Electricity generation revolution!

[SlamminSammy]

Scientists at the University of Alberta have discovered the 1st way to generate an electric charge since photo-voltaic cells in 1839. And it's sooooooooo simple. They direct water through hundreds of thousands of microchannels. Physics does the rest.

Check out http://www.iop.org/news/632 and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3201030.stm

Is anybody else as excited as me?

[Rickertsen2]

Sweet!

[Trashed20]

very cool. now you won't need juice, you'll need water awesome

[Tytus Gerrish]

i just read that article in school today in DR. mastaskis class Too bad they dont give more details

[Jnadke]

This is hardly a "revolution". While it is nice that they developed a way to manipulate charges using a polar molecule, the usefulness of this is limited.

First, the device is not very good for high-current applications. This rules out anything having to with powering motors, etc (anyone that says "stick this on a segway" gets a beat down). Second, you need a source to make the water flow, meaning you need energy to create energy. Basic concept, huh?

This device is merely another one that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. You pump it with your hand, it makes the water flow, and generates electricity. It's not very useful in hydroelectric power plants, because it does not generate AC electricity and generators are already very efficient.

Basically, they'll probabaly have pressurized canisters of water (water filled with some gas). As the device needs energy, it releases the water and recharges itself. Of course, it's all done once the pressure has reached equilibrium. Even then, the device would only work when upright...


You guys make it sound like free energy or something. No fun at all...

[KenWittlief]

oh I think you are missing the significances of this discovery.

there are only a few known ways to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy - electomagnetic (generators), Pizoelectric effect, static generators... ummmmm, I think thats it

other way to produce electrical energy: photocells, fuel cells, chemical batteries, thermal junctions, ... - have I missed any?

and this new method discoverd in Canada.

this is brand new - let a couple thousand scientist and engineers noodle over it for 10 or 20 years, it might be something big

but the important thing is, its never been done this way before

(also, something was discovered in Canada! thats a 1st too, isnt it?) just kidding !!! :c)

[KenWittlief]

also, dont get hung up on power generation - this new electrical effect might lead to some new type of sensors - might make some new invention possible?

[Jnadke]

Originally posted by KenWittlief
also, dont get hung up on power generation - this new electrical effect might lead to some new type of sensors - might make some new invention possible?

Yes, I do admit that this being a new way to generate electricity is pretty neat.

However, mechanical energy tends to be a very low-density form of energy, when compared to chemical and atomic energy. While this type of power generation might be useful in the short term, I think micro fuel cells will win out in the long term. Hydrogen contains 120.7 MJ/kg in its chemical bonds. In order for 1 kg of water to contain the same kinetic energy as hydrogen, it would need to be moving at 15,000 m/s (or be pressurized enough to do so).

By comparison, the fusion of 1kg of deuterium (hydrogen with 1 extra neutron) produces roughly 1,350 GJ/kg of energy.

[KenWittlief]

Thats true, but where are you going to get hydrogen? I understand there are two ways of producing it now, breaking down natural gas through a process I dont pretend to understand, and electrolisys

both methods require energy to produce hydrogen - so its not really a source of energy, more of a way to store it and transport it.

almost all the electrical power we have in this country is from generators - powered by falling water or steam (coal or nuclear) -in other words, mechanical to electrical conversion.

[Jnadke]

Originally posted by KenWittlief
Thats true, but where are you going to get hydrogen? I understand there are two ways of producing it now, breaking down natural gas through a process I dont pretend to understand, and electrolisys

Actually, there's tons. Hydrogen can be extracted from Borax, a fairly common molecule. Hydrogen can also be obtained through organic means (methanol from corn). Hydrogen can be produced from more dense molecules such as gasoline and diesel (although these fuels have a higher thermal density). Of course, lastly there electrolosys, which takes 32 kW-hr/kg (assuming 100% efficient conversion) to produce hydrogen. Today, 32kW-hr of electricity is approximately $3.20, or enough to power 32 Segways.

[KenWittlief]

yeah, thats what I was saying, you have to consume energy from some other source (electricity from the grid) to convert these other products into pure hydrogen

thats what I meant, you cant just tap a well in the ground somewhere and get usable hydrogen from it.

[generalbrando]

Very cool and I think is has great potential. They have some work to do improving the efficiency, just as they states. Right now I can't help wonder where the other 99.x% of their energy is going - heat, light, other radiation (probably not!), etc. Maybe that's worth something as well.