The most unusual ways to get electricity. Unusual sources of alternative energy A device of extraordinary power that has long been
The issue of alternative energy sources is discussed very often. Currently, many of them are used quite successfully. However, there are a huge number of theories and developments that consider rather unusual sources. At the moment, they are not popular, are considered impractical and even unprofitable, but they show hope. The article contains the TOP 5 such unusual alternative energy sources for you.
Wind, tidal, solar and geothermal energy have long been considered “official alternative energy sources” and have been quite successfully used by people to generate electricity. But scientists and researchers do not stop there; searches and new developments do not stop. I suggest you consider unusual alternative energy sources that are worth paying attention to, since there is a prospect that someday they will become profitable, effective and very popular, because today they give us real hope.
TOP 5 unusual alternative energy sources
1. Use of salt water to generate electricity
Today, Norway already has the first experimental power plant that receives energy from salt water. It was created by Statkraft. To generate electricity, a power plant uses a physical effect called osmosis. That is, as a result of mixing salt and fresh water, it is possible to extract energy from the increasing entropy of liquids. After this, the resulting energy is used to rotate the hydraulic turbine of the electric generator.
2. Application of fuel cells to generate electricity
Solid oxide fuel cell power plants with a capacity of up to 500 kW have already been developed, but at the moment they are operating in demonstration mode. Their work is based on the fact that fuel is burned in the element, and as a result, the released energy is directly converted into electricity. You can draw the following analogy: it’s like a diesel electric generator, only without a diesel engine and a generator, and what’s good is, without smoke, noise, overheating and with much higher efficiency.
3. The use of thermal generators to convert thermal energy into electrical energy
In this case, to obtain electrical energy, the thermoelectric effect is necessary. This, in principle, not a new technology has become quite relevant today, thanks to the massive use of energy-saving light sources and various portable electrical receivers. Moreover, industrial developments have already been successfully applied. An example is heating and cooking stoves with built-in thermogenerators. It can be noted that during their operation they allow you to receive not only heat, but also electricity.
4. Use of piezoelectric generators to harness kinetic energy
Today, experimental installations already exist, and through them it is possible to generate electricity through the use of kinetic energy - pedestrian paths, turnstiles at railway stations, a special dance floor with piezoelectric generators built into it. Ideas for creating special “green gyms” in the near future are also already being considered. According to the manufacturers, a group of exercise bikes in such gyms could generate up to 3.6 megawatts of renewable electricity per year.
5. Application of nanogenerators to use vibration energy
A special nanogenerator is used as an energy source; it converts micro-oscillations in the human body into electrical energy. For such a device, the slightest vibrations are enough to generate an electric current, which will help maintain the functionality of mobile devices. Nanogenerators existing today can turn any movement and movement into a source of energy. Quite promising and unusual options for using nanogenerators in conjunction with solar batteries are also being considered.
These are the sources of alternative energy that are now considered the most promising for our future.
When autumn is around the corner and winter is approaching, it is worth turning your attention to more pressing issues. To prevent the cold from taking you by surprise, take care of how you will heat your home, apartment or office. A worthy option to solve this problem are infrared heaters, such as, for example, zenet carbon heaters. They have a wide range of advantages: environmentally friendly, efficient, reliable, durable, safe and easy to use. Thanks to this, they are becoming increasingly popular.
"Sunny Windows" The sun is an obvious and reliable source of energy, but solar panels require extremely expensive materials. SolarWindow technology uses transparent plastic glass that also serves as solar panels. They can be installed as regular windows, and the production price is quite reasonable.
Tides. We've only recently started looking at tides as energy sources. The most promising wave generator, Oyster, was developed only in 2009. The name translates as “oyster”, since this is exactly what it resembles in appearance. Two installations launched in Scotland are enough to supply energy to 80 homes.
The microwave generator is an ambitious project by British engineer Robert Scheuer, which proposes to completely abandon the usual fuel for spacecraft. Resonating microwaves should hypothetically create powerful jet thrust, while simultaneously refuting Newton's third law. Whether the system works or is quackery is still unclear.
Viruses. Scientists from the National Laboratory named after. Lawrence Berkeley a couple of years ago discovered a virus capable of creating electricity by deforming modified materials. The harmless bacteriophage viruses M13 exhibited such properties. Now this technology is used to recharge laptop and smartphone screens.
