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Thursday, May 24
Nuclear or Geothermal power plants? Neither.
by
amazngdrx
on Thu 24 May 2007 08:20 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/5/23/9207/30312#43
Geothermal power generation versus...
...Geothermal heating/cooling.
Geothermal power generation using water is problematic. Why? Because water is in very short supply. Sending it down drill holes into hot rock fractures to make steam uses too much.
Closed systems where the water is recovered need large heat exchangers at the top after the steam has gone through turbines. Using glacier melt to cool it, or using a refrigerant gas instead of water in the turbine? This gets really expensive. And very difficult to locate. Iceland has the underground heat and ice to do it.
For the rest of the world wind power is a lot cheaper, and it doesn't use water or melt glaciers. Wave power is coming along too. So is solar.
But to save a large percentage of the huge amount of energy used to heat/cool buildings, geothermal IS the answer. That 50 degreee heat sink underground can cool buildings with fluid circulation. And defer heating buildings in cold climates with a 50 degree heat envelope created with circulated fluid. It is like placing a building underground in terms of heating load.
When it is 50 degrees outside hardly any heat is needed to keep a building at 65 degrees inside. The waste heat from appliances will do it, even if the appliances are very efficient. Or even if solar hot water supplements a regular hot water system.
In some rare cases of extremely efficient, low power use homes, in areas with little solar insolation, a heat pump maybe necessary for home heating. It would extract heat from the geothermal heat sink and operate at very high efficiency and very little power would be needed to run it.
This kind of heating/cooling using the earth itself as a geothermal heat sink would reduce energy use enough so that renewables could power transportation and the rest of energy demands.
I'm surprised to see that old talking point about huge amounts of storage needed to backup wind and other renewables. I thought Gar had put that to rest.
Maybe you should reprise that one Gar, along with the latest data on wind farms on a widely distributed grid.
I like biogas/fuel cell for backup instead of storage. It saves huge amounts of GHG that otherwise are released from and by the wasate stream. The organic fertilizer produced saves a whole 'nother huge amount of GHG.
Don't fall for plans to replace the huge waste of energy that coal power now feeds. Reduce energy consumption with conservation using geothermal heating/cooling and plugin transportation, then get that reduced amount of energy from renewables. Backup the distributed renewable grid with biogas/fuel cell.
It will work without nuclear power or geothermal steam turbines. Water is very scarce and precious, do not pollute it with nuclear leaks and waste seeping into groundwater or metal acid bearing rock from geothermal.
Besides which these two sources are way, way too expensive and will be run by the same old corrupt government/non regulated contractor cabal that has brought US oil wars and GHG disaster to benefit their bottomline.
Distributed renewable energy and conservation are built up with a lot of local jobs and build our manufacturing and tax base with them. And just maybe we can get auto companies to build plugin vehicles here in the good old USA? I bet we could.
And don't forget biogas, it can convert present chemical agriculture to organic, providing another whole host of economic recovery with the restoration of smaller family farms and farm communities where they become small distributed renewable energy suppliers as well.
Saturday, May 19
Cars, Buses, and Status
by
amazngdrx
on Sat 19 May 2007 08:40 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/5/18/135612/593/#comment10
Eye opener
Our cars are more than just transportation or even status symbol. They represent some basic level of adult independence and ability to function within society.
Brilliant. Only someone in touch with real reality can inform the conversation like this.
It puts me in mind of another observation. Was it here? Not sure. It was to the effect that, riding the bus is the ultimate embarrassment to inner city dwellers. It infers a total lacking in the rider, a dependence. It is the exact opposite of sticking out your thumb for a ride.
A sign that you are not needed or wanted, but rather a burden to civilization. To a mighty empire of power that runs on greed, gunpowder, blood, and oil. The only way out? Become cannon fodder and take your chances. "Be all you can be?"
"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." -- Mahatma Ghandi
That statement bears repitition. Over and over and over in a zen chant by our whole movement to save the living planet.
Corporate Boardroom Lockout Over Energy Re-evolution.
by
amazngdrx
on Sat 19 May 2007 08:34 AM CDT
Corporate leaders won't let US manufacture our way out of oil dependence. They would rather move every factory offshore than give up the huge profits they reap from gas guzzling and fossil fuel destruction of the planet.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/5/17/151725/397#13
Ameri..CAN
Or ameri..can't.
We know we can, but this corporate class running things from the whitehouse, congress, and the boardroom can't.
When coal miners went on strike and then mine owners locked them out, crippling the nation's economy, national guard troops were sent in to operate the mines.
Real leadership in DC would send in the national guard right now. To take over corporate boardrooms and get this energy revolution going.
We can't afford this lockout by the corporate elite, they are closing down america's manufacturing capacity to keep their lock on power. And that is killing the living planet that we all depend upon for life itself.
Put Gen. Karpinsky in charge of the GM boardroom, for instance. She knows the wrath that oil war has wrought, first hand.
