Can Energy Production Scale?
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Transcript of Can Energy Production Scale?
Can Energy Can Energy Production Scale?Production Scale?
Choices and Challenges for Choices and Challenges for the Current Centurythe Current Century
Our Waveform of Consumption
Three Main Challenges
Electricity Production: per capita consumption is increasing faster than energy efficiency
Electricity Distribution: Aging grid already at capacity
Fuel Usage: 3.5 Billion gallons a day (would be more if not refinery limited) 400 million gallons a day in the US
Production and Consumption on the Century Timescale
A Century of Change A Century of Change (1900 (=1) vs 2000)(1900 (=1) vs 2000)
• Industrial Output: 40
• Marine Fish Catch: 35
• CO2 Emissions: 17
• Total Energy Use: 16
• Coal Production: 7
• World Population: 4
No More Fish by
2100 at this rate
of Consumption
Waveforms of GrowthWaveforms of Growth
The Terrawatt Power ScaleThe Terrawatt Power Scale
Currently we are a 14.5 TW PlanetCurrently we are a 14.5 TW Planet
The Earth Limited Scale Scaling from the last century leads to the
absurd: 235 TW of required Power 40,000 more of the largest concrete
structure in the US 50 Million of these requiring a total of 75
billion tons of Steel (not that much left) 10 Million Sq. km of these 10 Billion of these (1 per person?)
The Earth Limited Scale
Scaling from the last century leads to the absurd: 235 TW of required Power
Well, what kind of facilities/infrastructure would need to be built to generate 235 TW of Power?
Option 1:
Build 40,000 more of these worldwide:
Hey What about World Wide Wind?
We would need to build 50 million of these 5 MW machines
This requires 75 Billion Tons of Steel whoops, we ain’t got that much Steel left
Option 3: Pave the Deserts
We only need 30 million square kilometers spaced out continuously in each time zone.
Note that the entire Sahara desert is 9 million square km.
More Earth LimitationsMore Earth Limitations
Total fuel cell production limited by Total fuel cell production limited by amount of accessible platinum on the amount of accessible platinum on the planet; 500 million vehicles planet; 500 million vehicles lithospheric lithospheric exhaustion in 15 yearsexhaustion in 15 years
Higher efficiency PVs limited by accessible Higher efficiency PVs limited by accessible amount of Cadmium or Gallium or Indiumamount of Cadmium or Gallium or Indium
Conventional Transmission media limited Conventional Transmission media limited by available new Copperby available new Copper
Clear need for Carbon based materials Clear need for Carbon based materials (fiber, nanotubes) to overcome this.(fiber, nanotubes) to overcome this.
Business As Usual ScenarioBusiness As Usual Scenario
Population stabilizes to 10-12 billion Population stabilizes to 10-12 billion by the year 2100 by the year 2100
Total world energy use from 2000 to Total world energy use from 2000 to 2100 is 4000 Terra Watt Years (Current 2100 is 4000 Terra Watt Years (Current world use is about 14.5 TW years)world use is about 14.5 TW years)
40 TWyr is compromise between 40 TWyr is compromise between current 14.5 TWyr and scaled 235 current 14.5 TWyr and scaled 235 TWyrTWyr
Ultimately Recoverable Ultimately Recoverable ResourceResource
Conventional Conventional Oil/GasOil/Gas
Unconventional OilUnconventional Oil CoalCoal Methane ClathratesMethane Clathrates Oil ShaleOil Shale Uranium OreUranium Ore Geothermal Steam Geothermal Steam
- conventional- conventional
1000 TWy (1/4 1000 TWy (1/4 need)need)
20002000 50005000 20,00020,000 30,00030,000 2,0002,000 4,0004,000
Other PossibilitiesOther Possibilities
Hot Dry RockHot Dry Rock Sunlight/OTECSunlight/OTEC Wind EnergyWind Energy Gulf StreamGulf Stream Global BiomassGlobal Biomass
1,000,0001,000,000 9,000,0009,000,000 200,000200,000 140,000140,000 10,00010,000
In Principle, Incident Energy is Sufficient but how to recover and distribute it in the most cost effective manner?
