followers, in addition to the original goal of mastering the energy of the Sun, identified for astronautics many other, relatively more easily achievable and therefore more relevant goals and objectives for the exploration and development of outer space in the interests of science and the national economy, which became the main incentive for the rapid development of rocket -space technology. But the founder of astronautics constantly drew attention to the problems associated with the solution of the original goal. Here are snippets of his work.

1920 Electric current can be obtained in the ether in the same variety of ways as on Earth. Directly with the help of solar heat, with the help of thermoelectric batteries. The latter will be uneconomical, although over time, perhaps, they will find such substances for thermoelectric batteries, which will turn almost all the heat of the Sun into electricity.

More reliable for generating electricity are solar engines that can utilize a very high percentage (up to 50 or more) of solar energy. The essence of their device is the same as ordinary steam engines with a refrigerator ... As on Earth, a large multi-power engine almost completely converts its energy with the help of a dynamo into electricity.

1926 We can achieve the conquest of the solar system with a very affordable tactic. Let us first solve the easiest problem: to arrange an ethereal settlement near the Earth, as its satellite... Having settled here steadily and socially, having become accustomed to life on the ether, we will change our speed in an easier way, move away from the Earth and the Sun, generally walk around, where we like. Energy is all around in great abundance in the form of never quenching, continuous and virgin radiance of the Sun. There is as much of this energy as you like, and it is not difficult to capture it in a huge amount by conductors extended from the rocket or by other unknown means ...

1927 Solar energy is the main thing; only we do not know how to use it, and the atmosphere, the insignificant population (Tsiolkovsky believed that the population of the Earth in the future should increase many times over. - Note ed.), ignorance, and so on, hinders this. This energy is similar to electrical energy, and therefore means will be found to convert it almost entirely into mechanical, chemical, and other forms of energy. Only our ignorance makes us use fossil fuels. And how long will mineral fuel last?

1929 What benefits can mankind derive from the availability of heavenly spaces? Many imagine celestial ships with people traveling from planet to planet, the gradual settlement of the planets and the derivation from there of the benefits that ordinary earthly colonies give. Things will go far wrong. The main goal and the first achievements relate to the spread of man in the ether, the use of solar energy and the scattered masses everywhere. Of these, a sphere is created that a person can occupy! At twice the distance from the Sun, it is 2.2 billion times larger than the entire surface of the Earth. In the same amount, this sphere receives more solar energy compared to the Earth.

And so the space age of mankind predicted by Tsiolkovsky began. Although the flights of the first satellites pursued purely scientific goals, they breathed new life into solar energy. Already in 1958, the third Soviet and the first American satellites were equipped with solar panels. No other source of energy could compete with them under real multi-month space flight conditions. With the development of practical astronautics, solar generators were also rapidly improved. The experience of the Salyut-6 orbital station has shown that the problem of supplying electricity to very energy-intensive equipment of modern spacecraft using solar energy has been completely resolved. The successes of cosmonautics have opened up prospects for the creation in the future of grandiose space solar power plants (CES) to supply energy not only to devices and structures operating in orbits, but also to the Earth.

We have already written a little about the IES projects (see TM, No. 3, 1973), presenting them as a possible area for the development of space technology by 2050, but unlikely due to low economic efficiency. But perceptions are changing. Today, an opinion has been formed that the energy needs of mankind can make IES profitable already at the very beginning of the 21st century. As a result, this topic has become one of the most discussed at international and national congresses and symposiums on astronautics. For example, at the Tsiolkovsky readings in 1980 there were 5 scientific reports on IES.

The 26th CPSU Congress set the task, on the one hand, to concentrate efforts on the further study and exploration of outer space in the interests of the development of science, technology and the national economy, and on the other hand, to increase the scale of the use of renewable energy sources in the national economy. The implementation of his decisions will undoubtedly bring the time of the “solar era” of energy closer.

In early February 2006, under the chairmanship of the Russian Federation in the G8 and within the framework of the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy (IPHE), the world forum "Hydrogen Technologies for Energy Production" was held, the general sponsor of which was the National Innovation Company "New Energy Projects" and the MMC "Norilsk Nickel".