Call in the national guard, this is a real emergency.
Friday, May 11
Superconducting energy storage
by
amazngdrx
on Fri 11 May 2007 11:25 AM CDT
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/05/next_generation.html#comment-69205816
This kind of higher temperature superconductor makes all the energy storage the grid would need to back up renewables available at anytime.
Once wind, solar, and water power take oover enough grid capacity to show demand and supply mismatch, it will be cost effective to employ this technology. Excellent!
Now how to explain this to the technical "Illiterati" (hehey, instead of "Illuminati") of the mass delusional media or the halls of congress? It's not going to be easy.
Monday, May 7
Insomnia cure
by
amazngdrx
on Mon 07 May 2007 09:54 PM CDT
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=vn20070506145433825C287559
Magnetic pulse "slow wave" inducing deep sleep aid. Makes 3 hours as effective as 8 hours of sleep.
A direct connection into the mind? With magnetic waves. Or a future candidate for "The Museum of Banned Medical devices"?
Walmart a commie conspiracy?
by
amazngdrx
on Mon 07 May 2007 10:02 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/5/4/04942/93092#75
Dictatorship of the proletariat?
Already done, and quite successfully. It's called Walmart.
It does not re-distribute capital, it extends tyranny to the bottomline.
Energy re-evolution only takes a modest investment in each home, business, vehicle. Conversion without representation? Yes.
Our elected representatives will not help US. They owe their souls to the company store.
Friday, May 4
A primary race for, "president" of the environment?
by
amazngdrx
on Fri 04 May 2007 11:24 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/5/3/152756/8118#16
Dichotimize this
Ethanol subsidies per year? A gazzillion dollars.
Effect. 10% drop in gas mileage from 10% ethanol in gasoline. An extra gallon of fuel bought and burned, to go the same miles from every 10 gallon fillup. One gallon of ethanol takes at least one gallon of gas and.or diesel to produce.
A gazillion dollars wasted, more GHGs, 10% more money to drive to work, school,shopping whatever.
The alternative? That same gazillion dollars spent on government vehicle fleet conversion and tax incentives for.
Electric cars with a 40 mile range (with backup generator). US manufacturing base restored, the EVs use 10% of the gas of regular cars, it costs less than a third of what it now costs to drive to school, work, shopping.
The two kinds of environmentalists? The ethanol people or the EV people? Hehey.
Start dividing it on those lines instead. Nuke people or wind and solar people? Central power production, or distributed power generation and storage.
RFK jr or Lester Brown? I guess we in the green movement need our own primary.
Thursday, May 3
Why A123 mass production now?!?
by
amazngdrx
on Thu 03 May 2007 09:26 AM CDT
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/05/a123_announces_.html
Keep debating endlessly, or mass adoption of these new plugin vehicle battery packs?
Wednesday, May 2
Ran my first trail run.
by
amazngdrx
on Wed 02 May 2007 09:07 AM CDT
After training for years I just ran my first race. I have picked trail running since it preserves the knees, unlike running on pavement. the first race last Saturday, The Navarino Trail Run was great!
I came in around 11 minute miles for the 9.3 mile (15k) race. A lot of older, really skinny, mostly very unhappy seeming guys beat me. I need to train more! Hehey. But I am not going to get skinny and unhappy to do it. I noticed some very happy winners too!
Training for the upcoming, 25k run next, in July. And then the really difficult trail running marathon after that! (note: these two links are PDFs, but well worth waiting for, great maps with elevation profiles).
Trail running 12 miles per day now, working up to 16 miles, then 20 miles in the end of the weekly training cycle. Yow. I take the seventh day off to go in my sweat lodge and into Lake Superior. It recharges the zen batteries to restore the beath of fire.
Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. The Fire heats the rocks (Earth) red hot, the hot rocks turn the Big Lake's Water to steam (Air). Then one breathes the Lake into ones being.
Pictures and video soon! Must join the YouTuber generation with the ancient. A bridge to the future, if we have one?
If it quacks like a traitor, it IS a traitor.
by
amazngdrx
on Wed 02 May 2007 08:44 AM CDT
On pro-nuke, clean coal, and fuel farming "environmentalists".
Take note
The most significant fact of American political life over the last three decades is that there is a conservative movement and there has not been a liberal movement. Liberalism, to be sure, has all the component parts that conservatism has: think tanks, lobbying groups, grassroots activists, and public intellectuals. But those individual components, unlike their counterparts on the conservative side, do not see one another as formal allies and don't consciously act in concert.
From the Chait piece DR mentions in the previous article. Brand and Lovelocke absolutely are traitors. It's way past time to stop coddling rats like these guys.
Nuclear power is a disaster on every level. Period. No cuteness from Brand now is going to rehabilitate his image.
