Geothermal energy in Australia

Although Australia is not usually associated with geothermal energy, it possesses significant amounts of both conventional (wet) geothermal and hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal resources. The country's conventional geothermal resources are extensive, but are low temperature and are located in areas of low population density with the result that they are not used extensively for either electricity generation or for direct heating. Australia's HDR resources, on the other hand, represent a world-class resource but have not been used to date because the technology for converting HDR resources into electricity is not yet fully commercial. The effort being directed towards exploring economically useful HDR resources and in the development of technology to convert this energy resource into electricity could make HDR resources an important part of Australia's energy mix in the near future, but there are major barriers.     

Australia,uranium and nuclear power

The nuclear debate in Australia is shaped by the nation's substantial base of energy resources, including its large reserves of uranium and recent rises in the market price of uranium. But the debate also echoes Australia's past in the development of programs for nuclear weapons. The proposals include uranium enrichment, the storage of nuclear waste in Australia, and the introduction of nuclear reactors. A national inquiry has been instituted by the government. These developments, stemming from a range of factors, have revived the opposition to uranium mining and nuclear power which has for two decades held a dominant role in Australian politics. The issue of what should be Australia's energy path in a time of climate change is beginning to be examined. The importance of the decisions, whether to be a player in the nuclear club with its attendant multiple hazards, or to play a quite different leadership role in the development and adoption of sustainable energy strategies and technologies, cannot be exaggerated.     

Geological compressed air energy storage as an enabling technology for renewable energy in Ontario,Canada

As renewable resources are increasingly used to provide power to the world’s demand centres, dealing with the intermittent nature of these resources and their affect on the power grid is becoming a significant issue. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is one technology that is proposed to increase flexibility when integrating renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and tidal generation with the power grid. By creating a storage medium where the energy produced from these sources can be stored and dispatched to the grid as required, a higher penetration of renewable energy generation can be achieved.     

浅议火力发电厂节水途径

火力发电就是一个能量转化的过程,水在其中传递能量和作为冷却介质的主要用,因此火力电厂在用水方面量很庞大。现在水资源非常紧张,节约用水、回收废水已成为电厂的主要任务。     

Biomass as an energy source

Bioenergy is a source of sustainable energy. On the world stage biomass provides 10.6% of global primary energy supplies. There are several drivers for its development in Australia. The paper discusses the bioenergy technologies of combustion (including co-firing), gasification, pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion, noting some key projects that have been developed under each category. Australia's Mandatory Renewable Energy Target and its requirements have stimulated renewable energy, and notably bioenergy projects. The status and development of liquid biofuels are also covered. The paper also discusses bioenergy supporting activities, such as the development of a national bioenergy atlas, participation in the International Energy Agency's Bioenergy program, a major biomass energy production report and the function and operation of Bioenergy Australia.     

Towards an Australian hydrogen economy

The term 'hydrogen economy' was first coined in 1970 by John Bockris, an electrochemist who was working in Australia at the time. He gave an updated definition of what he meant by the term in 2002 as: '… the hydrogen economy means that hydrogen would be used to transport energy from renewables, at nuclear or solar sources, over larger distances, and to store it to supply the cities in large amounts.' Australia is an energy-rich country with a wide variety of energy resources. As such there is little urgency, to push towards Bockris's vision. Yet diminishing oil reserves, the increasing need to combat environmental impacts of power generation and use, and spiralling energy demand require research workers to take the first steps towards a long term Australian hydrogen economy future. This paper outlines some activities and progress towards that future.     

谈太阳能光伏发电系统的原理与应用

太阳能是取之不尽,用之不竭的可再生绿色能源。太阳能发电没有任何排放和噪声,应用技术成熟,安全可靠。进入21世纪,中国光伏产业逐渐发展起来,光电利用(光伏发电)是近些年来发展最快,也是最具经济潜力的能源开发领域。我国太阳能资源非常丰富,太阳能发电产业的应用空间也非常广阔,可以应用于并网发电、与建材结合、解决边远地区用电困难问题等。我国政府对太阳能发电产业也给予了充分的扶持,先后出台了一系列政策,有力地支持了产业的发展。     

Solar thermal energy systems in Australia

Australia has developed world leading solar thermal technologies, with only very low national market penetration. Domestic solar water heating is the most common solar thermal instrument, with around 5% of homes using it and most of these systems are conventional flat plate thermosyphon systems. Other low temperature solar thermal research includes solar crop drying, solar ponds and solar air heating but all on a small scale. There is a worldwide resurgence in interest in high temperature solar thermal through solar concentrating systems. Australia has a number of these systems many of which are near commercial fulfilment; notably, Solar Heat and Power Pty Ltd's Compact Linear Fresnel Array system currently being implemented at Liddell Power station and the ANU 400m2 Big Dish now being commercialized by Wizard Power Pty Ltd. CSIRO has recently opened a solar energy centre in Newcastle that features a solar central receiver tower system and a trough concentrator array.     

