Yimiphi Eminye Yemithombo Emisha Yokukhiqiza Amandla?
UMOYA:
◼ Sekuyisikhathi eside abantu besebenzisa amandla omoya ukuze imikhumbi kaseyili ikwazi ukuhamba, imishini ikwazi ukusila okusanhlamvu nokuphampa amanzi. Nokho, eminyakeni yamuva nje, kuye kwaba nesasasa elikhulu emhlabeni jikelele lokuba kusetshenziswe amandla omoya. Amaphampu amanzi obuchwepheshe obuphambili aphehla amandla anele angayingcolisi indawo navuselelekayo emhlabeni wonke ukuze abantu abayizigidi ezingu-35 bathole ugesi. Kakade elaseDenmark liphehla amaphesenti angu-20 kagesi walo ngamandla omoya kuphela. Amazwe aseJalimane, eSpain naseNdiya ayamukele ngentshiseko le ndlela yokusebenzisa amandla omoya, kanti elaseNdiya lithi linezikhungo ezisebenzisa amandla omoya ezingezesihlanu ngobukhulu emhlabeni. Elase-United States okwamanje linamaphampu omoya angu-13 000 aphehla ugesi. Abanye abahlaziyi bathi ukube zonke izindawo ezifanele bezingalungiswa e-United States, lelo zwe belingaphehla amanye amandla kagesi eliwadingayo angaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-20 lisebenzisa umoya.
ILANGA:
◼ Amalahle enziwe umuntu (ama-photo-voltaic cell) aguqula ukukhanya kwelanga kube ugesi lapho ama-electron akuwo eshukunyiswa imisebe yelanga. Emhlabeni wonke, cishe ama-watt kagesi ayizigidi ezingu-500 akhiqizwa ngale ndlela, futhi isidingo sala malahle asebenza ngamandla elanga sikhula ngamaphesenti angu-30 ngonyaka. Nokho, okwamanje la malahle akhiqiza ugesi ngelanga awaphumeleli kangako, futhi ugesi awukhiqizayo uyabiza uma uqhathaniswa nogesi okhiqizwa ngemithombo yamandla embiwa phansi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kusetshenziswa amakhemikhali anobuthi, njenge-cadmium sulfide ne-gallium arsenide lapho kwenziwa la malahle. I-Bioscience iphawula ukuthi ngenxa yokuthi kuthatha amakhulu eminyaka ukuba imvelo igaye la makhemikhali, “ukucoca nokugaya izinto ezikula malahle lapho engasasebenzi kungase kube inkinga enkulu.”
AMANDLA OKUSHISISA ANGAPHANSI KOMHLABA:
◼ Ukube umuntu ubengagubha umgodi ehle aye emathunjini omhlaba, okuthiwa anokushisa okungaba ngu-4 000 °C., izinga lokushisa belingakhuphuka ngesilinganiso esingaba ngu-30 °C. ikhilomitha ngalinye njengoba ejula. Nokho, abantu abahlala eduze kweziphethu ezishisayo noma imifantu yezintaba-mlilo bakuthola kalula ukushisa okuvela ngaphansi komhlaba. Emazweni angu-58 amanzi ashisayo noma isitimu esiphuma eziphethwini zomhlaba sisetshenziselwa ukufudumeza imizi noma ukuphehla ugesi. I-Iceland ithola cishe ingxenye kagesi ewudingayo emthonjeni wamandla okushisisa okungaphansi komhlaba. Amanye amazwe, njenge-Australia, afuna izindlela zokusebenzisa amandla asezindaweni ezinkulu zamadwala ashisayo angamakhilomitha nje ambalwa ngaphansi komhlaba. I-Australian Geographic iyabika: “Abacwaningi abathile bakholelwa ukuthi ngokumpompa amanzi afakwe kulokho kushisa okungaphansi komhlaba bese kusetshenziswa lawo manzi ashisayo ekuphehleni imishini kagesi njengoba ekhuphuka ngaphansi komhlaba enomfutho, singakwazi ukuphehla ugesi amashumi eminyaka—ngisho namakhulu eminyaka.”
AMANZI:
◼ Izikhungo zikagesi ezisebenza ngamanzi kakade seziphakela amaphesenti ayisithupha omhlaba ngogesi. Ngokombiko we-International Energy Outlook 2003, phakathi neminyaka engamashumi amabili ezayo, “ingxenye enkulu yemithombo yamandla avuselelekayo iyovela ezikhungweni ezinkulu eziphehla ugesi ngamanzi emazweni asathuthuka, ikakhulukazi emazweni asathuthuka e-Asia.” Nokho, i-Bioscience iyaxwayisa: “La manzi agciniwe ngokuvamile asibekela indawo eyigugu futhi enothile kwezolimo, kodwa egugulekile. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amadamu aguqula izimila, izilwane namagciwane akhona emvelweni.”