It would be like forgiving someone for supporting this administration without insisting they admit they were wrong. Brand and his ilk must publicly repudiate their support of nukes and explain their temporary insanity, just like folks like Friedman must do on their support of the Iraq war.
As I suspected the Friedman teevee piece was pure greenwashing of "clean" coal, nukes, and fuel farming. Once a traitor always a traitor?
No matter how great "The Whole Earth catalogue" was, Brand can't ride free on that anymore. Just like Lovelocke can't ride the free "Gaia" train into a nuclear paradise.
RFK jr has delayed offshore wind power with every rotten political connection he has, while NRDC has embraced "clean" coal.
The battle lines have been drawn. A traitor is a traitor. Integrity counts.
Tuesday, April 24
Brand new solution to climate change.
by
amazngdrx
on Tue 24 Apr 2007 08:03 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/4/21/17933/8186/#comment17
This just in. Wind/wave power stations offshore that supply freshwater refined from ocean water by reverse osmosis pumps.
This could irrigate land in dry areas like the US southwest. wind/wave electric powered pumps could reverse the usual flow of water from rivers into southern California's ag zones, providing water that is pumped inland, even as far as Arizona.
The vegetation enabled by this irrigation with refined sea water could sequester CO2 and provide huge amounts of water vapor. The resulting clouds reflect more sunlight. Just as rain forest in tropical zones produce extra clouds.
The double effect of more reflected sunlight from clouds and CO2 absorption by plants on the irrigated land provides the necessary cooling. A lot of areas like this exist across the planet. In Africa and the middle east where food and clean water and energy production would create much needed jobs. Now these regions are increasingly drought stricken by global climate change from GHGs.
Stop the presses. Branson, cough up the dough. These maybe the devices his 25 million dollar contest is looking for?
Oil rich nations even have the cash that would be better invested in this technology than the war machinery and jihad they now fund.
Sunday, April 22
Congress runs on filthiest of fuels. Capitol Power Plant, coal fired.
by
amazngdrx
on Sun 22 Apr 2007 11:52 AM CDT
Coal state senators have blocked any effort at replacing it.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/4/21/103119/172#3
Switch that power plant to solid oxide fuel cell/turbine running on biogas from waste. Plenty of that from bribery business as usual in the US government. All the wasted food alone from 500 dollar lobbyist funded lunches would do it.
And put a floating wind/wave power installation offshore to provide most off the power the coal used to.
That would be radical.
Saturday, April 21
Wave power growing very fast. Happy Earth Day!
by
amazngdrx
on Sat 21 Apr 2007 10:51 AM CDT
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/04/usa_today_had_a.html
Wave power is steadier than wind, river power is even better.
As hydroelectric dams come down and river current power comes on strong, what percentage of electric power will come from water power?
I think it will be 25%. Another 25% from large wind power installations offshore and in high wind areas like the great plains. The rest form conservation ( geothermal heating/cooling, direct solar heating/cooling, super efficient appliances, tvs, computers, ultra-efficient vehicles, mass transit and telecommunting for work, robotic organic agriculture) and distributed renewable generation from rooftop solar, biomass to biogas, and small to medium local wind power.
Wednesday, April 11
Solar flight, again. This time it carries a human.
by
amazngdrx
on Wed 11 Apr 2007 08:57 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/4/10/114819/769#9
Look for solid oxide fuel cell/turbofan plugin hybrid airplanes real soon.
The thing is that getting into the air takes a lot of power, cruising not as much. Given a few more generations of batteries their weight will approach the weight of liquid fuel, for the equivalent amount of energy.
A hybrid turbofan engine would cruise on battery power. The takeoff would use liquid fuel through solid oxide fuel cells that would generate electricity directly to power the hybrid turbofan. That liquid fuel could be biodiesel from algae growen in solar collectors, almost pure solar fuel.
Then the very hot exhaust gases from the solid oxide fuel cell would provide additional power by expanding through the turbine in the turbofan engine. This would yield very high efficiency, several times the efficiency of a normal turbofan aircraft engine. On biodiesel from algae grown in solar collectors, almost pure solar fuel.
When the aircraft got to cruising altitude the batteries, previously charged on the ground from renewable energy, would take over.
Solar panels on the wings? Still too heavy for actual passenger airliners, but who knows?
Maybe with an almost lighter than air helium filled silicon bubble aircraft that uses solar heat to climb then glides/flys to it's destination on direct solar electric power? By designing solar concentrators into the structure, solar cells could be 1/10nth the size and weight and operate at 39% efficiency. This efficiency with concentration has been proven at the National Renewable Energy Labratory.
A lighter than air foam made from helium filled silicon bubbles has already been developed too. And this silicon compound is extremely strong.
More cool solar flying!
http://www.blazingwings.org/entry/top-12-solar-powered-aircrafts/
Tuesday, April 10
Duuhbya nearly blows himself up with a Ford hydrogen car?
by
amazngdrx
on Tue 10 Apr 2007 08:07 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/4/8/23958/11859#14
As seen on the video of the incident, aired on "Count Down", duuhbya did not go for the hydrogen tank with the electric cord. The Ford CEO did not rescue anyone.
