The Nenefit of Solar Power Over Electricity

Author: Aaron Schwartz
Source: articleage.com

The energetical potential of solar energy is great, by nowadays calculations it’s approximately 1,57*10^18 Watt peak a year. The science that studies the methods of collecting and transformation of solar energy to another kinds of energy is solar energetic.
There are several priorities of transformation and usage of solar energy. The first one is transformation of solar energy into heat and using of it for heating buildings, air conditioning, heating or distillation of water.
The basis of such generators of heat energy is plane solar collector that allows transforming solar energy to the energy of heat with a temperature of 160-180 F. It looks like a metallic frame with special pipes or it’s a plane box-like device that let pass the air, water or special liquids. This collector is put into heat isolation cover, with the exception of it’s working part that is subjected to the sunrays. A 9 ft. sqr. collector gives up to 20 gallons of hot water (150-170 F) per day. This solar water heats have a lot of perspectives to be used in remote desert areas or in the areas with a big number of sunny days. The prime cost of the hot water produced by the solar heaters is much lower than one produced by electric boiler or gas boiler. It doesn’t require any fuel and doesn’t pollute the environment. So the advantages of using solar water heaters are obvious.
The second priority of using solar energy is transformation of it into electricity. If to cover a silicon crystal with a thin, pure for light layer of metal, than the photons stream, while passing through a metal layer, will release free electrons from the crystal of silicon. Those electrons will start to concentrate in the metal layer. This will cause a potential difference between crystal and a metal layer. If to connect thousands of such crystals in series or in parallel (to increase voltage and current), we’ll get a solar battery that produces direct current.
Also there exists another trend of using solar energy for electricity production, which is similar to the heat power plant. It assumes using of glass pipes cover by the semiconductor layer from inside. Such pipe will let pass the sunrays but still collects 80% of them. Sunrays are collected into a narrow beam of light with a help of conversion lens. Then this heat is transmitted to the pipe that is inside of the glass pipe and it heats the working pipe up to 1000 F, which is more than enough to melt metallic natrium, that melt near 197 F. Incandescent heat conductor is transmitting to the underground reservoirs, where the heat collected for the solar energy makes salt to melt. The heat energy form the salt is transmitted to water pipes, where the water boils and then the energy of water steam is used as a moving energy for electric current generators.
The transformation of solar energy into another types of energy doesn’t bring any visible pollution to the environment, which makes it very beneficial. Other ways of electricity production are tightly connected with the pollution of environment. 80-85 percent of energy used by man is got by burning fuel (oil, gas, different kinds of bio resources). Even so that thee portion of heat power plants is decreasing now, still lots of countries use it as a primary source for getting energy (75% power plants in China and nearly 40% of power plants in Russia use oil, coal and gas). Heat power plants produces 50% of carbonic gas, 35% sulphur and nitrogen oxides released into atmosphere and nearly the same amount of dust. Recent researches also show that heat power plants twice more pollute the environment with radiation contamination than do nuclear power plants.
The influence of the hydroelectric power stations on the environment is also a subject of concern, because it’s connected with alienation of big territories for transformation of them into reservoirs. Hydroelectric power stations break the ecological aqua systems, more over they are quite often begin to silt and become ineffective in some 50-100 years. In the dry areas evaporation from the surface of water reservoirs is dozen times higher than evaporation from the surface of the land.
Nuclear energetics has been seen recently is one of the most promising trends in the electricity production that united cheap energy produced (one pound of radioactive fuel substitutes two million tons of coal) and a small influence on the environment. But the tragedy that happened on the power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine proved that nuclear energy has a high potential risk.
The exploitation of solar energy can be useful in many ways. First by substituting the fuel that is used on heat power stations it reduces the air and environment pollution, it reduces the usage of oil and other fuel that can be used in more important purposes, by substituting nuclear fuel it reduces the radiation threat, and at the same time solar energy generators can make us more secure, by reducing the dependence upon uninterrupted fuel supply.
But still there are many obstacles that prevent mass spreading of solar energy usage. One of the most obvious is low intensiveness of solar radiation even in the sunny weather. Another obstacle is high initial price of solar energy generators.
The primary value for making a plane collector solar heater is 1000$ per 1 Watt peak. First looking, it may seem that because of the high price solar energy generators are not competitive with traditional electric power plants, where this index is low as 100$ per 1Watt peak. Even small diesel generators are not so costly. But if to include the fuel price to the coast of each kilowatt than this comparison won’t be so striking. Even it’s thought that solar generators are cheaper in the technical exploitation and lifetime is longer than that of tradition sources of electric energy. The calculations show that the price of the electric energy produced by solar generators can be reduced in future to .05-.01$ per kilowatt, and for solar water heater approximately to .02$ per kilowatt.
To be more specific in costs of solar electric systems lets refer to International Energy Agency data: “The type of system defines the components you need for a solar system and therefore the costs. The overall system prices for grid-connected systems vary between 7.8 and 24.0 USD/Watt peak. The price range for solar systems not connected to the grid is 5.5 to 25.2 USD/Watt peak.” But still there even more disadvantages of solar electric systems. First one is that they can be used locally, because the direct current produced by solar systems is effective for transmission on long distances (not more than 70 miles). In addition if to refer to MySolar; information on solar energy and solar systems says:
“A solar electricity system causes little extra risk for lightning when normal precautions (earthing, or lightning protection at places that a prone to lighting such as high towers etc) are taken. Lightning can cause damage to equipment such as inverters and batteries” (available on web: http://www.mysolar.com/mysolar/pv/yranswers.asp).
Even despite all the disadvantages of solar systems, this kind of alternative source of electric energy is spreading all over the world. The leading place in production of electricity by solar systems is taken by the USA (40% of world’s production) with total power 450 megawatts and with a total square of solar heat collectors in 100 million sqr ft. And the development of this power industry will be rapid in next decades.
Aaron is a senior writer at Custom Essay Writing Network. He is an experienced custom essay and writer of will be glad to share his experience of custom essay writing with you.

