wind - variable nuclear - vast amount of energy cannot be turned off ! and minimum amount of fuel stays deadly for ages.
SPACE SOLAR (ala Arthur C. Clarke): many low-tech components, *very* costly construction, then almost limitless power, cheaply. Some caveats. concept: build structure in geosynchronous orbit with large thin mirrors focused on a boiler. Boiler generates steam, steam runs turbine, turbine generates electricity, which gets converted to microwaves (magnetrons). Steam cooled again by radiators to ultra- cold space. Beam microwaves to places like Nevada or Manhattan (JK), with "rectenna" (receiving antenna) field over a number of miles. Rectennas convert microwaves back to electricity, pipe into power grid. Network of satellites could beam microwaves to each other to move power from day to night sides of earth. NASA did experiments at Goldstone Tracking in Mojave Desert. Beamed microwaves across a couple mile test range with IIRC 78% efficiency converting back to electricity, higher than conventional high-voltage transmission lines. Caveats: we don't have shuttle-like vehicles for reaching geosynchronous orbit (yet). we don't know effects of space-to-ground microwave beam on birds or aircraft flying through it, or if it would cause atmospheric warming. But is research being done to answer these questions? -Ben > wind > > According to several of the engineers here at ALSTOM EAI, if all of the land > that is currently slated for wind power generation in the state of Nevada > (for building wind farms over the next 10 years) were available right now, > we could eliminate all of the coal facilities in the United States and still > have surplus power. > > Nuclear is another story because of the vast amounts of energy produced, > with a minimum of fuel. > > > will > ---- > > William H. Bowen > Webmaster > ALSTOM Energy Automation & Information > > "Your friendly neighborhood Webmaster" > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.esca.com/ > > 425.739.3629 Voice > 425.466.7016 Cell > 425.739.3690 FAX > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Todd" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, July 01, 2002 3:54 PM > Subject: Re: Another reason for me not to like the government ... > > > > in line > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Raymond Camden" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Monday, July 01, 2002 4:53 PM > > Subject: RE: Another reason for me not to like the government ... > > > > > > > Well, to be completely honest (and a bit unrealistic) you _do_ have a > > > choice. Simply refuse to use anything electrical. Yes, I know it's > > > unrealistic but it IS a choice. > > > > Right .. all of us CF Developers should refuse to use computers ;) > > > > > Also, people could refuse to work for > > > power plant. Yes, this would take sacrifice and a group effort and it > > > will never happen, but if enough people cared, it would. Heck, you > > > really don't have to go as far as unplugging yourself from the grid, > > > simply outlaw nuclear power plants. > > > > I'm not thrilled with nuclear plants. I would much rather have something > > else. The question is what? I'm not so sure there is any such thing as > > completely green energy on the face of the planet. > > > > > Yes, they have lobbyists with huge > > > amounts of money to spend - but at the end of the day, if enough people > > > made it known that so and so wouldn't get reelected - he would do it. > > > > Maybe .. but money makes the world go round and those with the money > > probably don't care about such things. They've got theirs, so .. > > > > > I guess my main point is - people CAN take the power back from > > > coporations - if they work together - but there will never be enough > > > cohesion for that to happen. That isn't the corps fault - it's our > > > fault. > > > > It's both .. but I'm not even going to get in to that one ;) > > > > P.T. > > > > > -RC > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting. Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
