Energy of the Future
By Leah Aaronson
Kinetic Thermal Energy
Kinetic Thermal energy is usually found in it's above ground areas of volcanoes, hot springs and geysers. It is recovered as steam or hot water and used to heat buildings. It is considered renewable because it is continuously produced inside the Earth. We should use this energy for the future because it is completely unharmful to earth because geothermal power-plants use hydro-thermal resources which only include heat and water.
Kinetic Solar Energy
Solar energy comes from the Sun. The most common way of collecting Solar energy is by using flat-plate collectors like solar-panels. It is renewable because the sun keeps burning so it will keep supplying us with solar energy. This energy should be used in the future because the power-plants use the suns rays to heat water to very high temperatures , it then circulates through the pipes so it can convert it's heat to steam, which then powers turbines and converts the energy to mechanical energy which is turned into electricity by a conventional generator.
Kinetic and Potential Wind Energy
Wind energy is caused because the air over land heats up faster than the air over water, The warm air over the land rises allowing the cooler air to sink, causing wind. Wind turbines use blades to connect the wind's kinetic energy. It is renewable because as long as the sun keeps heating up the air and the air keeps rising and falling, the wind will keep blowing and the turbines will keep collecting it's energy. It is a futuristic energy because some of the commercial sized large wind turbines have a capacity of 5 million watts, and is a clean source of energy and one of the fewer environmentally impacted sources.
Thermal Energy
Geothermal energy is often found in gueysers.
Solar Energy
Solar panels collect sun rays and turn it into energy.
Wind Energy
Wind turbines collect wind energy, while keeping the environment clean.
The Futuristic Energy: Wind
Wind energy was used to propel boats along the Nile River, dating back to 5000 B.C. The oil shortages in 1970 paved a path for alternative energy sources, a perfect way for a come-back of wind energy. American colonists used windmills to grind wheat and corn, pump water, and cut wood at sawmills. The benefits of using this energy are that it is barley harmful to the earth, it is a very clean source of energy, does not need water for cooling, and can reduce the source of fossil fuels, therefor making the air cleaner and reducing the carbon dioxide emissions and reducing the waste of water at fossil fuel plants. The reason people are not using this energy yet because some wind turbines catch on fire and leak lubricating fluids, though this is relatively rare. Also, The blades on the turbines catch birds and bats causing there death. We should use the renewable energies now instead of when they run out because we have ruined our environment already with all the fossil fuels and gases that if we don't clean up our act know it will be a complete nightmare for the future generations and will make earth unlivable for life on earth in a ten-thousand or so years.
Citation 1
"Forms of Energy." Energy Kids. U.S. Energy Information Administration. 3/12/14 <www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=about_forms_of_ energy-basics>
Citation 2
"Geothermal Energy." Alternative Energy. 3/13/14<http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/geothermal.html