We Need to Help ALL Illegal Aliens Now!

Author: Lance Winslow
Source: articleage.com

With all this debate going on out there and all these illegal alien rallies carrying Mexican Flags and such you can see we must help them to be fair. It is the right thing to do, since all they want is a better life. Some say that they are illegal aliens and that means they are breaking the law when they come to America. But I disagree I think we should give them all our wealth and lots of free stuff too.
Now here is my plan to help these poor folks. You see we have plenty of air-conditioned buses, limos and aircraft to go pick them up? We have plenty of schools? We can easily change the name of the Country to be the United Americas?
We can change our official language to include Mandarin, Spanish and Russian. We can double and triple our taxes, really who would notice anyway? We can get shots for every American to prevent the increased cases of Bird Flu, Hepititus, TB, STDs, etc. that they bring in. We can paint our gated community gates with gold plating and various nick nacks on them to make everyone feel at home.
We have enough money to buy homes for every illegal alien and give them free healthcare too. We should understand that they just want a better life, but do not feel empowered to fix their own nation. So we should be good neighbors and pay for them and give up our rights and give them all we have and all we have build. We can make the US just like Mexico city, it is such a wonderful place, with clean air, plenty of water and such. Think of this great opportunity Slade. Come on go with me on this. It is a great plan and it should only cost our nation everything, but we can borrow another 25 Trillion Dollars and overcome this problem you see?
“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Using Wing Tip Vortices Wind Energy to Power Up Runway Lights

Author: Lance Winslow
Source: articleage.com

What if we used the wing tip vortices from a heavy jet airline taking off to power up the run way lights? At three minute separation, the runway lights could hit a peak output just in time for the next landing aircraft or the next one to take off. This would be most excellent at O’Hare, LaGuardia, LAX, Memphis during FedEx operations, etc. Also good for military operations. These aircraft generate a lot of wind on take off and climb out and that wind came at an expense of power to make the thrust and create the lift. We should never waste power. To learn more:

http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/01-071/9-12_2.pdf

http://www.eng.vt.edu/fluids/msc/gallery/vortex/v_lift.htm

Now then if these vortices are enough power to rip apart a small aircraft or cause an aircraft to crash, then surely we can use this with pop-up wind generators of the runway in the direction of cross wind to collect it? This means that aircraft operations can run at a maximum even if the power grid goes out and the airport is forced into auxiliary power.
Flight operations and safety integrity must be maintained at all times. An even better idea is to use rotorcraft in battlefield and rescue operations to create power. when landing the aircraft spins flat ceiling fans inside of flat boxes laid upon the ground to power up the entire field operations. The force of the air coming down spins the flat generators which wire the electricity to the nearest mobile command post tent, or module which will be needed to run air conditioning units or an array of other very important systems. In this case it would not be the vortex of the blades but the pushing down pressures.
If the Osprey at certain angles loses its lift and air flow to the rotor blades/propellers, then we know that the airflow both in and out must be very significant. The ground effect in effect could power up the important systems, which affect the needs of the rescue crews, search parties, fire fighter outposts or military operations. Just some thoughts on conservation of power. Never waste energy, which has already been bought and paid for.
Wind Generation makes sense, especially if it is already there.
“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