Why did the Ford CEO "exaggerate" the incident? Because he doesn't support the hydrogen plugin hybrid? And wanted to create an incident that exposed the impracticality of consumers with the skill level of duuhbya filling up a car with hydrogen?
Or did he actually believe an extension cord could be plugged into a hydrogen tank? That would mean he knew as much about his own company's product as duuhbya does.
Either way Ford needs a new CEO. And a new board (they chose this CEO). But that has been obvious for decades. Does the buck stop nowhere in corporate america?
Metal hydride storage for hydrogen is actually a pretty good technology. But of course batteries are still better than hydrogen fuel cells. In total efficiency and overall safety.
Even with metal hydride there is still the huge problem of 3000 psi gas hoses, with "failsafe" triple backed up computer chip safety systems that only let the hydrogen flow when the fuel nozzle is securely connected to the fuel tank in the car.
A 3000 psi hose with hydrogen coming out of it would whip through the air killing anyone if it hit them in the head. Then the hydrogen might explode.
A serial plugin hybrid with a 25 mile range (that takes around 1000 dollars worth of batteries) will plugin safely to any extension cord and the backup generator will run on any liquid fuel from a normal gas station. It will average 10 times the mileage of a normal car and last for 500,000 miles.
If all vehicles had this drivetrain oil would last 10 times longer, enough time to develop better batteries that need no backup.
This technology is available to ford, gM, chrysler, toyota, honda, Subaru and every other automaker right now. And would be even cheaper with mass production. No dangerous, astronomically expensive, uninsurable 3000 psi gas stations needed. NASA even has trouble filling up with hydrogen.
Now do you see why I think the ford CEO created this "incident" to discredit plugin hybrids? 10% of present oil consumption in vehicles would be very bad for the oil business.
This car salesman masquerading as a CEO does not even realize that every vehicle ford Produces would run just fine with a serial plugin hybrid drivetrain. All he knows is that these alternatives threaten gas guzzling as usual, and that is a threat to his kind. Never mind that a switch to serial plugin hybrid could save any auto company, even Ford.
These wing nuts would rather bankrupt their companies and the US economy than turn on the cause of gas guzzling. It's the american way. Vrooooom!
Cutting through the mass delusional media spin. Someone needed to do it.
Saturday, April 7
People moving electric trains, tubular.
by
amazngdrx
on Sat 07 Apr 2007 12:23 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/4/5/214155/1020#8
Regular rail is great for freight, but not people.
Light rail is the ticket for people moving. Put it in tubes and power it with renewable electric power. It can go faster in a tube. No cows, deer, or cars on the tracks. The tracks can be electrified with no short circuting due to rain.
No ice or snow on the tracks. Tracks on the sides and top of the tube for a tri-rail stability. It could beat airplanes as far as speed over a lot longer range. Could it beat the French train? No doubt, and in a safe manner.
The tubes can go under roads and buildings and other obstacles. Have the tubes in pairs, one for each direction, buried in the freeway median for instance.
Smaller trains from local areas could link up into larger ones for cross country travel. Companies could lease their own train cars. Just like they do jets. Light rail stations could be like miniature airports, sized to fit the market, just like airports are.
With broadband inside the tubes the passengers would be connected. For work or entertainment.
As local cars joined long distance trains the passengers would have access to food and sleeping cars.
Come to think of it, why not move some of the other cargo now sent by air in tubular trains? Persihable foods, mail, fedex, and UPS stuff. Regular rail can haul the heavy freight. This would help the light rail pay its way. As it helps air travel. The first commercial airplanes carried mail.
Friday, April 6
Bloggerel energy re-evolution. The constant complaint. Via "Mother goose".
by
amazngdrx
on Fri 06 Apr 2007 07:50 AM CDT
|
A Man of Words and Not of Deeds |
A man of words and not of deeds
Is like a garden full of weeds
And when the weeds begin to grow
It's like a garden full of snow
And when the snow begins to fall
It's like a bird upon the wall
And when the bird away does fly
It's like an eagle in the sky
And when the sky begins to roar
It's like a lion at the door
And when the door begins to crack
It's like a stick across your back
And when your back begins to smart
It's like a penknife in your heart
And when your heart begins to bleed
You're dead, and dead, and dead indeed
|
Thursday, April 5
Solar electricity for 15 cents per kwh? With cogeneration, yes!
by
amazngdrx
on Thu 05 Apr 2007 07:35 AM CDT
Wednesday, April 4
Serial plugin hybrid, 250+ mpg.
by
amazngdrx
on Wed 04 Apr 2007 07:44 AM CDT
Sunday, April 1
Evil Lord Cheney of Halliburton images
by
amazngdrx
on Sun 01 Apr 2007 03:44 PM CDT
Saturday, March 31
Biodiesel from algae in solar collectors, over 10,000 gallons per acre per year.
by
amazngdrx
on Sat 31 Mar 2007 06:42 PM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/3/30/174742/372#9
Algae has its place
But the first big step ought to be plugin hybrids charged up with renewable electricity, mainly from large scale wind.
