Controlling of Energy: Part-7 (Final)

Let's continue with the controlled storage of energy, which is the last part of our article.

What is Energy Storage?

In fact, energy storage is not a foreign term for us. Even the wind-up watches that we carried on our wrists until yesterday can be considered an example of this. The energy we store in the spring of the clock by winding it turns into kinetic energy by turning the wheels of the clock. We see time from the clock with the seconds, hour and minute hands, but an energy transformation is going on inside. Although now new watches are powered by batteries. But nothing changes. Again, thanks to the energy conversion, we are aware of time. In other words, the chemically stored energy in the watch first turns into electrical energy, and then electrical energy turns into kinetic energy. In digital watches, a direct image is obtained through radiation instead of kinetic energy. In other words, although nothing has changed in its external appearance, the energy conversion system of the watches has completely changed.

The gigantic dams are another example. In dams, we actually store the water behind the dam body, in a sense, we store energy. As I mentioned in the previous section, the problem with dams is that we cannot do a full control. We are limited by the conditions of nature.

When I was at university, our teacher told us about the method of throwing a special bomb between the clouds to make it rain in the hydrology class. He used to say that if there were no clouds, drop as many bombs as you want, you can't make it rain. Just like our teacher said, pray as much as you want, if there is a drought, the turbines will not turn in the dams.

In the last section, I tried to convey in detail a method that, in my opinion, is applicable in Turkey for energy storage. Let's continue with other storage methods of electrical energy.

Compressed Air Method:

Another energy storage method is compressed air. Again, by using the excess electrical energy we produce during the day, we can store the energy as compressed air by pressing air into large volume spaces found underground in some places with huge compressors. Air that is compressed and stored with this method can be converted back into electrical energy by means of air turbines during the day when there is an energy shortage. It is possible to find suitable underground storage areas through geological research, and the rest is to build a facility with air compressors and turbines there. So it's a pretty simple method.

I don't know if it was put into operation, but a facility similar to the one I mentioned was being built somewhere around the salt lake to store natural gas. The energy storage I mentioned works with the same principle.

Storage in Salt:

Another method is to store the radiant energy from the sun in salt. Salt molecules have a very high heat holding capacity. By directing the sun's heat to the salt-filled warehouses on sunny days through mirrors focused on a point, the salt in the warehouses is heated and heat energy can be stored. The rest is simple, we already know the way from heat to electrical energy. The heat energy is transferred to the circulating water from the serpentines laid between the salt and it is transformed into electricity from the steam of the boiling water with the steam turbine.

Compressed Air-Pressure Liquefaction Method:

Another method is compressed air, but this time the air is cooled and liquefied under pressure, and can be converted back into electrical energy when necessary. An advantage of this method is that it does not need a natural storage environment underground, you can install it wherever you want. But the need for insulated and pressure-resistant large warehouses increases the cost of establishment. Still, the system is just like filling gas in kitchen tubes, liquefied air is released when needed and converted into electrical energy by air turbines, again a logical and simple system.

Storage of Energy as Momentum:

Yet another method is to store energy as momentum. This system is called "flywheel tanks".

It would be useful to give some technical information here.

I think most of us had a spinning top in our childhood. It's a heavy enough top, especially if it's balanced, once you throw it, it spins for a long time. This is how flywheel tanks work. There are large weights placed in a sufficiently sensitive and balanced way, and these weights are rotated in the warehouse with the excess energy generated during the day, and when energy is needed, this rotation energy is converted into electrical energy with a dynamo. A good example of storing energy in a kinetic state with momentum. But it is a high-tech and sensitive storage method, as it requires very fine tuning to reduce friction. In a country like ours, which is constantly experiencing earthquakes, I think it is not suitable because its sensitive settings will be constantly disrupted.

Storage method with a little more potential energy: Imagine a tall building with huge tower-cranes operating. When the electrical energy is high during the day, the tower-cranes lift the concrete blocks and stack them on top of each other. Let the generator, which works by swinging the blocks down, produce electricity even during the hours of electricity shortage. There is a company in the world that has developed this system in detail.

Similarly, in a deep well, there are crane systems working with the same principle with weights. Loads are moved up and down, and when necessary, energy is stored by removing the excess load, and when there is an energy deficit, electricity is produced with the energy of the load released down. These systems are already in use in the world.

Which Method Is Used by Us:

None of these methods are used by us. As if we have a lot of money, we prefer to balance energy with natural gas that we buy with foreign currency. I think it would be of great benefit to start an application that is suitable for us.

Let's talk about one last method and wrap up our examples.

As we know, the most abundant substance on earth is water. We are surrounded by seas and oceans all around us. The water molecule is actually an energy store on its own. More precisely, it would be more correct to say that hydrogen, one of the elements that make up water, is actually a fuel. Energy is released from the combination of hydrogen and oxygen. The resulting water is the most natural substance and can be easily released back into nature.

It is possible, albeit difficult, to obtain hydrogen by decomposing water. In order to do this, both electrical energy and radiation energy from the sun can be used. The resulting hydrogen can be used as a fuel.

Electricity Generation from Hydrogen:

With the latest technological studies, hydrogen engines that can produce electrical energy by burning hydrogen have already been developed. To develop this technology, Mercedes-Benz in Germany has spent billions of euros and has already produced the prototype vehicle. It examines the market and will launch it in the appropriate environment. Automobile companies in Japan are doing similar studies. In Korea, Hyundai has already launched hydrogen-powered trucks, while in Europe for now, a small number of Korean-made trucks have already begun to transport goods on the roads. Italian Iveco is doing similar work for its trucks, and it is working with all its might to produce hydrogen fuel trucks.