ELF Eco-Terrorists

Author: Lance Winslow
Source: articleage.com

Many believe eco-terrorists and all those who support them are criminals. Citizens believe this because groups like ELF often use arson to burn down buildings to make a point. They are known to have started forest fires and burned down businesses. Also burned down homes, which were either completed or during the construction phase. This of course sends toxic fumes into the air as well as pollutes the air with smoke. ELF members are quick to point out that corporations are greedy and destroying our environment. Yet these ELF criminals, drug addicts and severely mentally challenged individuals use cars to drive to their crimes, chemicals to light the fires and computers to promote their agendas. Who makes those cars, chemicals and computers anyway?
There are no bigger hypocrites on the planet than those of the ELF Eco-terrorist Liberation-Lobotomy Front. They do not want people building second homes or log cabins in the woods. Yet, that is where many of them live or wish to live. They do not want people coming to the forests and building roads, yet cut trails to their favorite off the path nature areas. They want to protect animals yet they start fires, which kill them. They want to save the forest? By burning it down?
They attempt to gain notoriety by bragging about these acts on the Internet and they end up recruiting teenagers some still in grade school and high school. The ELF group has a following of problematic druggy adolescents and misfits. In my 6 years of studying these nut cases it appears many were sexually abused as children and end up doing the same things as adults; on top of the arson and animal killings. While many are said to be for animal rights, they burn down animal testing locations, which are working on things like a cure for Chronic Waste Disease and West Nile Virus, which kill thousands more animals than people.
Some in academia actually secretly support these groups and spew out anti-corporate rhetoric about Corporate Greed, yet these academia folks have never had to make a pay check in their lives. But those that can’t teach and they spread hate and fear about the corporations they do not understand, while they teach using a chock board, chock, polymer projector sheets, computers, desks, flooring, air-conditioning systems and wearing clothes, watches and shoes all made by guess who?? The corporations? Interesting the mindset of the deranged and brain washed folks who do not understand our free economic system or the abundance it has created? We might need to start arresting some teachers soon, because there is no difference between egging on, brain washing and recruiting these ELF Eco-terrorists than in actually committing the act. After all we are hunting down the Clerics who recruit Islamic Fundamentalist International Terrorists don’t we? Think on this. You think I am too harsh to admonish druggy teenage criminals? If we are going to go after the gangs, we must also fight the ELF and Eco-terrorists too.
“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

CareerSite Corporation(TM) Signs Agreement To Power HVAConlineJobs.com(TM)

Author: Anonymous
Source: free-articles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Melanie Rembrandt

CareerSite Corporation

734-213-9500

mmr@careersite.com

SHRM Convention Booth @1788, 6/25-6/28/00

Star VanderHaar

For HVAConline.com

770-394-9200, ext. 218

svanderhaar@abovomarketing.com

CareerSite Corporation(TM) Signs Agreement To Power HVAConlineJobs.com(TM)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. โ€” June 19, 2000 — CareerSite Corporation, a leading

e-recruiting solution provider, announced today an agreement to power

HVAConlineJobs.com, HVAConline.com’s recruitment site, focusing on employers

and job seekers in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning trade

community. CareerSite powers the site at HVAConlineJobs.com which provides

employers with a โ€œone-stopโ€ recruitment resource and browser-based

e-recruiting tool. Job seekers receive a free, unique way to market

themselves anonymously.

The HVAConline CareerSite Recruiter(TM) software offers HVAC/R employers a

convenient and easy way to take advantage of the Internet for recruiting

purposes. This browser-based tool streamlines the process and seamlessly

connects users with the HVAConline CareerSite and the best, high-traffic,

free job sites. Employers can access over 200,000 candidate profiles in

CareerSite’s database (recently rated number two in rรฉsumรฉ quality by the

national Electronic Recruiting Index), and any information on the HVAC/R

vertical network, with one click of the mouse.

HVAConlineJobs.com provides job seekers with necessary career management

tools and easy access to employers on the HVAC/R vertical network, among

others, at no cost. By entering a password protected, confidential profile

that does not contain any private, identifiable information, CareerSite’s

unique technology enables job seekers to market themselves anonymously to

employers while maintaining complete control over identity disclosure. To

ensure that candidates receive all relevant matching positions, CareerSite’s

SmartMatch(TM), a proprietary technology, searches for jobs using concepts

rather than simple words. Additional job searching tools include:

automatic e-mail notification of job matches based on registered

preferences, online rรฉsumรฉ storage, cover letter submissions, and the

ability to search and apply for jobs. In addition, access to customer

service, a career resource center, online bookstore, and HVAC/R information

is readily available at the site.

โ€œHVAConline.com’s partnership with CareerSite will enable us to develop the

most extensive list of career opportunities available to the HVAC/R

industry, while expanding our visibility through the other well-known,

online job search services aligned with CareerSite,โ€ said Todd Mann, COO,

HVAConline.com.โ€œ In addition to introducing HVAConlineJobs.com on our site

this month, we are also providing the HVAC/R marketplace with industry news,

business, and technical expertise via HVAConline.com.โ€

โ€œHaving more than 20 years of experience in the HVAC/R industry, I know how

difficult it can be to locate a qualified HVAC/R employee or position

through traditional means,โ€ said Marcia Hollatz, vice president, HVAC/R

general manager, HVAConline.com. โ€œHowever, online recruiting will be a

great tool to facilitate the job searching process, especially in this tight

job market. By offering this service online, physical barriers are broken

and every member of the supply chain will have the opportunity to post job

openings or locate positions that match their qualifications and interests.โ€

โ€œHVAConlineJobs.com provides a vertical recruitment network with one-stop,

integrated access catering to mechanical professionals,โ€ said Don Dornbush,

founder and president, CareerSite Corporation. โ€œThis agreement will enhance

HVAConline.com’s stickiness and provide an innovative way to recruit new

professionals into the HVAC/R industry.โ€

About CareerSite Corporation

CareerSite Corporation develops and markets e-recruiting solutions for job

seekers, employers, and leading Internet sites. The CareerSite.com

Recruiter(TM) offers small businesses the first and only FREE, convenient,

and easy way to take advantage of the Internet for recruiting purposes. It

is a browser-based tool that both streamlines the process and seamlessly

connects users with the best, high-traffic job sites. CareerSite’s

affiliate recruitment solution provides everything an Internet site needs to

offer customers a full-featured e-recruiting service. This includes

hosting, customer service, distribution, and access to CareerSite’s database

of over 200,000 candidates (recently rated number two in rรฉsumรฉ quality by

the national Electronic Recruiting Index). CareerSite is also the first and

only e-recruiting solution provider to offer its co-brand partners an

innovative business model with a free recruiting tool for their customers.