Coordination between clean energy generation and thermal power generation under the policy of “direct power-purchase for large users” in China

The inefficient utilization of clean energy and distorted pricing mechanism are the most critical problems that have hampered the reform of China's electric power industry for many years. A large number of clean energy generators have recently been constructed, but water spillage at hydroelectric facilities and wind curtailment persist due to integration challenges. The adjustment of electricity price has relied on executive orders of the Chinese government and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). Distorted prices that are not derived from a market economy have seriously hampered the development of China's electricity market. Therefore, in recent years, the Chinese government has issued a number of reform measures concerning “direct power-purchase for large users”. The main idea of this pricing mechanism is to form direct negotiations between large users and generators to determine the electricity price. To a certain extent, this pricing mechanism is conducive to the electricity market reform in China. However, the coordination between clean energy generation and thermal power generation under the policy of “direct power-purchase for large users” has become the key issue in China's electric power industry. This paper summarizes the policies of “direct power-purchase for large users” in different provinces in China. The electricity market in Yunnan, for which the contradiction between thermal power generation and hydropower generation is increasingly severe, is the focus of the research. At last, a feasible electricity market scheme has been derived to coordinate thermal power generation and hydropower generation. This scheme has considerable theoretical and practical significance to the future of China's electricity market reform.     

Marine Renewables: wave and tidal current technology progress

Wave and tidal current power technologies are developing rapidly around the world, with over 60 projects underway, about a third of them in the UK. How quickly they can deliver commercial energy will depend not just of the success of technologists and developers in meeting the practical challenges, but also on the level of financial and institutional support given to help them become economic. The potential is significant—at least 20% of UK electricity could come from these sources, and similar contributions could be made elsewhere in the world, with, in general, relatively low environmental impacts. This paper reviews progress so far.     

风力发电结构的事故分析及其规避

风力发电是新能源中技术最成熟、商业化发展前景最好的发电方式之一,近年来在我国取得了迅猛发展。风力发电机塔架和基础是结构的重要组成部分,它承担着将上部结构所承受的全部荷载和作用安全可靠地传递到地基,并保持结构整体稳定的作用。目前,由风力发电结构引发的安全事故频发,这引起了业界的广泛关注。导致风力发电结构事故频繁发生的根本原因是现有结构普遍存在的安全隐患。从分析典型事故的原因出发,结合风力发电结构的受力特征对其进行合理的优化,是规避类似事件发生的行之有效的方法。     

Carbon dioxide capture and geological storage: research,development and application in Australia

Projections of world energy demand indicate increasing use of fossil fuels, especially coal. Because of this there is interest in using carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies as a mitigation option, particularly in Australia because of its dependency on fossil fuels for electricity generation. Research in Australia into capture options includes post-combustion capture (PCC), integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and oxyfuels combustion. Separation technologies being investigated in Australia include solvent absorption, membranes, adsorption and cryogenics, with particular emphasis on bringing down costs. Australia appears to have abundant geological storage capacity, particularly in saline formations and to a much lesser extent in depleted oil and gas fields. Storage in coal systems has potential but more research and development is needed. Australia has the opportunity to use low-emission hubs in order to bring down costs. A major study of this concept for the Latrobe Valley of Victoria, based on 50 million tonnes per annum of CO2 emissions, is encouraging. A key concept for taking CO2 capture and geological storage forward is demonstration and commercial deployment. Australian projects are proposed for PCC and oxyfuels combustion. A significant geological storage project has started in the Otway Basin, with CO2 injection scheduled to commence in mid-2007. The coal-to-liquids Monash Project could involve up to 10 million tonnes CO2 per annum, with injection into the offshore Gippsland Basin. The most advanced commercial project is the LNG Gorgon Project, comprising about 3 million tonnes per annum. Through current R&D momentum and the likelihood of a number of major commercial-scale projects, Australia could become an early mover in the application of carbon dioxide capture and geological storage.     

