Top 12 Automotive Wiring Tips

1) The best connection is a properly done solder joint. If you aren't sure how to solder, crimp the connection then solder it. Cold solder joints not only introduce resistance, but they can come apart.

2) Keep your grounds as short as possible. It is far better to have a few more connections than a long ground that can build heat and introduce ground loops. It is common practice to run a ground wire from a high demand devise such as a fuel pump back to the battery. This not only adds additional loads to the pump or devise but also can lead to device failure. Have you ever seen a production auto with a ground cable longer than the positive cable?

3) If at all possible, use stainless hardware to fasten all primary cables. Some galvanic or plated hardware can cause dissimilar corrosion and can sometimes carry more impedance that its stainless counter parts. On smaller secondary circuits, this is not as important.

4) Battery storage. Keep batteries away from humidity. Keeping it charged will prolong its life. If a battery is dead, cool it before you charge it. Put in the refrigerator or outside if its cold. Cool batteries charge better.

5) Batteries specifications and charge rates are for 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature variations will change charge rates.

6) Use relays. Anytime you want to switch a device that draws more current than is provided by an output of a switch or component you'll need to use a relay. The coil of an SPDT relay that we most commonly use draws very little current (less than 200 milliamps) and the amount of current that you can pass through a relay's common, normally closed, and normally open contacts will handle up to 30 or 40 amps. This allows you to switch devices such as headlights, parking lights, horns, etc., with low amperage outputs such as those found on keyless entry and alarm systems, and other components. In some cases you may need to switch multiple things at the same time using one output. A single output connected to multiple relays will allow you to open continuity and/or close continuity simultaneously on multiple wires.

7) Most electromechanical devises are rated according to the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures). You improve your odds of a long MTBF by keeping your electrical devices in a low humidity, low heat environment.

8) Do not ever use THHN/THWN wire. This wire (insulation) classification is not rated for automotive use. Cars move and vibrate which chafes the insulating material.

9) A wire that is rated for A/C voltage may have a different rating when used in low voltage D/C applications. Your house uses A/C, your car uses D/C.

10) The best primary power cable is a type TEW or MTW (Machine Tool Wire) as its rated for continuous use with higher amperage loads.

11) OFC (oxygen free copper) is by far the best cable for automotive use. However, it is expensive and requires a quality crimper and should be soldered for security. The most common application for this wire is high-end car stereo applications.

12) If you are like me, you may choose to skip OFC and go with TXL wire. TXL (thermal cross-linked) wire is next best. TXL wire has twice the voltage rating of standard GPT (general purpose) wire. Most high-end harnesses are made with this wire. If you want to keep your ride for the long haul, you may want to pony up for a harness made with this wire.

All Categories Of Copper Wires

One of the major requirements in the electrical wiring systems is high electrical conductivity. Copper exhibits excellent conducting properties and thus, it is used for manufacturing electrical wires and cables. Copper Wires find various applications in power transmission, power distribution and telecommunications. Copper can be alloyed with other metals for improved properties. Some of the beneficial characteristics of copper wires can be listed as follows:

High Electrical conductivity
High Tensile strength
Ductility
Creep resistance
Corrosion resistance
Low Coefficient of thermal expansion
Thermal conductivity

Copper wires are available in various grades and specifications. They can be broadly classified into following categories.

Tinsel wire

Tinsel wire is required for maximum mechanical flexibility. It is generally used in telecom wires, tweeter coils, handset cord of telephones, etc.

Tin copper wire

Tin copper wire is commonly used in heaters, cables, industrial machines and other high temperature and other sort of machines.

Armoured cables

Armoured cable is basically used for power distribution. Its basically a power cable and used in underground power system.

PCV wire

PCV wires or polyvinyl chloride are very tough electrical wire designed to tolerate high voltage currents. With the use of copper in PCV wires it can bear more than 1000 volts of current.

Stranded Copper wires

Stranded wires are designed to compensate for expansion and vibration of electronic equipments. Wire structure gives stranded wire more flexibility and strength.

Twisted Pair Copper Cables

Twisted Pair Copper Cables comprise of two conductors that are twisted together to eliminate any electromagnetic interference. This unique design prevents signal loss and proves to be handy in telecommunications.

Coaxial Copper Cables

Coaxial Copper Cables consist of concentric wires that are wrapped together with a dielectric separation between them. They are used to reduce low-frequency magnetic transmission.