Probably, almost every person on Earth at least once entered into a discussion of the alternative energy of the future, wondering if this makes sense and is it worth it. The debate on this topic can be endlessly long. Now the development of alternative energy projects of the future is gaining momentum. Humanity is striving for a more comfortable and safer life. And its provision requires constant changes, discoveries and innovations. We want to live in a progressive world, while causing as little damage to the environment as possible, conserving and wisely using all kinds of resources.

Alternative energy sources of the future - fairy tale or reality?

Alternative and free energy of the future - does it sound like an attribute of science fiction, or is it an absolutely real and achievable goal in the coming years? Mankind has been engaged in research and development almost all the time of its existence. Starting from the invention of the wheel, continuing with electricity and approaching the use of the energy of the atom, people do not stop searching, creating and implementing more and more new devices, research methods and ways of functioning. Living comfortably and easily is the main goal of all these innovations and innovations.

One of such areas that can significantly change a person's life is the development of the energy of the future. Many sources are already used quite actively, some are only in general use, others are still at the development stage.

What do we know about alternative energy sources of the future?

• Solar energy.

Solar panels are now hardly anyone can be truly surprised. At the present time, this resource is used quite actively, albeit not everywhere. The mechanism of operation of such equipment is quite simple, but its price still does not allow anyone to use this type of autonomous energy supply.

Also, climatic conditions play a huge role in the productivity of solar panels. Indeed, in latitudes where most of the year is cold and cloudy, such equipment will be less effective than in hot and sunny regions.

• Wind power plants.

Another fairly popular source of alternative energy is wind. Such power plants are often found in rural areas and are often located in the fields, on the plains. Electricity is generated by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. This happens thanks to special generators. The blades of windmills rotate, receiving wind energy, after which it is processed into electricity that we use.

Unfortunately, the cost of this equipment is not publicly available, and climatic conditions also play a decisive role.

• Energy of geothermal sources.

The next type of energy resources is not as widely known as the previous two. However, it also has its place. Steam from hot springs is another option for providing alternative self-contained power. The principle of operation of equipment for obtaining such energy is that the turbines are driven by steam, after which electric generators begin to function.

This method cannot be widely used, since its operation is ensured only in the presence of geothermal sources.

In areas where there is access to the sea or ocean, the energy of water is successfully used. During high and low tides, the mechanical force of the water drives special turbines installed at the station. Then it is converted into electricity.

Such power plants are not so common. They may not always pay off well enough, and in some cases they are characterized by low efficiency.

Can alternative energy be effective for a private home?

If we consider the above energy resources, they are often used on an industrial scale to generate a large amount of energy that can ensure the operation of an entire enterprise or a small settlement. But is it possible to choose alternative energy sources for the home to meet the needs of, for example, one specific site?

The answer to this question is undeniably yes! If you correctly calculate the required amount of thermal or electrical energy, then you can find a way to meet this need through autonomous sources.

What resources can be used in this case?

• Sources of electricity can be photomodules or wind turbines. When choosing this or that equipment, it is very important to assess the climate in the area where the installation is supposed to be. Also, the calculation of the required amount of equipment to meet energy needs. And also how the operation of the devices themselves will be regulated.
• As for the provision of thermal energy, it is worth paying attention to solar collectors or solid fuel boilers. In this case, choosing the second option, you should take care of the availability of fuel. As for the reservoir, its productivity will change with the advent of a particular season. In this case, heat generation will be non-uniform throughout the year.

Thus, we see that alternative energy sources for a private home can be affordable and efficient. Nevertheless, for this it is necessary to competently conduct all preliminary studies of the area, assess energy consumption, analyze the productivity of a particular resource and select the most suitable equipment for all points and parameters. At the same time, the invested funds will benefit and pay off only if the equipment is used correctly and expediently.

What is the future of alternative energy, and does it exist?

Of course, the high cost of equipment and dependence on climatic conditions slightly slows down the wider adoption of renewable energy resources. Nevertheless, progress in this area is observed, moreover, very rapidly, even taking into account certain inconveniences and difficulties in the early stages.

