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All Rights Reserved ELECTRICAL POWER IN THE U.S. In the United States, approximately 20 percent of the electrical power needs are supplied by nuclear energy. The remainder of the electrical needs are supplied by generation plants using coal (45 percent), natural gas (23 percent), hydroelectric (7 percent), other renewables such as geothermal and wind power (4 percent) and petroleum (1 percent). For information about electrical power production in the United States, click on the buttons below. NUCLEAR ENERGY The use of nuclear energy in the United States, for the production of electricity, is discussed in this website on a page titled 'Reconsidering the Use of Nuclear Energy.' That page may be accessed via the button below. OTHER SOURCES OF ELECTRICAL POWER Hydroelectric and other renewable sources account for approximately 11 percent of the electrical production in the United States. The remainder of the electrical production, which is approximately 69 percent of the total, is supplied by fossil fuels. PRODUCTION BY FOSSIL FUELS The remainder of this discussion will focus mainly on the 69 percent of the electrical production which uses fossil fuels, for the technology presented in this website holds the potential for greatly improving its efficiency, reducing fuel consumption and reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION The buttons below access information relating to fossil fuel electrical generation. RELATIVELY INEFFICIENT Information in the articles, accessed above, tends to indicate that fossil fuel electrical generation plants are very inefficient. Now for a few statistics. Coal-fired plants appear to convert about 33 percent of the coal's energy potential into electricity. A standard natural gas fueled steam-turbine plant may have a thermal efficiency of about 33 to 35 percent. A combined cycle, natural gas fueled, electrical generation plant can have a thermal efficiency of 50 to 60 percent. Gas-fueled, reciprocating engine powered, electrical generating plants may have a thermal efficiency of 25 to 40 percent. A DRASTIC IMPROVEMENT The thermal efficiencies for fossil fuel power generating plants, which are listed above, could be increased a substantial amount by the proper application of the technology presented in this website. With this being said, the discussion will now turn to power outputs of electrical generating plants. NUCLEAR OUTPUT For electrical output comparison purposes, the power output of nuclear electrical-power generating plants in the United States will be noted. These nuclear plants come in a variety of sizes. The smallest plant (in Nebraska) is a 482 Mega-Watt (MW) facility, which uses a single reactor. The largest nuclear plant is in Arizona. It is a 3,942 MW facility, which uses three reactors. Resource information is accessed via the button below. HYDROELECTRIC OUTPUT The output from a few important hydroelectric facilities will also be noted for comparison purposes. Glen Canyon Dam, on the Colorado River by Page, Arizona, has a maximum output of 1,356 MW. Resource information indicates that Bonneville Dam, on the Columbia River, between its two powerhouses has an output of 1,093 MW. Grand Coulee Dam, on the Columbia River, is one of the largest dams in the world. The total generating capacity of Grand Coulee Dam is 6,809 MW and its average annual output is about 2,300 MW. Resource information indicates that the average annual ouput of 2,300 MW is enough power to continuously supply the electrical needs of two cities the size of Seattle, Washington. A CITY FOR COMPARISON The above information indicates that a city the size of Seattle, Washington requires about 1,150 MW of power annually. This information will be important later in this discussion as the output ratings of power plants is considered. BACK TO HYDROELECTRIC The buttons below access information about hydroelectric installations. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The above information regarding nuclear and hydroelectric power plant outputs will be used as background information, as another very important type of electrical generating plant is considered. These particular plants use multi-cylinder reciprocating engines to turn electrical generators. ENGINE-DRIVEN POWER PLANTS The reciprocating engine power plants come in a variety of power outputs. Introductory information about this particular nature of power plant is accessed via the buttons below. TO POWER A CITY Cummins produces single-engine generator sets with outputs from 315 to 1,750 kW. Cummins has linked their generator sets together to build plants with outputs of 25 MW. It would take 46 of these small plants to supply the energy needs of a city the size of Seattle, Washington. Wartsila produces power plants with output ranges of 4 to 500 MW. It would take less than three of the 500 MW power plants to supply the electrical needs for a city the size of Seattle, Washington. SIMPLE MATH The larger the number of engine-driven generating units which are linked together, the greater will be the final power output for the electrical system. COMPARED TO NUCLEAR Now for a comparison. The 500 MW Wartsila facility is comparable to the smallest nuclear power plant in the United States: the 482 MW plant in Nebraska. To create an engine-driven electrical generation plant with a power output which is comparable to the largest nuclear facility in the United States, the 3,942 MW plant in Arizona, would take eight of the 500 MW engine-driven plants connected together. ENGINE-DRIVEN POTENTIAL It is readily possible to build engine-driven generating facilities which can equal or exceed the power output of even the largest nuclear power plant. One major advantage of engine-driven facilities is that they are much safer than nuclear power plants in the event of a major natural disaster or other calamity. PLANT SAFETY Engine-driven generating plants that recieve extensive damage do not spread radiation across the region or the world. It is also much easier to clean up the wreckage of an engine-driven plant destroyed in a major disaster, than it is to clean up the wreckage of a nuclear power