One production technique for biofuel converts agricultural waste through pyrolysis. These systems heat biomass particles in a mixture of sand and nitrogen gas until the biomass particles release tar and syngas, a Keep reading
Tag: renewable energy
Vertical Axis Wind Turbines
Most people are familiar with the propeller-like shape of conventional wind turbines. These turbines can be more than 100m tall and can generate several megawatts apiece, but placing them in Keep reading
Tip Vortex
Smoke released from the end of a test blade shows the helical pattern of a tip vortex from a horizontal-axis wind turbine. Like airplane wings, wind turbine blades generate a Keep reading
Wave Tank
A new wave tank facility opening at the University of Edinburgh promises new capabilities to simulate ocean wave behavior. The circular 25m diameter wave tank is lined with 168 wave Keep reading
Harnessing Ocean Waves
Ocean waves contain substantial amounts of energy, and many projects are underway to harness them as renewable energy sources. Most of these projects use the motion caused by waves to Keep reading
Tubercles and Turbines
The flippers of humpback whales include bumps–called tubercles–on their leading edges. The tubercles create vortices that prevent the boundary layer from separating, which causes stall and a loss of lift. Keep reading