Answering the question, “Does alternative energy sources have a future?”, we can say with confidence that it exists. It is important to note that this area includes not only the development of new resources, but also the optimization of existing potential. Energy generation is not a simple process in many respects and requires large investments and efforts. Therefore, in addition to the introduction of alternative energy for home or production, great attention is paid to the reconstruction of the old system of energy production and supply.

There are different opinions regarding the development of energy in the country. Some see that alternative resources will be more and more applicable in the future, while others are of the opinion that proven and tested sources are more reliable and profitable. There is a sound note in both positions, since pros and cons, advantageous and disadvantageous sides are found in any area. Therefore, it should be noted that the most competent solution will be the cumulative and optimized use of both innovative methods and time-tested and proven resources.

To solve the problem of the limited fossil fuels, researchers around the world are working to create and put into operation alternative energy sources. And we are talking not only about the well-known windmills and solar panels. Gas and oil can be replaced by energy from algae, volcanoes and human steps. Recycle has selected ten of the most exciting and clean energy sources of the future.

Joules from turnstiles

Thousands of people every day pass through the turnstiles at the entrance to railway stations. At once in several research centers of the world, the idea appeared to use the flow of people as an innovative energy generator. The Japanese company East Japan Railway Company decided to equip each turnstile at railway stations with generators. The installation works at a train station in Tokyo's Shibuya district: piezoelectric elements are embedded in the floor under the turnstiles, which generate electricity from the pressure and vibration they receive when people step on them.

Another "energy turnstile" technology is already in use in China and the Netherlands. In these countries, engineers decided to use not the effect of pressing the piezoelectric elements, but the pushing effect of the turnstile handles or turnstile doors. The concept of the Dutch company Boon Edam involves replacing standard doors at the entrance to shopping centers (which usually work on a photocell system and start spinning themselves) with doors that the visitor must push and thus generate electricity.

In the Dutch center Natuurcafe La Port, such doors-generators have already appeared. Each of them produces about 4600 kilowatt-hours of energy per year, which at first glance may seem insignificant, but it is a good example of an alternative technology for generating electricity.

There was talk of abandoning mining a few decades ago. The available reserves of oil, gas and coal will not be enough for earthlings for a long time, so it is necessary to increase energy efficiency. Another reason is the environmental problems that all the inhabitants of the planet feel. But in order to abandon classical energy sources, it is necessary to find a replacement for them - if not more profitable, then at least comparable in efficiency. What do scientists propose instead of gas, oil and coal?

1. Space solar stations collect more solar energy than ground ones

Economically profitable production of solar energy is a tricky thing, because due to the Earth's atmosphere, the intensity of solar radiation is insufficient. One solution to the problem is to build space "solar farms" that will collect solar radiation "in its pure form" and transfer the accumulated energy to Earth using laser beams or microwaves. The problem is the price - it is more than reasonable. But in the future, solar panels will be more efficient, the cost of putting ships and cargo into orbit will decrease, and "space solar farms" will be able to deliver energy to us.

Diagram showing the difference in the number of rays falling on the earth's solar station (left) and space (right).

The concept of a station that would collect solar energy, authored by NASA

2. Human energy charges gadgets

Systems that can be charged with muscle power already exist. But a person produces a huge number of movements that - theoretically - could be transformed into energy. Relatively speaking, now you slide your finger across the smartphone screen "for nothing" - but you could charge your smartphone in the process. If the device can count the number of steps and respond to movement, why can't it be charged from the movement of the fingers? Scientists are investigating this issue, but there are no results or prototypes of self-charging devices yet.

3. Tides are another source of energy

Hundreds of companies operate in tidal energy, and wave energy is used for practical purposes in some regions. So, in Australia, some of the desalination plants are fully supplied with energy due to the ebbs and flows.

4. Hydrogen is cheap and environmentally friendly

Previously, NASA shuttles refueled with this type of fuel. The problem is that hydrogen, although the most common element in space, exists on Earth only in the form of compounds. So, to obtain a pure element, you need to spend energy. But after that it can be "packed" into fuel cells and used for its intended purpose. Honda, for example, makes cars that run on energy from such "hydrogen cells." Hydrogen filling stations are being built in California (USA), South Korea and Germany.