XLPE cables

Commonly known as Cross linked polyethylene, PEX or XLPE, these are armored power cables with copper conductor.

Copper wires are demanded for a variety of uses. Copper is attributed with high tensile strength, superior electrical conductivity, ductility, mechanical flexibility, durability, etc and as such is an ideal material for power transmission.

Wind Power--the Best Green Energy Source

Electricity produced by wind turbines is green power in that it causes no environmental pollution. No greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change are produced either. Wind power generation can be on a large scale,which is the case with most commercial projects,or on a small scale as with home owner turbines.

Wind is the cheapest form of renewable energy without a doubt. Solar energy is also clean,green,power but is more expensive and limited in output. Solar panels are presently expensive in relation to the power they can produce. Nuclear energy supplies a lot of the power requirements in some countries,notably in Europe.
There is however much public opposition to building new nuclear power plants.

In the USA natural gas is the biggest form of new energy production. Wind power is the next in line. In 2008 wind turbines will produce about 1% of the United States power needs. Around 30% of new energy production installed in 2007 was wind power.

Many consumers now realise that green energy must be our highest priority in future,if we are to minimise climate change and it effects. The trend to building fossil fuel powered generating stations must be reversed.

Home owners and farmers can help with the transition to clean power by installing small wind turbines to supply all or part of their electricity needs. These turbines can be purchased from a number of manufacturers and can be installed as a rooftop wind turbine or on a small free standing tower.

Commercial wind turbines are quite expensive in relation to power output. A better solution for many is to build their own low cost wind turbine. A good turbine can be built from auto parts and a few odds and ends at very low cost. Plans and instructions are available for this project.

Any excess power production can be sold to the power utility in many areas thus reducing the cost even further. Power can also be stored in batteries for use when the wind is too light. Even a light breeze will however produce power.

The average home owner can easily build a small wind turbine or several of them to supply part or all of the power required. All that is needed is simple tools and some auto parts and wood. Several can be built for the cost of one commercial wind turbine.

Not a bad business also for anyone who wants to make them for resale. The demand for a low cost turbine is there and can only grow in years ahead.

Why not build your own wind power turbine now and produce your own free green electricity. You will be doing mother earth a favor by reducing atmospheric pollution. This is an idea whose time has come.

Wind Power--the Best Green Energy Source

Electricity produced by wind turbines is green power in that it causes no environmental pollution. No greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change are produced either. Wind power generation can be on a large scale,which is the case with most commercial projects,or on a small scale as with home owner turbines.

Wind is the cheapest form of renewable energy without a doubt. Solar energy is also clean,green,power but is more expensive and limited in output. Solar panels are presently expensive in relation to the power they can produce. Nuclear energy supplies a lot of the power requirements in some countries,notably in Europe.
There is however much public opposition to building new nuclear power plants.

In the USA natural gas is the biggest form of new energy production. Wind power is the next in line. In 2008 wind turbines will produce about 1% of the United States power needs. Around 30% of new energy production installed in 2007 was wind power.

Many consumers now realise that green energy must be our highest priority in future,if we are to minimise climate change and it effects. The trend to building fossil fuel powered generating stations must be reversed.

Home owners and farmers can help with the transition to clean power by installing small wind turbines to supply all or part of their electricity needs. These turbines can be purchased from a number of manufacturers and can be installed as a rooftop wind turbine or on a small free standing tower.

Commercial wind turbines are quite expensive in relation to power output. A better solution for many is to build their own low cost wind turbine. A good turbine can be built from auto parts and a few odds and ends at very low cost. Plans and instructions are available for this project.

Any excess power production can be sold to the power utility in many areas thus reducing the cost even further. Power can also be stored in batteries for use when the wind is too light. Even a light breeze will however produce power.

The average home owner can easily build a small wind turbine or several of them to supply part or all of the power required. All that is needed is simple tools and some auto parts and wood. Several can be built for the cost of one commercial wind turbine.

Not a bad business also for anyone who wants to make them for resale. The demand for a low cost turbine is there and can only grow in years ahead.

Why not build your own wind power turbine now and produce your own free green electricity. You will be doing mother earth a favor by reducing atmospheric pollution. This is an idea whose time has come.

