Hydrogen generation from various industries, coal power or manufacturing would help to sequester additional amounts for energy use

There are various manufacturing methods that would be able to provide additional materials or chemicals while simultaneously producing hydrogen that could either be sequestered or used immediately for electrical production. This is the case for several different industrial products which are covered in this essay. One important aspect to mention is the use of coal that can be used to make products or generate electricity and produce hydrogen alltogether. The ability to make certain products out of various types of carbon derived from coal may be a realizable process that in addition can produce hydrogen as well. Researchers have commented that coal may be more valuable if it makes carbon based products as well as hydrogen versus just it's usual use in the production of electrical power. For example, coal could be used to produce graphite or carbon black. Graphite can be used in batteries and electrical equipment but is also a needed material in moving parts related products. In addition, it has been commented that solid carbons obtained from coal could be very useful as construction materials either as concrete replacement or preformed structural parts [1. Halloran 2008]. Hydrogen could be produced from kilns similar to how Coke Oven Gas (COG) made from the steel industry is done. COG related gas has a very high hydrogen content (above 50 %). Other useful carbon based materials include carbon fiber reinforced plastics which are composite materials made from plastics, aluminum or fiberglass. Just as important, it has been commented that carbon nanotubes could be made from natural gas (methane) based chemical deposition that could also produce hydrogen as a byproduct. These types of general processes are termed HECAM (Hydrogen Energy with Carbon Materials). There are also many coal based electrical power generation plants that have the need to have the carbon dioxide based flue gases recycled. Companies are beginning to find methods of sequestering the carbon dioxide from coal power plants and in addition to producing and sequestering hydrogen.

There is ongoing research and development of additional reactors built next to coal plants that are able to sequester carbon dioxide as well as produce additional hydrogen. The manufacture of certain chemical products or powders may also produce additional amounts of hydrogen that can be collected and reused. This may be the case for zinc and/or iron oxide powders and acetic acid production. There are already a variety of different methods to produce both of the previously mentioned chemicals. There are several methods used to make acetic acid which also produce other chemical products such as other alcohols or organic acids (from alkane oxidation). However, it has been shown experimentally that acetic acid, ketene, hydrogen and other gases can be produced from a high thermal process using acetate [2. Rajadurai 1994]. There are also experimental manufacturing methods that can make hydrogen from the process of multi-step thermochemical water splitting upon production of iron and/or zinc based oxides [3. Roeb et al 2009]. The use of zinc oxide can be used as an adsorbent material for desulfurization of industrial gases. The biofuel industry itself can also produce hydrogen from various techniques such as steam, autothermal and partial oxidation reformations obtained from chemicals such as alcohols and glycerol [4. AL da Silva 2011]. Even the lignin rich material from bioethanol processing can be used for further power/heat or fuel additives as well as hydrogen generation. The manufacturing materials/chemicals that can produce hydrogen are not an exhaustive list and there will most likely be many more manufacturing processes that make additional hydrogen for collection/storage or immediate use. The generation of electrical power as well as biofuel production are other sources that can make and sequester additional amounts of hydrogen. The increase of industries such as these could bring about additional materials as well as helping to further hydrogen energy industry which requires its own infrastructure much like the petroleum or other energy related industries.

REFERENCES

1. "Extraction of Hydrogen from Fossil Fuels with Production of Solid Carbon Materials", International Journal of Hydrogen Energy Vol 33 issue 9 pgs 2218 - 2224 [2008] by J. Halloran

2. "Pathways for Carboxylic Acid Decomposition on Transition Metal Oxides", Catalysis Reviews : Science and Engineering Vol 36 No 3 pgs 385 - 403 [1994] by S. Rajadurai

3. "Thermodynamic Analysis of Two Step Solar Water Splitting with Mixed Iron Oxides", International Journal of Energy Research Vol 33 issue 10 pgs 893 - 902 [2009] by M. Roeb, N. Gathmann

4. "Hydrogen Production by Sorption Enhanced Steam Reforming of Oxygenated Hydrocarbons (ethanol, glycerol, n-butanol, methanol) : Thermodynamic Modelling", International Journal of Hydrogen Energy Vol 36 No 3 pgs 2057 - 2075 [2011] by AL da Silva, IL Muller

