khawla's research

Research Assignment
STPS 251 – Section 50

To: Dr. Lisa Lamont & Mr. David Moore
Done by:
vKhawla Awad Al Saeedi
ID#: 920012472
Date of Submission: 14th March 2010




Introduction
As we are living in an undisturbed life cycle, the number of population will increase over the time. As a consequence, the consumption of fossil fuel will increase proportionally in order to meet their requirements. This ascending in oil consumption will consequently raise other noteworthy issues such as climate change and global warming. As a result, thinking about using renewable energy will be the key solution for these issues.
There are many different types of renewable energy such as wind, wave, solar, geothermal and many other types of energy. This research assignment intends to emphasize the meaning of renewable energy and the types of renewable energy. However, it will talk specifically about wind energy as one of the energy that has the potentials to supply some of the electricity needed in the UAE. Finally, how this research could help us in our project.

Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is a clean, uncontaminated or inexhaustible energy such as wind, geothermal, biomass, hydropower, solar and marine energies. In other words, their sources can be found naturally and accessible from the surrounding environment which means it never runs out [1]. Additionally, they “are derived from those natural, mechanical, thermal, and growth processes that repeat themselves within our lifetime and may be relied upon to produce predictable quantities of energy when required”[1]. Looking around these sources, we can find many different benefits that will help our life and our world from serious issues such as global warming and climate change. Regarding to what [1] stated that renewable energy sources have minor and insignificant degrees of constructing or producing greenhouse gases and other pollutants compared to the other source of energy such as fossil energy. Moreover, they have good reduction regard to the environmental effects contrasted to fossil fuels.

Wind Energy
Wind energy is one of the renewable energy sources. Also, it is a convenient source that has the potential to generate some of the electricity needed in the UAE. But, when we think about wind energy, it may come to our mind that from where and how it comes. In point of fact, [2] acknowledged that wind energy is a transformed form of solar energy and this works as following procedure. Briefly and firstly, “the sun's radiation heats different parts of the earth at different rates-most notably during the day and night, but also when different surfaces absorb or reflect at different rates” [2]. After that, the hot air rises causing decreasing in the atmospheric pressure at the earth's surface. On the other hand, the cooler air will replace into the hot air layer. Finally, this process will produce wind energy [2].
In order to generate electricity by using wind, it requires turning blades, 2 or more, pinned and fixed to the turbine where the air can flows along the blades and produces wind energy. This phenomenon occurs by “transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical use” [2]. This type of renewable energy has been utilized for centuries in order to power windmills to mill wheat or pump water and this can be call a mechanical energy usage of wind energy [1]. Additionally, it can be used in many different other purposes such as grinding grain, sawing, pushing a sailboat, etc. On the other hand, “wind electric turbines generate electricity for homes and businesses and for sale to utilities” [2]. Rewardingly and lately, large wind turbines have been devised that be used in generating electricity.
This type of source of energy is uncontaminated and freely accessible in many areas, wind turbines become more capable and resourceful. Additionally, electricity cost that they generate is declining or cheaper. Hence, there are some advantages of wind turbines such as “they can produce electricity whenever the wind blows at night and also during the day” [1]. Moreover to that, wind energy itself has many different advantages and disadvantages. For example, as [1] stated that wind systems hypothetically can generate electricity 24 hours every day comparing to the photovoltaic (PV) systems that are not practical at night.

Wind Energy and Our Project
Our project is stated to design a solar or wind energy educational kit to be used in class rooms for children between 10 and 12 years old. We decided to build out educational kit by using wind and solar energy and that will make it special and different form the other groups.

Conclusion
In summary, wind energy is one type of the renewable energy that is also one of the energy that has the potentials to supply some of the electricity needed in the UAE. Besides, this research assignment has been done in order to help us in our project that required us to build an educational kit by using wind or solar energy. Moreover, now we can clearly know the meaning of renewable energy as well as wind energy which is one of the requirements to the educational kit.

References
[1] Ayhan Demirbaş. “Global Renewable Energy Resources”. Energy Sources, Part A, 28:779-792, 2006.
[2] What is wind energy?. American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved on February 28, 2010, from http://www.awea.org/faq/wwt_basics.html
[3] Renewable Energy. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 28, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy
[4] Wind power. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 29, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power