lightning in a bottle

[JohnRoberts]

P.S. I am aware that the thread just de-railed from 'are 0.2 dB audible?' to RF transistors, neural networks, speaker modeling, and power amp testing. Sorry for that.

I'll see your veer and raise you.... did you hear that a swiss team has managed to shoot laser beams up into thunder clouds and managed to steer some lightning back down. This sounds like a be careful what you wish for idea ... The prototype laser was said to be about the size of a car... I guess to ionize a path for the lightning to follow back down it needed some serious power.

In some gee whiz science future, I can almost imagine harvesting lightning. Then we need a huge inverter to turn it into usable mains energy.

JR

 

[user 37518]

I'll see your veer and raise you.... did you hear that a swiss team has managed to shoot laser beams up into thunder clouds and managed to steer some lightning back down. This sounds like a be careful what you wish for idea ... The prototype laser was said to be about the size of a car... I guess to ionize a path for the lightning to follow back down it needed some serious power.

In some gee whiz science future, I can almost imagine harvesting lightning. Then we need a huge inverter to turn it into usable mains energy.

JR

I bet the scientists gave it some cheesy movie name like "Project Zeus" or something like that.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

It would make a great Farside comic.

 

[iomegaman]

Next we'll be trying to harvest Solar flares with tin foil...

My guess is that about 90% of ideas that start with "Hey what if we...." end up being scrapped or in some Darwin Award.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I was commenting tongue in cheek about harvesting lightning for energy use but there may be more practical applications for steering lightning. For example around aircraft flying into or near thunderheads.

JR

 

[user 37518]

I was commenting tongue in cheek about harvesting lightning for energy use but there may be more practical applications for steering lightning. For example around aircraft flying into or near thunderheads.

JR

A way to properly convert energy into another form of energy is always a problem. I remember my reaction the first time I learned that nuclear reactors were just used to boil water and spin a turbine with the vapor. If the true energy from the nuclear reaction could be extracted, it would be a whole different story. Induction stoves seem promising, but you need special pans and pots, and they are expensive AF.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

A way to properly convert energy into another form of energy is always a problem. I remember my reaction the first time I learned that nuclear reactors were just used to boil water and spin a turbine with the vapor. If the true energy from the nuclear reaction could be extracted, it would be a whole different story. Induction stoves seem promising, but you need special pans and pots, and they are expensive AF.

Second law of thermodynamics. TANSTAAFL. What alternative to nuclear heat driven steam turbines is as reliable, scalable (100s of MW), safe, and reasonably efficient? You know those big reflective/concentrating solar plants basically work the same way, right (except they may use molten salt in the primary loop)?

 

[user 37518]

Second law of thermodynamics. TANSTAAFL. What alternative to nuclear heat driven steam turbines is as reliable, scalable (100s of MW), safe, and reasonably efficient? You know those big reflective/concentrating solar plants basically work the same way, right (except they may use molten salt in the primary loop)?

I understand, and you are right. My point was that nuclear is basically used as a hi- end stove but if the energy from the reaction itself could extracted, the efficiency would be amazing.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

I understand, and you are right. My point was that nuclear is basically used as a hi- end stove but if the energy from the reaction itself could extracted, the efficiency would be amazing.

Some loss will always occur. Physics is a harsh mistress...

 

[JohnRoberts]

Some loss will always occur. Physics is a harsh mistress...

My older brother recently retired was a consultant to power utilities. His work involved lots of land based turbines. These convert heat/pressure into rotary motion, to work with generators, to make electricity.

I don't have any expertise regarding nuclear generation other than paying attention for decades. It is instructive to watch France struggle with maintenance upkeeps of their mature reactors. I also recall issues with discharging too much waste heat in their cooling water outlets, affecting river flora/fauna.

I cannot predict the future, but will speculate it doesn't look like what we are doing now. The issue for us is how to get from here to there with the least pain and economic cost. From observing politics it looks like we already have it too good, with people having too much free time to get into mischief.

JR

 

[user 37518]

My older brother recently retired was a consultant to power utilities. His work involved lots of land based turbines. These convert heat/pressure into rotary motion, to work with generators, to make electricity.

I don't have any expertise regarding nuclear generation other than paying attention for decades. It is instructive to watch France struggle with maintenance upkeeps of their mature reactors. I also recall issues with discharging too much waste heat in their cooling water outlets, affecting river flora/fauna.

I cannot predict the future, but will speculate it doesn't look like what we are doing now. The issue for us is how to get from here to there with the least pain and economic cost. From observing politics it looks like we already have it too good, with people having too much free time to get into mischief.

JR

In my opinion, it has to be nuclear. Solar and wind are just ineffective ways to feel good with ourselves, but I digress..

 

[JohnRoberts]

In my opinion, it has to be nuclear. Solar and wind are just ineffective ways to feel good with ourselves, but I digress..

The answer IMO is "all of the above" but with smart, prudent, attention to cost/benefit economics.

I agree that nuclear is the smart carbon free source of energy. It should also be cheap but the anti-human opinion industry has resisted nuclear power, smothering them with regulation and artificial roadblocks.

There is lots of low hanging fruit ranging from better home insulation to heat pumps, etc, but ideology and popular sentiment has thwarted linear, smart development.

JR