Bioluminescence and Nanoluminescence

Electricity's reliance on coal-fired power stations and other limited mineral and petroleum resources makes finding an alternative energy source for lighting buildings' interiors and our external spaces one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Ken Yeang finds some clues for its resolution in existing biological and evolving artificial systems. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Economics,ideology, and the creation and performance of state-owned electricity utilities in Australia, 1900 to 1950

This paper examines the factors that contributed to the evolving structure and ownership of the electricity industry in Australia in the inter-war and immediate post-World War II period. It details how the industry developed in the Australian states from the latter part of the 19th century through the first half of the 20th century. In examining the industry's transformation, network effects, generation plant scales, and the influence of the conflicting ideologies of socialism versus private ownership are considered. It then provides an assessment of the impact the changes in structure collectively had on the industry's performance during this period.     

From distribution networks to smart distribution systems: Rethinking the regulation of European electricity DSOs

Distributed energy resources allow for new business models that have the potential to substantially change today's power system functioning paradigm. In particular, these changes pose challenges for distribution system operators (DSOs) and their regulation alike. This article sheds light on missing aspects in current regulation, recognizing DSOs as regulated monopolies, but also as key players along the supply chain. We provide insights on how regulation should be adjusted so that DSOs are incentivized to facilitate the market entry of welfare-enhancing technologies in a timely fashion, and to manage the distribution system efficiently in the presence of distributed energy resources.     

核电预应力锚固系统国产化及现场施工重点和难点

我国核电发展已有二十多年,在2008年之前,我国核电安全壳预应力施工全部采用国外预应力锚固系统。柳州欧维姆机械股份有限公司经过多年努力开发了二代改进型核电用预应力锚固系统以及第三代核电用预应力锚固系统,同时开发了配套施工设备,实现了我国核电预应力锚固系统国产化。本文全面介绍了我国国产化的核电预应力锚固系统以及在核电预应力现场施工中的重点和难点。     

Developing the untapped wealth of Britain's ‘Celtic Fringe’: Water engineering and the Welsh landscape, 1870 – 1960

This paper focuses on the development of water engineering schemes in Wales in the late 19th and 20th centuries, concentrating mainly on water-supply schemes promoted by large English municipalities such as Birmingham and Liverpool, but also discussing hydro-electricity. It is argued that the first water engineering projects in Wales were informed by certain perceptions of the Welsh landscape and wider discourses regarding Britain's ‘Celtic Fringe’, and that such concepts were used to promote ideas of water purity. Ideas of ‘progress’ and ‘modernity’ surrounding the changing of the landscape through water works are analysed, and how such notions were challenged in the 20th century is explored, particularly from conservationist and nationalist perspectives. In the second half of the 20th century, it is argued, a paradox emerges, whereby different ways of seeing or perceiving the landscape of Wales led to a divergence in the political dynamics surrounding water-supply projects and hydro-electric schemes.     

Demands and challenges for construction of marine infrastructures in China

The oceans are crucial to human civilization. They provide core support for exploitation and utilization of marine space, resources, and energy. Thus, marine infrastructures are vital to a nation’s economic sustainable development. To this end, this article first describes the main challenges in current ocean utilization, and then reviews the China’s ocean engineering progress. As such, six major sectors are evaluated: 1) global climate change and marine environment, 2) comprehensive utilization of marine space, 3) marine transportation infrastructure interconnection, 4) ocean clean energy development and maricultural facilities, 5) ecological crisis and marine engineering countermeasures, and 6) marine infrastructure operation safety and maintenance. Finally, perspectives on future directions of ocean utilization and marine infrastructure construction in China are provided.     

Integrated technologies for sustainable stationary and mobile energy infrastructures

Sustainable infrastructures need technologies that do not cause climate or environmental degradation. The only long-term sustainable solution to global warming in terms of both environmental and economic mitigation is renewable energy generation for stationary and transportation infrastructures. The papers in this special issue review some of the major technology and economic approaches to sustainable infrastructures. They specifically address the issue of sustainable energy and transportation systems, i.e. energy generation for vehicles and the relation to the stationary supply of electricity and heating. In order for communities, regions, nations and international communities to become sustainable, they must make energy into integrated infrastructures that use hybrid technologies. This chapter reviews and summarizes many of the points made in the volume to that end: sustainable infrastructures for power generation and transportation. The key is to consider the true costs for energy in terms of well to wheels and how the developing technologies for renewable energy power generation can be leveraged or made into hybrid systems that are cost-effective and sustainable. The series of articles begin to get into such as an approach for sustainable energy systems.     

绿色能源在智能建筑中的应用

对绿色能源和智能建筑的概念进行了概述,介绍了太阳能、海洋能和智能建筑之间结合的方式,并给出了一些应用实例。提出了智能建筑利用环保、节能的绿色能源,必须依托高科技,进行规范化、标准化、集约化的开发与设计,才能持续发展。