1 describe the climate and space resources of the world. World Ocean. Climatic, space, biological and recreational resources. Disadvantages of Wind Energy
Currently, quite a lot of attention is paid to the use of alternative sources of all kinds of resources. For example, humanity has long been developing energy from renewable substances and materials, such as the heat of the planet’s core, tides, sunlight, and so on. The following article will look at the climate and space resources of the world. Their main advantage is that they are renewable. Consequently, their repeated use is quite effective, and the supply can be considered unlimited.
First category
Climate resources traditionally mean energy from the sun, wind, and so on. This term defines various inexhaustible natural springs. And this category received its name as a result of the fact that the resources included in its composition are characterized by certain features of the climate of the region. In addition, this group also includes a subcategory. It is called The main determining factors influencing the possibility of development of such sources are air, heat, moisture, light and other nutrients.
In turn, the second of the previously presented categories combines inexhaustible sources that are outside the boundaries of our planet. Among these is the well-known energy of the Sun. Let's look at it in more detail.
Methods of use
To begin with, let us characterize the main directions of development of solar energy as a component of the group “Space Resources of the World”. Currently, there are two fundamental ideas. The first is to launch into low-Earth orbit a special satellite equipped with a significant number of solar panels. Through photocells, the light falling on their surface will be converted into electrical energy, and then transmitted to special receiver stations on Earth. The second idea is based on a similar principle. The difference is that space resources will be collected through which they will be installed on the natural equator. In this case, the system will form the so-called “lunar belt”.
Energy transfer
Of course, space technology, like any other, is considered ineffective without the corresponding development of this industry. And this requires efficient production, which is impossible without high-quality transportation. Consequently, significant attention must be paid to ways of transferring energy from solar panels to the Earth. Currently, two main methods have been developed: through radio waves and a light beam. However, on at this stage there was a problem. must safely deliver space resources to Earth. The device, which in turn will carry out such actions, should not have a destructive effect on environment and the organisms living in it. Unfortunately, the transmission is converted electrical energy in a certain frequency range it is capable of ionizing atoms of substances. Thus, the disadvantage of the system is that space resources can only be transmitted on a fairly limited number of frequencies.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like any other technology, the one presented earlier has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages is that space resources beyond near-Earth space will be much more accessible for use. For example, solar energy. Only 20-30% of all the light emitted by our star reaches the surface of the planet. At the same time, the solar cell, which will be located in orbit, will receive more than 90%. In addition, among the advantages that the world's space resources have, one can highlight the durability of the structures used. This circumstance is possible due to the fact that outside the planet there is neither an atmosphere nor the destructive effects of oxygen and its other elements. Nevertheless, space ones have a significant number of disadvantages. One of the first is the high cost of production and transportation installations. The second can be considered inaccessibility and complexity of operation. In addition, a significant number of specially trained personnel will also be required. The third disadvantage of such systems can be considered significant losses during energy transfer from space station to the ground. According to experts, the above-described transportation will take up to 50 percent of all electricity generated.
Important Features
As mentioned earlier, the technology in question has some distinctive characteristics. However, they are the ones who determine ease of accessibility. Let us list the most important of them. First of all, it should be noted the problem of finding a satellite station in one place. As with all other laws of nature, the rule of action and reaction will work here. Consequently, on the one hand, the pressure of solar radiation flows will affect, and on the other - electromagnetic radiation planets. The initially specified position of the satellite will have to be maintained. Communication between the station and receivers on the surface of the planet must be maintained at high level and provide the required degree of safety and accuracy. This is the second feature that characterizes the use of space resources. The third traditionally includes the efficient performance of photocells and electronic components even in difficult conditions, for example, at high temperatures. The fourth feature, which currently does not make it possible to ensure the general availability of the above-described technologies, is the sufficient high cost both launch vehicles and space power plants themselves.
Other features
Due to the fact that the resources currently available on Earth are mostly non-renewable, and their consumption by humanity, on the contrary, is increasing over time, as the moment of complete disappearance of the most important resources approaches, people are increasingly thinking about using alternative energy sources. These include space reserves of substances and materials. However, in addition to the possibility of efficient extraction from solar energy, humanity is also considering other no less interesting opportunities. For example, the development of deposits of substances valuable to earthlings can be carried out on cosmic bodies located in our solar system. Let's look at some of them in more detail.
Moon
Flights to it have long ceased to be aspects science fiction. Currently, the satellite of our planet is plowed by research probes. It was thanks to them that humanity learned that the lunar surface has a composition similar to earth's crust. Consequently, it is possible to develop deposits of such valuable substances as titanium and helium there.