Photos taken from Picasa Web Album

KEYWORDS: Hydrogen Energy with Carbon Materials, Coke Oven Gas, coal conversion into graphite - carbon black, construction materials from coal, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics, Carbon dioxide sequestering hydrogen generation reactors next to coal plants,
Hydrogen from acetate - acetic acid production, thermochemical water splitting using zinc iron oxides, hydrogen from biofuel production

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Sustainable Landscaping can prevent water pollution and energy savings by reducing outdoor heating

The use of proper indoor lighting, outdoor landscaping and various roof structures can help the construction of buildings towards overall environmental sustainability according to the The US Green Building Council's LEED Rating System. The LEED guidelines are also a certification process meant for construction managers, landscape architects, interior designers and other professionals involved with Sustainable Building construction and development. This essay covers just the aspects that the LEED guidelines consider as environmentally sustainable, meaning that the use of certain building and landscape structures can save on energy consumption but also save on environmental waste or pollution. The areas of emphasis include retaining, rerouting or detaining storm water runoff; proper indoor lighting to reduce light pollution at night and creating more green space with the use of plants and trees to reduce what is called the 'Heat Island Effect'. Suprisingly the use of proper roof structures and proper landscaping efforts aid in the proper routing of storm water runoff. Storm water runoff is said to be the leading cause of clean water pollution due to the fact the pollutants such as grease, oil, fertilizers, etc get into the sewar system but can also infiltrate clean water supplies such as groundwater as the pollutants are picked up off of streets and then eventually drain into soils. According to certain organizations, there are a lot of landscape structures that can be built to reduce the pollution from storm runoff water. One effective method is to reroute storm water from built roof structures that are guided to landscaped area instead of streets or pavement structures. Another method can be related to alter the landscaping and/or soil structure so that water drains more faster and effectively through the ground, which makes it harder to reach streets and pavement quicker. This may include the use of subsurface pipes. The landscape itself can also be modified to contain modified sod - grass drainage structures that can be part of the landscaping or even be used for parking lots as is advertised by certain companies. Other effective methods include using cisterns or other water storage / collection structures that store the storm water.

It has even been commented that the use of 'Green Roofs' can also aide with proper storm water drainage. Green roofs strangely enough are plant material perhaps with sod/grass structures that inhabit rooftops. However, Green roofs are a hot topic also in that they are also known to reduce the overall heat emitted from roofs thus reducing the Heat Island Effect. The reduction of heat emitted from rooftops is one effective method in reducing the environmental heat built up during the day. It has been said that the rooftops from buildings account for at least 30 percent or more of the heat contributing to this Island Effect. Other methods involve the use of more trees in landscaping areas, especially areas that are close to pavement or streets. Providing for more green spaces and trees in landscaping is a method encouraged by LEED to reduce the heat island effect. It has also been shown by organizations, as stated earlier, that Green Roofs reduce the heat island effect also. Other methods to reduce heat on roofs and landscaping areas is adding reflective or light colored surfaces to concrete, pavement or rooftops. This reduces heat through higher solar reflectivity. For example, some roofs can use a lighter vinyl based coating that has been known to reflect up to 70 % of the solar radiation. Another building construction technique is to modify indoor lighting structures so that they do not emit much light out of glass window or door structures. Another method includes the use of automated control of non-essential indoor lighting. These methods are known as Light Pollution Reduction as stipulated by LEED guidelines. For example, a clever but effective technique is to space out indoor lighting structures within buildings so that the light rays intersect and cancel each other out. This is light interference effect that can effectively reduce light emitted from within buildings out into the atmosphere. In summary, effective use of green space, roof drainage structures and other landscaping methods can assist environmental sustainability by both reducing the daytime accumulated heat and prevent contamination of our urban clean water through proper ground drainage or even storage. The reduction of heat implemented with the use of green space landscaping can also save on energy consumption by reducing the need for more air cooling ventilation in buildings even though the heat is generated and mostly contained outdoors.

