Perfect Energy Conversion Processes

Turkchem 12 Dec 2023 52 6 dk okuma

TURKCHEM

As the energy industry rapidly becomes the driving force of our age, work in this field continues without interruption. On one hand, thanks to methods and technologies applicable to energy production, we continue to generate and apply energy across different industries. On the other hand, as energy's value becomes better understood, public offerings and share values in such investment systems are increasing. Have you wondered why the energy sector has become so popular now, or where this process will lead? From long years of experience, we know that any product, method or technology eventually faces exhaustion or produces different side effects. After a difficult transition, new searches begin and we move forward to alternatives. This is a cycle that continues through production and consumption. One of the main reasons for the energy sector's current popularity is the search for a return to natural energy sources. At the same time, damage to nature from petroleum derivatives and ever-increasing costs drive this shift. The search for new energy technologies continues unabated for precisely these reasons. Natural energy sources present no extraction problems comparable to oil derivatives. For example, energies from natural sources such as the sun or wind carry very low resource risk. When considering the environmental damage caused by petroleum derivatives, the carbon footprint concept becomes critical, with enormous consequences for the environment. These factors are turning us toward natural resources. The process began with electric vehicles as an alternative to oil and diesel-powered vehicles. In early designs, when brakes were applied, the energy generated by the resulting force was stored as electrical energy and used during acceleration. This technology worked well at low speeds. In heavy traffic with continuous stop-and-go movement, the energy from braking forces could be effectively recovered—similar to gym bicycles that generate light from pedaling. This technology functioned well at low speeds in conditions requiring frequent stops. Early electric vehicles could operate electrically only up to certain speeds. Today, however, vehicles can reach their normal top speeds and operate for extended periods. This represents enormous transformation and requires substantial technological research and innovation. The ability to use energy at speeds of 180 kilometers per hour, rather than 50, relates fundamentally to chemistry. Behind the scenes lies serious energy conversion and sophisticated energy storage systems. Among systems in use, lithium-based and nickel-based batteries are heavily preferred. These batteries differ in their applications. Lithium batteries are lighter with higher capacity, while nickel-based batteries charge faster with balanced performance. Preference locations vary accordingly. But cannot we generate energy from waste, particularly plastic waste, which has become one of today's greatest problems? Could we simultaneously address this scientifically and provide an efficient alternative to the current energy sector? It can happen, and it is not impossible, though it requires serious study. We have radiating bacteria, and we possess energy systems in the human body that we produce and store daily. Plants obtain energy from nutrients they produce using sunlight—why not convert these energy types into electrical energy? Let us examine what energy systems are used in our bodies and what forms we can utilize. Substances stored as energy reserves in the human body are primarily fats, carbohydrates and proteins, the final metabolite type. Their most important shared characteristic is composition from carbon compounds. Their preference variation depends on bodily use. However, they share one common chemical: Acetyl CoA. Acetyl CoA is the first component of the so-called Krebs cycle, a cycle in which carbon atoms oxidize to produce energy. It also transports carbon atoms into this cycle so that energy released from their breakdown can be used by metabolism. Let us examine the type of energy released here. NADH and FADH2, the chemicals shown inside the reaction circle, are the chemicals emerging from the cycle to produce energy. ATP energy results from enzyme conversion of these chemicals. The breakdown of one mole of ATP produces approximately 7-12 kilocalories of energy. This energy is consumed in daily activities. For example, cycling for half an hour expends approximately 300-400 calories. Considering that you can produce electrical energy while pedaling this bicycle for half an hour, electrical energy can be generated using molecules with energy reserves with the aid of biological bodies. Where can we use this type of energy? In other words, considering where metabolic energy can be used in daily life, if you recall, we just discussed waste. As you categorize those wastes, each contains serious carbon bonds. Through breaking bonds between these carbons, Acetyl CoA, the first molecule of the cycle described above, can be reached. As a result of the cycle in which Acetyl CoA participates, we arrive at the biological energy reserve we call ATP energy. Using bond energies in ATP's structure—this biological energy reserve—when calorically produced energy converts into electrical energy, perhaps we may have achieved energy production to light our homes and power our cars. Considering that all these processes form a cycle we will achieve through bacteria, this could represent excellent energy engineering in terms of energy production. We might reflect: while fungi in nature even break down plastics and produce food from them, in fact, the greatest architects in energy production and storage processes are natural resources and chemical diversity in natural living things.