plant which is leaking radiation. The damaged nuclear power plants at Fukushima, Japan are a good example to consider. IMPORTANT FLEXIBILITY Another important advantage of engine-driven plants versus nuclear plants is that the engine-driven plants have a much quicker startup and shutdown time. Engine-driven plants are also very flexible and can readily adjust to an electrical load which fluctuates radically throughout the day, and from day to day. ELECTRICITY AND HEAT Engine-driven power plants have another advantage. With a relatively simple and inexpensive setup, they can deliver heat to the surrounding town or city. One such installation which provides heat to a town is at Rinkøbing, Denmark. Basic information on this installation is accessed via the buttons below. On the other hand, large-scale nuclear and hydroelectric generating facilities are often located some distance from major cities. Hydroelectric plants do not produce enough heat for use in a city. The use of waste heat from nuclear power plants to supply the needs of cities in not feasible because of the costs involved and safety issues, plus the complexity of the required systems. Now, let us consider other matters. POWER TRANSMISSION The power from hydroelectric and nuclear generating facilities, and even from wind-power facilities, because of their remote locations, is usually sent some distance through large transmission lines in order to reach the metropolitan areas. At this point, there is something which should be considered. A CHANGING WORLD We live in a world where terrorist acts can potentially occur at any time. Let us not forget the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001. These acts took most people by surprise. Let us never forget that, in our changing world, devastating events like those in the past can also occur in the future. VULNERABLE TO TERRORISTS Large, long-distance transmission lines are very vulnerable to terrorist attack. They can easily be attacked from the ground and from the air. Information regarding the vulnerability of these transmission lines is accessed via the buttons below. The resources are not available to truly protect the numerous miles of these vital lines from a determined terrorist cell. IN THE AFTERMATH With the destruction of key transmission lines, large metropolitan areas and regions of the country could easily experience very devastating electrical black-outs. In such a situation, safety and security, even national security, may be seriously compromised. BASIC TRANSMISSION INFO Introductory information regarding electric power transmission is accessed via the button below. AFFECTED BY NATURE Transmission towers, lines and associated systems have been known to be greatly effected or fail during extreme weather conditions such as wind, tornadoes and ice. Failure of large-scale power grids has also been experienced as a result of solar activity. For an introduction to just a few of these potential problems, simply click on the buttons below. OTHER CONCERNS It appears there are environmental and potential health concerns associated with large transmission lines. For introductory information regarding these issues, simply click on the buttons below. INCREASING NATIONAL SECURITY From the standpoint of terrorist activity, major solar events and large-scale natural disasters, it makes sense to reduce or eliminate our dependence on large-scale, remote power generating facilities and transmissions lines which criss-cross the country. Instead of using remotely located, large-scale power production facilities such as nuclear power plants, major hydroelectric installations on rivers, or large wind-power facilities, it would make far more sense to produce the necessary power locally, relatively close to the point of end use. This would reduce or eliminate the need for many of the vulnerable transmission lines. LOCALIZED POWER PRODUCTION In the event of a major natural disaster or terrorist act, a prior reduction in the use of large transmission line networks and long transmission lines could greatly reduce the area which experiences an electrical blackout. The use of local, engine-driven power generating plants could further reduce the potential for large-scale blackouts. This is important from an economic, safety and security standpoint. AS NOW CONFIGURED As they are now configured, engine-driven electrical power generating plants are extremely inefficient. Yes, they have a very low thermal efficiency. For this reason, they use far more fuel than is necessary. This causes their operating costs to be far higher than necessary. They also emit a relatively large amount of greenhouse gases. But, let this not stop us from seriously considering these relatively safe producers of electrical energy. In an improved form, they will work perfectly as the basis for a highly advanced and less vulnerable electrical system. THE PROPER TECHNOLOGY The proper application of the fuel and engine technology presented in this website can readily increase the thermal efficiency of engine-driven electrical generating plants, plus reduce their overall fuel usage. This technology has the potential for greatly reducing the operating costs at these facilities, while greatly reducing their emission of greenhouse gases and other harmful factors. THE BOTTOM LINE Our world does not need any more nuclear power plants or nuclear accidents. We do not need to dam any more rivers and harm fish populations. We do not need to put up any more inefficient wind farms to become more environmentally-friendly. We do not need to open up more oil and gas fields. There is a much simpler and cost-effective solution for our energy needs. Presented in this website is a feasible, cost-effective, environmentally-friendly and safe solution for virtually all of our energy needs. The solution centers around the concept of greatly increasing overall efficiency in our engine-driven devices. An increase in efficiency is the quickest route to reduce or eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. Welcome to Sakrisson Energy Solutions: Home of "A Better Way" to provide for our energy needs. |
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