KEYWORDS: green roofs, heat island effect, stormwater runoff management, green spaces, LEED guidelines, sod grass stormwater drainage, light pollution reduction, reflective roof pavement coatings,
stormwater retaining, non point source pollution from stormwater, green space parking lots, sustainable green landscaping

Pictures obtained from Picasa Web Album

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Natural Gas Based Fuel Cells should Help Assist Utility Power Companies with Distributed Electrical Generation

Distributed power generation by utility companies is a scheme that should be used in the future to satisfy energy demands from the public. Distributed energy systems include small to mid size power plants that are strategically placed within an electric grid to satisfy high electrical power usage by customers. This type of strategy assists with electrical load management by the utility company. These small power plants would be placed near high congestion - end use areas or in areas where more temporary power is needed at peak hours (ie the first several hours after people return home from work), since the production of peak electrical power usually costs the utility company the most money. In the last decade, the most common type of distributed power generation systems used by utility companies are Reciprocating Engines as they were responsible for producing over 80% of distributed power within electric grid systems. Reciprocating engines can run off a variety of different fuels but have the tendency to emit much greenhouse gases and particulates due to combustion. However, smaller sized power plants that run off of natural gas such as fuel cells are very clean and efficient. It is estimated by the Department of Energy that within the next 20 years 90 percent of most power plants made will be natural gas plants such as fuel cells. Many of these power plants most likely may be used for distributed power generation. According to the DOE, there are two types of fuel cells that are suited to run off natural gas, those being molten carbonate or solid oxide fuel cells. Both types of fuel cells operate at high temperatures and reform natural gas in order to use hydrogen. Even the other gases generated such as carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide can be utilized to generate energy by fuel cell technology, so it eliminated the need to be worried about greenhouse gas emissions.

One company in the past decade has emerged as a leader in natural gas based fuel cell power plants as has been mentioned in past articles. Fuel Cell Energy has developed several types of small to midsize fuel cell power plants they term as DirectFuel Cells. They specialize in manufacturing fuel cells that run off a variety of waste biogas sources as well as natural gas. These fuel cells are suited for many types of markets which include institutions like hospitals, prisons and universities as well as many manufacturing industries like food and beverages. They also specialize in manufacturing DirectFuel Cells for distributed electrical generation for utility companies. One such example in my home state of Arizona includes a mid sized 250 kW molten carbonate fuel cell located at Arizona State University's Polytechnic Campus in Mesa. It is utilized by one of the power companies and can help to power around 100 homes. Many of these fuel cells are the molten carbonate type. They have an advantage over solid oxide in that they operate at much lower temperatures around 650 C versus 1000 C for solid oxide, although solid oxide fuel cells are being developed that may be able to operate at lower temperatures than usual. The DOE NETL department has implemented a program called SECA, that has the goal of developing solid oxide fuel cells for applications such as distributed power generation. Some companies also are working on developing a hybrid turbine operated solid oxide fuel cell for such applications. Overall, mid size natural gas fuel cells are a very good option for distributed energy generation and also have the advantage of not emitting greenhouse gases or other pollutants but their overall cost is still a concern. However, we should be seeing more of them in operational use as they become more competitive in price and other aspects to other power generation equipment such as reciprocating engines or microturbines.

Photos taken from Picasa Web album

KEYWORDS: Redundant Electrical Power Generation, Regenerative Braking and Coasting, Waste Heat to Electrical Generation from Computer Chips, Vehicle Wind Turbine Generator, Vehicle Roof top Photovoltaic Panels

Solar Power Parabolic Trough Collectors can help Build Green Sustainable Buildings that need Process Steam Heat or Domestically Heated Water

