Hostname: page-component-6d856f89d9-4thr5 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-16T07:36:34.270Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Possible Means of Large-scale Use of Wind as a Source of Energy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

John O'M. Bockris
Affiliation:
Professor of Chemistry and Director, Institute of Solar and Electrochemical Energy Conversion, School of Physical Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia.

Extract

To circumvent the coming energy crisis the development of new sources is popularly associated with the gasification of coal and with atomic breeder reactors, although solar and nuclear fusion sources are distant possibilities. But coal is limited in supply and breeders will not be ready in time to replace the remaining oil and natural gas; wind offers a more likely possibility.

The practical equation for electricity obtained after conversion to hydrogen, passage, and reconversion to electricity, is:

for a rotor of 100 m radius in a location where the mean annual wind is v k.p.h. Thus, for v = 30, Pelec ≃ 5 MW per rotor.

The concept of large sea-borne rotors in high-velocity wind-belts with long-distance hydrogen transmission offers a more readily attainable (and more environmentally acceptable) prospect than atomic, or solar, possibilities.

Type
Main Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1975

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aaronsen, J. (1971). The black box. Environment, 13, pp. 10–8.Google Scholar
Arthur, J. (1973). (Quoted by) Thompson, D. B., Counting on coal? Don't; mines can't meet today's demand. Industry Week, 26 11, pp. 1720.Google Scholar
Bockris, J. O'M. (1971). The hydrogen economy. Environment, 13, p. 51.Google Scholar
Bockris, J. O'M. (1973). On the Electrosynthesis of Hydrogen. Symposium on the Hydrogen Economy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York: 20 pp., (mimeogr.).Google Scholar
Bockris, J. O'M. (1974). On Methods for the Large-scale Production of Hydrogen from Water. Proceedings of the Hydrogen Economy Conference, Miami (THEME): 24 pp. (mimeogr.).Google Scholar
Bockris, J. O'M. (1975). Energy: Solar-hydrogen Alternative. The Australian-New Zealand Book Company, Sydney: 591 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Bockris, J. O'M. & Srinivasan, S. (1969). Fuel Cells: Their Electrochemistry. McGraw-Hill, New York: xxiii + 659 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Edsall, John T. (1974). Hazards of nuclear fission power and the choice of alternatives. Environmental Conservation, 1 (1), pp. 2130.Google Scholar
Edsall, John T. (1975). Further comments on hazards of nuclear power and the choice of alternatives. Environmental Conservation, 2 (3), pp. 205–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elliott, M. A. & Turner, N. C. (1972). Estimating the Future Rate of Production of the World's Fossil Fuels. Paper presented at the American Chemical Society Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts: 21 pp. (mimeogr.).Google Scholar
Golding, E. W. (1955). The Generation of Electricity by Wind Power. Philosophical Library, New York (out of print and no copy available for details).Google Scholar
Gregory, D. P., assisted by Anderson, P. J., Dufour, R. J., Elkins, R. H., Escher, W. J. D., Foster, R. B., Long, G. M., Wurm, J. & Yie, G. G. (1972 a). A Hydrogen- Energy System. American Gas Association for the Institute of Gas Technology, Chicago: i1 to xi–9 pp. (mimeogr.).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, D. P., Ng, D. Y. C. & Long, G. M. (1972 b). The hydrogen economy. Pp. 226–79 in The Electrochemistry of Cleaner Environments, Ed. Bockris, J. O'M.. Plenum Press, New York: xiii + 296 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Hammond, R. P. (1972). The prospect of abundant energy. Pp. 207–24 in The Electrochemistry of Cleaner Environments, Ed. Bockris, J. O'M.. Plenum Press, New York: xiii + 296 pp., illustr.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heronemus, W. E. (1972). Pollution-free Energy from Offshore Winds. Eighth Annual Conference and Exposition, Marine Technology Society, 111309, Washington, D.C.: 36 pp. (mimeogr.).Google Scholar
Hottel, H. C. (1973). Challenges in production of fossil fuels. Chemical and Engineering Progress, 06, 16, p. 20.Google Scholar
Jones, L. W. (1971). Liquid hydrogen as a fuel for the future. Science, 174, p. 367–9.Google Scholar
Linden, H. R. (1974). Analysis of World Energy Supplies. Paper presented at the World Energy Conference, Detroit, 29 pp. (mimeogr.).Google Scholar
Mullett, L. F. (1956). Wind as a Commercial Source of Energy. Paper presented at the Engineering Conference, Canberra, Australia: 21 pp. (mimeogr.).Google Scholar
Petkau, A. (1972). Effect of 22Na+ on a phospholipid membrane. Health Physics, 22, pp. 239–44.Google Scholar
Plass, H. (1974). How Might the Hydrogen Economy Affect our Resources and Environment. Proceedings of the Hydrogen Economy Conference, Miami (THEME): 20 pp. (mimeogr.).Google Scholar
Putnam, P. C. (1948). Power from the Wind, Van Nostrand, New York (out of print and no copy available for details).Google Scholar
Sternglass, E. J. (1973). Low-level Radiation. Ballantyne Books, New York: x + 214 pp.Google Scholar
Stodhart, A. H. (1973). Wind data for wind-driven plant. Pp. 62–9 in Wind Energy Conversion Systems, Workshop Proceedings, 11–13 06, Washington, D.C.: ix + 252 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Veziroglu, T. N. & Basar, O. (1974). Dynamics of a Universal Hydrogen Fuel System. Proceedings of the Hydrogen Economy Conference, Miami (THEME): 18 pp. (mimeogr.).Google Scholar
Wentink, T. (1973). Surface wind characteristics of some Aleutian Islands. Pp. 4652 in Wind Energy Conversion Systems, Workshop Proceedings, 11–13 06, Washington, D.C.: ix + 252 pp., illustr.Google Scholar