Many renewable energy as a source of energy which cannot always be utilized because a limitation (solar energy, wind, etc.), but can be used to fill in the supply of energy while other sources of energy are stored for use on electric transmission network, or the energy source used to fill out the electrical system network when required. If the loss of energy when the distribution and costs can be set, then this type of energy can become a mainstay.
Solar energy, even though it currently cannot be used throughout the day, but currently have designed solar energy satellites are useful for capturing the energy of the Sun via satellite through outer space and didstribusikan to Earth in different ways so that the solar energy utilization can become longer with the amount of energy taken bigger (because the Sun's energy in space greater than solar energy that has touched the surface of the Earth).
Energy can be stored by pumping water up to a certain height and released into electrical energy when needed.
Pressurized air is a cheap energy storage method using electrical energy cheap while being not happening peak loads. Pressurized air can be stored in underground reservoirs. The pressurized air is then released when peak loads for supplying electric energy and can be heated using the heat removed by machines or electric generators to increase the pressure.
This point has developed a fuel that is made from Boron, is said to have no emissions and better than hydrogen fuel because it is more difficult to ignite by a little fire. Boron does not produce emissions due to actual results only in the form of boron oxide, but generates significant energy.
Silicone is also said to have the potential to be used as fuel. Pure silicone can easily catch fire spontaneously in the air, while in the Earth's crust, about 75% of the total mass of the Earth's crust in the form of Silicon oxide. In addition, the silicone can also easily react with other compounds and produce energy. The reaction of silicon with some type of other chemicals produce hydrogen.
Zinc has also been proposed to be a source of chemical energy. Reaction of zinc oxide and carbon free (e.g. biomass) with the help of sunlight will result in ZnO and carbon monoxide and energy of 84 kcal per mol. While the carbon monoxide produced can be burned to carbon dioxide to produce energy of 70 kcal per mol.
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, experimentally, has been converted into hydrocarbon fuel with the help of energy from other sources. In order to be useful in industry, energy used may be coming from the Sun, and in the future will appear artificial photosynthesis technology. Other alternatives for energy is electricity or heat from solar energy or nuclear.
Compared to hydrogen, almost all hydrocarbon fuels have the advantage of instant use with machinery and infrastructure available today. Generate synthetic hydrocarbon reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere until the fuel burnt longer, so that the same amount of carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.
Energy storage methods
Methane
Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon with the molecular formula CH4. Methane is more easily stored than hydrogen and the infrastructure and facilities of transportation available today. Methane can be generated by power plants through the process of with Sabatier is preceded by the electrolysis of water. The process is as follows:
2 H2O--> 2 H2 + O2
CO2 + 4 H2-CH4 + 2 H2O >
The methane produced is stored and will be used to generate electricity when needed. The water resulting from the production process can be used again for electrolysis, thereby reducing the need for clean water. Oxygen is generated in that process will be used for combustion of methane when the need for energy is required so that the combustion occurs will be more perfect and the resulting energy more efficiently.
The resulting carbon dioxide will go back into the Sabatier process and water vapor will be dikondensasikan to enter into the electrolysis. See the process, this is just a cycle that does not produce greenhouse gases at all in the process.
Hydrogen is being developed as an energy storage medium. Hydrogen is not a primary energy source, but a portable energy storage method, because hydrogen has to be produced by other energy sources. However, as an energy storage medium, may be significant when viewed his role as renewable energy.
Hydrogen can be used in conventional internal combustion engine or fuel cell that converts the chemical energy directly into electrical energy without any combustion. The production process of hydrogen requires natural gas conversion process by steam, or in a way that might be more ecologically, electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen. A long way to produce carbon dioxide as a by-product in the process.
Loss of energy occurs in a hydrogen storage cycle of production for direct use on vehicles, condensation or compression, and conversion back into electricity, as well as hydrogen storage cycle for the stationary fuel cell usage as a combination of heat and energy with micro-biohidrogen, condensation or compression, and conversion into electricity.
With renewable energy that can not always available such as wind and solar energy, the output of both that energy into electrical energy may be able to perform electrolysis. Whatever the odds are, whether the conversion capabilities of solar and wind energy into electricity are quite low or the energy required to change water into hydrogen, hydrogen is only an energy storage medium will be used only if needed.
Nuclear experts said that using nuclear energy to produce hydrogen will solve the problem of inefficiency in producing hydrogen. They underline sends the possibility of using nuclear power plants at full capacity with continuous electric energy supply to the local power transmission network at peak loads. This means greater efficiency for the NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. The fourth generation of NUCLEAR reactors has the potential to separate hydrogen from water by means of thermo-nuclear heat cycle using iodine-sulfur.
The efficiency of hydrogen penyiimpanan generally range from 50 to 60% overall, which means lower than batteries. It takes about 50 kWh to produce one kilogram of hydrogen by electrolysis, so the cost of the electricity to produce it is important to be discussed. If you use the standard price of Rp. 294,00 per kWh, will then take charge of Rp. 2,000 per kg of hydrogen 14.700, however it does not include other costs such as electrolysis, compressors or condensation, storage, and transportation of the magnitude cannot be ignored.
Underground hydrogen storage is the storage of hydrogen activities in caves, salt domes, or natural gas and oil fields have been exhausted. Large amounts of hydrogen gas has been save by Imperial Chemical Industries in underground caves since a couple of years ago without trouble. Storage of large quantities of hydrogen underground can function as mass energy storage which is essential for the hydrogen keekonomian aspects in the future.
Energy storage methods
Biofuels
Various biofuels such as biodiesel, vegetable oil, alcohol fuels, or biomass can be used to replace hydrocarbon fuels. Various chemical processes can convert the carbon and hydrogen in coal, natural gas, biomass from plants and animals, as well as organic wastes into short chain hydrocarbons suitable as replacements for existing hydrocarbon fuels at this time. Examples are Fischer-Tropsch diesel, methanol, dimethyl ether, or syngas. With oil prices above 35 USD was enough economically promising for biofuel to produce en masse (ECN, 1994).