Mars
There is also a lot of interesting things on the so-called “red” planet. According to research, the crust of Mars is much more rich in pure metal ores. Thus, in the future, the development of deposits of copper, tin, nickel, lead, iron, cobalt and other valuable substances may begin there. In addition, it is possible that Mars will be considered the main supplier of rare metal ores. For example, such as ruthenium, scandium or thorium.
Giant planets
Even distant neighbors our planet can supply us with many substances necessary for the normal existence and further development of humanity. Thus, the colonies on the far frontiers of our solar system will supply valuable chemical raw materials to Earth.
Asteroids
Scientists have now decided that the above-described cosmic bodies, plying the spaces of the Universe, can become the most important stations for providing many necessary resources. For example, on some asteroids, with the help of specialized equipment and careful analysis of the data obtained, such valuable metals, like rubidium and iridium, as well as iron. Among other things, the above are excellent suppliers complex connection, which is called deuterium. In the future, it is planned to use this particular substance as the main fuel raw material for power stations future. Separately, it should be noted one more vital important question. Currently, a certain percentage of the world's population suffers from constant water shortages. In the future, a similar problem may spread to most of the planet. In this case, it is asteroids that can become suppliers of such a vital resource. Since many of them contain fresh water in the form of ice.
Climate and space resources are the resources of the future. Both space and climate resources are inexhaustible, they are not used directly in the material and non-material activities of people, they are practically not removed from nature during the process of use, but they significantly influence the living conditions and economic conditions of people.
Climate resources are inexhaustible Natural resources, including light, heat, moisture and wind energy.
Climatic resources are closely related to certain climate features. They include agroclimatic resources and wind energy resources. Agroclimatic resources, that is, light, heat and moisture, determine the possibility of growing all crops. The geographical distribution of these resources is reflected on the agroclimatic map. Climatic resources also include wind energy resources, which people have long learned to use with the help of wind turbines and sailboats. There are many places on the globe (for example, the coasts of oceans and seas, Far East, the south of the European part of Russia, Ukraine), where the wind speed exceeds 5 m/s, which makes the use of this energy with the help of wind farms environmentally friendly and economically justified, moreover, it has practically inexhaustible potential.
Space resources include primarily solar radiation- the most powerful energy source on Earth. The sun is gigantic fusion reactor, the primary source of not only life on Earth, but also almost all of its energy resources. Annual flow solar energy, reaching the lower layers of the atmosphere and the earth's surface, is measured in magnitude (1014 kW), which is tens of times greater than all the energy contained in proven mineral fuel reserves, and thousands of times the current level of global energy consumption. Naturally, the best conditions for using solar energy exist in the Earth’s arid zone, where the duration of sunshine largest USA(Florida, California), Japan, Israel, Cyprus, Australia, Ukraine (Crimea), Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Central Asia.
Impact of climate on the economy. It is known that climate significantly affects various sectors of the economy. Each successful forecast of serious climate change without additional costs provides the opportunity to save significant amounts budget funds. For example, in China, during design and construction metallurgical complex climate data accounting saved $20 million. Using climate information and dedicated forecasts across Canada results in annual savings of $50-$100 million. In the US, seasonal forecasts (even with 60% accuracy) provide a benefit of $180 million per year, taking into account only the agricultural, forestry and fishing industries.
Long-term forecasting makes it possible to significantly reduce the damage caused by climate change to the economy and even have a large economic effect from such forecasts. First of all, this concerns agricultural production. The structure of sown areas, sowing dates, seeding rates, seed placement depth in cultivated agriculture are unthinkable without a reliable forecast of expected weather conditions sowing and growing season. Fertilizers and all agricultural technology and crop care affect the level of yield, but biological conditions, created by the nature of the weather, is the dominant factor. Agriculture, therefore, does not receive much from what climatic resources are capable of providing. Over the past 15 years, economic damage due to natural disasters has increased greatly. The human community itself aggravates some climate phenomena. Signs of global warming are perceived as anthropogenic impacts on the environment.
Rational human management is impossible without taking into account climatic features region.
Rice. 44. CO emissions in countries of the world (per capita per year)
Air pollution. Atmospheric air is an inexhaustible resource, but in some areas globe it is subject to such strong anthropogenic influence that it is quite appropriate to raise the question of a qualitative change in the air as a result of atmospheric pollution.
Atmospheric pollution is the presence in the air of excessive amounts of various gases, particles of solid and liquid substances, vapors, the concentration of which negatively affects the flora and fauna of the Earth and the living conditions of human society.