Currently, CareerSite powers over 20 leading e-recruiting sites. Located in

Ann Arbor, the company is privately held and funded by individual,

institutional, and media company investors. For additional information,

please visit www.careersite.com or call 734-213-9500.

CareerSite(TM) is a registered service mark of CareerSite Corporationรค. All

other product or service marks mentioned herein are those of their

respective owners. All rights reserved.

About HVAConline.com(TM)

HVAConline and HVAConline.com are brand names of The UniLink Group, a

BuildNet Community. HVAConlineJobs.com is a product of HVAConline.com. The

UniLink Group, which is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., has been enabling

electronic business-to-business transactions โ€” purchase orders, warranty

claims, advance shipping notices and invoices โ€” between manufacturers and

distributors of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration

(HVAC/R) industry for three years. This month, HVAConline.com will offer Web

site visitors the latest industry and general interest news, as well as

HVAC/R career listings posted on HVAConlineJobs.com. Later this year, the

company also plans to launch additional Web sites targeted to the following

vertical markets: plumbingonline.comยฎ, electricalonline.comยฎ and

appliancepartner.comยฎ. For more information, visit the company’s Web site

at www.hvaconline.com or call 888-226-8089.

About BuildNet, Inc.

BuildNet, Inc., located in Research Triangle Park, N.C., is a leading

provider of management software to homebuilders and suppliers in the

residential construction industry. BuildNet’s objective is to be the

business-to-business e-commerce solution for the residential construction

industry. To reach that objective, BuildNet has designed the BuildNet

E-Building Exchange to provide secure Internet-based procurement, e-commerce

and information services for homebuilders, suppliers and manufacturers. The

BuildNet E-Building Exchange will allow users to confirm pricing and product

specifications, place purchase orders and add both product and order

information automatically to builders’ and suppliers’ management systems. In

addition, manufacturers will be able to place product information and

catalogs on the BuildNet E-Building Exchange for access by homebuilders and

suppliers. BuildNet is testing the BuildNet E-Building Exchange and expects

to initiate a limited market rollout in the second half of 2000. BuildNet’s

aggregated software customer base includes homebuilders that accounted for

approximately 43% of 1999 U.S. single-family home closings.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. The actual results

might differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking

statements for various reasons, including our limited Internet operating

history, the development and rollout of the BuildNet E-Building Exchange and

the acceptance of the BuildNet E-Building Exchange by any of the Company’s

existing software customers or any new customers. Additional information

concerning factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from

those in the forward-looking statements is contained in the Company’s SEC

filings, including its Registration Statement on Form S-1.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective

owners. ยฉ 2000

Corporate Contact:

Marci Baer McCarthy

HVAConline.com

678-931-2543

mmccarthy@unilinkgroup.com

CareerSiteยฎ is a registered service mark of CareerSite Corporation(TM). All

other product or service marks mentioned herein are those of their

respective owners. All rights reserved.

Daylight Savings Times – Why We Have It, Why We Should Have It, Why We Should Not

Author: Anne Clarke
Source: articleage.com

Daylight savings time – we have all heard of it. Most of us participate in it… but what exactly is daylight savings time, and why do we have it?
Daylight savings time was started so that we could “save” daylight. The United States went on “extended daylight savings time” around 1975.
Daylight savings time keeps the daylight for when we want it – during the time that we are active at work and school. It is most common in temperate regions, because of the great variation in the amount of daylight versus darkness throughout the seasons in these regions.
Is daylight savings time really necessary, though? Does it really help us if it starts to get light outside at 7am rather than 8am, etc.? One of the major reasons for daylight savings time does not have to do with peoples’ preferences at all. Rather, one of the major reasons for daylight savings time is for energy conservation.
In theory, residential electricity use is reduced because of daylight savings time – the amount of electricity that people use at home is contingent upon when the sun sets. If the sun sets closer to the time a person goes to bed, that person will not need to use as much electricity as he would if the sun set long before he went to bed.
People tend to go to bed at the same time all year round. Therefore, if we artificially move the sunset one hour later, a person will need to use less energy in the summer – he will not need to keep the lights on as long just because it is dark outside if he is in bed.
The need for morning lighting in the winter is also important. During the summer, people generally wake up after the sunrises no matter what – the days are simply longer. During the winter, though, people are only likely to wake up after the sunrises if the time of that sunrise is artificially changed by daylight savings time.
Daylight savings also allows an increase in opportunities for outdoor activities. It is important that people get out and do something and remain active, even during the winter months, and it helps if it is still light outside when they want to be outside.
Daylight savings is also good because it is light outside when people drive home from work – there is less of a chance of accidents when the drivers can see better because of the light. There is also the chance that daylight savings time reduces crime (it reduces that chance that a person will be the target of crimes that are more commonly committed in dark areas).
Of course, not all people have good things to say about daylight savings time. In fact, daylight savings time is not accepted universally. There are many places that do not actually observer daylight savings. Many people do not like have to adjust their clocks twice a year for so few perceived benefits. Other people do not like the disruptions in sleep patterns from setting the clock forward or back – this actually correlates with auto accidents and lost productivity. Also, some people simply forget to change their clocks and they may show up late or early to work, etc.
Also, daylight savings time may add to an increase in summertime air conditioning costs. More sunlight at home means that people are also experiences more heat at home. Air conditioning often uses even more electricity than lighting does.
There is also the chance that because of the added daylight, more people are going to jump in their cars to enjoy it, and therefore add to pollution.
Also, people working in agriculture do not appreciate daylight savings time – their animals most certainly do not observe it!
There are many more reasons why people do not like daylight savings time. Many of the reasons that people criticize daylight savings time are the same reasons that people praise it – there is debate over whether or not daylight savings time actually decreases the energy that people use or the number of traffic accidents. There are many more experiments that must be run before it can be decided exactly how good of an idea daylight savings time really is.
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on history and clocks, please visit Wall Clocks.

