pdc+++ module 4 class 3 energy

Energy & EcoTechnologyModule 4 of the PDC+++PDC

++

+We dedicate this Module to the Mother &

Father of Integral Permaculture: Dana Meadows & Howard Odum, two original

pioneers who helped humanity make great strides in understanding systemic

thinking, in all four quadrants.

What are the fundamental Energy Laws?*

There are some basic energy laws the ignorance of which lead us to make very big & avoidable mistakes, as global as peak oil or as individual as believing our salvation will

come from 'free energy'. *

Not understanding the basic laws that govern energy also lead us to staying permanently confused & therefore open to being manipulated with regards to any new

technology or 'new miracle fuel' that is proposed. *

No progress can be made in terms of future energy choices if the majority of the population cannot distinguish myth from science in these important areas, and in this

class we aim to firmly lay the foundations for understanding energy, which are also the foundation of any good sustainable design.

Class M4.3

Energy

M4.3 Energy * What are the Fundamental Energy Laws?

What is Energy? & About Nature's Laws

The first Law: No Energy Destruction or Creation

The Second Law: Entropy always Increases

The dream of perpetual motion

The Fourth Law: The Power Principle

EnergyThe ability to do work… and WORK is defined as any useful energy

transformation

one type of energy is transformed into another kind of energy, with some being turned into a non-usable form (no longer has the potential to do further work)

EnergyTransformation

Process

WORK

1Joule = 1 Newton x 1 meter

1J= 1N x m = (kg x m/seg2) x m

Distinguishbetween Energy

SOURCES & FORMS of

Energy

There are two basic FORMS of energy:Potential& Kinetic

+ mixtures of the two

• Thermal energy, thermal energy in transit is called heat

• Chemical energy• Electric energy• Radiant energy, the energy

of electromagnetic radiation• Nuclear energy• Magnetic energy• Elastic energy• Sound energy• Mechanical energy• Luminous energy• Mass (E=mc²)

energy SOURCES

• Thermal energy• Chemical energy• Electric energy• Radiant energy• Nuclear energy• Magnetic energy• Elastic energy• Sound energy• Mechanical

energy• Luminous energy• Mass (E=mc²)

• Solar energy• Wind energy• Bio energy• Geothermal energy• Tidal energy• Nuclear energy• Hydroelectric energy• Fossil fuels

Potential& Kinetic+ mixtures

FORMS of energy

In Class 4.6 we will go deeper into renewable sources of energy

The Laws of NatureLaws or Principles are rules - & the rules or Laws of Nature are not negotiable

Like Theories or Models, Laws or Principles can can be used to predict the behavior of the natural world.

But Theories explain how something works, whereas Laws say 'what always happens'

Laws RULE

The Energy LawsThe 3 Laws of Thermodynamics

The Maximum Power Principle (4th Law)

Hierarchically Organized Systems (5th Law)

The 4th & 5th are still only Proposals! (by Odum :)

1st Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed

1st Law: Energy cannot be created or destroyed

it just changes from one form to another

Eg.someone riding a bicycle

chemical (potential)

energykinetic energy

heat

But it CAN & does change from one form to another (what Life is all about)

& the 'things' that do this changing are what we call "technologies"

1st Law: Energy cannot be created or destroyed

1st Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed

First law of thermodynamics put in more scientific terms (wikipedia):

Heat and work are forms of energy transfer. While energy is invariably conserved, the internal energy of a closed system changes as heat and work are transferred in or out of it.

Equivalently, perpetual motion machines of the first kind are impossible.

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

In all real energy transformations, some energy loses its ability to do work

100 J

100 J

4 J

1 J

97 J3 J

Storage

TransformationWe sometimes speak loosely of energy being “used up” whereas what is really meant is that the potential for doing work is consumed, while the calories of energy inflows and outflowing are the same.

2nd Law: Entropy increases with time.

Entropy, or disorder of the system, is the measure of the amount of energy not able to do work.

Most processes to obtain Energy have a lot of Entropy associated with them

Perpetual Motionis motion that continues indefinitely without any external source of energy;

impossible in practice because of friction.

Can also be described as ...

the motion of a hypothetical machine which,

once activated, would run forever, unless subject to an external force or to wear.

There is a scientific consensus that perpetual motion in an isolated system would violate the first &/or second law of thermodynamics.

& they have a very long history!

Perpetual machine by Villard de Honnecourt, ca. 1230

Magnetic to Kinetic?

