Alternate+Energy+mms1-ks

Hello- This page will be a blog of my research on alternate energy. Check out the page for updates on my latest findings. -Katie

1-28-08 Source: Popular Science Article:Charge It Published: 1-20-06 Alternate Energy Type: Electric Summary: Stars in California are raving about the new hybrid cars, but some people atill aren't convinced that hybrid are all that. So the CalCars team has modified a hybrid so it can be plugged into the wall like any electric appliance. Most cars have internal combustion engines, but hybrids have internal combustion engines, and electric engines. The electric engine runs on batteries powered by the gas engine, and by power that is usually lost when breaking. Breaking wastes the most energy, but the hybrid has an electric break that recaptures the lost energy, and uses it to power the engine. The process is called regenerative breaking. The electric engine saves fuel by not only regenerating break power, but also by providing initial acceleration for speeds up to 15, or 20 mph. That saves fuel for the higher highway speeds. The new design of the popular hybrid the Toyota Prius was modified to be capable of running on electricity only. It can be plugged in to any electrical outlet, and extra batteries gather that energy to use later. The new design can go 10 miles at a speed of 35 mph with out needing to turn over to gas. The upgrade would be around 10,000 to 12,000 dollars. CalCars believe that with all the new advances we could see cars getting 500 mpg in no time.

1-29-08 Source: www.chevron.com Article: Creating Renewable Energy for Power Generation Published: 9-4-07 Alternate Energy Type: Geothermal Summary: Geothermal energy is created using the heat of the earth.The process begins with water soaking into the earth near a seismically acive area, the water is heated by the molten rock beneath the surface, and wells can be drilled to send the steam to powerplants. The water that is hot, but has not changed to steam is recycled back into the Earth. Their are only a few locations world wide where their has been geothermal drilling, they are usually around the Ring of Fire in the Pacific, or Iceland which is known for it's many volcanic springs. Geothermal energy provides large amounts of energy, no harmful chemical waste, and is completely renewable.