Parabolic Trough Systems (PTCs) are a type of Concentrated Solar Power Technology (CSP) meant for generating electrical power by providing steam to operate turbines that produce the power. A PTC is parabolically curved and in the middle of the trough there is an absorber pipe that contains a heat transfer fluid whose type can vary. The fluid is heated and is then pumped to a steam generator where it converts water into steam. PTC systems often contain hundreds or thousands of collectors in a solar field array where they can provide enough heat energy to operate power plants at Megawatt plus capacity. Parabolic Trough Collectors were developed decades ago and are still considered one of the main solar heating power technologies available. Many know that concentrated solar power is mostly used to produce electrical power but a few industrial or commercial applications they are useful for is towards process steam heat and domestically heated water. The idea of using solar power to heat water for industrial purposes has been done for decades but now also fits well with the need for buildings to become more energy efficient and sustainable. Alternative energy systems that can replace the need to use electrical power for heating needs fall in line with sustainable building technology. Parabolic trough systems fit well as a model to heat water for industrial or large commercial applications where a large amount of water has the need to be heated quickly. Not a large amount of heat is needed to provide for domestically heated water and parabolic troughs provide heat above 300 celcius, but they are the right technology to use when a lot of water is needed by facilities such as hospitals, prisons, recreational facilities, government and educational buildings. Domestic hot water needs can be used for reasons such as for sanitation purposes in bathrooms like showers, places may also have laundry facilities as well. The same kind of heat may also be used for space heating purposes to heat the various rooms in a building complex.

Much of the heat needed for these applications is below 100 celcius. PTCs are not meant for heating residential water as smaller sized solar technologies are more suited for this purpose. However, they may be adequate in applications where swimming pools have the need to be heated. Solar thermal heating is not the only way to provide domesically heated water through alternative energy sources. The waste heat from fuel cell power plants that have been installed at facilities like prisons have also been converted into hot water used for the sanitation facilities at prisons such as the Alameda County Jail. Process steam heat is another needed commodity for industry that could use alternative means such as solar thermal energy to produce it. Steam heat is needed for processes such as drying, distillation, evaporation and sterilization. These are especially important processes for industries such as food processing or chemical manufacturing. In fact, PTCs have been installed at food processing plant companies such as Campbells Soup, Ore-Ida Foods and Frito-Lay since the late 1970's. This could even help beverage industries such as beer brewing or wineries. Process heat is even needed in industries such as the automobile or electronic components manufacturing as heat is needed for the surface treatment of parts such as metals, plastics or ceramics. As one can see, there are a number of industries that could use process heat derived from solar thermal sources. They could continued to be installed at companies such as these due to higher standards of green or sustainable building brought on by organizations such as the US Green Building Council which have set certification standards called LEED for the construction and retrofitting of buildings for sustainability purposes. As previously mentioned, perhaps buildings could be retrofitted to contain PTCs for hot water or process steam. Providing for more energy efficient buildings from solar thermal technologies should be able to create a lot of opportunities for the construction, installation and manufacturing industries.

ARTICLE REFERENCE SOURCE

"Parabolic Trough Solar Collectors and Their Applications", Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews Vol 14 issue 7 pgs 1695-1721 [2010] by AF Garcia, E.Zarza, L.Valenzuela, M.Perez

Photos taken from Picasa Web Album

KEYWORDS: Parabolic Trough Collectors, Concentrated Solar Power Applications, Process Steam Heat, Energy Efficiency for Food Processing and Chemical Manufacturing Industries, Domestically Heated Water, Solar thermal heated water, Drying - Distillation - Evaporation, US Green Building Council LEED certification, Heat Surface Treatment of Parts

Coke Oven Gas is Considered a Clean Manufacturing Gas that has Many Potential Uses

Coke oven gas is a type of manufacturing gas that can be potentially used to produce other chemicals, fuels or recycled into hydrogen. Coke Oven Gas (COG) is made from the dry distillation of coal from the metallurgical Coke making process. During this process, Hot Coke Oven Gas (HCOG) is quenched to a cooler gas and then it is water saturated as well. However, after this process, COG may still not be ready for resuse since it also contains many other contaminants such as aromatics, tar vapors, napthalene, and polyaromatics which at times can consist up to 30 % by weight of the gas [ 1. K. Norinaga 2010 ]. It must sometimes then go through a refining process where the 'tar vapors and contaminants' are removed. Just as important, hydrogen sulfide gas must also be removed since it is known to be corrosive with metal catalysts that are used to reform the COG. Desulfurization can be accomplished using activated carbon or other types of metal type catalysts. When COG is reused it can be applied towards process heaters and boilers and also gas turbines for power generation. The main components of dry Coke Oven Gas are Hydrogen & Methane which are around 50-60 % and 25-30% respectively. It is an attractive manufacturing gas due to the fact that it has a higher than usual hydrogen content while having a very low carbon dioxide content (~3 %). Such low carbon dioxide content correlates to cleaner manufacturing processes which would typically produce less amounts of greenhouse gases. Other than its use as a direct combustion fuel for heat or energy generation, COG can be used to manufacture chemicals or fuel cell energy and currently there are at least two types of processes that convert COG into other types of manufacturing gases. It can be sequestered into hydrogen or reformed into Synthesis Gas.