Vectors

As we search for new energy sources, we're often faced with "miracle cure" proposals

& it really helps

to know about

+ know how to applysome basic

science

It seems that they fascinate the Green/Purple meme

One characteristic of the 'mean green meme' is an incapacity to understand symmetry (& to reject science):

It wants Equality but doesn't really want to Work for it,

neither does it Value the Effort that was needed to create all it's privileges ("know the price of everything & the value of nothing")

Perpetual Motion Machine of the First Kind

The perpetual machines of the first kind would violate the first law of thermodynamics, the law of conservation of energy.

So, they would produce more energy than what they consume, working eternally once switched on.

Many of these designs use magnets as 'free energy sources', & assume there is no friction.

Therefore, although these inventions cannot work eternally, they are sometimes able to work by themselves for long times, as long as they are not required to do any work on their environment.

The perpetual machine of the second kind is one which spontaneously converts thermal energy into mechanical work.

The signature of a perpetual motion machine of the second kind is that there is only one heat reservoir involved, which is being spontaneously cooled without involving a transfer of heat to a cooler reservoir.

This conversion of heat into useful work, without side effect, is impossible, according to the second law of thermodynamics.

Look for this PATTERNin some of the 'solutions' (or proposals -

or causes?) of the crisis ...

Perpetual Motion Machine of the Second Kind

Einstein worked as a Patents Office Clerk& often was faced with the Eternal Engine proposals:

humans trying to get something out of nothing

Short-hand for the Laws of Thermo-

dynamics:

"there's no free lunch in Nature"

Applying the energy laws provided him with lots of spare time

4th Law of ThermodynamicsThe Maximum Empower Principle

Self-organization tends to develop network connections that use energies in feedback actions to aid the process of getting more resources or using them more efficiently...

4th Law of ThermodynamicsThe Maximum Empower Principle

“In time, through the process of trial and error, complex patterns of structure and processes have evolved...

the successful ones surviving because they use materials and energies wellin their own maintenance,

and compete well with other patterns that chance interposes.”

H.T. Odum

Something Most of our Technologies achieve with Oppression (not with Good

Design) & this 'Efficiency'

network Results in

Systems maximize power by: 1) developing storages of high-quality energy, 2) feeding back work from storages to increase inflows, 3) recycling materials as needed, 4) organizing control mechanisms that keep the system adapted and stable, 5) setting up exchanges for needed materials, 6) Contributing work to the next larger system

4th Law of ThermodynamicsThe Maximum

Empower Principle

<<< Can you figure out what this diagram might represent by the next class?

This is HD Odum's work& Class 4.3 is all about him

>> 5th Law: All Systems are organized hierarchically

Example of the (zillions of ..) Eco-Student Travelers1) give their valuable money to transport multinationals, instead of to Transition Projects 2) transition projects are starved of money (high-quality energy) & over-supplied with volunteering offers (usually very low-quality energy: non-skilled work that requires large amounts of professional work to supervise if it is to be effective = decrease inflows)3) there is often no recycling even of information/knowledge/discoveries (from one project to another, eg. easily achievable by keeping good portfolios but requires climbing out of the 'me, me, me' mentality to a genuine 'we' mind-set) 4) thus is this type of 'eco-tourism' turned into the 'arms of mass-distraction' & The System is fed by the very people who want to learn to change it, whilst energy is drained from the Transition

"Consumerism" =

The Maximum Dis-Empowering

Principle(max consumption for min

overall benefit)

Consumers MINIMIZE power (to the Transition) by: 1) SCATTERING storages of high-quality energy, 2) feeding back work from storages to DECREASE inflows, 3) NOT recycling materials as needed, 4) are PART OF the organizing control mechanisms that keep The System adapted and stable, 5) DESTROY exchanges for needed materials, 6) Contribute their work to the DESTRUCTO-system

Can you think of some other typical 'green' examples?

"Consumerism" =

The Maximum Dis-Empowering

Principleor

Minimum Power Principle

Consumers MINIMIZE power (to the Transition) by: 1) SCATTERING storages of high-quality energy, 2) feeding back work from storages to DECREASE inflows, 3) NOT recycling materials as needed, 4) are PART OF the organizing control mechanisms that keep The System adapted and stable, 5) DESTROY exchanges for needed materials, 6) Contribute their work to the DESTRUCTO-system

"running off to the bush" to set up 'my own sustainable project'

"being self-sufficient": making all our own bread, shoes, etc. from raw materials

more on this in ...M4.3 Howard Odum

& Module 5 on EcoEconomies!

Energy Laws AREEcoEconomy Laws