What You Should Know About Corrosion

Author: Thomas Yoon
Source: articleage.com

Corrosion causes a lot of problems in maintenance. Machines get worn out, structures become weakened, appearance gets tarnished and metals like iron do not last as long as we wanted them to.
Yet not every wearing of machines can be attributed to corrosion. Erosion, abrasion and scuffing can also wear down machines. However the major reason for machine wear down is still corrosion. Why is that so?
We live in a world of chemicals and corrosion is a chemical reaction. In the process, metal is dissolved. Since iron and steel is used in almost every machine and structure, we particularly want to avoid corrosion in them.
Corrosion of iron and steel occurs only when 3 conditions occur:
1. A potential difference exists.
2. The surfaces are covered by an electrolyte.
3. Oxygen is present.
Potential Difference
Acids are the chief culprit in any corrosion. Sulphuric acid from acid rain causes a lot of corrosion damage. However, many people do not realize that it is the movement of electrons in the chemicals that causes the iron to get dissolved. The potential difference is the one that causes the electrons to flow in a closed electrical circuit, similarly to a battery.
Galvanic Corrosion
In the galvanic series of metals, noble metals like gold, silver, and platinum are almost immune to the attack of acids. They are considered inactive. The most active are metals like potassium and sodium. Somewhere in between these extremes are metals like iron, copper, zinc, tin, etc.
In a normal galvanic corrosion, electrical current flows from a less active metal to a more active metal, i.e. from the cathode to the anode. The anode gets wasted away. When a steel structure is immersed in salt water together with a less active metal like copper, the steel gets corroded very quickly.
When dissimilar metals are placed together in an electrolyte, a potential difference is created between them. The more active metal is corroded when a current flows through the acidic water or electrolyte. The faster the flow, the faster is the rate of corrosion. In normal atmospheric corrosion, the concentration of the acid in the water electrolyte is very low, so the rate of corrosion is slow. With a higher concentration, the corrosion also quickens.
Presence of Oxygen
Rust is one of the most common effects of corrosion. It is the oxidation of iron to form ferrous oxide. Corrosion is therefore highest in water tanks at the surface of the water where it is wet and contains a lot of dissolved air from the atmosphere. In a closed vessel, corrosion stops when all the oxygen has been used up for rusting.
Corrosion Prevention Measures
Methods that are used to prevent corrosion are therefore aimed at preventing the presence of an electrical potential difference, using less active metals and removing the presence of moisture and oxygen.
Painting
The most common method is to cover up the surfaces of bare metal with a coating of paint. This prevents the flow of current whenever the metal is in contact with water. To be effective, the coating on the bare metal must have a very strong bond. This first paint coat is called the primer coat.
The purpose of the primer paint coat is to protect the base metal area and also have adhesion of the topcoat. Some examples of primers are zinc chromate primer, red oxide and red lead primer. For galvanized steel and light alloys you will need to use a polyvinyl butyral-based, acid-catalyzed etching primer.
Some alkyd-based paint coatings pigmented with micaceous iron oxide provides good protection for iron and steel surfaces and are suitable for storage tanks, pipes, steel structures and grills.
For heavy-duty paint coatings, the surfaces need to be cleaned by sand-blasting. The idea of sand-blasting is to bombard the surface with abrasives under high pressure to scrape it clean to the bare metal.
Epoxy paints provide very good protection from corrosion. This is because of the impervious nature of the epoxy coating layer. These are excellent for protection against corrosive chemicals, salt and fresh water abrasion and are ideal for steel piles, marine structures, ballast tanks and sewage treatment plants.
Polyurethane paints are used in body paint and auto paint of cars. These produce high gloss and are excellent body repair paints with good durability.
Rubber and Plastic linings
By using rubber and plastic linings and laminates to coat the bare metal, a chemical resistant elastomer layer can be strengthened by the strong steel reinforcement underneath. Their use is not so much to protect the steel but to use the steel for support.
Cathodic Protection
Another way to protect steel is to coat the metal with a more reactive metal. This can be found in galvanizing. This is the coating of iron with zinc. The iron can be dipped in molten zinc to coat it. Because the zinc is reactive, it forms a tough oxide layer that prevents further oxidation and so protects the iron underneath. Many outdoor structural parts are often protected in this way. Some examples are cooling towers, air conditioning ducting, sheet metal, pipes, street lamps, etc.
In some submerged steel installations, zinc is used as sacrificial anodes. When zinc is placed together with iron, the former is sacrificed in favor of the latter. An example of this usage is in tube and shell heat exchangers where the presence of copper tubes will cause an electrical potential to exist between the steel shell and the copper tube nest. Sacrificial anodes of zinc are often then placed at the shell end covers to protect the iron from wasting away.
Impressed Current System
By putting the flow of current to the opposite direction, a way has been found to counter the inherent electrical potential caused by dissimilar metals placed together. By using noble metals like titanium, platinized niobium or lead/silver alloy and injecting electrical current in the opposite direction, the parent steel metal can be protected from the effects of corrosion.
A typical impressed current system controls current so that the inert anodes are made positive relative to the steel. When the steel is immersed in seawater, the normal galvanic current is counteracted by the supplied current. Different potentials are also applied for newly painted steel and for clean bare steel. The controller unit with its step-down transformer, rectifier, and the reference electrode are essential components of this impressed current system. The amount of current, and its evenly distribution is very important in this system. Over potential can produce OH- ions that can attack the surrounding paint.
Alkaline Chemical Treatment
Cement wash or alkaline chemical treatment for the water in contact with the metal is used in tanks where no painting or coating is allowed. Chemical treatment of water is also used in steam boilers where any coating on the heat transfer surfaces will be disastrous.
Use of less active metals
It is difficult to replace steel in many applications where strength is important. In applications where strength and low cost is not so critical, alloys of cupro nickel, bronze and brass can be used to substitute steel parts. Stainless steels containing iron and chromium can also be used where higher cost is not a concern.
Painting to prevent corrosion does make our world a more colorful place to live. We can prevent corrosion in so many different ways. Corrosion need not be a dirty word. In most cases, just a coat of paint will do.
Thomas Yoon specializes in cartoon illustrations that will make an impact on people’s opinions.