Natural Gas Reformation produces Hydrogen while hydrogen sequestration is a manufacturing process developed to isolate and purify the hydrogen from sources like Synthesis Gas. Due to its chemical nature several forms of natural gas reformation can be used on COG which include steam reformation, dry reformation or partial oxidation. For example, the partial oxidation reformation method may be effective in producing the right type of Synthesis Gas. Even though there is a smaller methane percentage in COG as oppossed to natural gas, that amount of natural gas is further converted into hydrogen and carbon monoxide. When reformation technologies are applied towards methanol or other chemical production, a hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio of 2 to 1 is favorable for further chemical synthesis using catalysis (ie like Fischer Tropsch). Its sequestration into direct hydrogen is another interesting method since it already contains a high level of hydrogen and may not need further reformation as it would produce just slightly higher levels of hydrogen. For hydrogen isolation it appears that adsorption and membrane separation are two technologies that are effective in sequestering hydrogen from other gases. The methods of Pressure Swing Adsorption as well as Membrane based hollow fiber or Assymetric type materials could be favorable technologies for hydrogen sequestration [ 2. J. Ritter et al 2007 ]. Overall, Coke Oven Gas has many potential applications in energy generation as well as chemical manufacturing, driven and supported by the Steel Industry. Since COG has a high hydrogen content as well as a low carbon dioxide it may be used as an environmentally clean manufacturing gas that have may have several future opportunities not limited to the types described above. In the future, there may be a need to use manufacturing gases that produce low carbon dioxide content mostly unrelated to how it is used. Coke Oven Gas (COG) may be an example of such a manufacturing gas.

REFERENCES

1. "Application of an Existing Chemical Kinetic Model to a Practical System of a Hot Coke Oven Gas Reforming by Non Catalytic Oxidation", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research Vol 49 No 21 pgs 10565-10571 [2010] by K. Norinaga, H. Yatabe, M. Matsuoka, J. Hayashi

2. "State of the Art Adsorption and Membrane Separation Processes for Hydrogen Production in the Chemical and Petrochemical Industries", Separation Science and Technology Vol 42 No 6 pgs 1123-1193 [2007] by JA Ritter, AD Ebner

Photos taken from the Picassa Web Album

KEYWORDS: Coke Oven Gas, Synthesis Gas, Hydrogen Sequestration, Low Carbon Dioxide content Manufacturing Gas, Partial Oxidation, Dry & Steam Reformation, Aromatics & Tars in Coke Oven Gas, Coke Gas Desulfurization, Clean Manufacturing Gases, Combustion of Coke Oven Gas in Heaters & Boilers, Chemical Synthesis from Coke Oven Gas, Methanol Synthesis

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Natural Gas Fuel Cells, Reciprocating Engines and Microturbines are Sensible Choices for Combined Heat and Power Industrial Systems

