O/T: Wind power.

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Heheheh. That was cool.

I listened to quite an interesting program on the radio about how some scottish island had got their hands on a wind turbine or 2 and were electrolosisising hydrogen from water and storing it, then using the hydrogen to power generators when they needed it. This is apparently a much more efficient way of storing energy for domestic use than lead acid batteries.

I think they had even got hold of a hydrogen powered car.

Hurrah!

Reply to
Douglas Payne

It is a sensible way to operate! In general, most people don't understand the need for stores of chemical potential energy. Another sensible way to operate is to convert sewage farms to capture & bottle methane and use that as an electricity generating fuel or for communal heating. No-one's arsed though. I get dead annoyed by all these fashionista greenies - they know f*ck all about the real needs and the available solutions. /rant.

As I understand it, most of the machinery on the local sewage farm here in Warrington (no gags please!) works on methane. Makes sense, eh?!

Reply to
conkersack

Warrington used to have the smelliest sewage farm in the country. They relied on "stripping towers" to remove ammonia from the waste water before putting it back into the river. This meant pouring ammonia-laden water over wooden slats in a tall tower and letting the wind blow the ammonia away. Anywhere downwind got the full load.

Wanlip near Leicester pioneered methane generated by anaerobic digestion as a fuel. The solid waste was heated in closed containers to encourage bacterial production of methane. The methane was fed into a large stationary marine engine and used to generate electricity for the plant. The waste heat from the engine was used for the initial heating of the sludge and at the end of the cycle to dry the digested sludge so that it could be pelleted for use as a fertiliser.

They solved their ammonia problem by pouring water over a bed of stones which developed a bacterial film that digested the ammonia. I think most of these techniques are now commonplace at sewage farms.

Reply to
Steve Firth

It's a better solution than lead-acid but still has some problems. Hydrogen is a very small atom and can diffuse through metals. Hence it tends to be lost to atmosphere no matter how carefully the containers are constructed. Provided the surface is small in relation to the volume this is less of a problem, and for a stationary system it's possible to use very large tanks at relatively low pressure, which reduces the diffusion rate.

Pump storage is also an attractive option, but this depends upon having a mountain big enough to pump the water up and enough water to make it feasible.

As far as wind turbines go, they're less attractive than a first glance would suggest. Their whole-life emissions are actualy higher than nuclear, and even operating emissions are significant because they need constant maintenance that is disproprortionately high for installed capacity.

In the context in which it is being used here I think it's a good solution. As national policy I'm less sure. The French have an admirably small carbon footprint as a consequence of their high nuclear installed capacity.

Reply to
Steve Firth

It's a loverly place now. Honestly. If you can avoid the drug and drink adled white shirted scallies on a weekend.

Reply to
Elder

Well, would smell like Widnes then!

Reply to
conkersack

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