Aluminium Wire In Electrical Wiring

Since copper is very expensive, Aluminum was preferred as a cheaper substitute for it. This happened in North America as residential wiring gained popularity in late 1960s. Aluminium wire has many shortcomings, but with the aid of modern technology those problems have been fixed. New ways to ensure safety when using aluminium wire for electrical purposes are popular nowadays. Aluminium is one of the most plentifully found materials on the earths crust and it can be used not only for electrical wiring but also in myriad different uses. It has a lot of application in Electrical, Mechanical and Welding works.

Aluminium has a greater resistance than copper, which necessitates larger conductors than those required for copper. For example, instead of 14 AWG (American wire gauge) for copper, aluminium wiring needs 12 AWG on 15 amp circuit. You can get many of Aluminium Wire Suppliers round the world and Indias position is the eighth on the list of aluminium producer countries of the world. All the aluminium wire suppliers know the combination of various properties that make aluminium one of the best materials for engineering and construction works.

Initially, using Aluminium for wiring was a safety measure; however these days safety is not as much a concern as the aluminium building wire is 8000 Series alloy that has the approval of NEC. Though this wire has been approved for sizes greater than 12 AWG, the Aluminium Wire Suppliers provide wires smaller than 8 (for SEU cable) and 6 AWG wires for a single conductor. Previously aluminium was brought into houses to be used in switch as well as the receptacle. This created a safety concern and this caused connector manufacturers and cable manufacturers to remove this wire and bring 8000 series alloy, which is even now used and more widely at that.

Aluminium conductors these days are used widely for power supply as well as for large feeder circuits, because they are less expensive than doing the same with copper wiring.

These days some alloys of aluminium are equally safe as copper and can be directly replaced with copper for electrical wiring. Copper Clad Aluminum short-formed as CCA is composite wire which comprises of aluminium core clad with ETP copper. Although this material consists of 90% aluminium, it has electrical properties that are equivalent to copper. Many Aluminium Wire Suppliers produce broad line, round, flat, square and also rectangular aluminium wire that are copper clad. This type of electrical wiring is extensively used in many applications and has some advantages of being light weight when compared to aluminium.

The Composition Of Power Cables

There are companies involved in the manufacturing of power and control cables. A power cable is a kind of a system where electrical conductors are bound together with a sheath and this system or assembly is primarily utilized for transferring of electrical power. Power cables can be installed within buildings, exposed or run overhead as permanent wiring. Alternately, there is also an option of flexible power cables that can be used with mobile tools, portable devices and machinery and are even sometimes made out of PVC cables.

Power cables are available in an array of different types, materials and sizes and sometimes even insulated conductors that are quite large are also known as power cables. Power cables contain three important parts, which are conductors, insulation and jacket. The material used in the power cable and the way it is manufactured is dependent on the following factors:

1.The kind of working voltage will be the decisive factor for the thickness of the cable.
2.The kind of capacity it possesses for current-carrying will help in figuring out the size of the conductor.
3.Exposure to excess temperatures, chemicals, sunlight and mechanical impact are other factors that need to be taken into consideration to determine the type of outer jacket to be made.

Power cables are known to utilize aluminum or copper as conductors but sometimes smaller power cables may even use solid conductors. Cables that are specifically meant for exposed installations may also use wires wrapped around the cable, which becomes the metal armor to give it more strength and durability.

There are some cables that are used for overhead outdoors may not contain a sheath at all whereas there might be some other type of power cables that may use sheath made out of metal or plastic. It is important to ensure that the sheath material is resistant to oil, water, sunlight, chemicals, high temperatures as well as underground conditions. In some specific industries such as nuclear industry, there might be a requirement for the cable to possess requirements for radiation resistance. Cables that are specifically meant for underground use will generally have sheath made out of metal or plastic or even lead so that they are well protected.

In case of high voltages especially where the circuits operate above 2,000 volts, a conductive shield would need to surround the insulated conductor. This balances the stress applied by electricity on the cable insulation. Cables that are specifically meant for power distribution of 10kV or more can also be insulated with paper and oil and are usually made to pass through a semi-rigid aluminum, steel pipe or lead sheath. In case there is more high voltage, then oil has to be kept under pressure to stop any kind of void formations that would lead to discharge within the cable. Ideally most of the power cables available today use polyethylene or polymer, which also includes XLPE for further insulation.

