Re: Protecting the fuel trucks

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:04:01 -0700, ssbreon wrote:

>> As an example, Slashdot is currently reporting an exciting story:
>> World's Largest Solar Array to use Stirling Engine
>> http://slashdot.org/index.pl?issue=20050811
>>
>> This is a really cool one because it doesn't use solar cells, and is one
>> of the engine ideas that requires less local resources (such as cooling
>> water) to operate. On the downside, it's a really big facility and, for
>> all it's size, only puts out 500 Megawatts of electricity. While that's a
>> respectable amount, conventional power plants occupy a whole lot less
>> real estate for the power production. You might say that the density of
>> power production on land is a lot lower. And this type of plant
>> essentially only operates when it's not night-time, not raining or too
>> cloudy, etc. And it takes a lot more maintenance to care for the mirror
>> arrays and then to keep them properly aligned and then there's the... yada
>> yada yada...
>
> Cool. On a much smaller scale, I saw somewhere (I think it was WIRED
> magazine) a new solar panel device that you would mount on the roof of
> your house that somehow reflected and focused the rays of the sun using
> mirrors onto 1 solar panel (or something to that effect). The mirrors
> would rotate with the sun and it was much better than having many
> panels laid out statically to absord the rays.

Hmmm... I'll have to look for it.


>> I got no grip with you. Just pointing out that nothing we're likely
>> capable of doing is going to be without some major drawbacks and certainly
>> unlikely to meet your stated requirements (though I would understand if
>> you said that was an "off the cuff" statement and not intended to be
>> overly literal).
>
> I didn't necessarily mean 100% high-tech, 100% alternative, 100%
> replentishable, 100% environment-friendly sources of energy, if that is
> what you interpreted. I should have been more clear, sorry. And I
> certainly don't expect this energy transformation to occur over night -
> particularly within the US. There has to be transition phase over
> lengthy period (20 years perhaps?).
>
> Of course there will be drawbacks with new technologies. But in the
> long run it has got to be better than being in bed with the Saudis and
> fighting over fossil fuels with China and 3rd world countries.

For that purpose, I think that the bio-diesel algae option is really one
of the best. It's certainly one of my favorites. You should read the
paper that I posted. If I were a JFK Pres I'd push that instead of a Mars
Shot today.


>> That the statement needs to be taking in the context of being politically
>> "scripted" with a specific intention for it. It's practically propaganda.
>
> Kirk's skepticism continues...

Yeah. I've become something of pessimist or maybe a pragmatist in a lot
of ways. Particularly about politics.


> so, you are saying that NASA has a political agenda?

Well... yeah. I think that almost *EVERY* governmental body has a
political agenda of one type or another. Some I agree with, some I don't,
some I'm apathetic about. I will caveat that some governmental bodies
seem to have *less* agenda than others but I doubt that any are "pure."

Peace favor your sword (IH),
Kirk
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Protecting the fuel trucks
    ... > World's Largest Solar Array to use Stirling Engine ... mirrors onto 1 solar panel. ...
    (rec.martial-arts)
  • Re: Water injection
    ... And don't forget you have to clean and repair the solar array. ... I worked in a building that was under the runway of a middle sized city. ... Don't forget the taxes and insurance on the car, ...
    (rec.crafts.metalworking)
  • Re: Some janet and john figures for biofuel
    ... We're just installing a solar system in Italy to provide heat input to a thermal store for under floor heating and for DHW. ... We are going to use as large a store as we can find and will have a vacuum tube solar array with 40 tubes. ... I've already conducted trials using a flat-plate solar panel that I built myself. ... Although just one metre square this panel with a small photovoltaic panel and a 12V pump provided all our hot water needs over last summer. ...
    (uk.business.agriculture)
  • Re: Juno yes, Moonrise no
    ... >> How about the decreased power generating ability of the solar array with ... particularly given its orbit beyond the magnetosphere's solar ... >> The whole thing is going to have reduced power outputs from almost the ...
    (sci.space.policy)
Loading