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Simple Eco-Logical Steps to Lessen the Burn of the Sun

Author: Jennifer Rodriguez-Allen
Source: articleage.com

At this moment in human history, one of our most controversial relationship is our natural and healthy relationship with our closest star, the Sun. We are caught between our need for sunlight to keep us healthy and happy and; a fear of the sunlight that penetrates the hole in our precious ozone layer.

How often do we find ourselves blinded by the Sun? How often do we turn to sunglasses to lessen its brightness on our eyes? How did we lose our ability to naturally adapt to sunlight? Could it be that we have spent too much time indoors under artificial light, too much time in front of television or the computer? How do we regain the ability to quickly adapt to the Sun’s brilliance that we had as children? What sort of misinformation is in our brains that is stopping us from doing so?

At Agoo Agii, we think in terms of surviving our present circumstances through a conscious relationship with the Nature. Our goal is to reclaim the human sense that is balanced with the values of the Nature and as we shall demonstrate in this article, with the Universe. We believe, very much, to know the Sky, we must first know the Earth and with each step we take closer and closer to the Earth, we find ourselves deeper in the mysteries of Creation and our place within in it, from the beginning of human history to today.

The Sun in Relation to the Universe

Unlike human beings, the components, the elements, the living spirits of the Nature do not have Egos. The Sun has been ascribed its importance to us by its proximity to us in the Universe. It is evident that we need the Sun but the Sun does not exist as a domineering tyrant to whom we must serve. In fact, ancient cultures that placed the Sun as a supreme deity (e.g. ancient Roman, Egyptian and Aztec) were cruel, imperialistic and domineering cultures.

The Sun lives in relation to the Universe and the forces of creation. It is just one of unimaginable number of stars that exist in the Universe and the Sun is as aware of that as you and I. From a distant planet, the Sun is merely another star in the sky and if you open your level of consciousness a bit more, this is a fact to the Sun. The Sun does not have an Ego; it has a responsibility to support the planets that revolve around it. To learn from the example of the brilliance of the Sun is to learn to let go of Ego and to accept our personal and collective responsibility to sustain life.

During daytime, we should not let the Sun make us forget about the Universe beyond the blue sky. The heat we experience during the day can be balanced through the conscious reminder that beyond the blue, there is a large expanse of dark coolness containing an infinitude of stars equally as important to us as the Sun.

The Sun in Relation to Darkness

Darkness is the force of creation whereas light comes from a fixed point, an object or subject of creation. Darkness is not evil for the people who fear darkness, believe the most in the manifestation of evil within our world. Our ability to live comfortably in darkness allows for us to demonstrate the illumination of our souls. Darkness is the furthest point beneath our feet, it is at our toes, over our head and it is through the darkness that our eyes search for the Creator. Creation is an unfixed expansive point that is always simultaneously in front us of and completely beyond our reach.