Then distributed solar and small and medium scale wind. And then the upgrade of the national grid with a high voltage DC system for balancing and eventually storing renewable power.
With plugin hybrid drivetrains liquid fuel use can be reduced to 10% of present requirements. Oil will then drop in price, rendering fuel farming bankrupt.
By the time domestic oil supplies run out at that lower rate of use (maybe 20 years), algae biodiesel combined with even better batteries that further reduce liquid fuel use, can step in to replace oil completely.
Work on algae, but build out large scale wind and mass production and conversion of vehicles to plugin hybrid immediately. These are the victory ships, jeeps, and bombers to win this world war against global climate disaster.
Stop subsidies for fuel farming now and divert those funds to these first necessary steps. Fuel farming is merely an effort to buy farm state votes with their own tax dollars.
Tax dollars wasted to boost the profits of agribizz corporations who kick back 1 dollar in campaign "contributions" for every 1000 tax dollars stolen (an aproximation of the usual ratio, halliburton is more like 100,000 stolen to 1 dollar in bribery).
Friday, March 30
Mirror neurons.
by
amazngdrx
on Fri 30 Mar 2007 07:22 AM CDT
http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/70/Double_the_Joy_Half_the_Sorrow_Neuroscience_Friendship.html
Scientific evidence of the mechanism of empathy, that basis for all civilization. All human progress. Now please let us all look in the same mirror, at all life everywhere on spaceship earth.
Economic health cost of GHG disaster.
by
amazngdrx
on Fri 30 Mar 2007 07:13 AM CDT
Too expensive to continue GHG disaster. Increased storm damage has already cost trillions in economic activity.
http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/70/Economists_Get_Stern_Warning.html
The administration solution? Hire halliburton type contractors to adapt to it. No problem, tax dollars will be doled out, campaign "contribution" kickbacks received. Bid (no bid) ness as usual.
Tuesday, March 27
Corporate military industrial utilitarianism
by
amazngdrx
on Tue 27 Mar 2007 09:03 PM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/3/26/152849/926/#7
The greatest good for the greatest number of shareholders? Or the greatest good for the greatest number of organisms on planet earth?
Of course, under corporate utilitarianism, the rest of the symbiotic ecosystem is there to serve human kind, none of those lesser entities figure into the utilitarian equation. Plankton and blue whales are not shareholders, screw 'em.
Quantity or quality? Hidden within utilitarian arguments is the mother earth killing concept of unlimited growth. Greatest good for the greatest number? Simply increase the numbers of humans, then maintain them at an adequate level of goodness.
For example: Let human population growth, steered by commercial and military concerns, proceed unchecked. When people suffer, claim that their suffering is due to a lack of DDT, or genetically engineered crops, or unregulated corporate expansion.
Blame the suffering on environmentalists, instead of the lack of reproductive rights for women, that caused the over population.
Make environmentalists look like a force for genocide in under developed areas. Unlimited growth, for human population and corporate profits. The greatest good for the greatest number.
On the other hand we have the spiritual/ethical sense informed by empathy. That sense that comes directly into us by natural example. The basis for all civilization. Empathy, symbiosis, quality of life.
Over quantity, over unlimited growth, over perpetual war and tyranny. The four horsemen ride over the land on horses made from corporate utilitarianism.
Monday, March 26
Faithbased morons. "Breath holes plugged with mud"
by
amazngdrx
on Mon 26 Mar 2007 10:12 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/3/23/125844/341#14
The 30% of faithbasers who are still proud of voting for a shaved ape?
We will never convince them, nor do we need them. Forget 'em, they are too stupid to live.
In a pre-nanny state, freemarketeerian frontier culture they would not survive. "Their breath-holes would get plugged with mud" (National Lampoon).
Like "Aunt Baby" (Seinfeld), they would not make it.
Illustrious NYT contributor notices something interesting!
by
amazngdrx
on Mon 26 Mar 2007 09:43 AM CDT
The question of climate change has finally moved on from is it happening? to what should we do about it?.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/3/24/2258/58671#1
If you had read some of the entries here and on related blogs, you would realize many of us have already moved on to solutions.
We actually advocate for specific technologies and economic and political strategies to get the job done. Just thought you main stream media-ites might want to know that.
Illustrious entities such as Hillary and Canada have employed one of them. Cutting subsidies for fossil fuel corporations and diverting the savings to tax credits for consumers who put part of their disposable income into renewable energy and conservation.
Raising taxes is political suicide. Trading carbon indulgencies doesn't seem to be cutting GHGs.