5. Geothermal Energy - Lava Energy

Lava provides 27% of energy in the Philippines and 30% of energy in Iceland. In Iceland, they recently discovered a cool source of geothermal energy - an underground magma lake, and the efficiency of geothermal energy production has increased 10 times.

This is a profitable system, but it is too dependent on the geological features of the territory. Magma, unlike gas or oil, cannot be pumped through a pipeline.

6. Nuclear waste - old uranium rods can be reused

In the design of a "classic" nuclear power plant, the uranium rods are immersed in water, and by the end of their service life, only 5% of the uranium atoms are used - the remaining 95% are sent to scrap marked "nuclear waste". The new technology involves immersing the rods in liquid sodium and will allow changing the ratio of used and unused resources - 5% of uranium will go to waste, and 95% will turn into energy. Moreover, in such reactors it is possible to reuse rods decommissioned from nuclear power plants of the previous generation. Hitachi has already built new "fast reactors" and is selling them, but it is very expensive to build such a plant. In addition, the world is still wary of nuclear power plants - everyone remembers several major accidents, including the catastrophe at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

7. Transparent (window) solar panels

Germany, where the climate is not too different from the Ukrainian one, is engaged in the production of solar energy. The cost of manufacturing batteries is falling, while efficiency and popularity are rising. Moreover, scientists from Los Angeles came up with transparent solar panelsthat are mounted directly on the window glass. The technology is expensive, but in the next 2-3 years it will become cheaper enough to make the proposal economically viable.

8 Algae Biofuels

In 11 years - from 2002 to 2013 - biofuel production increased by about 500%. The reason is the need for ethanol (alcohol) and biodiesel, which are added to the fuel. As planned by Henry Ford, the inventor of the modern automobile, the engine was supposed to run on ethanol. But at that time, many new oil fields were discovered, and it was very cheap. Now this is not the most profitable type of fuel, and ethanol is returning. The problem with "classic" biofuel - ethanol - is that the same raw materials and the same land are used for its production as for growing food crops. That is, the energy industry begins to compete with the food industry.

This problem can be solved with the help of algae. Unpretentious, fast-growing, making it easy to extract the necessary components, and put the "dry residue" into processing and use it to grow a new crop of algae.

9. Flying windmills - the rebirth of an old technology

The use of wind energy is a classic technology. But its efficiency can be significantly increased, and energy can be produced all over the world, and not only in regions with favorable terrain. For "windmills" to be effective, a significant amount of wind power is needed. And the problem is solved simply: it is enough to raise the wind turbine 300-600 meters above sea level, where the air flows are stronger and more stable. The first "flying windmills" will be installed in Alaska. Structurally, this is an airship with a mounted turbine. If the wind is too strong, such a windmill independently “parks” on the ground. And automation will allow her to choose the optimal position in space.

10 Fusion Is A Source Of Almost Infinite Energy

Nuclear fusion is safe because, unlike a nuclear reactor, it will combine atoms rather than split them. There is an international project to develop a thermonuclear reactor - ITER, to which the EU countries (officially declared as a single entity within the framework of this project), as well as China, India, Russia, the Republic of Korea, the USA, Kazakhstan and Japan, have joined. The project has existed for 25 years, the engineering development of the technical design of the reactor has long been completed. In 2013, it began to be built in France. By 2020, scientists plan to start the first experiments with plasma.

In parallel, some commercial organizations are conducting their own research in the same direction. If successful, the world will be provided with cheap and practically infinite energy.

It's no secret that the resources used by mankind today are finite, moreover, their further extraction and use can lead not only to an energy, but also to an environmental catastrophe. The resources traditionally used by mankind - coal, gas and oil - will run out in a few decades, and measures must be taken now, in our time. Of course, we can hope that we will again find some rich deposit, just as it was in the first half of the last century, but scientists are sure that such large deposits no longer exist. But in any case, even the discovery of new deposits will only delay the inevitable, it is necessary to find ways to produce alternative energy and switch to renewable resources such as wind, sun, geothermal energy, water flow energy and others, and along with this, it is necessary to continue developing energy-saving technologies.