One of the most famous and widespread alternative energy sources is geothermal. It is taken from the heat of the Earth itself and therefore does not waste its resources. One thermal power plant, “sitting” on a volcano, supplies electricity to about 11,500 residential buildings.
There is another new type of solar battery, although it focuses not on cheapness, but on efficiency. Betaray is a sphere filled with a special liquid, covered with heat-trapping panels. The device produces four times more energy than conventional solar panels.
Biofuel is a very promising source of energy, literally grown in fields. It is extracted from vegetable oils, such as soybean or corn. But the most promising are... algae, which provide a hundred times more resources than land plants. And even the waste from them can be used as fertilizer.
Radioactive thorium is very similar to uranium, but gives off 90 times more energy! True, scientists have to work hard for this, and thorium generally plays a secondary role in nuclear reactors. Its reserves in the earth's crust exceed the reserves of uranium by 3-4 times, so thorium can potentially provide humanity with energy for hundreds of years.
The inflatable turbine is essentially the next level of development in wind power plants. A turbine filled with helium rises to a height of up to 600 meters, where the wind blows constantly and with enormous force. In addition to the energy payback, the device is also very weather-resistant and cheap.
International experimental thermonuclear reactor. Despite all the dangers associated with nuclear power plants, they still remain the most powerful sources of energy invented by man. ITER is an international thermonuclear reactor project in which the EU countries, Russia, USA, China, Korea, Japan and Kazakhstan participate. The end of construction of the reactor is scheduled for 2020.
Basic energy sources, such as coal or oil, tend to run out and also pollute the environment. They are contrasted with renewable resources such as geothermal energy or solar radiation. Let's look at ten alternative energy sources that have already proven themselves in action.
1. Flying wind generator
The Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT), a huge wind turbine balloon, can reach altitudes of up to 600 meters. At this level, wind speeds are significantly higher than at the surface of the earth, allowing energy production to be doubled.
2. Oyster Wave Power Plant
The yellow float is the surface part of the pump, which is located at a depth of 15 meters, half a kilometer from the shore. Using wave energy, Oyster (“Oyster”) transfers water to a completely ordinary hydroelectric power station located on land. The system is capable of generating up to 800 kW of electricity, providing light and heat to up to 80 homes. 
3. Algae-based biofuel
Algae contain up to 75% natural oils, grow very quickly, and do not require arable land or water for irrigation. From one acre (4047 sq. m.) of “sea grass” you can get from 18 to 27 thousand liters of biofuel per year. For comparison: sugar cane, with the same initial inputs, produces only 3,600 liters of bioethanol. 
4. Solar panels in window glass
Standard solar panels convert the sun's energy into electricity with an efficiency of 10-20%, and their operation is quite expensive. But recently, scientists from the University of California have developed transparent panels based on relatively inexpensive plastic. The batteries draw energy from infrared light and can replace conventional window glass. 
5. Volcanic electricity
The operating principle of a geothermal power plant is the same as that of a thermal power plant, but instead of coal, the heat of the earth's interior is used. Areas with high volcanic activity, where magma comes close to the surface, are ideal for extracting this type of energy. 
6. Spherical solar cell
Even on a cloudy day, Betaray's liquid-filled glass globe is four times more efficient than a conventional solar panel. And even on a clear night, the sphere does not sleep, extracting energy from moonlight. 
7. M13 virus
Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (California) managed to modify the M13 bacteriophage virus so that it creates an electrical charge when the material is mechanically deformed. To get electricity, just press a button or swipe your finger across the display. However, so far the maximum charge that has been obtained by “infectious means” is equal to the capabilities of a quarter of a micro-finger battery. 
8. Thorium
Thorium is a radioactive metal similar to uranium, but capable of producing 90 times more energy when decaying. In nature, it is found 3-4 times more often than uranium, and just one gram of the substance is equivalent to 7,400 gallons (33,640 liters) of gasoline in terms of the amount of heat generated. 8 grams of thorium is enough for a car to drive for more than 100 years or 1.6 million km without refueling. In general, Laser Power Systems announced the start of work on a thorium engine. Let's see! 