Wind energy stored as compressed air. Excellent technology.
by
amazngdrx
on Mon 26 Mar 2007 09:02 AM CDT
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/03/dispatchable_wi.html#comment-64391274
Excellent technology! My take on this principle is to run a power shaft to the ground and directly power a generator when the grid can accept the power.
By transporting the mechanical energy to the base of the machine various generators and pumps can harvest the power. It lowers the weight at the top of the tower, drastically cutting the cost of the machine. And boosts the power output, lowering the cost per kwh for the device.
When excess wind power is available power the compressor to store the energy for later recovery. It combines the less efficient energy obtained from the storage feature with the efficiency of direct to grid electricity production.
Heat pumps or water pumps, as well as compressors, can also be used to store the excess wind energy. For instance, heat pumps could be used for industrial distillation, then the excess energy is stored in the distillation product.
Thursday, March 22
Wind power and a high voltage DC grid. Cheapest, cleanest electric power.
by
amazngdrx
on Thu 22 Mar 2007 08:16 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/3/12/63111/0928#31
The HVDC grid is very important. I think that high voltage capacitors, either built into the power lines or in separate facilities along the grid, would provide enough storage.
And then there is distributed generation from biogas digestion used in solid oxide fuel cell/turbines for backup power. The methane release prevented, waste water recycled, and organic fertilizer produced with systems like this are all great byproduct benefits.
And the fuel cells also run on natural gas. The ultimate fossil fuel backup energy supply. There is enough of this source for many decades converted underground from coal and oil.
And I think the cost of wind power will drop signifigantly with mass production and a switch to wind machines three times the size of the current largest multi-megawatt machines.
Mounted on the nearly deserted northern great plains and offshore on floating wind/wave power platforms. 50,000 of these larger scale machines could take over 25% of baseload power generation.
Conservation and distributed solar, small to medium wind, and biogas to fuel cell generation could take care of the rest, even with a massive shift to plugin vehicles.
Monday, March 19
Save the polar bears!! A crazy plan that just might work?
by
amazngdrx
on Mon 19 Mar 2007 09:24 AM CDT
Remote controlled floating polar bear rescue "islands". With satelite pictures used by volunteers to steer these platforms They could save polar bears from drowning.
A wacky idea from WW2 to build floating aircraft landing strips out of a slurry of sawdust and water, the whole thing frozen, could make frozen "islands" that would last through the arctic summer. Wind powered blowers could expand the island in winter by using very cold air to freeze more water, growing its size over the cold months.
During summer the island would melt down to it's sawdust/water base. The whole arctic could not be saved in this fashion of course. But maybe a number of floating ice islands could.
Enough to preserve the waning polar bear population until global climate disaster can be turned around? Maybe. Add a clever fish trap and the bears can be fed at least at a subsistence level too.
It's a worthy interim effort to redirect polar bears to more productive foraging and the publicity would highlight the global climate disaster and the whole area of floating renewable power generation from wind and wave power.
It's a crazy plan that would certainly capture the enthusiasm of the young and the young at heart who love wildlife. All the arctic and antarctic animals are very popular, great spokes animals against global climaste disaster! SAVE THE ICE!!!
Solar cogeneration.
by
amazngdrx
on Mon 19 Mar 2007 08:18 AM CDT
Friday, March 16
Organic design. Trees and wind machines.
by
amazngdrx
on Fri 16 Mar 2007 08:28 AM CDT
Tuesday, March 13
Halliburton flees the s(t)inking ship of state. Time to start trading the renewable energy bull market?
by
amazngdrx
on Tue 13 Mar 2007 07:40 AM CDT
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/03/atairnano_recei.html#comment-63095312
I think trading the same trends that worked in the 90s boom will work in this energy boom Jimmi.
Once the war is over and the only way to recover financially will be to reduce oil use. And the way to do that will be renewable energy and conservation.
Halliburton is spinning off KBR to limit Iraq war thieving liability. And moving to Dubai to protect from the government demanding the cash back. The biggest corpoRAT is fleeing the s(t)inking ship of state.
Almost time to fund the trading account! ALTI is a good one to watch and get a few 100 shares to get into trading mode, but the rush will be awhile down the road.
It's a thrill to wake up at 5 and check the market when the bull roars. But it will be much better this time around when the stocks you trade are saving the planet too.
Pay to get a US Attorney fired?
by
amazngdrx
on Tue 13 Mar 2007 07:11 AM CDT
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/washington/13attorneys.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
The real story behind this story?
Pay a campaign "contribution" to the GOP, Rove gets Gonzalez to fire the US attorney breathing down your neck.
Federal prosecutors who let the GOP connected slide get promoted, those who target corporate crime get fired. It's a powerful political tool for fundraising.
Business as usual for the Rove/Cheney team. And the chimp distracts by filling his diaper at press conferences with foreign leaders.