Darkness, or shall we say, Black Light is never obscured or eliminated. The Sun’s rays project themselves through darkness. It is this consciousness that allowed the pioneers of the physics of light to postulate ideas about the nature and the movement of light with their naked eyes. The next time you go outside, try to see the darkness to lessen the effect of the Sun’s brilliance. Do our eyes not weaken when we do not adapt to variations in light intensity? We need to learn to develop our eyes’ abilities to serve as their own sunglasses.

The Sun in Relation to Water

Our existence and the source of our own humility begins and ends with water. Water is the most important element of the Nature when it comes to living in balance with the Sun. As the Sun is hot, Water is cool. Here we cannot over emphasize the importance of cold/cool showers and baths. In the summer, cold showers lower the body’s surface temperature and help to make the heat bearable. In the winter, cool showers help us develop a resistance to the effects of the cold so long as we do not take cold beverages and foods in excess.

Cold water helps us reestablish and maintain a balanced ecological relationship with our local sources of water. It is very easy for us to distance ourselves from our natural bodies of water by dismissing them as dirty and/or polluted. However, dirty water is water with dirt in it, polluted water is water with pollution in it, yet water forever remains water and is always itself pure.

Hot water on the other hand, when used excessively, can produce an enormous amount of damage to the skin. Hot water decreases the amount of blood circulation to the skin causing it to become unusually dry. Hot water decreases our ability to retain and produce moisture. By decreasing our skin’s capacity to perspire when necessary and therefore cool itself when overheated, we are denying our body the ability to ease its own discomfort naturally. This results in a cycle of excessive use of air conditioning to relieve our body of heat and the use of air conditioning was originally one of the sources of the pollution that is responsible for the hole in the ozone layer.

Beautiful Historical Ecological Relationships

Water has long held an important spiritual status especially amongst women.

In the Hindu Legend, The Ramayana, the auspicious woman Sita emerges unscathed from the funeral pyre of her husband.

In the Book of Exodus, Moses’ mother turns to the waters of the River to save her son rather than turning to fire the Sun to demand its wrath to extract justice.

Images of Christian Saints often have halos on the back of their heads. These representations of the Sun demonstrate the coolness of the head brought by baptism.

One of the most misunderstood Indigenous American ceremonies is the Sun Dance. The older men who have prepared themselves to participate in this ceremony sacrifice a piece of the own flesh to make a deep prayer for the sake of all living things. They make this self-sacrifice with the belief that the only thing we rightfully own is our own body and it is only our own body that we truly have the right to sacrifice to the Creator.

In ancient pre-patriarchal African culture, the coupling of the Sun and the Water is considered to be a holy marriage. This union is considered so sacred that one is never mentioned without the other.

Horrible Historical Confusions

Some of the cruelest and most imperialistic cultures that have developed on this planet have worshipped the Sun as a supreme deity. They used the Sun to inspire wrath and terror amongst the people they conquered. This includes the use of human sacrifice to “appease” the Sun. Many of these cultures were also fond of using the Sun to justify their use of slavery.

Millions of women have been burned throughout history in the name of using fire, the earthly embodiment of the Sun, to determine their purity or as evidence to demonstrate their lack thereof. These self-proclaimed judges of female purity would have burned themselves had they set themselves on fire for those who would not burn are amongst the humble, not the arrogant.

The Sun in Relation to Local Plants

The plants that live in constant exposure to the sun’s rays can help us adapt to solar light and to changes in solar radiation that have occurred in our lifetimes. Plants that have quick reproductive/life cycles can adapt to changes in favor of survival much faster than we humans can. By turning to these plants for ecological and evolutionary help, we can begin to learn how to make changes in favor of our own survival.

For example, dandelion flower is extremely useful to control squinting and other reactions that we may have to solar radiation when we go outdoors. Because dandelion flower relaxes the face and skin, we can learn to control our reactions to the intensity of natural light.

As human beings, we cannot live in direct sunlight throughout the day as dandelions do. To find the amount of sun exposure that we can in balance with, we can turn to the shade dwelling violet plant. Violet leaf is excellent aid for after-sun exposure and for use as a night cream.

Timely and Conscious Adaptation

Eco-logical adaptation to the Sun is a lifelong exercise that is made with baby steps. Each day we must practice seeing the darkness with the light, consciously keep the Sun in its rightful place with respect to the Universe and use daily cleansing with cool/cold water. We must be aware of our own reactions and as we move closer to the natural world, we must be aware of the situations where our indestructible connection with the Nature is being compromised.

Sunscreen should be used intelligently rather than blindly. It is important that we have at least 15 minutes of direct sunlight each day as sunscreen decreases our body’s ability to produce vitamin D. If your sunscreen contains mineral oils, it can also decrease your skin’s ability to effectively produce and absorb vitamins A and C.

In any type of weather, it is important that your skin has an opportunity each day to feel natural. After spending a day in the Sun, you should clean off any residual chemical sunscreen. Our skin is responsible for 1/3 of the body’s elimination of wastes and it is necessary to allow our bodies to relax, detoxify and feel natural.

Finally, we must ask ourselves what contribution hot water has made to our decreased ability to handle the Sun. Is it a coincidence that the countries that have the highest rates of skin cancer also use the most hot water? Should this matter not be studied?