I-HYDROGEN:
◼ I-hydrogen iyigesi engabonakali, engenaphunga, esha kalula futhi iyona nto etholakala ngobuningi kuyo yonke indawo. Emhlabeni, i-hydrogen iyingxenye eyisisekelo yezimila nezilwane, iyingxenye yezinto zokubasa ezimbiwa phansi, futhi ingelinye lamakhemikhali amabili akha amanzi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-hydrogen ayingcolisi lapho isha futhi isebenza kangcono kunemikhiqizo yokubasa embiwa phansi.
Iphephabhuku i-Science News Online lithi amanzi “angahlukaniswa abe i-hydrogen nomoya-mpilo uma efakwa ugesi.” Nakuba le nqubo ingakhiqiza i-hydrogen eningi, leli phephabhuku liphawula ukuthi “le nqubo ebonakala ilula ayiyongi imali.” Amafektri emhlabeni wonke kakade asekhiqiza amathani ayizigidi ezingu-45 e-hydrogen, ngokuyinhloko esetshenziselwa ukwenza umanyolo nemikhiqizo yokuhlanza. Kodwa le hydrogen ikhishwa ngenqubo okusetshenziswa kuyo izinto zokubasa ezimbiwa phansi—inqubo ebuye ikhiphe isimoko esinobuthi kanye nesikhutha esibamba ukushisa emkhathini.
Noma kunjalo, abaningi bacabanga ukuthi i-hydrogen iwumkhiqizo ongcono kakhulu ongasetshenziswa futhi banomuzwa wokuthi ingazanelisa izidingo zesintu zamandla esikhathini esizayo. Lo mbono wethemba usekelwe entuthukweni yamuva nje ephawulekayo ekwenziweni komkhiqizo okuthiwa i-fuel cell.
AMANDLA E-FUEL CELL:
◼ I-fuel cell umshini ophehla ugesi nge-hydrogen—hhayi ngokuyishisa, kodwa ngokuyixuba nomoya-mpilo kusetshenziswa inqubo eqondiswa ngokucophelela. Uma kusetshenziswa i-hydrogen engaxutshiwe esikhundleni somkhiqizo wokubasa ombiwa phansi ogcwele i-hydrogen, okuwukuphela kwezinto ezikhiqizwa yile nqubo ukushisa namanzi.
Ngo-1839, uSir William Grove, ijaji nesazi se-physics saseBrithani, wenza i-fuel cell yokuqala. Nokho, kwakubiza ukwakha ama-fuel cell, futhi kwakunzima ukuthola i-hydrogen nezingxenye zomshini. Ngakho, lobu buchwepheshe banyamalala kwaze kwaba maphakathi nekhulu lama-20, lapho kwenziwa ama-fuel cell ukuze anikeze imikhumbi-mkhathi yaseMelika amandla okuhamba. Imikhumbi-mkhathi yanamuhla isasebenzisa ama-fuel cell njengomthombo wamandla asetshenziswa ngaphakathi kwayo, kodwa lobu buchwepheshe sebulungiselelwa ukusetshenziswa ezintweni ezivamile emhlabeni.
Namuhla, kwenziwa ama-fuel cell ukuze athathe isikhundla sezinjini ezivamile zezimoto, ukuze kutholakale ugesi ezakhiweni zamabhizinisi nasemakhaya, nokuba asetshenziswe emishinini kagesi, njengomakhalekhukhwini nama-computer. Yize kunjalo, ngesikhathi kubhalwa lesi sihloko, amandla aphehlwa ngezikhungo zamanje zama-fuel cell ayebiza ngokuphindwe kane kunamandla aphehlwa ngemikhiqizo yokubasa embiwa phansi. Nokho, kutshalwa amakhulu ezigidi zamaRandi ekuthuthukiseni lobu buchwepheshe obusha.
Izinzuzo ezithuthukisa imvelo ezilethwa ukusebenzisa imithombo yamandla ehlanzekile zisobala. Nokho, izindleko zokwenza kanjalo emhlabeni kabanzi cishe zisazoba yisithiyo. Umbiko we-IEO2003 uthi: “Kulindeleke ukuba ingxenye enkulu yemithombo yamandla adingekayo esikhathini esizayo . . . itholakale ezintweni zokubasa ezimbiwa phansi (uwoyela, igesi yemvelo namalahle), ngenxa yokuthi kulindeleke ukuthi intengo yale mikhiqizo iyohlala iphansana, kanti izindleko zokukhiqiza amandla ngezinye izinto iyokumba eqolo.”
[Isithombe ekhasini 9]
Imoto ehamba nge-“fuel cell,” ngo-2004
[Umthombo]
Mercedes-Benz USA
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 8]
DOE Photo