Once again, nice job voting Bush faithfilled.
And the mass delusional media helps cover it up and justify it.
Sunday, March 11
Nuclear disaster the fault of victims of those disasters?
by
amazngdrx
on Sun 11 Mar 2007 09:21 AM CDT
This is what you get along with nuclear power?
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/3/7/16145/25403#35
Blame the victim
"Every victim must get stoned" (paraphrasing bobby zimmerman)
Today, potential nuclear disaster victims have the options of living and working in secure, positive-pressure, HEPA-filtered, atmosphere-controlled buildings; and of placing themselves on radioprotective neutriceutical regimens. The more-widespread adoption of these precautionary measures become, the more nuclear would-be "disasters" will simply be non-events.
So any disaster is the fault of those who live near a plant? They can live and work in labratory grade hepa filtered environs? Who will pay to convert homes to this level of contamination security?
Nuclear government/industry has not even provided the minimum safety precautions, iodine pills and radiation suits for emergency personnel, firefighters, emergency medical teams, and hospitals. Thete are not even any evacuation plans!
Renewable energy installations will not force people living nearby to cower inside in hepa filtered skinner boxes like lab rats.
Keep talking buddy!! Great job fighting against nuclear power!!
Back to "Cape Wind", the debate continues.
by
amazngdrx
on Sun 11 Mar 2007 09:07 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/2/25/65336/7434#128
So Mass Audobon denies that they will get a contract worth millions?
Is there any proof that they will get a contract? Other than the assumption based upon the Altamont project? If funding for a monitering project went to individual scientists rather than Mass Audobon, would that cure any conflict of interest?
If not, how could monitering ever be acomplished without a conflict?
With modern GPS navigation and radar, why would Cape Wind be a navigational hazard?
Anyway, I remain in favor of moving wind power offshore out of sight and mind of NIMBYs and adding wave power to the floating platforms. planting them in the sea floor is just not a great idea. And as we have seen, it has delayed this project for a decade already.
We don't have time to litigate each offshore wind project for decades. The longer this environmental infighting continues the stronger the forces of the evil lord cheney of halliburton become.
They are assembling bribed legislators and officials to stop all offshore wind/wave power.
Long haul semis can use plugin serial hybrid technology too.
by
amazngdrx
on Sun 11 Mar 2007 08:42 AM CDT
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/03/the_need_for_bo.html#comment-62901932
Large trucks can be converted to plugin serial hybrid too. Railroad locomotives and mining equipment are serial hybrids already. They have diesel generators driving electric motors without transmissions.
For long haul trucks add induction pickups and charging lanes, that way an hour or so driving in the charge lane can recharge the batteries. Also fuel cell/turbines instead of diesel generators, 3 times more efficient.
Transitional technology to pure electric cars.
by
amazngdrx
on Sun 11 Mar 2007 08:22 AM CDT
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/3/10/122749/093#7
A transition to full EV is needed. Plugin serial hybrids are the perfect transition.
Present battery technology and lack of mass production make quick enough charging problematic and pure EVs very expensive.
But a 25 mile range battery pack is under 2 thousand bucks, and it will charge from a regular home electric system in a few hours. The lead acid foam battery might drop the price to 500 bucks soon!
Very efficient, light weight generators are already available at low mass production prices. And electric drivetrains replace inefficient transmissions, the battery, generator, motor combination does the job of a transmission with 25 miles of pure eV performance that will drop average gasoline consumption by 90%.
It's time to stop quibbling and back this technology with bloggerel and eventually capital. If we can get the mass delusional media to notice this technology, it may just get going. GM is paying it lipservice by touting the Volt.
That's a good start, the salesmen in the boardroom have evidently listened to some engineers. Communication, it's a good thing.
But where are Toyota and Honda? If they want to keep gaining market share they will need their own plugin serial hybrids.
And mass conversion of used cars will be needed also.
Saturday, March 10
GM "leapfrog"? Serial plugin hybrid "VOLT".
by
amazngdrx
on Sat 10 Mar 2007 07:52 AM CST
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/03/atairnano_recei.html#comment-62824560
ALTI earnings coming soon I believe?
How
low will it go? Back under 3 bucks?
Low energy density is the problem with this battery. And the quick charge option will be hard to use, not many charging stations.
It's like having a 3 meg internet hookup and the fastest download one can fine is less than 1 meg.
This is the reason that serial plugin hybrid is the better transition until battery technology improves even more. A serial plugin hybrid can charge quickly enough from many conventional sources (rather than special high amperage electric "gas" stations)because it has a much smaller battery. It only needs a 25 mile range to cover the average trip without gas.
In fact a slower charging, much cheaper lead acid foam battery would be fine for this design. Overnight charging would be ok, it wouldn't hurt the utility of the vehicle.