In this article, we will consider some of the most promising, in the opinion of modern scientists, ideas on which the energy of the future will be built.

solar stations

People have long wondered if it was possible to heat water under the sun, dry clothes and pottery before sending it to the oven, but these methods cannot be called effective. The first technical means that convert solar energy appeared in the 18th century. The French scientist J. Buffon showed an experiment in which he managed to ignite a dry tree with the help of a large concave mirror in clear weather from a distance of about 70 meters. His compatriot, the famous scientist A. Lavoisier, used lenses to concentrate the energy of the sun, and in England they created biconvex glass, which, by focusing the sun's rays, melted cast iron in just a few minutes.

Naturalists conducted many experiments that proved that the sun on earth is possible. However, a solar battery that would convert solar energy into mechanical energy appeared relatively recently, in 1953. It was created by scientists from the US National Aerospace Agency. Already in 1959, a solar battery was first used to equip a space satellite.

Perhaps even then, realizing that such batteries are much more efficient in space, scientists came up with the idea of ​​​​creating space solar stations, because in an hour the sun generates as much energy as all of humanity does not consume in a year, so why not use it? What will be the solar energy of the future?

On the one hand, it seems that the use of solar energy is an ideal option. However, the cost of a huge space solar station is very high, and besides, it will be expensive to operate. Over time, when new technologies for delivering cargo to space, as well as new materials, are introduced, the implementation of such a project will become possible, but for now we can only use relatively small batteries on the surface of the planet. Many will say that this is also good. Yes, it is possible in a private home, but for the energy supply of large cities, respectively, you need either a lot of solar panels, or a technology that will make them more efficient.

The economic side of the issue is also present here: any budget will suffer greatly if it is entrusted with the task of converting an entire city (or an entire country) to solar panels. It would seem that it is possible to oblige city residents to pay some amounts for re-equipment, but in this case they will be unhappy, because if people were ready to go for such expenses, they would have done it themselves long ago: everyone has the opportunity to buy a solar battery.

There is another paradox regarding solar energy: production costs. Converting solar energy into electricity directly is not the most efficient thing. So far, no better way has been found than to use the sun's rays to heat water, which, turning into steam, in turn rotates a dynamo. In this case, the energy loss is minimal. Humanity wants to use "green" solar panels and solar stations to conserve resources on earth, but such a project would require a huge amount of the same resources, and "non-green" energy. For example, in France, a solar power plant was recently built, covering an area of ​​about two square kilometers. The cost of construction was about 110 million euros, not including operating costs. With all this, it should be borne in mind that the service life of such mechanisms is about 25 years.

Wind

Wind energy has also been used by people since antiquity, the simplest example being sailing and windmills. Windmills are still in use today, especially in areas with constant winds, such as on the coast. Scientists are constantly putting forward ideas on how to modernize existing devices for converting wind energy, one of them is wind turbines in the form of soaring turbines. Due to the constant rotation, they could "hang" in the air at a distance of several hundred meters from the ground, where the wind is strong and constant. This would help in the electrification of rural areas where the use of standard windmills is not possible. In addition, such soaring turbines could be equipped with Internet modules, with the help of which people would be provided with access to the World Wide Web.

Tides and waves

The boom in solar and wind energy is gradually fading, and other natural energy has attracted the interest of researchers. More promising is the use of ebbs and flows. Already, about a hundred companies around the world are dealing with this issue, and there are several projects that have proven the effectiveness of this method of generating electricity. The advantage over solar energy is that the losses during the transfer of one energy to another are minimal: the tidal wave rotates a huge turbine, which generates electricity.

Project Oyster is the idea of ​​installing a hinged valve at the bottom of the ocean that will supply water to the shore, thereby spinning a simple hydroelectric turbine. Just one such installation could provide electricity to a small microdistrict.

