General electric’s innovation of energy storage tech-mechanism epitomizes ingenuity on a whole new paradigm. That it is geared towards alleviating the threat posed by carbon disposal into the atmosphere makes it absolutely invaluable to major efforts employed worldwide to fight environmental degradation. Its timing would not be more impeccable especially when industrial producers and economic magnates strive to devise strategies to reduce production costs yet maintaining environmentally friendly industrial processes.
Even more significantly, the current wake of skyrocketing power consumption against the corresponding below par power supply, calls for immediate response methods for provision of sufficient power without directly or otherwise posing any risks to the environment; a feature characterizing global economic and environmental objectives (Scott, 2014).
GE has introduced a battery technology dubbed Durathon Battery Energy Storage System to provide reliable and cost effective source of energy with extensive ability to store and recycle. The technology is built from the chemical knowledge of sodium and nickel. Sodium chloride disintegrates to produce sodium and chloride ions. Chloride ions combine with nickel to form a compound while sodium ions moved to the cathode electrode from the anode electrode (Galbraith, 2013). The reaction occurs the other way round during the discharge process where the sodium ions shift to the cathode reservoir through the separating plate. Self discharge is disabled by the ability of sodium ions to move across the alumina separator, whilst the electrons are not able to.
Every cell has a metal casing for sealing and they are all enclosed in a battery unit to ensure thermal insulation and external ambient temperature regulation to keep the range between 10 and 15 degrees centigrade. In addition, the energy saving system is designed to enable monitoring, management and control of its conditions during working. This makes it less susceptible to damage and ensures efficiency (Galbraith, 2013).
The Durathon Battery Energy Storage System works to back grill energy and in turn reduce the energy bill owing to its immense ability to recycle energy, peak shaving and more importantly smoothing. Its use extends further to being ideal in application in electric vehicles.
Furthermore, the energy storage system boasts the advantage of simplicity in installation and operation, the energy saving technology project can be rolled out in a pre-existing structural system for managing energy without incurring much extra costs (Galbraith, 2013).
Dubai is one of the fastest growing metropolises in the Middle East and indeed the entire world. However, the magnanimous urban growth proportions witnessed in the recent past have presented the United Arabs Emirates capital with much less alluring environmental challenges. As Jean-Francois Seznec, a professor at Georgetown University would put it, “Growth has been so intense and enormous, but people forgot about the environment” (Alderman, 2010, p.1).
Being located in an arid area, Dubai is, as a result, confronted with water shortages. The gulf, which is the major source of water, provides saline water which may not be useful for domestic purposes. As a necessity, the water is treated through desalination systems, treatment plants which emit volumes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Such volumes of carbon pose far reaching environmental and health hazards; extending to threatening marine life. Emission of greenhouse gases from industrial process is among the major challenges that bedevil it. In spite of the fact that it sits on lucrative oil reservoirs, Dubai experiences a rapid speed of energy depletion to maintain its lavish lifestyle. To make matters worse, the Middle East commercial capital has established industries which demand massive amounts of electrical energy (Alderman, 2010).
Dubai and UAE accounted for about 170376.4 ton of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere 2011 (Navarro, 2012).
One ton of carbon dioxide = 1000kg and 1000litres = 1 cubic meters.
1 mole of carbon dioxide = 44g and 1 tone has 22730 carbon dioxide moles.
According to Boyle’s law, one mole of any gas at standard temperature and pressure = 22.4li.
Hence, the volume of 1 ton of carbon dioxide = 22730*22.4 = 509.152 cubic meters = 509152li.
Total volume of CO2 emission = 509152*170376.4 = 86747484810li.
With the introduction of energy storage technology by GE, another company, Highview power devised a means of storing energy by cooling air to -196 degrees centigrade. This technology employs the use of a refrigerating plant which is able to turn 700 liters of ambient air into one liter of liquid air (Scott, 2014).
The total volume of ‘liquid’ that can be stored, would be approximately, 86747484810 /700 to yield 123924978li in stored energy. If this energy is harnessed and used to run turbines, it could yield megawatts of electrical energy.
In engaging this technology, Dubai would in itself wield a massive source of electrical energy to provide sufficient power requisite for fuelling its industrial growth and economy.
Besides, its technology would serve as a panacea to deal with environmental dangers of voluminous carbon dioxide emission into the environment.
References
Alderman, L. (2010). Dubai faces environmental problems after growth. Web.
Galbraith, K. (2013). Energy. The New York Times, p. 27.
Navarro, M. (2012). Environment. The New York Times, p. 4.
Scott, M. (2014). GE taps into the coolest energy storage technology around. Web.