Environment & Energy

jmowreader

(53,166 posts)

10. The only thing I can think of is to do as the utilities do: compressed air or water storage

Mon Oct 26, 2015, 02:51 AM

Oct 2015

Compressed air storage relies on large caves...in the Northwest we could use abandoned mines, for instance. You seal them up so they will hold pressure, then use the excess power you generate to compress air into the caves. When you need power, you blast a turbine with it. Not SUPER efficient, but better than just dissipating it.

Water storage? They put a reservoir up high and one down low. Excess power is used to pump the water to the upper reservoir, then power is made by releasing it to the lower reservoir through a turbine.

And hey, H2 production might be okay...except that maintaining H2 in any appreciable quantity for any length of time is no mean feat because it will pass through anything.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

11 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Hydrogen Fuel Cells Are Becoming Too Big to Ignore [View all] nationalize the fed Oct 2015 OP

As long as there is a clean energy source to generate the hydrogen. longship Oct 2015 #1

While many Americans nitpick nationalize the fed Oct 2015 #2

Thermodynamics 101. longship Oct 2015 #4

Very little of the hydrogen used in the US comes from water jmowreader Oct 2015 #3

Regardless of the source it always takes more energy to generate H2. longship Oct 2015 #5

I don't give a fuck how it is generated, the 2nd law of thermodynamics still applies. longship Oct 2015 #6

I know, I know, I know! jmowreader Oct 2015 #7

Well, one could use it for energy storage. longship Oct 2015 #8

The only thing I can think of is to do as the utilities do: compressed air or water storage jmowreader Oct 2015 #10

I wonder if flow battery cars might be a good compromise solution. StevieM Oct 2015 #9

More hydrogen hooey? kristopher Oct 2015 #11