Tidal waves are already being successfully used in Australia: in the city of Perth, desalination plants operating on this type of energy have been installed. Their work allows to provide about half a million people with fresh water. Natural energy and industry can also be combined in this branch of energy production.

The use is somewhat different from the technologies that we are used to seeing in river hydroelectric power plants. Hydroelectric power stations often harm the environment: adjacent territories are flooded, the ecosystem is destroyed, but stations operating on tidal waves are much safer in this regard.

human energy

One of the most fantastic projects on our list is the use of the energy of living people. It sounds stunning and even somewhat terrifying, but not everything is so scary. Scientists cherish the idea of ​​how to use the mechanical energy of movement. These projects are about microelectronics and nanotechnologies with low power consumption. While it sounds like a utopia, there are no real developments, but the idea is very interesting and does not leave the minds of scientists. Agree, very convenient will be devices that, like watches with automatic winding, will be charged from the fact that the sensor is swiped with a finger, or from the fact that a tablet or phone simply dangles in a bag when walking. Not to mention clothes that, filled with various microdevices, could convert the energy of human movement into electricity.

At Berkeley, in Lawrence's lab, for example, scientists tried to implement the idea of ​​using viruses to pressure electricity. There are also small mechanisms powered by movement, but so far such technology has not been put on stream. Yes, the global energy crisis cannot be dealt with in this way: how many people will have to "peddle" to make the whole plant work? But as one of the measures used in combination, the theory is quite viable.

Such technologies will be especially effective in hard-to-reach places, at polar stations, in the mountains and taiga, among travelers and tourists who do not always have the opportunity to charge their gadgets, but staying in touch is important, especially if the group is in a critical situation. How much could be prevented if people always had a reliable communication device that did not depend on the "plug".

Hydrogen fuel cells

Perhaps every car owner, looking at the indicator of the amount of gasoline approaching zero, had the thought of how great it would be if the car ran on water. But now its atoms have come to the attention of scientists as real objects of energy. The fact is that the particles of hydrogen - the most common gas in the universe - contain a huge amount of energy. Moreover, the engine burns this gas with virtually no by-products, that is, we get a very environmentally friendly fuel.

Hydrogen is fueled by some modules of the ISS and shuttles, but on Earth it exists mainly in the form of compounds such as water. In the eighties in Russia there were developments of aircraft using hydrogen as fuel, these technologies were even put into practice, and experimental models proved their effectiveness. When hydrogen is separated, it moves to a special fuel cell, after which electricity can be generated directly. This is not the energy of the future, this is already a reality. Similar cars are already being produced and in fairly large batches. Honda, in order to emphasize the versatility of the energy source and the car as a whole, conducted an experiment as a result of which the car was connected to the electrical home network, but not in order to get recharged. A car can provide energy to a private house for several days, or drive almost five hundred kilometers without refueling.

The only drawback of such an energy source at the moment is the relatively high cost of such environmentally friendly cars, and, of course, a fairly small number of hydrogen filling stations, but their construction is already planned in many countries. For example, Germany already has a plan to install 100 filling stations by 2017.

The warmth of the earth

The transformation of thermal energy into electricity is the essence of geothermal energy. In some countries where it is difficult to use other industries, it is used quite widely. For example, in the Philippines, 27% of all electricity comes from geothermal plants, while in Iceland this figure is about 30%. The essence of this method of energy production is quite simple, the mechanism is similar to a simple steam engine. Before the alleged "lake" of magma, it is necessary to drill a well through which water is supplied. Upon contact with hot magma, water instantly turns into steam. It rises where it spins a mechanical turbine, thereby generating electricity.

The future of geothermal energy is to find large "stores" of magma. For example, in the aforementioned Iceland, they succeeded: in a fraction of a second, hot magma turned all the pumped water into steam at a temperature of about 450 degrees Celsius, which is an absolute record. Such high-pressure steam can increase the efficiency of a geothermal station by several times, this can become an impetus for the development of geothermal energy throughout the world, especially in areas saturated with volcanoes and thermal springs.