Dollars Per Megawatt per unit Dollars Per Megawatt per unit Land use per unit Material UseLand use per unit Material Use
20 KW power buoy 20 KW power buoy 5 MW Wind Turbine5 MW Wind Turbine LNG closed cycleLNG closed cycle Wind FarmWind Farm PV FarmPV Farm Stirling FarmStirling Farm Pelamis FarmPelamis Farm
850 Tons per MW850 Tons per MW 100 Tons per MW100 Tons per MW 1500 MW sq km 1500 MW sq km 600 MW sq km600 MW sq km 50 MW sq km50 MW sq km 40 MW sq km40 MW sq km 30 MW sq km30 MW sq km
The US in milli-ChinasThe US in milli-Chinas
Steel Use: 1992 (1400) 1998 (1120) 2004 Steel Use: 1992 (1400) 1998 (1120) 2004 (320)(320)
Coal Use: 1992 (923) 1998 (780) 2004 Coal Use: 1992 (923) 1998 (780) 2004 (670)(670)
Oil Use: 1992 (5600) 1998 (3600) 2004 Oil Use: 1992 (5600) 1998 (3600) 2004 (2500)(2500)
China: Adding 1 new 1000 MW coal fired power plant every 10 days
China: Will exceed US GHG Emissions Summer 2008
China: Private Vehicle Fleet growing at least at 10% per year
The Need for BioFuelsThe Need for BioFuels
India/China Growth India/China Growth New Fuels New Fuels RequiredRequired
Total Possible YieldTotal Possible Yield
• 10 kg of corn = 1 gallon of ethanol10 kg of corn = 1 gallon of ethanol
• 1 ideal acre of corn = 850 gallons 1 ideal acre of corn = 850 gallons but but we need 200 billion gallons annuallywe need 200 billion gallons annually
• 1 practical acre = 2/3 of an ideal acre1 practical acre = 2/3 of an ideal acre
• Required acreage is 350 million acres of Required acreage is 350 million acres of crop landcrop land
• 450 million acres in the US so 78% needed 450 million acres in the US so 78% needed for this enterprise for this enterprise not feasible for grain not feasible for grain based ethanolbased ethanol
100 Billion Gallons by 2050100 Billion Gallons by 2050
• Switchgrass as cellulosic ethanol: Switchgrass as cellulosic ethanol: Current average yields are five dry tons Current average yields are five dry tons per acre.per acre.
• With improved breeding techniques this With improved breeding techniques this couldcould increase to 15 dry tons per acre increase to 15 dry tons per acre
• 88 Million acres is then needed to 88 Million acres is then needed to produce the equivalent of 100 billion produce the equivalent of 100 billion gallons of gasoline gallons of gasoline
Requirements/ExpectationsRequirements/Expectations
• 1 billion dollar annual investment in research 1 billion dollar annual investment in research and testing needed to get to 15 tons per acreand testing needed to get to 15 tons per acre
• 0.6 – 0.9 $ production cost per gallon by 2015 0.6 – 0.9 $ production cost per gallon by 2015 (compared to about $1.30 now for crude oil) (compared to about $1.30 now for crude oil)
• If fuel economy improves to 50 mpg by 2030 If fuel economy improves to 50 mpg by 2030 and if we devote 10% of available crop land to and if we devote 10% of available crop land to grow fuel on then just about ½ of our fuel grow fuel on then just about ½ of our fuel requirements will be met with “switchgrass”requirements will be met with “switchgrass”
SummarySummary
• Remember, we once went to the moon• The scale of this challenge is large (~50 TWyr) and
requires 20-30 year implementation timescale• Think seriously about using Hydrogen as a proxy for
transmission of electricity (Aleutians; OTEC)• Significant Increased fuel economy is absolutely
essential (50 mpg pods)• No one technological solution (e.g. fusion) yet exists
need Network of regionally based alternative energy facilities