Distributed Energy Systems have the capability to provide both combined heat and electrical power at one time. Overall Energy Efficiency usage is much higher with systems that implement CHP (combined heat & power). For example, an electrical coal power plant may be able to convert 30 - 50 % of the heat provided by coal into electrical energy, whereas a CHP power plant converts the majority or around 80 % into combined heating and electrical power [ 1. Lyons ]. Heating capabilities of value include space heating (or cooling), hot water production and industrial process heat from pressurized steam. However, much of the electrical power systems available to provide these additional heating capabilities are smaller in overall power capacity than regular sized electrical power plants ie coal, nuclear, etc. In general, three types of power technologies exist that provide the above mentioned heating and electrical power, those being Combustion Turbines, Reciprocating Engines & Fuel Cells. These 'mini power stations' are applicable in four different market areas - 1) Residential power & heating, 2) Small Commercial & Institutional Power, 3) Small - Large sized Industrial Systems and 4) Smaller Distributed electrical power for Electrical Utility Company. These systems operate at power capacities from several kW to 25 MW [ 2. The California Energy Commission ]. Fuel cell power systems include molten carbonate (MCFC) or solid soxide (SOFC) fuel cells that are made to mostly run off of natural gas (or related gases) whereas Microturbines & Reciprocating Engines can operate on a variety of fuels including natural gas, diesel or gasoline. Reciprocating Engines are similar in technology and comparable to vehicle engines that are spark or compression ignited. Both Microturbines and Reciprocating Engines provide additional heat provided as combustion waste gas streams that can be controlled with an additional Waste Heat Boiler or Duct Burner. Much of the energy in the combustion flue gases can also be reapplied toward energy (recombustion heating) using a system called a Recuperator. MCFC or SOFC Fuel Cell systems generate additional heat as well because they require that the natural gas be heated to temperatures from 650 - 1000 celcius. A Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) system is used to recover the heat used to convert the natural gas into hydrogen. The waste heat steam from these systems can also be used for room cooling using an Absorption Chilling System.

Commercial or institutional businesses usually prefer the ability to have heated water for various purposes such as what would fill the needs for a prison or hospital. Waste heat in this case must be cooled down to around 250 degrees Fahrenheit and then used to heat water, instead of directly being utilized by a Boiler or Heat Recovery system. One popular domestic fuel cell company called FuelCell Energy constructs larger sized fuel cells that are specially used to operate a hospital or prison. FuelCell Energy also assists in marketing fuel cells for the food and beverage industry such as breweries or bakeries, where not only hot water but process steam could be used for manufacturing purposes. In fact, there are a number of different manufacturing industries that already implement one of CHP power systems to use both for electricity and process steam. Some of these industries include Food Processing, Chemical/Pharmaceutical, Ceramic, Pulp & Paper, Mining and Textiles, just to name a few [ 3. Lyons ]. These types of industries already require heat for purposes such as distillation or drying, and since CHP systems are very energy efficient they are already used in hundreds if not thousands ofmanufacturing plants. More prevalent and widespread use of these power systems may help to create more jobs as well as save companies money on overall operating costs. These type of power systems, in addition, can provide additional savings in operation by using waste sources of gases such as from landfills, municipal sewage or biogas created from sources such as Anaerobic Digestors. Some companies even provide consulting services or related software to evaluate the use of equipment such as reciprocating engines using a defined amount and source of biogas or landfill gas. It is estimated that landfill gas would most likely provide 10 times or more the amount of power than from other biogas sources. Efforts by the government are being made to also help produce cleaner based CHP power from systems such as Reciprocating Engines by using cleaner burning fuels such as hydrogen, ethanol or by implementing cleaner technologies such as laser spark ignition or partial oxidation engines. In summary, drastic improvements in manufacturing efficiency as well as redudant - backup utility power can be realized with combined heat and power systems such as microturbines, reciprocating engines and fuel cells.

REFERENCES

1. "Combined Heat and Power Using Combustion Turbines" - Solar Turbines Inc. by Chris Lyons - 2006 or later

2. California Distributed Energy Resource Guide - DER Equipment - Combined Heat and Power

3. Same as Reference 1

Photos provided by the Picassa Web Album

KEYWORDS: Distributed Energy, Combined Heat and Power, Microturbines, Reciprocating Engines, Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Industrial Process Steam Heat, Heat Recovery Steam Generator, Absorption Chillers, Distillation, Drying, Biogas, Landfill Gas, Wastewater Treatment Gas, Waste Heat Steam, National Fuel Cell Research Center

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New HVDC Superconductor Transmission Networks Should Help to Create Jobs in Many Energy Related Sectors

