h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am very keen interest in new developments of green energy and of suistainable building. I googled green energy to find what there is.

Green sources
Anaerobic digestion - is a series of processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen.
Geothermal power - energy generated from heat stored in the earth, or the collection of absorbed heat derived from underground.
Wind power - wind turbines.
Small scale hydropower - is derived from the force or energy of moving water.
Solar energy - using either paraobolic dishes or solar panels for roofs.
Biomas/Biofuel derived from plants.
Tidal power - a form of hydropower turning the energy of tides into electricity or other types of power.
Wave power - is energy that comes from ocean surface waves.

I thought some of you might be interested in the aims of the organisations currently demonstrating with regard to the G20 Summit to be held on 2n April in London

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7951179.stm

Websailor

hi gnomon
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i might have worded it wrong.
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i was watching an history channel programme the other night.
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how they had a large lake, and a electric turbine station below, and a catch area lower still.
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and the water was released into the turbines, and then pumped back to the lake above,the cost and the way it was clean, and no newclear waste to get rid of, seemed a good way to make eleectricity for small areas,
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the wind turbines are now also coming into their own, maybe in the years to come all lecy will be water or wind generated, and could cut costs to the consumers us.
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we also cant rule out the solor panels jim

I think all alternative sources have a place and a contribution to make, but it needs to be carefully thought out.

Websailor

The system you describe is called "Pumped Storage". It is not very efficient - you lose about 20% of the energy by storing it in this way, and a typical pumped storage system can only store a very small amount of power. Ireland's pumped storage facility, which is a reasonably big one, can hold enough power to keep Ireland going for about 10 minutes, as far as I can remember.

These systems are presented to the public as storage systems but their real purpose is a more technical one which I'm not going to explain here.

I saw a report the other day on using compressed air as a power storage system. You use free electricity at night such as wind power to pump air into a giant underground cave, then use the air to drive a turbine and generate power when you need it.

I've just read your posting again, Jim, and I feel I should expand further. In the Pumped Storage system, you use 100 watts of power to pump the water up the hill into the upper lake, and you get back 80 watts of power when you let the water flow down the hill into the lower lake. THis is _not_ a clean way of making power. It is a way of using power when it is freely available to pump the water up, then getting most of the power back when you need it.

Pumped storage gives the most gains when used with power stations which have to produce a large amount of power during the night when no-one wants it, such as for example nuclear power stations.

You have some very interesting knowledge Gnomon, I used to get a newsletter on alternative energy which was very interesting. i must see if it is available online now as husband keeps grousing about all the catalogues and newsletters that appear every time I do something!

Websailor

hi gnomon
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this might seem wayout, but all over england there are small villages and towns with a least one waterwheel.
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it the water flow could be used as in the past, but not for flour and such, but to power a resonable turbine, it could probably do the small hamlets and villages in the areas.
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then they wouldnt need to have power from the main grids, just as a backup if needed.
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i read somewhere that in bad weather, and heavy snow, the snow bringing the lines down, cost a lot to repair, and if a sub station is damaged or out, then its even more cost, that will go on the bills. why do we have the pylons instead of underground,
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ive alawys wondered. bad weather, snow, can bring the lines down for days jim

sorry at the end my train of though outdid what i was writing lol

Changing it just a bit but I like those French cars running on air.

a long time ago, i had a thought, on the lines of the monorail, with magnets. but on roads,for cars
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like we have the single buslanes now, down the middle of roads.
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and in the road a metal strip, that is magnitized, and the car the opisite pole, to allow it to float, hence no wheels, the power in the batterys, to control something on the lines of the hoovercraft, without the skirt, or fan.no polution, no raod wear, no fumes, just old fashioned wind and two veins or fins to turn with. daft isnt it, but would be chep and afordable, with points to recharge at intervals jim

We had a nice little train at our airport at one time, which worked along the same lines but it failed. I can't remember why, or if it is still there as I don't go there now, but it was good while it worked.

Websailor

Try cat.org.uk It's a great place for info and analysis of renewable technology.

Fb

Thanks Fb. I will take a look.

Websailor

Just looked. Of course! I have that one bookmarked. My son went there years ago.

Websailor

hi websailor
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the diff with under the road, and in a car with repelling poles is that the way the monorail is resting on with drop sides the car would be free, and using the center bus method, with a type of loaded wheel each side front and back, that can be retracked, it wont crash in the sides.
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it could still have wheels, though smaller, and powerd only by batteries, incase the lift is lost.hence on pollution, and only temp till the lift is restored.
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jim

What makes you think batteries means no pollution? The energy has to come from somewhere, whether it is clean nuclear or dirty coal and gas.

hi gnomon
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i think the point was, ide rather have "any"polution from batteries than the stuff that still comes out of the cars,buses and wagons
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it took a long time for the old chimneys and steam trains to go,
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so now we have no peasoupers as we called them as kids. jim

It is intersting as apparantly they are using steam trains somewhere that have little of the smoke and steam coming from them like past trains. I believe they are better as use as much of the steam as possible thus reducing pollution. I don't know where the trains are though or which country.

i think i saw on a docu that they wanted to reorganise the boiler to do that on the flying scotsman
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at the moment its being refitted at the york museum sheds.
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long time back there was plans to give the mallard a complete overall. but it was to far gone, and now is one of the main exibits in the museum,
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many years ago i had my photo taken on the mallard, the two photos are in my flickr photos.
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jim