Non-traditional Renewable Sources of Energy

It is known that much is being done in the world today for the development of non-traditional sources of energy. Without them the Earth cannot support its present population of 6 billion people and probably 8 billion people in the 21^st century.

Now we are using traditional power sources, that is, oil, natural gas, coal and water power with the consumption of more than 50 billion barrels per year. It is evident that these sources are not unlimited.

That is why it is so important to use such renewable sources of energy as the sun, wind, geothermal energy and others. Research is being carried out in these fields.

One of the most promising research areas is the development of power stations with the direct transformation of solar energy into electricity on the basis of photo-effect. It was Russia that was the first in the world to develop and test a photoelectric battery of 32,000 volts and effective area of only 0,5 sq.m., which made it possible to concentrate solar radiation. This idea is now being intensively developed in many countries.

However, the efficiency of a solar power station is considerably reduced because of the limited time of its work during the year. But it is possible to improve the efficiency of solar power stations by developing different combinations of solar power stations and traditional ones – thermal, atomic and hydraulic. Today some engineers are working at the problem of developing electric power stations with the use of a thermal-chemical cycle. It will operate on the products of the transformation of solar energy, whereas the “solar” chemical reactor uses CO and the water steam of the thermal power station. The result is that we have a closed cycle.

In Kamchatka there are geothermal power stations operating on a hot water-steam mixture from the depth of about a kilometre. In some projects water will be heated by the warmth of mountains at a depth of four-five kms.

It is planned that plants working on the energy of the solar heat provided by the sun will be built on a larger scale.

That different wind energy plants are being developed is also well-known. These energy plants can be small (of several kilowatts) or large powerful systems.

It is important that all these advances in developing new sources of energy and improving the old ones help to solve the energy problem as a whole and they do not have negative effects on the environment.

 

V. Ответьте на вопросы:

 

1) Why is it so important to use renewable sources of energy?

2) Why is the efficiency of a solar power station considerably reduced?

3) Do new sources of energy have negative effects on the environment?

 

IV вариант

I. Перепишите следующие предложения; подчеркните в каждом из них

глагол-сказуемое и определите его видо-временную форму и залог.

Переведите предложения на русский язык.

 

1. At present, Russian scientists are paying much attention to the development of

international scientific contacts.

2. Have you already finished your diploma work? – No, I shall have finished it

by the end of June.

3. They had discussed the problem of constructing a new power plant before you

returned from St.Petersburg.

4. Electronics is becoming very important in all branches of production now.

 

II. Перепишите следующие предложения; подчеркните в каждом из них

модальный глагол или его эквивалент. Переведите предложения на

русский язык.

1. The development of new materials does not mean that old ones should lose

their significance.

2. Some students will be permitted to do research at the nuclear plant.

3. One can see that there is no principle difference between iron and copper as

conductors.

4. In the next few years Russian engineers are to complete their work on

supercomputers.

5. We must repair the generator as soon as possible.

 

 

III. Перепишите следующие предложения с определительными и

дополнительными придаточными предложениями. Обратите внимание

на бессоюзные придаточные предложения, переведите предложения на

русский язык.

 

1. He said that the students of that group were taking the exam in programming.

2. The measuring instruments we use in the laboratory were produced in Russia.

3. Experiments which we made show that all gases expand when heated.

4. We know broadcasting stations, televisions and radar sets depend upon

radiant energy waves.

 

IV. Перепишите и письменно переведите текст на русский язык.