The main anthropogenic sources of air pollution are transport, industrial enterprises, thermal power plants and the like. Thus, gaseous emissions, solid particles, and radioactive substances enter the atmosphere. At the same time, their temperature, properties and state change significantly, and due to interaction with atmospheric components, many chemical and photochemical reactions can occur. As a result of this, in atmospheric air new components are formed, the properties and behavior of which differ significantly from the original ones.
Gaseous emissions form compounds of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen. Carbon oxides practically do not interact with other substances in the atmosphere and their lifetime is limited. For example, it was found that since 1900, the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 0.027 to 0.0323% (Fig. 44). Accumulation in the atmosphere carbon dioxide can cause the so-called greenhouse effect, which is accompanied by the compaction of a layer of carbon dioxide, which freely transmits solar radiation to the Earth, delays the return thermal radiation into the upper layers of the atmosphere. In this regard, the temperature in the lower layers of the atmosphere rises, which leads to the melting of ice and snow at the poles, a rise in the level of oceans and seas and the flooding of a significant part of the land.
As a result of exposure to industrial waste released into the air, the ozone layer of the globe is destroyed. As a result, ozone holes are formed, through which a huge amount of harmful radiation reaches the Earth’s surface, from which both suffer and animal world, and the people themselves. IN last decades Colored rains began to fall, which equally negatively affect human health and the soil. Emissions of radioactive substances into the atmosphere are the most dangerous for all life on Earth, therefore their sources and patterns of distribution in the atmosphere are the object of constant observation. Under the influence of dynamic processes in the atmosphere harmful emissions can spread over considerable distances.
Dreams of colonizing space and extracting natural resources there appeared a long time ago, but today they are becoming a reality. At the beginning of the year, the companies and Deep Space Industries announced their intentions to begin industrial space exploration. T&P are looking into what minerals they plan to mine, how feasible these projects are, and whether space could become the new Alaska for 21st century gold miners.
If we are still only dreaming about the industrial development of planets, then with asteroids things are much more optimistic. First of all, we are talking only about the objects closest to the Earth, and even then those whose speed does not exceed the threshold of the first cosmic speed. As for the asteroids themselves, the most promising for mining are considered to be the so-called M-class asteroids, most of which consist almost entirely of nickel and iron, as well as S-class asteroids, which contain iron and magnesium silicates in their rock. Researchers also suggest that deposits of gold and platinum group metals may be discovered on these asteroids; the latter, due to their rarity on Earth, is of particular interest. In order to imagine what numbers we're talking about: A medium-sized asteroid (about 1.5 kilometers in diameter) contains $20 trillion worth of metals.
Finally, another major target for space gold miners is C-class asteroids (approximately 75 percent of all asteroids in the Solar System), from which it is planned to extract water. It is estimated that even the smallest asteroids of this group, with a diameter of 7 meters, can contain up to 100 tons of water. Water cannot be underestimated; do not forget that hydrogen can be obtained from it, which can then be used as fuel. In addition, extracting water directly from asteroids will save money on its delivery from Earth.
What to mine in space
Platinum is a tasty morsel for all investors. It is through platinum that space mining enthusiasts will be able to recoup their costs.
The operation of the entire production station will depend on water reserves. In addition, there are the most “water” asteroids near the Earth: about 75 percent.
Iron - essential metal modern industry, so it is quite obvious that the efforts of miners will be primarily concentrated on it.
How to mine
Mined on an asteroid, and then delivered to Earth for processing.
A mining factory is being built directly on the surface of the asteroid. To do this, it is necessary to develop a technology that holds equipment on the surface of an asteroid, since due to the low force of gravity, even a weak physical impact can easily tear off the structure and carry it into space. Another problem with this method is the delivery of raw materials for subsequent processing, which can be very expensive.
A system of self-replicating machines. To ensure the operation of production without human intervention, an option is proposed to create a system of self-reproducing machines, each of which assembles its own over a certain period of time. exact copy. In the 80s, such a project was even developed by NASA, although at that time it was about the surface of the Moon. If in a month such a machine is capable of assembling one similar to itself, in less than a year there will be more than a thousand such machines, and in three more than a billion. It is proposed to use the energy of solar panels as a power source for the machines.
Mined and processed directly on the asteroid. Build stations that process raw materials on the surface of an asteroid. The advantage of this method is that it will significantly save money on delivering minerals to the mining site. Minuses - additional equipment, and accordingly, a higher degree of automation.