Tips To Prevent Fire From Occurring In The Workplace Or Home

Although we can do our utmost to prevent fires from happening by isolating the sources of heat from combustibles and oxygen, it is often the unexpected event that catches us unawares.

Carelessness

Sometimes, forgetfulness can result in an accidental fire. Putting a kettle to boil water on a gas stove and forgetting about it can be disastrous. When all the water has evaporated, the kettle becomes red hot, melt and spread the molten metal around.

LPG gas leaks are also dangerous. If the fuel and air mixture is in just the right proportion, an explosion can occur when a heat source is introduced in. Many accidents have occurred when a light is switched on in an explosive environment. The correct thing to do then is to free the room of any gas by shutting off the source of the gas and letting in more fresh air into the room.

Chemical reactions can also cause heat and fire. Mixing acids and alkalis, mixing components of some household glue like epoxy resins and hardeners can generate quite a substantial amount of heat that can lead to fires. The containers used and the amount of chemical used can have a great effect on the heat produced. Plastic containers are known to melt and burn when large quantities of thermosetting plastics like epoxies are mixed with hardeners.

Fires are also known to be started by the careless smokers who throw lighted cigarette butts indiscriminately. Many bush fires are started this way. Some areas are especially vulnerable to careless acts like these. People working in the garage at home should be very careful not to cause a fire, especially with open petrol cans and other volatile fuels around them. Sometimes, smokers fall asleep while smoking, and their bed or sofa catches fire. The rubber foam mattress used for bedding can catch fire easily.

Although most electrical equipment is quite safe as far as fire is concerned, the use of sub standard and poorly designed equipment may give rise to overheating and fires. Carelessness in the area of electrical appliances can cause fires as well as electrical shocks. Many households use multiple power points because they have many electrical equipment that must be used at the same time. Videos, television, fans, radios, and fancy lights may occupy only one electrical socket. When a multiple adapter is used, usually the connection pins cannot be fitted very tightly. The loose power connections are a source of sparking and deterioration of the insulation materials and can lead to fires.

This will be worst if high powered appliances are used because the electrical current drawn from these will be very much higher and so the wires and connections gets hotter.

Preventive Measures

Since we know that all the three conditions of heat, fuel and oxygen must be present in order for a fire to start; our basic fire prevention strategy must be to keep them isolated from each other. Heat sources must be kept away from combustible materials and if possible, from oxygen.

We should take a critical look at all the sources of heat in the home. They are the potential fire hazards. It is good to make an audit of our own homes and make a list, or at least be aware of all the heat sources in the home. Electrical wiring, appliances, gas stoves, kerosene lamps, candles, electrical light bulbs, ovens, electrical kettles, barbecue fires, burning garden refuse, and so on, are some of them. Even spells of dry weather should be looked at with vigilance.

The sources of heat are many. Below are some of the sources of heat that we have to exercise caution, so that we can be especially careful not to let them come into contact with combustibles:

Kitchen Gas Appliances - The normal appliances in the kitchen are the gas stoves, and the kerosene stoves. These are normally safe, efficient and seldom gives trouble. However, the conditions of the kitchen stoves are often spoilt by spillage of soups, gravies, and other food materials from the cooking processes. After a long time of use, and especially with cooks who do not take special precautions, the gas stove become blackened with carbon, oil and other debris. Gas orifices and nozzles get choked up. Carbon deposits pile up. The carbon deposits become its other source of fuel. The soot fire can burn if it is heated long enough.

The environment in a busy kitchen can make it a fire risk. Gas hoses are especially prone to deteriorate if the material used can be attacked by the presence of oil. Cooking oil is ever present in the kitchen environment. Hoses coated by a layer of oil will produce leaks. Any leak in the gas hoses is dangerous. It can shoot flames of fire all around the place uncontrollably and spread the fire.

Do a regular check on your gas hoses and service your gas stove regularly.

Electrical Installations and Appliances - Mains electrical wiring and their components can be a hidden source of heat that can cause a fire. Sometimes, due to loose contacts in the terminals of electrical switchboxes, some sparking will occur. If this is not found out early and rectified, the sparking will become worse, and the heat produced becomes more. Carbonization of the insulation materials will occur. Once the carbon gets deposited on the insulation materials, it becomes a conductor of electricity. Short-circuiting of the electrical wiring will occur leading to overheating of the wiring. If the electrical protection devices do not work, the overheating will cause the insulation materials of the wiring to even melt or decompose. When the decomposition gases given out by the insulation materials catch fire, the whole house can be burnt down.