9. Microwave motor
As you know, a spacecraft receives momentum for takeoff due to the ejection and combustion of rocket fuel. Roger Scheuer tried to erase the fundamentals of physics. Its EMDrive engine (we wrote about it) does not require fuel, creating thrust using microwaves that are reflected from the inner walls of a sealed container. There is still a long way ahead: the traction force of such a motor is not even enough to throw a coin off the table. 
10. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)
The purpose of ITER is to recreate the processes occurring inside stars. As opposed to nuclear fission, we are talking about the safe and waste-free synthesis of two elements. After receiving 50 megawatts of energy, ITER will return 500 megawatts - enough to power 130,000 homes. The reactor, based in the south of France, will be launched in the early 2030s, and it will not be connected to the energy grid until 2040. 
Where to get energy? It is no secret that people will sooner or later exhaust the reserves of oil, gas, coal and even uranium that still remain on the planet. A completely reasonable question arises: “What to do next? Where to get energy? After all, our whole life is based on the use of energy. It turns out that after hydrocarbon reserves run out, the existence of civilization will end?
There is an exit! These are the so-called alternative energy sources. By the way, many of them are being used, and successfully, already at the present time. The energy of wind, tides, sun and geothermal sources is successfully used and converted by people into electricity. But that's how to put it.
Currently, there are hundreds of theories and developments on the creation and use of unusual alternative energy sources. The alternative energy sources described in this article are unusual only in the sense that they have not yet become popular, are not widely used, are impractical, unprofitable, etc.
But this does not mean at all that they will not be able to be effectively used, perhaps in the very near future. After all, oil as a source of energy has been known since ancient times, but only since the end of the industrial revolution, oil could be obtained and processed into a usable form.
It is not known what we will use to generate energy in the future, but there are certainly alternatives to traditional energy sources, and it is quite possible that at least one of the methods listed below for generating electrical energy can become widespread and popular.
Here are 5 unusual alternative energy sources that give rise to real hope for efficient use in the future:
The first experimental power plant using salt water was created by Statkraft in Norway. A power plant uses the physical effect of osmosis to generate electricity. Through this effect, energy is extracted from the increasing entropy of liquids by mixing salt and fresh water. this energy is then used to rotate the hydraulic turbine of an electric generator.
Demonstration power plants using solid oxide electrolyte fuel cells with a capacity of up to 500 kW have been developed. In fact, the element burns fuel and directly converts the released energy into electricity. It's the same as a diesel electric generator, only without a diesel engine and a generator. And also without smoke, noise, overheating and with much higher efficiency.
The thermoelectric effect is used to generate electrical energy. This is a fairly old technology, which has again become relevant in our time due to the massive use of energy-saving light sources and various portable electrical receivers. Industrial developments already exist and are being successfully used, for example, heating and cooking furnaces with built-in thermogenerators, which during their operation make it possible to obtain not only heat, but also electricity.
Experimental installations have been created that make it possible to generate electricity through the use of kinetic energy - pedestrian paths, turnstiles at railway stations, a special dance floor with piezoelectric generators built into it. There are ideas in the near future to create special "green gyms" in which a group of exercise bikes could, according to the manufacturers, generate up to 3.6 megawatts of renewable electricity per year.
In this case, the energy source is a special nanogenerator that converts micro-oscillations in the human body into electrical energy. The device only needs the slightest vibrations to generate an electric current that allows it to maintain the functionality of mobile devices. Modern nanogenerators turn any movement and movement into a source of energy. Options for the joint use of nanogenerators and solar batteries are very promising and interesting.
What do you think about this? Perhaps you are aware of other new alternative sources of electricity. Share in the comments!
The modern world is gradually and steadily coming to a wider and more active use of alternative energy sources. Humanity understands perfectly well that oil and gas will sooner or later run out, nuclear energy, despite its development, still cannot be 100% safe, coal is harmful to the environment and is also a non-renewable natural resource. That is why today an increasing number of scientists and researchers are working in the field of increasing the efficiency and reducing the cost of generating electricity from alternative sources. And if today it is difficult to surprise anyone with solar, wind, thermal, combined and even offshore power plants, is it true that in the world around us and beyond there are still little-studied but perhaps promising sources of environmentally friendly energy?
We have studied the information available today and have collected for you 10 of the most unusual and exotic alternative energy sources, which may not exist tomorrow, but the day after tomorrow may well begin to be actively used by humanity.