Move the asteroid to Earth for subsequent mining. You can pull an asteroid to the Earth using a space tug, the principle of operation is similar to what satellites now deliver into Earth’s orbit. The second option is the creation of a gravity tug, technology with which it is planned to protect the Earth from potentially dangerous asteroids. The tug is a small body that comes close to the asteroid (at a distance of up to 50 meters) and creates a gravitational disturbance that changes its trajectory. The third option, the most daring and extraordinary, is a change in the albedo (reflectivity) of the asteroid. Part of the asteroid is covered with film or paint, after which, according to theoretical calculations, due to uneven heating of the surface by the Sun, the rotation speed of the asteroid should change.
Who will mine
American businessman Peter Diamantis, creator of the X-Prize fund, is responsible for its creation. The scientific team is headed by former NASA employees, and financial support Larry Page and James Cameron are assisting the project. The company's primary task is to build the Arkyd-100 telescope, the production of which it pays for itself, and all donations will go towards maintaining the telescope and directly launching it, scheduled for 2014. Arkyd-100's plans are quite modest - the company hopes to test the telescope and at the same time take high-quality photographs of galaxies, the Moon, nebulae and other cosmic beauties. But the subsequent Arkyd-200 and Arkyd-300 will be engaged in a specific search for asteroids and preparation for the extraction of raw materials.
At the helm Deep Space Industries Standing are Rick Tumlinson, who had a hand in the same X-Prize fund, former NASA employee John Mankins and Australian scientist Mark Sonter. The company already has two spacecraft. The first of them, FireFly, is planned for launch into space in 2015. The device weighs only 25 kilograms and will be aimed at searching for asteroids suitable for future exploration, studying their structure, rotation speed and other parameters. The second, DragonFly, will have to deliver pieces of asteroids weighing 25-75 kilograms to Earth. Its launch, according to the program, will take place in 2016. Main secret weapon Deep Space Industries - MicroGravity Foundry technology, a microgravity 3D printer capable of creating high-precision, high-density parts in low gravity conditions. By 2023, the company expects active mining of platinum, iron, water and gases from asteroids.
NASA also does not stand aside. By September 2016, the agency plans to launch the OSIRIS-REX apparatus, which should begin exploring the asteroid Bennu. Approximately by the end of 2018, the device will reach its goal, take a soil sample and return to Earth in another two to three years. The researchers' plans are to test guesses about the origin of the solar system, monitor the deviation of the asteroid's trajectory (there is, although an extremely small, probability that Bennu could someday collide with the Earth), and, finally, the most interesting thing: to study the asteroid's soil for useful properties. fossils.
To analyze the soil, OSIRIS-REX will operate 3 spectrometers: infrared, thermal and x-ray. The first one will measure infrared radiation and look for carbon-containing materials, the second is to measure temperature in search of water and clay. The third is to capture X-ray sources to detect metals: primarily iron, magnesium and silicon.
Who owns space resources?
If the companies' global plans become a reality, another pressing question arises: how will mineral rights in space be divided? This problem was first raised back in 1967, when the UN passed a law prohibiting the extraction of resources in space until the mining company presented a de facto seizure of the territory. Nothing was said about the rights to the resources themselves. A 1984 UN document concerning the Moon clarified the situation a little. It states that “the Moon and its natural resources are the common heritage of mankind” and the use of its resources “should be for the benefit and interest of all countries.” At the same time, the main space powers, the USSR and the USA, ignored this document and the issue remained open to this day.
To resolve the issue, some experts propose to take as an analogue the system currently used in the Convention on the International Law of the Sea, which regulates the extraction of minerals from the seabed. Its principles are more than idealistic - according to the convention, no state, as well as a private individual, can claim the right to appropriate territory and its resources; these rights belong to all humanity, and the resources themselves must be used only for peaceful purposes. But this is unlikely to stop the aggressive expansion of private companies. The head of the board of Deep Space Industries, Rick Tumlinson, best spoke about the nature of the future industry: “There is a myth that nothing good awaits us ahead and we have nothing to hope for. This myth exists only in the minds of people who believe in it. We are convinced that this is just the beginning.”
Energy potential on a global scale allows us to ensure the livelihoods of millions of people, as well as the operation of the infrastructure and industrial complex. Despite the division of sources used to operate thermal, nuclear and other types of plants, they are all based on resources and phenomena of natural origin. Another thing is that not all sources are fully developed today. On this basis, it is possible to distinguish between climate and space resources, which have similar prospects for future use, but require different approaches to the means of energy extraction. Direct use of natural reserves in production economic activity does not pass without a trace. This aspect forces specialists to turn to fundamentally new energy generation technologies.
What are climate and space resources?