Charged up or not you can get in and hit the "gas", as long as the generator has enough liquid fuel. Filling up is the normal process at a gas station with the serial plugin hybrid. Except it will average over 200 mpg.
Kind of ironic that GM has announced the first mass produced serial plugin hybrid by a major automaker. The VOLT in 2010.
Maybe they decided to leapfrog Toyota and Honda as I have suggested for a year or so now? Are they reading this blog? Hehehey.
Friday, March 9
Blog Against Sexism Day, March 8!
by
amazngdrx
on Fri 09 Mar 2007 07:09 AM CST
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/3/8/12354/39404#7
Yes!!! Good call Kate!
Reproductive rights for women!!!
The most important environmental move for our planet!
Women in charge of population growth, one mother at a time. Trust them to make the right choice for themselves and mother earth.
The fact is that no amount of energy policy or any other reform can stave off eventual disaster with most women slaves to religious/commericial/warrior cultures that use them as baby making machines. To provide cannon fodder, cheap labor, and consumers to keep the corporate bottomline growing forever.
Until the earth rejects the human plague of vast overpopulation upon it.
Thursday, March 8
Nuclear powered Canadian tar sand processing? Use wind powered electric plasma drilling instead.
by
amazngdrx
on Thu 08 Mar 2007 07:55 AM CST
Just say NO! Canada. Do not add nuclear waste and probable disaster to the open pit mining mess in the Alberta tar sands region!
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/3/7/145944/8915#6
Wind power to process the tar sands makes total sense. As I have said for years. Plenty of wind up there.
Electric plasma drills bring up the crude in liquid form and leave the mess underground. No mining, no costly eco-remediation.
Hydrogen to add to the crude from electrolysis.
Normally steam is used, that means contaminating water too. Very little water use with wind powered plasma drilling.
Plus this uses capital twice. Once to setup wind machines to get the oil, twice as the oil is used up and wind machines feed the power grid instead.
Mass production of wind facilitated by this plan would lower costs and make wind our main baseload power. GHG climate change would slow and stop as wind takes over baseload.
Furthermore, plugin serial hybrids will make all the oil from every source last 10 times longer. Fuel farming will be history.
Wednesday, March 7
Pay up Branson, I win!
by
amazngdrx
on Wed 07 Mar 2007 07:40 AM CST
Fork over the $25 mill Branson. This thermoacoutic natural gas liquification process would liquefy CO2 also.. Once it is liquid it's very easy to sequester it.
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/03/thermoacoustic_.html#comment-62503904
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Because A123 is proven in power tools, lighter, quickest charging, and now apparently racing into mass production. Could they falter now? Yes, but they look like the clear leader. independent testing would be nice too. Maybe NREL ought to step up?
Altairnano is going for pure electric, that might happen in the future. But until some quick recharging "gas" station infrastructure is built out, mass adoption remains problematic. Fleet vehicles only. And individual owners willing to accept the mileage limitations.
That was the problem with the EV-1, if GM had cut the battery pack in half and added a lightweight backup generator. The world would be different now. No need for oil war, GM would be gaining market share, renewable energy to feed these batteries would be on a fast track.
I like firefly, if it costs a quarter of what the A123 battetry does? I would see firefly pulling ahead at first, especially since overnight recharge is good enough for now. But as A123 comes down in cost with mass production? The car can be recharged at work, school, shopping centers in a few minutes. A short range charge is much quicker than a full 200 mile charge in an Altair vehicle. And available with lower wattage, standard plugin technology.
Whatever battery is used, if it beats the A123 performance and price, great! But this proves electric cars with backup generation can solve our oil energy problems.
Some chemical innovation is needed for zinc/air to become rechargeable in the vehicle. Doing it electrically and mechanically in the vehicle with today's technology is inefficient and impractical.
If a chemical catalyst and device could be invented that would easily produce zinc pellets out of dissolved zinc oxide inside the fuel cell with electric recharge? Great!!
But this continuing public/political debate at the expense of action has to stop. The voters need to send a clear message to the pols right now.
Convert government vehicle fleets to plugin using these batteries now and offer tax incentives to get others to do it. Build out renewable energy to charge the batteries in the government fleets and offer tax incentives for other to do that.
Tax dollars need to be used to get mass production and adoption of this real solution inexpensive enough for consumers to afford. 4 dollar gas will kill the few remaining good jobs left. This constitues an oil monopoly economic attack on our standard of living.
Do it now, run for office on that platform. No more lying and bribe taking from ethanol and other scammers. Which side of the gas pump are they on? The consumer's side where we are? Or the side of oil monopolists?
We need leadership that is on our side of the gas pump. That realize what 4, 5, 6 dollar gas (and climate disaster)does to US.
If government fleets are converted and tax incentives offered, other companies will race to get a share of the huge market. Pushing A123 to keep it's technological lead by lowering cost. Remember the personal computer chip! Price per unit of computing power dropped exponentially.
The same could happen with plugin technology.