Do a regular check up of your electrical wiring in your house, and quickly call in a qualified electrician to rectify any fault.

Electrical appliances also have to be used properly. When people modify equipment indiscriminately, sometimes they leave out or bypass certain safety features put in by the manufacturer. Appliances can become overheated and cause burning. It is better not to do any modification unless you know what you are doing.

Do not do bypass any safety feature in any electrical appliance.

Burning of candles, garden refuse, incense, mosquito coils and other open burning - The sources of heat is quite obvious. When we do any open burning, make sure that the source of heat is not able to reach other surrounding materials. It is good practice to clear the area before doing open burning. We must also think about how to control the fire if it gets too big. Be ready to dose the fire with water if it gets too big.

We know that we need a source of heat, a fuel, and oxygen in order to have a fire. Other than looking at all the places where we encounter sources of heat, it is good preventive practice to store easily combustible materials safely. Some materials do not need a lot of heat in order to ignite, while some materials can be kept at quite high temperatures without any fire occurring. We need to identify the easily combustible materials and keep them out of harms way.

Some materials in the home are known to be easily combustible. It is advisable to store these materials in a cool and isolated place away from the house if possible. Should a fire occur by any chance, they will have less opportunity to spread. Below are a list of commonly used inflammable materials in the home. However, the list is not exhaustible:

1. Paints, turpentine, spirit, aerosols for spray paints.
2. Kerosene, petrol, diesel, and other oils used for fuel.
3. Aerosols used for pesticides
4. Paper and wood, especially when dry
5. Vegetable oils used in cooking
6. Other solvents like nail polish

There are other materials that can catch fire if brought to a source of heat. Some of them are listed below. The best way to handle these is to do regular house cleaning to remove them.

Involving Others
Sometimes, even though we have taken all the precautions, fires can still come from a neighbor's house. Sometimes, it can even come from the sky in the form of fireworks! Sometimes the sparks from a neighbor's rubbish fire can fly over to your own home and cause a fire.

So it is simply not enough that you alone know how to prevent fires. The people around you should also know about fire prevention.

Everybody needs to be educated in fire prevention. When a fire happens in the neighborhood, there is a very real possibility that the fire can spread to the surrounding houses. It is essential that no fires at all start in any of the houses in the neighborhood or even the community.

When everyone understands the grave consequences of their actions, the fire risk becomes more manageable.

Children are especially high potential fire starters if they are not taught about the risks. With their natural curiosity, playing with fire comes naturally to them at some point in their life. Adults have the responsibility to impart the knowledge of fire prevention and the consequences of fire to them quite early in their growing up years.

In order for adults to have this knowledge themselves, the relevant authorities should organize courses on fire safety and fire safety awareness campaigns. The media, including newspapers, magazines, television and radio, has an important role to play in getting the message of fire prevention to the general public. Their message should be able to reach the masses and ingrain in them the importance of fire prevention.

The message of fire prevention should be delivered continuously over a long period of time. A fire safety campaign should only be considered successful when people considers fire prevention a natural thing to do. It must become habit and a daily way of life. Then only can lives and properties be secured.

The knowledge of fire prevention is even more important than fire detection and fire fighting. If a fire does not start, or is prevented from starting, there is no longer any need for fire detection and fire fighting. Everybody should be preventing fires even before it can start.

Is prevention enough?

Sometimes, we have done the best we can. We have isolated the sources of heat. We have stored away inflammable materials away from sources of heat. We have done whatever we can to the best of our knowledge.

Can a fire still start?

Incidents of fire can still happen. For example, a mouse in your house may decide to chew on your highly powered electrical wires, or a lizard may managed to crawl into your electrical switchboard and cause a short circuit, or the hot weather may cause the weeds and bushes around your house to catch fire.

So while steps taken for the prevention of fires will keep us safe most of the time, it is also good to be prepared in case a fire still starts despite our actions.

There are portable smoke detectors available in the market for those who want to have an early warning when a fire starts. This can in fact be considered prevention too - preventing a large fire. These smoke detectors will be able to alert the occupants about any small fires so that it can be put off before it becomes large and unmanageable. It can prevent loss of property and lives. Any fires detected early have a very good chance of being extinguished.