Legal Disclaimer—The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program

Written by: Jennifer Rodriguez-Allen, B.Sc., Environmental Chemist and President of Agoo Agii, inc. Agoo Agii is a multi-ethnic women-owned grassroots company that specializes in skin and body care products made from plants you can find in your backyard. http://www.agooagii.com/

Fuel saving tips

Author: ajay pats
Source: articleage.com

This article briefly talks about fuel saving tips

Regular vehicle maintainance and modified driving habits can reduce fuel consumption and lower vehicle emissions.

The following maintenance, driving and consumer tips practiced together can make a noticeable difference in your monthly fuel bill.

Perform regular maintenance A poorly maintained vehicle can increase fuel consumption by as much as 50 per cent.

Change the engine oil every 5,000 km or six months unless you regularly do long distance highway driving, then change it at a maximum 12,000 km intervals. Use an energy-conserving oil that is suited to the season. Check tire pressures at least once a month and watch for signs of unusual tire tread wear that might indicate an alignment problem. An under-inflated tire has a greater rolling resistance. A 20 per cent drop in pressure will increase fuel consumption by about 10 per cent and reduce tread life by 15 per cent. A faulty cooling system thermostat that doesnt allow the engine to quickly reach or maintain its correct operating temperature can dramatically increase fuel consumption and affect the performance of an electronically controlled engine.

Make fewer and more efficient trips Combine tasks into a single trip rather than making several trips throughout the day. And, because an engine also consumes more fuel during its warm-up period, try picking up groceries and the dry-cleaning on your way home from work instead of making a special trip.

Drive smarter Dont warm up your car unnecessarily. Driving the vehicle slower and keeping the engine speed low until its normal operating temperature is reached, is a more fuel-efficient way to warm up your car. Look ahead and adjust your speed. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, about 50 per cent of the fuel consumed in city driving is used during acceleration. When accelerating, do it gently and steadily and never exceed posted speed limits. Driving on the highway at 90 km/h rather than 120 km/h can reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent. Lighten the load, and avoid carrying non-essential heavy items such as tools and skis. Remove roof racks when they are not being used. Use air conditioning sparingly. Shutting off the air conditioning and rolling down the windows will save fuel in city or low speed driving. Reduce wind resistance. Open windows at highway cruising speeds will substantially increase drag (wind resistance) in todays aerodynamically efficient vehicles, and cause an increase in fuel consumption. Avoid excessive idling. Leaving a car running unnecessarily (i.e., in a ferry line-up or while chatting with a neighbour) is wasteful. Shutting off and re-starting the engine generally consumes less fuel and emits less pollutants than allowing a car to sit idling for long periods of time.

Shop wiser Purchase gas from companies that offer loyalty programs that best suit your needs. Taking advantage of rewards is one small way to offset the cost of gas. Dont pay extra for something you dont need. Most cars run on regular gasoline, and dont require higher cost premium grade fuels. If unsure, check your owners manual.Visit http://venturemall.tripod.com for autoparts and accessories.

Special Tips On Saving Gas

Author: Kathy Thompson
Source: articleage.com

These are unusual times and we need everyone. Our great nation
is coming together. I’m finding so many ways to help; money,
food, clothes. It’s going to affect all of us. So I want to
share some great tips on saving gas.

1. Car pool, take the bus, bike, walk. Car pools reduce travel
monotony and gas expense – all riders chip in to help you buy.
Conversation helps to keep the driver alert. Pooling also reduces
traffic congestion, gives the driver easier maneuverability and
greater “steady speed” economy. For best results, distribute
passenger weight evenly throughout car.

2. Avoid filling gas tank to top. Overfilling results in sloshing
over and out of tank. Never fill gas tank past the first “click”
of fuel nozzle, if nozzle is automatic.

3. Slow down and drive steady. Speeding up wastes fuel. Also
avoid tailgating – the driver in front of you is unpredictable.
Not only is it unsafe, but if affects your economy, if he slows
down unexpectedly.

4. Inflate all tires to maximum limit. Each tire should be
periodically spun, balanced and checked for out-of-round. When
shopping for new tires, get large diameter tires for rear wheels.
Radial designs are the recognized fuel-savers;check manufacturer’s
specifications for maximum tire pressures.

5. Avoid rough roads when possible. Because dirt or gravel rob
you of up to 30% of your gas mileage.

6. Buy gasoline at the coolest time of day. Early morning or late
evening is best. During these times gasoline is densest. Keep in
mind – gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of
fuel concentration. You are charged according to “volume of
measurement”.

7. Don’t use your air conditioning. Auto air conditioners can
reduce fuel economy by 10% to 20%. Heater fan, power windows and
seats increase engine load; the more load on your engine, the
less miles per gallon.

8. Plan ahead. Combine your errands in the same area.

9. Keep your car tuned. Regular tune-ups ensure best economy; check
owner’s manual for recommended maintenance intervals. Special
attention should be given to maintaining clean air filters…
diminished air flow increases gas waste.

Please Pray & Help Our Fellow Americans Who Are Victims of Katrina.

More tips are available for FREE that you can download in a report
“30 Gas Savings Tips.”
Get your copy here; http://www.faceuptoit-youcan.com/ssale.html