Controlling Energy: Part-6

Again, to summarize briefly, we started the control of energy with fire, we still continue the oil wars, on the other hand, we continue to control energy today by meeting with electricity, with giant dams, thermal and natural gas conversion plants, nuclear power plants and other ways.

At this stage, I need to return to electrical energy and give a little more technical information.

Today, we call the electrical energy we use in our homes, streets and factories as alternating current. The electricity we use with batteries in small hand tools, computers and mobile phones is called direct current.

The Struggle Between Edison and Tesla:

The fight between these two types of electricity was made on time between Edison and Tesla, and Tesla won with the superiority of technology.

Thomas Edison is famous for his light bulb, which helped us get out of the dark age, but it's not enough to just thank him for finding the light bulb. Light bulb Thomas Edison, Hiram Maxim. I think it would be more accurate to say that Joseph Swan, Alessandro Volta, Humphrey Davy, Warren de la rue and William Staite found it together. Edison just made the light bulb usable. Already today, we have started to use energy-saving LED lamps. "Light-emitting diode" (LED) lights were invented by Professor Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura. The 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to these three Japanese professors for inventing blue LED lights.

But Edison's invention is more valuable because it saves humanity from darkness. Edison has other works on electrical energy besides the light bulb. He planned to establish direct current networks at that time instead of the alternating current electricity networks we use now to distribute electricity. He even did not refrain from vilifying his successor for the sake of his purpose.

But the alternating current found by Nikola Tesla was technologically superior.

In fact, we would be wrong if we say that only Nikola Tesla discovered alternating current. Tesla did not actually find alternating current, but made significant contributions to its development and made it more usable.

In the electricity fight between Edison and Tesla, Tesla won, because alternating current was a way of transporting energy to longer distances with less energy loss than direct current with thinner wires.

Alternative current:

After all, what Tesla said came true, and today the whole world uses electrical energy as alternating current.

But although it has great advantages in terms of carrying alternating current, it has a big handicap, it is very difficult to store.

It doesn't matter if it is direct current or alternating current, but while it is possible to store direct current with the batteries we know, alternating current cannot be stored in this way at all. When needed, direct current can be converted to alternating current with devices we call inverters. The opposite is also possible, that is, we can convert alternating current into direct current. However, it is not possible to store alternating current directly.

The reason alternating current cannot be stored is because alternating current is actually a vibration. How are you going to store something that vibrates, right? In fact, it cannot be stored as electrical energy in direct current. Batteries, which we know as direct current stores, are the stored form of electrical energy by converting it to chemical energy, and although a lot of work has been done on it in recent years, the capacity of the batteries is still very low.

If you take into account the energy needed for giant factories and facilities, the need for storage is much higher. It's not like with batteries.

Is there no way to store large amounts of electrical energy?

There are actually studies on this subject. But naturally, all the remedies are about converting electrical energy into another type of energy and storing it like that. The principle of conservation and transformation of energy.

Yes, we have reached another stage in the control of energy.

Storage of Electrical Energy:

Let's take a look at the storage methods of electrical energy.

Since the aim is the control of energy, we need to be able to produce the energy we want when and in the amount we want and use it as much as we want when we want. I guess that means full control.

We said that natural gas conversion power plants are preferred because they are more controlled in production, but fossil fuels are now dangerously disrupting the ecological balance.

If the energy produced from less controlled energy sources can be stored, it can be better controlled by using it when necessary.

Because in clean energy production routes, our fully controlled energy production possibilities are very limited, depending on the natural conditions. A lot of wasted energy is wasted.

So what is the solution? Is there any solution? Yes, the solution is to store the surplus and use it as much as we want when needed, but how?

Converting To Types Of Energy That Can Be Stored:

Since electrical energy cannot be stored directly, the solution is of course to convert the excess energy into another type of energy that can be stored.

Although large energy losses during these transformations are a problem, if at least a certain amount of energy can be accumulated, it can be used under our full control when needed and will be valuable for balancing energy needs.