1. Potential ocean thermal energy, which, as is known, cover most of our planet, may well be used by humans in the future to generate electricity. A “warm ocean” power plant will generate energy due to the temperature difference between the warm surface waters and the cold bottom waters.
2. You may not realize it, but nature has long figured out how to generate electricity due to water evaporation. Having looked at plants, modern scientists have already developed a similar system that works due to the difference in the electrical properties of water and air, the bubbles of which are pumped inside the leaf, like a plant leaf. As a result, an electric current is generated. At the same time, scientists are quite optimistic about the possible prospects of using such technology, including due to the ability of these systems to operate not only as generators, but also as batteries to generate electrical energy.
3. Osmosis- a natural process that scientists have been using for their needs for a long time. Everyone knows reverse osmosis filters, but not everyone knows that today engineers are developing a fundamentally new scheme for generating electricity from the salt water of the seas and oceans. Moreover, this principle is also based on osmosis.
The uniqueness of this process is the possibility in the future not only to independently provide the necessary amounts of energy for water desalination processes, which today require huge energy costs, but also to generate electricity “for sale.” The operating principle of “osmosis power plants” will be based on the reverse process of desalination. Scientists know that when salty seawater is added to fresh water, a process called “reverse electrodialysis” begins, which produces electricity. In the same case, if the research being carried out today shows its economic viability, such power plants can be installed at the mouths of rivers, where natural mixing of sea and fresh water occurs.
4. Joule Biotechnologies engineers have developed a completely innovative technology for obtaining energy sources, called glioculture. Engineers propose using a mixture of hydrocarbons, nutrients, water and photosynthetic microorganisms, which will use sunlight as an energy source. As a result of the vital activity of microorganisms, we will be able to immediately obtain hydrocarbons or alcohol that do not require purification.
5. Use of helium-3. This non-radioactive isotope has a very high potential for generating electricity through nuclear fusion, but it is very rare on Earth, but is found in abundance on the Moon. It is estimated that the development of the Moon may turn out to be a very promising direction, and today scientists have created several projects, the implementation of which may begin in the near future. In particular, calling helium-3 the energy source of the future, the Russian corporation Energia plans to begin its industrial development on a satellite of our planet no later than 2020.
6. Piezoelectricity– this method of obtaining energy has been used by humans for a long time. However, on a miniature rather than an industrial scale. Meanwhile, scientists do not rule out that the use of kinetic energy from human movement in the future may well become a fairly promising process.
Considering that piezoelectricity is produced by certain materials in response to mechanical stress, it is enough to simply create a sidewalk covering from similar materials, place it in places with the greatest concentration of moving people, and we will get a new free source of energy. Moreover, a similar principle can be implemented in a huge variety of options, for example, electricity can be generated by the sole of a shoe.
7. Solar energy has been successfully “recycled” on Earth for a long time, but due to the presence of the atmosphere, a huge portion of it simply dissipates without reaching directly the surface of our planet. If solar panels are placed in space, their efficiency will increase tenfold. By the way, similar photocells have long been used on satellites launched from Earth.
8. Excrement– they are already more than successfully used by people today, including for the production of biogas. In the future, scientists do not rule out that human sewage will also find quite active use as alternative energy sources. For example, today in Sweden they are trying to launch a technology for powering the engines of city buses, based on the principle of using microbial fuel cells, which during their life processes generate electric current, and use excrement for power.
9. Vortex power plants– prototypes of such systems have already been created today. The operating principle of these systems is based on the possibility of obtaining energy from slow water currents that can create whirlpools. And it is precisely them, whirlpools, that scientists propose to use for energy production.
Whirlpools form an unstable water environment in which a placed object moves downwards or upwards, or moves in a horizontal plane. The mechanical energy created in this way can be easily converted into electrical energy; fortunately, there are a huge variety of similar systems and technologies today.
10. Energy of the mountains. A new type of geothermal energy was obtained through experiments in pumping salt water deep into rocks, the temperature of which, due to the decay of radioactive elements present in the planet's crust and the hottest mantle of the Earth, is very high. The further process is simple and studied. When heated, the water turns into steam, which is fed into a turbine that generates electricity. Moreover, the power of such a power plant can be easily adjusted by controlling the supply of cold salt water.