It is also good to keep a portable fire extinguisher at home for the purpose of putting out small fires. For the home, the most suitable portable fire extinguisher to keep is a dry powder extinguisher because it will be able to handle all the likely classes of fires found in the home. It can be used to put out fires involving solid materials like wood and paper, oils and even electrical fires without the risk of electrical shocks.

In conclusion, when we are able to instill awareness of fire prevention to all the people around us, we will have won the battle with fire. Fire becomes our ally and we can tap its benefits without worrying about its consequences.

Fire becomes our friend and not our foe.

Why Learn About Electrical Panel Wiring?

To give yourself a clear idea of how electrical panel wiring impacts electric distribution in your home, you have to understand first how electric circuits work. Electricity is not just about meter readings; it is more about how electricity is distributed to lights and other electrical circuits you have in your home. Having some clear instructions about electrical wiring is an additional knowledge that may come in handy. If by chance you need to do electric installation, make sure you proceed in a way that is safe for you.

What are Electrical Panels?

Electric panels are connected to the service meter or the electrical disconnect. Each panel has varying wire size and the size depends on the electrical panel installation and the size of the meter. Typically, a household uses 100-amp and 200-amp breaker panels and the power comes from service drops, which are split into separate circuits or sub-panels. Though it is not a common practice among homeowners to explore what is inside their electrical service panels, it is a good idea to evaluate the inner section of the electrical panel, taking all due caution. Be reminded that working outside of your scope can be dangerous. You need to take proper care to ensure there is no risk of shock produced by the lugs that connect to the service drop as the consequences of contact can be fatal.

Helpful Information About Electrical Panel Wiring

Having the knowledge and the experience to do competent electrical panel wiring is rare. There are only a few people who still perform electric installation, as it can be a dangerous task, especially if one is inexperienced. Trial and error processes are not encouraged at all, as a single error can be fatal. Thus, if you need somebody to repair something in your electrical panel, to knock out or install an electric panel, or to perform safety measures once a fuse blows, you need to hire a licensed electrician to do the job for you. After mending the problem, the electrician can also work out the source of the problem and evaluate your electrical panel wiring to determine what needs to be done to prevent similar circumstances in the future.

Electrical panel wiring is a serious task that may cost not just heavy expenses, but even one's life. In any case, if a licensed electrician is not available to come to the rescue, and you are left there in a bad, or even dangerous, situation, you have to be prepared. Basic knowledge about electric wiring will save you from more troubles. You can wire an important electric panel or the breaker panel as a start. You need to know how to mount the panel, how you are going to pull and strip the wires, and then connect the wires in the end. In doing so, you need to identify wire colors, what they mean, and how you are going to connect them together. You need to know how to connect the feeder wires to the main breaker, too. All can be done neatly and professionally if you are equipped with the right and helpful information about electric panel wiring. After all, knowledge about electrical panel wiring is a power on which you can greatly rely.

The Future Of Nuclear Engineering

With an ever increasing demand for clean energy, nuclear power is an option that many governments around the world are considering to meet the energy needs of its nations. This coincides with the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and the need for their replacement. We take a look at the future of nuclear engineering at a time when the climatic effects of burning fossil fuels is a major talking point in the media.

Nuclear power is considered clean as it produces energy without burning fossil fuels and therefore does not contribute to rising greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. The major drawback with this type of energy is dealing with the radioactive waste. The general consensus however is that as long as the waste is stored correctly, it will not pose a hazard to the environment or the population.

Coal fuelled power plants on the other hand are responsible for the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere which in turn contributes to global warming. At a time when many nuclear reactors are coming to the end of their life, governments are faced with a decision about what technology will be used to meet the growing demand for energy.

One consideration is harnessing energy from sustainable sources. Renewable energy from wind, solar and geothermal power have been considered as viable options, as has hydrogen power. Unfortunately the technology behind sustainable energy has not developed to a point where it is efficient enough or cost effective enough to meet demand. As such, these sources need to be combined with other types of energy production to provide the energy needed.

