General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Frankly, the world as we know it is going away, soon. [View all]MadHound
(34,179 posts)Let's start with the methane balloon. First of all, plating the structure with solar panels is not advisable. Balloons need to expand and contract. If you're going to install the solar panels you need in order to power an industrial chiller, you will have to build some sort of rather heavy superstructure to support them.
And heavy is going to be a problem. Methane is a really poor lifting gas. At about half the density of air, it has a lifting force of 5.4 Newtons per cubic meter, meaning your payload would be prohibitively small.
Another problem with methane is it's highly flammable. The least spark and you would have Hindenberg all over again. This is not good, since you're stating that you're going to be building these balloons, at least in part, out of graphene, which is one of the best electrical conducting materials out there. Hmm, high altitude, lighting storms, boom.
Then there is the simple environmental consideration that methane is one of the worst greenhouse gasses out there, and you're proposing to put large quantities high in the atmosphere, where it can do even more damage. Not a good idea.
As far as your cyrochillers go, they're pointless, since they are violating the first law of thermodynamics.
Finally, you're energy/pollution equation is way off. In order to produce the materials you need, all that refining, all that energy consumption and subsequent pollution, you're going to be producing more greenhouse gasses than you will get rid of.
You come up with some interesting ideas, I'll give you that. But it is obvious that you are, as you've said, an amateur dabbling in a hobby. Nothing wrong with that so long as you recognize that what looks good to you on paper isn't going to work in reality.