On Thu, Jun 3, 2010 at 3:22 PM, Jim Devine <[email protected]> wrote: > Interesting, but how about the idea of tall (plastic?) tubes which use > the temperature difference between upper and lower parts of the > atmosphere to cause a downward breeze that runs a turbine?
I've heard of suggestions for domes that do this. The difference between this and many other ideas is low capital costs. For various reasons a helicopter that does not have to travel, and a multi-mile electrically conductive cable that is strong enough for a multi-mile run is just not that expensive compared to the electricity it can produced. Wind power increases with the cube of velocity. So if can elevate a wind turbine high enough to double wind speed the energy available increases 16 times! The energy available from wind on the ground (even though more than we currently use worldwide) is trivial compared to the energy at high elevations. There are a lot of schemes out there, but this is one of the few with solid numbers behind it not only for possibility but for feasibility. We can't know if it is really feasible without testing, but I think there is a really solid case for it. So does Ken Caldeira, who is not chopped liver. > > On Thu, Jun 3, 2010 at 3:15 PM, Gar Lipow <[email protected]> wrote: >> Normally when I write about efficiency, renewable energy and >> technology I discuss solid stuff we know how to do today. But this >> post is about what is literally blue sky technology. > -- > Jim Devine > "Those who take the most from the table > Teach contentment. > Those for whom the taxes are destined > Demand sacrifice. > Those who eat their fill speak to the hungry > of wonderful times to come. > Those who lead the country into the abyss > Call ruling too difficult > For ordinary folk." – Bertolt Brecht. > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