In light of this, it seems that the nuclear power sector has the potential to be the power source of choice. Advances in nuclear engineering means that an industry that has already been proven to meet energy demands without releasing greenhouse gasses is in a better position than ever to provide the solution. Even though the initial start up costs of building a nuclear power plant are high, the fact that it is a proven technology means that the government will be willing to invest; which is something they are reluctant to do with newer technologies that capture energy from renewable sources.

Power from nuclear reactors currently accounts for a large proportion of electricity generated worldwide, but there is a huge opportunity for expansion. Provided that nuclear engineering can alleviate the concerns over the safe disposal of radioactive waste, there is a chance that it can be the right technology for combating dangerous climatic change.

Developing Nuclear Power As Alternative Energy

Many researchers believe that harnessing the power of the atom in fission reactions is the most significant alternative energy resource that we have, for the fact of the immense power it can generate.

Nuclear power plants are very "clean-burning" and their efficiency is rather staggering. Nuclear power is generated at 80% efficiency, meaning that the energy produced by the fission reactions is almost equal to the energy put into producing the fission reactions in the first place. There is not many waste material generated by nuclear fission-although, simply because that there is no such thing as creating energy without also creating some measure of waste, there's some. The concerns of people such as environmentalists with regards to using nuclear power as an alternative energy source center around this waste, which is radioactive gases which have to be contained.

The radiation from these gases lasts for an extraordinarily long time, so it can never be released once contained and stored. However, the volume of this waste gas produced by the nuclear power plants is small in comparison to how much NOx (nitrous oxide-that is, air pollution) is caused by one day's worth of rush-hour traffic in Los Angeles. While the radiation is certainly the more deadly by far of the two waste materials, the radiation is also by far the easier of the two to contain and store. In spite of the concerns of the environmentalists, nuclear power is actually environmentally friendly alternative energy, and the risk of the contained radiation getting out is really quite low. With a relatively low volume of waste material produced, it should not be a difficult thing at all for storage and disposal solutions for the long term to be developed as technology advances.

The splitting of an atom releases energy in the forms of both heat and light. Atomic power plants control the fission reactions so that they do not result in the devastating explosions that are brought forth in atomic and hydrogen bombs. There is no chance of an atomic power plant exploding like a nuclear bomb, as the specialized conditions and the pure Plutonium used to unleash an atomic bomb's vicious force simply don't exist inside a nuclear power plant.

The risk of a "meltdown" is very low. Although this latter event has happened a couple of times, when one considers that there're over 430 nuclear reactors spread out across 33 nations, and that nuclear reactors have been in use since the early 1950s, these are rare occurrences, and the events of that nature which have taken place were the fault of outdated materials which should have been properly kept up. Indeed, if nuclear energy could become a more widely accepted form of alternative energy, there would be little question of their upkeep being maintained. Currently, six states in America generate more than half of all their electrical energy needs through nuclear power, and the media are not filled with gruesome horror stories of the power plants constantly having issues.

Nuclear Power Today

Nuclear power has always been a topic of great concern throughout the worlds history. The Cold War, which instilled fear in millions of people, consisted of proxy wars, economic tension following World War II, and of course, a nuclear power struggle that put nations across the world on the edge of their seats. This attempt by many national governments, especially between the United States and the USSR, to keep reactor research under strict government classification caused this rush of fear not knowing what the other country had or how powerful they really were. The Cold War era was a nerve-racking time that brought about many concerns with nuclear weapons and the issues involved with their production. Today, the subject of nuclear power has still continued to make headline news stories in most major newspapers, televisions stations, and Internet blogs.

Disaster in Japan

The March 11, 2011 9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the unsuspecting country of Japan has brought the dangers of nuclear power back to breaking news within the last month. The world is watching closely with how Japan is handling their situation. The leaking nuclear power plants are not only a serious threat to the people of Japan, but also the water and other countries surrounding the country. Although an earthquake is a natural disaster that people do not have any control over, the world is looking at their own systems in place and how they can improve in case of a national emergency similar to this.

One of the issues at hand is the fact that Japan is bucking the global standard and their Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has two distinct and often competing roles: regulating the nuclear power industry, and promoting Japanese nuclear technology at home and abroad. This latest disaster in Japan has caused many questions to arise. How will the issues with the Fukushima Daiichi accident affect the economy and trade throughout the world? How can the United States, and states on the coast with nuclear power plants in particular, prepare for such a disaster?