Almost everything modern developments, aimed at accumulating alternative energy sources, are based on climate resources. As a rule, there are four groups of such sources: sunlight, wind, moisture and heat. This is the main set that forms the agroclimatic basis for the work of agricultural enterprises. It is important to understand that not all climatic natural resources are used to their full extent. Yes, for all its value sunlight, there is no clear evidence yet that storage devices of this type can replace traditional types energy processing. Nevertheless, the inexhaustibility of this resource is a serious motivation for work in this area.
As for resources of cosmic origin, in some areas they overlap with climatic ones. For example, this industry also involves the use of solar energy. In general, space resources are fundamentally the new kind energy, a feature of which is the use of extra-atmospheric satellites and stations.
Application of climate resources
The main consumer of such resources is agricultural farming. Compared to traditional natural energy plants, light, moisture and heat form a somewhat passive effect that promotes the development of crops. Consequently, a person can use climatic resources only in their original form of natural supply.
But this does not mean that he cannot control their interaction with energy recipients. The construction of greenhouses, sun protection and the installation of wind barriers - all this can be attributed to measures to regulate the influence of natural phenomena for agricultural activities. On the other hand, wind and solar energy can easily be used as resources to generate electricity. For these purposes, photo panels and storage stations are being developed. air flow etc.
Climatic resources of Russia
The country's territory covers several zones that differ in different climatic characteristics. This aspect also determines the variety of ways to use the generated energy. Among the most important characteristics resource impacts of this type it is possible to determine the optimal moisture coefficient, average duration and thickness of snow cover, as well as favorable temperature regime(the daily average value is 10 °C).
The unevenness with which Russia's climatic resources are distributed across different regions, also imposes restrictions on the development of agriculture. For example, northern regions They are characterized by excessive moisture and lack of heat, which allows only focal farming and greenhouse farming. In the southern part, on the contrary, conditions are favorable for the cultivation of many crops, including wheat, rye, oats, etc. Sufficient heat and light also contribute to the development of livestock farming in this region
Application of space resources
Energy resources of space as a means practical application on Earth were considered back in the 1970s. Since that time, the development of a technological basis has begun that would make alternative energy supply feasible. The Sun and Moon are considered as the main sources in this case. But, regardless of the nature of the application, both climate and space resources require the creation of appropriate infrastructure for the transmission and accumulation of energy.
The most promising areas for implementing this idea is the creation of a lunar energy station. Development of new radiating antennas and solar panels is also underway, which should be controlled by ground-based service points.
Cosmic energy conversion technologies
Even with successful transmission of solar energy, means of converting it will be required. The most effective on this moment The tool to accomplish this task is the photocell. This is a device that converts the energy potential of photons into conventional electricity.
It should be noted that climate and space resources in some areas are combined precisely through the use of such equipment. Photo panels are used in agriculture, although the principle of final consumption is somewhat different. Thus, if the classical formula for the use of agroclimatic resources assumes their natural consumption by objects of economic activity, then solar batteries first generate electricity, which can later be used for the most different needs Agriculture.
The importance of climate and space resources
On modern stage technological progress, people are actively involved in alternative energy sources. Despite this, the basis of energy raw materials is still climate and climatic resources, which can be represented in different forms. Along with water resources, the agricultural complex acts as a platform that has vital importance for people's livelihoods.
So far, the benefits of space energy are less obvious, but in the future it is possible that this industry will become dominant. Although it's hard to imagine that alternative sources on such a scale will one day be able to surpass the earth's energy potential in importance. One way or another, climate resources can provide enormous opportunities in terms of meeting the needs of industry and the domestic sector for electricity.
Problems of resource development
If space energy is still at the stage of theoretical development, then with the agroclimatic base everything is more certain. The direct use of these resources in the same agriculture is successfully organized at different levels, and a person is only required to regulate the exploitation from the point of view of rational use. But climate and climate resources have not yet been sufficiently developed as sources for energy processing. Although such projects have technically been implemented for a long time in different types, their practical value is questionable due to the financial inexpediency of application.
Conclusion
Approaches to energy generation and distribution still depend on the needs of the end user. The choice of sources that make it possible to ensure life activity in the region is based on the parameters of the required supply. different areas. Many sources, including climate ones, are responsible for comprehensive provision. Space resources are practically not involved in this process. Perhaps in the coming years, as technology develops, specialists will be able to obtain this kind of energy on a large scale, but it is too early to talk about this. The successful accumulation of space resources is partially hampered by the insufficient level of technological support, but there is no clear opinion about the financial benefits of such projects.