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Ice Expansion Generators: A Powerful New Source of Renewable Energy

CSEF · 2007 Physics & Astronomy Honorable_mention Award

Zoe E. Dubrow · Central Middle School, San Carlos, San Mateo County

Overview

Objectives/Goals The purpose of this project is to determine if the phase transition from water to ice can be harnessed as a renewable energy source in areas of the world that the go through a daily freezing and thawing cycle. This will be determined theoretically by using the ice expansion (9%) and pressure (206MPa or 30,000psi) values from references as well as by building an ice based gravitational potential energy generator. Methods/Materials The four sets of experiments completed in this project tested ice expansion with friction, ice melting rate, ice expansion under pressure, and reproducibility. Results It was calculated that a single daily transition from water to ice could generate 1,335 kilowatt-hours per month in a three cubic meter space. It was proven experimentally that expanding ice can force a pin out of a tube with over 206megapascals of pressure. Conclusions/Discussion The hypothesis that the expansion of ice could be used as a new source of renewable energy appears to be realistic. The energy generated from the water to ice transition could be used in about 25% of the worlds land mass. In this project, design guidelines were created to determine the optimum tube size to be used for generating ice energy.

Summary statement

The purpose of this project is to determine if the phase transition from water to ice can be harnessed as a renewable energy source in areas of the world that the go through a daily freezing and thawing cycle.

Help received

When none of my experiments were working, my father suggested that that I mathematically model the optimum tube size for an ice expansion generator, taking into account friction and burst pressure.

Awards (1)

  • Honorable Mention

Competition history

  • CSEF 2007 Physics & Astronomy · Entry J1608

Resources

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