It is even planned to use hydrogen as a fuel in industry. Factories will most likely work with hydrogen engines in the future. So it looks like the fuel of the future will probably be hydrogen.

The most important work is on airplanes. Airplanes are already one of the main culprits of global warming. Although the amount of carbon dioxide they emit into the atmosphere is very low compared to industrial plants, fossil fuel cars and other vehicles, the gas remains at that level since the atmospheric layer where the carbon dioxide gas is released is at a very high level.

At this high level of the atmosphere, air movements are not as intense as in the lower layers. For this reason, airplanes rise up to these layers due to their flight comfort and low air density, economical fuel consumption.

This high level of carbon dioxide and similar gases form a thin layer at that level and cause the sun's energy to be trapped in the atmosphere by making a mirror effect on the sun rays reflected from the earth's surface.

This situation has a significant impact on global warming. That's why converting aircraft engines to hydrogen-powered engines is actually very important. As far as I know, aircraft companies are also doing serious studies on this issue.

Although some of the gases emitted from other industrial facilities reach the top with atmospheric movements, since most of them remain close to the earth's surface, they do not have a great effect on global warming, except for air pollution, that is, they do not have a mirror effect like airplane gases.

For now, natural gas is used in hydrogen production, the main producer is Russia, but as I said, it is possible to separate water molecules and produce hydrogen by using solar and electric energy and electrolysis method.

Storage and Commercial Dimension of Energy:

All these developments are a bit of a market issue in today's world. However, once upon a time, human beings traveled by horse-drawn carriages. At that time, the roads were filled with horse dung and people complained about the dirt and smell in the streets. With the production of fossil fuel cars, cars marketed as cleaner, environmentally friendly, and do not require constant maintenance like horses, spread in a very short time, causing horse-drawn carriages to be abandoned.

Similar complaints are made for fossil fuel vehicles today. History repeats itself. Carbon emissions, the increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the air and air pollution have become the problems of the whole world. We are experiencing global warming problems around the world, even the glaciers have begun to melt. Forest fires and floods swept the world.

Electric vehicles, which are the vehicles of the near future, will quickly replace cars, just like horse-drawn carriages. Hydrogen-fueled engines will be developed if battery technology is somehow clogged and cannot be further developed. In fact, in my opinion, hydrogen fueled engines seem to be more advantageous, because fast charging, which is one of the handicaps in battery technology, has not been developed enough yet. Moreover, since batteries store chemicals, their storage capacity decreases over time, they deteriorate and need to be replaced completely. This is both a great expense and a very laborious one.

The hydrogen tank, on the other hand, can be filled in a maximum of two to three minutes, just like normal gas powered vehicles.

The infrastructure and tanks of the gas filling stations currently in use are more suitable for fuel hydrogen distribution. As a fuel, hydrogen can be easily distributed even in the current state of fuel stations. Electricity, on the other hand, requires the establishment of special infrastructure. In other words, hydrogen is more advantageous than electricity in this sense.

Whichever one is more popular, that system will be dominant, so it's not so important, the important thing is that the change has started.

In short, everyone is struggling, developing new technologies with new ideas. Who knows what other technologies will be developed with hadron colliders like CERN. Perhaps nuclear batteries will be built in the future and vehicles will not have to worry about filling up their tanks. In future science, it is necessary to keep up with the pace of development of technology, otherwise the gap will open too much to really close.

I don't know what kind of work is being done on the energy storage I mentioned. I would probably know if something was being done.

Conclusion:

The future will probably be like this. That's why we need to be prepared for the future. If there is a problem of survival today, I think that this problem of survival is just like in the Ottoman Empire, we are behind the times, that is, we are not able to catch up with the era. Frankly, we need to work hard to catch up with the times.

The incompetent people occupying incompetent and incompetent cadres at all levels, who cannot see the future and do not have a vision, are the only survival problem of our country, of us. The young minds that we were able to raise with such difficulties have become lovers of abroad due to the situation of the country, they do not see a future in our country. That's the issue of survival.

I think you understand too. However, we have a lot of work to do. We need these young minds more than ever.

I guess I don't need to remind you of the magic formula. First of all, we should raise awareness of the society without straying from Atatürk's path.

This consciousness includes saving. Energy production with today's preferred methods is really expensive, we have to find ways to save with storage ways.

This consciousness includes the fact that if we do not find a way to live in prosperity by catching the age in this world, the suffering that your grandchildren will suffer in the future due to backwardness will not leave us alone in the hereafter.

We must get rid of today's politicians and all those who are incompetent, who only know how to make vicious political polemics, and bring young, dynamic and visionary cadres to the country's administration as soon as possible. In saying this, I am only talking about all those who engage in political polemics. My only criterion is that those who aspire to govern Turkey have the vision of the future that I am trying to explain in this article. To advance on the path that Atatürk showed and to be conscious enough to lead us to the future we deserve.

I tried to explain the future and how the energy that we will need much more in the future can be produced and kept under control.

The choice is yours for the cadres who can do this.

As Joseph de Maistre said, "TOUTE NATION A LE GOUVERNEMENT QU'ELLE MÉRITE."

In other words, in its Turkish translation, "EVERY NATION IS GOVERNED AS WELL."

Love and regards from Moscow.