Effects on the Environment

With the insecurities of many people, especially the citizens of Japan, the Nuclear Safety Commission is concerned with the fact that they can no longer maintain peoples support for nuclear power without changing the regulatory structure, according to The Wall Street Journal. The most recent discovery, the higher radiation levels in Japanese waters, has instilled even more worrying in Japans residents. California residents have also shown more concern over whether or not the state is prepared for an incident much like Japans, as the state is due for an earthquake the size of Japans or possibly larger sometime in the near future.

Environmentalists are also extremely concerned with the situation in Japan. As The Wall Street Journal reported, The pooling radioactive water raises pressing new questions for the government and Tepco about how to dispose of it. Draining the water into the nearby Pacific Ocean, where spots close to Fukushima Daiichi have already shown elevated radiation reading, is out of the question because its high radioactivity would likely damage the environment. With these obstacles at hand, the nuclear power industry has a lot of improvements to make and in a timely matter.

Fossil Fuel Power Plants Have Provided Electricity For Years

Fossil Fuel Power Plants Have Been the Standard Electricity Production for Years

Though unpopular, fossil fuel power plants provide many countries of the world with electricity. These plants generate electricity through the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil or coal. How the fossil fuel is converted into electricity is a complicated process.

How Do Fossil Fuels Get Converted into Electricity?

The first step is that the fossil fuel must make its way from its source to the plant. Some plants are purposefully built next to a source of fossil fuel, but many plants need to have their fuel delivered. The fossil fuels can be delivered by truck, rail, or boat. Often delivery involves a combination of the three. Delivery methods for oil are generally the same as coal, with the exception that it can be transported by pipeline.

Once at the plant, the fossil fuel is burned to generate heat. This heat is used to heat water and create steam. The steam then rises through a turbine which transfers the thermal energy of the steam to mechanical energy. These turbine generators is attached to a generator, and the spinning of the turbine leads to the generation of electricity in the generator.

Waste Products of Fossil Fuel Power Plants

This is a streamlined description of how fossil fuel is turned into electricity. There is much more to how coal fired power plants work, however. For starters, there is the issue of waste products.

The waste from the burning of the fuel is the reason for much of the controversy surrounding fossil fuel power plants. Burning fossil fuel releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is believed to be a factor in global warming. Additionally, the burning of coal releases nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide into the air. When these mix with the atmosphere, they can cause acid rain. The U.S. and Europe have passed stricter emission laws to curb these effects.

Another hazard that has arisen is the effects of particulate matter. Particulate matter, often simply referred to as particulate, is tiny particles suspended in liquid or air. Previously, particulate was released when coal was burned. It would hang around in the air, and become inhaled. This was found to lead to asthma, chronic bronchitis, and airway obstruction. Because of these effects, various methods have been developed to reduce particulate.

The End of Fossil Fuel Power Plants?

While fossil fuel power plants have adapted to these changes, their days may be numbered. With the increased use of wind, solar, and nuclear power, fossil fuels are being phased out.

Magnets Are A Very Important Part Of Our Lives

Do you remember as a child ever being fascinated by magnets? Such a simple thing yet complicated. They were fun to play with but, you couldnt help but wonder how and why they worked.

The first magnet compass was discovered by the Chinese around 200B.C. Fortune tellers enjoyed using it at first, but eventually people realized it was a means of direction. The first magnets were made of iron. The magnets of today are made from alloy. These contain metals such as nickel, iron, copper, and cobalt aluminum.

Materials such as iron, steel and nickel are attracted to magnets. Theses materials are attracted to the poles of the magnet. One pole is the north seeking pole, the other is the South Pole. Opposite poles attract, and like poles repel. Magnetism is the push and pull force you feel or see when using a magnet. This force can even work over a distance without coming in contact with an object. The most interesting of all might be the earths magnetic field; it is as if there were a huge bar magnet thru the center of the earth. This is the reason a compass needle points north.

There is even such a thing as induced magnetism. This happens when a piece of unmagnetized magnetic material comes in contact with the pole of a permanent magnet.
When this happens, the material becomes magnetized and you have a new magnet.

Actually magnets are a very important part of our lives. Many items that we use everyday would not exist without them. Items such as radios, television, speakers, toys, and quite a variety of games are made with magnets. They are all around us and used in so many different ways. Magnets come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. It is interesting to think that something that may have fascinated you as a child could be even more exciting as you learn more about them.