Use of nuclear waste

Nuclear energy, at one time, made a splash. So it was until people realized the danger of this energy sector. Accidents are possible, no one is immune from such cases, but they are very rare, but radioactive waste appears steadily and until recently, scientists could not solve this problem. The fact is that uranium rods, the traditional "fuel" of nuclear power plants, can only be used by 5%. After working out this small part, the entire rod is sent to the "dump".

Previously, a technology was used in which the rods were immersed in water, which slows down the neutrons, maintaining a steady reaction. Now liquid sodium has been used instead of water. This replacement makes it possible not only to use the entire volume of uranium, but also to process tens of thousands of tons of radioactive waste.

Ridding the planet of nuclear waste is important, but there is one "but" in the technology itself. Uranium is a resource, and its reserves on Earth are finite. If the entire planet is switched exclusively to energy received from nuclear power plants (for example, in the United States, nuclear power plants produce only 20% of all electricity consumed), uranium reserves will be depleted quite quickly, and this will again lead humanity to the threshold of an energy crisis, so nuclear energy , albeit modernized, only a temporary measure.

vegetable fuel

Even Henry Ford, having created his "Model T", expected that it would already run on biofuels. However, at that time, new oil fields were discovered, and the need for alternative energy sources disappeared for several decades, but now it is returning again.

Over the past fifteen years, the use of vegetable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel has increased several times over. They are used as independent sources of energy, and as additives to gasoline. Some time ago, hopes were pinned on a special millet culture, called "canola". It is completely unsuitable for human or livestock food, but it has a high oil content. From this oil they began to produce "biodiesel". But this crop will take up too much space if you try to grow it enough to provide fuel for at least part of the planet.

Now scientists are talking about the use of algae. Their oil content is about 50%, which will make it just as easy to extract the oil, and the waste can be turned into fertilizers, on the basis of which new algae will be grown. The idea is considered interesting, but its viability has not yet been proven: the publication of successful experiments in this area has not yet been published.

Thermonuclear fusion

The future energy of the world, according to modern scientists, is impossible without technology. This, at the moment, is the most promising development in which billions of dollars are already being invested.

In the energy of fission is used. It is dangerous because there is a threat of an uncontrolled reaction that will destroy the reactor and lead to the release of a huge amount of radioactive substances: perhaps everyone remembers the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Fusion reactions, as the name implies, use the energy released when atoms fuse. As a result, unlike atomic fission, no radioactive waste is produced.

The main problem is that as a result of thermonuclear fusion, a substance is formed that has such a high temperature that it can destroy the entire reactor.

The future is reality. And fantasies are inappropriate here, at the moment the construction of the reactor has already begun in France. Several billion dollars have been invested in a pilot project funded by many countries, which, in addition to the EU, include China and Japan, the USA, Russia and others. Initially, the first experiments were planned to be launched as early as 2016, but calculations showed that the budget was too small (instead of 5 billion, it took 19), and the launch was postponed for another 9 years. Perhaps in a few years we will see what thermonuclear energy is capable of.

Problems of the present and opportunities for the future

Not only scientists, but also science fiction writers, give a lot of ideas for the implementation of the technology of the future in the energy sector, but everyone agrees that so far none of the proposed options can fully meet all the needs of our civilization. For example, if all cars in the United States run on biofuels, canola fields would have to cover an area equal to half the entire country, regardless of the fact that there is not so much land suitable for agriculture in the States. Moreover, so far all methods of producing alternative energy are expensive. Perhaps every ordinary city dweller agrees that it is important to use environmentally friendly, renewable resources, but not when they are told the cost of such a transition at the moment. Scientists still have a lot of work to do in this area. New discoveries, new materials, new ideas - all this will help humanity to successfully cope with the looming resource crisis. The planets can be solved only by complex measures. In some areas, it is more convenient to use wind power generation, somewhere - solar panels, and so on. But perhaps the main factor will be the reduction of energy consumption in general and the creation of energy-saving technologies. Each person must understand that he is responsible for the planet, and each must ask himself the question: "What kind of energy do I choose for the future?" Before moving on to other resources, everyone should realize that this is really necessary. Only with an integrated approach will it be possible to solve the problem of energy consumption.