The first example I will give will actually sound familiar. We all remember from school. If we lift a weight to a certain height, we gain potential energy. For example, if we drop an iron ball from a certain height, we would gain speed while falling down, and we would calculate its speed and kinetic energy. The potential energy at the height we let go is also equal to the kinetic energy below. Yes, kinetic and potential energy conversion is the first method that comes to mind.

This energy conversion is already used as one of the solutions. In the leading role, there is water, which is the most natural substance in the world, just like in dams. Water is a very ideal substance for potential energy storage, it can be easily pressed to a certain height by means of pumps. Bringing potential energy to the water, that is, lifting the water to a certain height, is a method applied in the world as one of the possibilities of storing electrical energy. I do not know if we have the application, I guess I would have heard if there was. It is also possible to build it anywhere as it does not need a direct water source like dams.

We have said that our problem in the electrical energy obtained from the dams is that the energy cannot be produced in a fully controlled manner. In other words, although there is no serious problem since the water stored behind the dam body is usually very large, natural conditions sometimes affect electricity production.

This also applies to wind turbines and solar panels.

In thermal and natural gas conversion power plants, the operation of the facilities can be adjusted according to the energy needs. But they also cause a lot of harm to the environment.

Balanced Use of Electrical Energy:

The amount of energy needed during the day varies according to the usage. When the lights are turned on in the evenings, the need for energy increases, and as many workplaces and factories stop at night, the need decreases.

It is necessary to balance this electricity need during the day. If you produce the excess energy and give it to the network, you will have wasted it. Some of it is converted into heat energy in lines and some in turbines and is lost. Not to mention the explosion of turbines. Production below the need already means insufficient energy. Low voltage or forced outage because you cannot meet the need. To balance this, you will either control the production or use it.

Here one of the solutions to balance the energy is a structure similar to dam systems. By building two large water reservoirs or ponds, one above and the other below, in a naturally suitable place, pumping the water from the lower pond to the above reservoir or pond by activating the huge pumps at the pumping station to be established in this facility in cases where the electricity produced is more than the need, and when there is a need for energy, Generating electricity by commissioning the turbine facility, where the turbines are located, as in dams. So this time, taking the water from the reservoir above to the reservoir below.

Of course, this system requires a huge investment, it has costs like dam construction. There are also water losses in the reservoirs due to evaporation. It is also possible for water to escape underground through cracks. This lost water must be met continuously from a source, so it would be logical to establish this facility near a stream or stream.

Still a good solution for energy balancing. If there are natural lakes in the place we plan to establish, the cost may not be too much. This established system is also a useful system for fishing in ponds.

It seems to me that it makes more sense to store the energy we waste while producing it in our own geography, instead of using the natural gas we buy by paying the world's money, just because more controlled energy production can be made. Our country is very suitable for establishing such facilities. Such facilities will also have serious benefits for the country's economy.

Why Is Electricity So Expensive:

I think the answer to a question we asked in the previous chapters has been understood. Why is electricity so expensive? Because while the production need can be solved with more national methods, the main reason why electricity is expensive is the electricity production made by purchasing natural gas from outside just because it is more controlled. With all the electrical energy we wasted. We all pay the price of the wrong energy production policy!

Our country is a country with plenty of mountains and plains, we can find many places where we can balance energy with this method. I think this method is worth considering.

It is also possible to cover the surface of the reservoirs with various methods, as is done in some places to prevent water loss from the surface. There are many application examples in the world to prevent water loss from the surface such as plastic balls or floating styrofoam.

As can be seen from this example, a solution can actually be found when requested. As long as we have the intention to work for a solution and allow the generation of ideas, of course, enough resources are allocated to our universities.

In short, even though it is prohibited, I'm in favor of stocking up on some things, the old people said it's time to save the straw, they didn't say it for nothing.

There are a few more solutions, but today I wanted to describe this method in detail, as I think it suits us better. Let's continue with the others tomorrow.

Love and regards from Moscow