On Oct 12, 2009, at 8:32 AM, Chris Zell wrote:
see:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/
6299291/Energy-crisis-is-postponed-as-new-gas-rescues-the-world.html
Enough nat gas reserves for 60 years! Convert the cars and defund
terrorism and crash the trade deficit. Goodbye to the peak oil
threat.
Yeah, I'd prefer any free energy that was actually practical but
the above gives me hope that we have enough time to develop such.
We don't have to freeze in the dark with $200 a barrel oil while
academics argue and obfusticate.
The article talks about 1.2 trillion barrels equivalent, or 1.2x10^9
bbl. There is 6.1178632 × 10^9 J/bbl, so that is 7.34x10^18 J total
in reserve. The world energy demand in 2050 is expected to require
about 35 TW, which is 3.5x10^10 J/s. That the reserves at that rate
can last (7.34x10^18 )/(3.5x10^10 J/s. = 2.1x10^8 s = 6.6 years.
A 10% efficient solar system can produce the year 2050 world energy
needs of 35 terawatts in an area 370 miles on a side. This is an
incredibly small footprint for world energy production and one which
can be divided up across many countries, and locations. Solar energy
can take many forms, including solar thermal systems, photovoltaic
systems, and, for vehicle fuels, algae production. Algae production
takes a larger footprint, but is only needed for producing fuel that
can be used in aircraft and vehicles. See oilgae.com. Oil from
algae has already been tested in diesel engines and in jet aircraft.
Daniel Nocera's invention of an extremely efficient catalyst for
production of hydrogen means that daily storage and production of
hydrogen can be used to smooth solar energy availability for utility
energy production. It also means new kinds of plants for fertilizer
production, fuel, and natural gas synthesis can come online using
only energy of the sun, air, and sea water as raw materials. Hydrogen
is a major feed stock for the chemical industry.
Solar energy production at a public utility level is not only
feasible, but available now if the government red tape preventing
projects of the size proposed can be eliminated. Various companies
are struggling to acquire desert land and rights of way to build the
US power infrastructure for tomorrow. In many cases the only thing
missing is sufficient political will to get the regulations out of
the way so the solutions to tomorrows energy needs can be built.
Best regards,
Horace Heffner
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/
