Hot air or realistic?

tut · Post by **tut** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:30 pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-n ... d-25800448

tut

neil · Post by **neil** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:39 pm

Better idea than windymills but it's tidal so you still need something to fill the gap when the tides turning. Presumably they'll be a nightmare to maintain though

Mr Momo · Post by **Mr Momo** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:46 pm

The Pentland has power and the technology is there for plug and play marine turbines.

I'm still surprised this is going so slowly.

sendmyusername · Post by **sendmyusername** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:03 pm

There is a way of storing energy from windmills now, once it is perfected it will solve a lot of problems.
It's only been tested small scale, but already they are improving the efficiency of it.
I'm sure they will overcome any of the problems with tidal too once the larger companies start investing.

flyingscot68 · Post by **flyingscot68** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:50 am

sendmyusername wrote:There is a way of storing energy from windmills now, once it is perfected it will solve a lot of problems.
It's only been tested small scale, but already they are improving the efficiency of it.
I'm sure they will overcome any of the problems with tidal too once the larger companies start investing.

Gyros?

hardrockjock · Post by **hardrockjock** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:04 am

We built that......................

Rosssco · Post by **Rosssco** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:28 am

Technically very challenging (hence very expensive) zone to deploy subsea structures (not to mention maintain and repair). They keep bringing this story up every few years to generate some interest.. Things are moving forward though slowly...

There also isn't currently the onshore grid structure to allow transmission to the central belt / rest of UK.

Mr Momo · Post by **Mr Momo** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 8:59 pm

Need to check, but must be large grid connections from Dounreay.

275kV.

Post by **campbell** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:53 pm

Rosssco wrote:
There also isn't currently the onshore grid structure to allow transmission to the central belt / rest of UK.

S'ok, they'll just sign off some more megatower pylons in the interests of the country's "economy". Jeez.

As for Dounreay, that wasn't really a power station, was it...?

Tapatalk. Bringing forums into the Social Media age.

Mr Momo · Post by **Mr Momo** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:26 pm

This is what the whole Beauly to Denny upgrade is all part of.

Didn't take much searching to get a grid diagramme.

sendmyusername · Post by **sendmyusername** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:17 am

Not gyros,
It's a heat exchange type process. (only read a snippet in an engineering mag) (i work long shifts)
They use the power generated from windmill when it's not needed to chill a gas, it is then kept chilled until it's needed, then it's brought back to normal temperature which creates the power. (doesn't need the windmill to be turning)
It's not the most efficient at the moment, but considering when the windmill is producing power and it isn't needed it's completely wasted, it will be an improvement. The protype has been used on a small scale, thi k it was 3 large scale domestic turbines, and already they have come up with efficiency improvements.
The system allows the gas to be stored at low temperature indefinately, so can be used to pick up extra demand, or used when there is no wind.
Sorry for the vagueness.
If I find the atricle again I will put in more detail.

robin · Post by **robin** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 8:52 am

That got me thinking ...

I've heard recent plans to liquefy carbon dioxide and pump it below the sea bed ... Ignoring the wisdom of this, I wonder whether this would be a reasonable use for any excess wind energy?

Cheers,
Robin

Scuffers · Post by **Scuffers** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:01 am

all total horlicks....

I do love the sh*t the green energy industry comes up with...

what they all seem to manage to do is:

1) ignore Physics
2) quote how many million homes XYZ will theoretically power (ie, never)
3) totally ignore the costs
4) tell us all it's the future...

if you have not already found it, take a look at this site, it shows almost real time the grid stats, now take a quick gander over the historical graphs and then think about how tidal power will fit in....

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 10:05 am

sendmyusername wrote:Not gyros,
It's a heat exchange type process. (only read a snippet in an engineering mag) (i work long shifts)
They use the power generated from windmill when it's not needed to chill a gas, it is then kept chilled until it's needed, then it's brought back to normal temperature which creates the power. (doesn't need the windmill to be turning)
It's not the most efficient at the moment, but considering when the windmill is producing power and it isn't needed it's completely wasted, it will be an improvement. The protype has been used on a small scale, thi k it was 3 large scale domestic turbines, and already they have come up with efficiency improvements.
The system allows the gas to be stored at low temperature indefinately, so can be used to pick up extra demand, or used when there is no wind.
Sorry for the vagueness.
If I find the atricle again I will put in more detail.

Saw a similar thing in spain with one of those large solar power stations (one with the mirrors not the panels) they melt salt and store it in tanks and use that at night to generate the steam that powers the turbines.

Rosssco · Post by **Rosssco** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 10:59 am

Scuffers wrote:all total horlicks....

I do love the sh*t the green energy industry comes up with...

what they all seem to manage to do is:

1) ignore Physics
2) quote how many million homes XYZ will theoretically power (ie, never)
3) totally ignore the costs
4) tell us all it's the future...

You've been on Pistonheads forums too long. Don't know any system or approach that does all these things, apart from obviously drift further into the future, which is primarily political mis-management because governments indecision to either fully commit or abandon the industry, resulting in a smaller number of expensive projects...

Scottish Elises