As larger sized renewable power plants are built across the United States there should be a need to construct high capacity transmission lines. It has been proposed by many that HVDC (high voltage direct current) superconductor type transmission lines would be a suitable choice to replace the conventional large overhead AC transmission lines that one normally notices near power plants. Overhead AC transmission lines suffer from inherent defects such as line losses, voltage stability and load flow issues during transmission, which makes them less efficient; therefore, in the future companies like ATC are considering the replacement of thousands of miles of existing AC transmission lines with more efficient types such as DC superconductors [ 1. Gerdes 2010 - Gigaom.com ]. The HVDC superconductor lines will be used in 3 ft pipelines that contain high temperature based ceramic fibers that will be placed underground. Since these are high temperature superconductors they will most likely have need for supercooling methods such as using liquid nitrogen etc. Also, the brand new transmission lines will be needed over hundreds/thousands of miles in order to deliver electrical power from outlying rural areas to high population cities. One major company in the US called American Superconductor Corporation has made plans to mass produce these type of DC superconductor lines. This company is working with the Tres Amigas Superstation project located in New Mexico where it will serve as a hub for three major power networks across the US. The Tres Amigas Superstation should be able to assist the realization of large wind farms that can serve up several Giga Watts of power. The superconductor infrastructure built by American Superconductor Corporation claim that these high energy lines can handle up to 5 Giga Watts of power. As the superconductor pipeline 'highway' develops so should the realization of large wind turbine mass production facilities and perhaps even similar, mass production of solar photovoltaics, which should create more jobs. These type of major projects should allow for continued job development within the United States related to Renewable Energy.

The Tres Amigas Superstation will provide 50 jobs plus the many construction jobs used to create a facility that is around 20 square miles in size. Superconductor pipelines should also allow large solar energy power plants to be constructed also. Solar thermal power plants are steadily increasing in power capacity as time goes on correlated with the improvement in materials and other related technologies. Multi-hundred Mega Watt solar thermal power plants already exist in California. An advantage with underground superconductor pipelines is that it is possible to place them near railroads or highways. The construction of superconductor pipelines should create many jobs for pipe fitters and cable installers. The supercooling of these type of high temperature superconductors is what makes it hard to implement on a wide scale, since most technical articles stipulate that some type of supercritical fluid such as liquid nitrogen, hydrogen etc is needed. I did however notice, that one of the companies chosen for the construction of the cable pipelines also works with supercooling with water which would be a much more controllable and cost effective method to manage DC superconductors. The use of advanced water power technologies is developing technology that is also being funded by the government which will apply towards several other types of renewable or energy related applications and also create more jobs. Recent energy bills such as the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 stipulates the need for the replacement of overhead AC power lines across the country. However, these types of transmission lines may just be replaced with more efficient overhead AC transmission lines, which would apply more towards urban city transmission areas. In summary, it is estimated that it will cost around $2 trillion in capital to construct the overall 'Electric Smart Grid' by 2030 across the United States, the majority of the money being spent on transmission and distribution networks which would include intelligent computer networks. [ 2. Rubens 2008 - Gigaom.com ]. Computer simulation networks have been built to demonstrate the use of parallel processors of several GHz used to manage superconductor swithcing circuits as well as directing data flow, such computer capabilities could help manage the digital information from power grid networks at rates of over 10 Gbps [ 3. Yorozu S. et al 1999 ]. Such information flow from power networks should require adequate IT management capabilities, which will also be a large source of potential jobs.

REFERENCES

1. "The Future of Smart Grid Transmission Superconductivity High Voltage Power Lines", Nov 2010 - Gigaom.com, Gerdes J.

2. "A Reliable Green Grid Could Need $2 Trillion", Feb 2009 - Gigaom.com, Rubens C.

3. "System Demonstration of a Superconducting Communication System", IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity vol 9 issue 2 pg. 2975-2980, Yorozu S., Hashimoto Y., Numata H., Nagasawa S., Tahara S.

KEYWORDS: Electric Smart Grid, Superconductor Switching Circuits, American Superconductor Corporation, HVDC Superconductor Transmission Lines, Pipe Fitters, Cable Installers, Information Management of Power Networks, Superconductor Superstation Hubs, Gigawatt Superconductor Pipelines, American Clean Energy Act

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