Economics and politics finally have a nuclear bond.

[freebeard]

To paraphrase Chairman Meow, "Lets a thousand microgrids bloom."

Thorium and molten salts is key, but Moon Power will always be there, lurking under water where the NIMBYrs won't care.

[redpoint5]

I do like tidal since it kills several birds with 1 stone. It's predictable, and it's renewable.

I'm not wedded to the idea of nuclear, as it's entirely possible that they are too expensive to deliver affordable energy. It should still be an option that is explored, especially since it used to be affordable, and we haven't gotten dumber in the last 70 years.

[oil pan 4]

The only draw back to tidal is the nimby useful idiots are successful in blocking it almost everywhere and sever coastal storms can and usually do damage them.
Then it takes highly specialized tools and labor to repair them then any destroyed equipment is usually a custom one of build.

[kach22i]

The simplest tidal rig I've seen is a simple large concrete cylinder stuck a few feet down into the ocean. The waves get converted into an up and down pumping motion within the tube, this forces air up and down, and it's the air that drives the turbine fan in the roof to the structure that rotates a generator.

It's like taking the breath of the ocean and converting it into a motion that generates electricity.

No fish get chopped up, no birds fly into fans, it's all enclosed.

I saw this on PBS or CBC TV about 15-20 years ago.

[freebeard]

Your search term is https://duckduckgo.com/?q=oscillating+water+column

See also the Wells and Hanna turbines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscill...Power-Take-Off

My favorite would be to tame the Devil's Puchbowl.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils...e_Natural_Area

It would be an inflated stickman flailing his arms, as big as the Astor Column.

[redpoint5]

Waves and tides are 2 different things.

Tides are created by tidal forces from an orbiting object (moon). It creates about 2 high and 2 low tides per day.

Waves are wind driven.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Your search term is.............

That's it, the history with buoys is interesting - thanks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscillating_Water_Column

[freebeard]

I knew Devils Punchbowl is wave/solar driven. I just like the idea of a giant flailing stickman.

[ModNewb]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Actually it's not a problem. Where I work turns a 20 million dollar a year profit in large part it is the most efficient plant of its kind for electrical use, water use reduction, recycling and reuse, natural gas and bio gas conversation, the amount of chemicals used versus product yield and has the highest product yield per raw materials of anyone else in the world.
They spent 30 million dollars a few years back to just to reduce, reuse and recycle water.
Something to the tune of 100 million when the plant was built to put nearly all motors on variable speed drives which eliminates starting surge and can improve pump efficiency up to 90%.

For example our partner plant spent 40x more money on chemicals overall and produced less product in 2015.

So using solar panels to power everything is a ridiculous pipe dream, unless power is just going to be turned off at night.

I have no problem with progress or solar panels.
I drive a nissan leaf and I'm arguing with the local electrical coop to put in grid tie solar.

While I applaud their efforts at energy conservation, if peak oil turns out to be true, what happens when natural gas becomes too expensive to use?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by ModNewb

While I applaud their efforts at energy conservation, if peak oil turns out to be true, what happens when natural gas becomes too expensive to use?

Peak oil doesn't necessarily mean it becomes too expensive. It means the point in time that humanity consumes the greatest amount of oil, and tapers consumption after that.

This could be due to dwindling supply, or alternatives. I tend to think it will be a combination of both.