Comments on: Kiwi invention pioneers next generation energy

By: gomango

gomango — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:50:48 +0000

gee thanks draco for clearing that up. I think most school c science graduates have heard of charles’ law.

What i was asking was why is the diesel powered stirling set up more efficient in a submarine than a traditional generator – reading the interweb today it seems like its not really, the stirling system seems to give no real advantage over other conventional power plants.

What we really need is this http://www.hyperionpowergeneration.com/product.html for baseline load plus renewables on top.

By: Spud

Spud — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:45:46 +0000

Damn I commented before I read the thread.

By: Spud

Spud — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:43:17 +0000

Fantastic, now there’s a way to reduce our carbon footprint without resorting to living like cave people.

By: Dimmocrazy

Dimmocrazy — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:17:59 +0000

Insider, let’s talk about the two way metering issue here. The way I see this, everyone would still have to pay their fixed rates for maintenance of the grid of course. Meters could simply run slower in reverse as well if that was necessary to leave something of a margin for the ‘reseller’ (as these would effectively be doing the accounting for it). Effectively people would be simply selling their excess power to their neighbours, through the intermediary of the power companies. There should be some debate about what happens to the ‘margin’ on small scale power generators, if they generate more than they consume.

By: Draco T Bastard

Draco T Bastard — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:58:37 +0000

@ gomango
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engine

Invented in 1816 and Natalie told you why it was more efficient. Technically, it’s still diesel electric it just has a more efficient method of capturing the power released when the diesel is burned.

This is a video showing one powered by solar concentrated through a Fresnel lens.

Technically, the invention is just someone dusting off old knowledge. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great idea I just don’t think it should be called an invention when it’s been around for 2 centuries. I agree that 2-way metering should be mandatory as well.

If anything the crisis could be blamed on prices that were too low to encourage investment in training, maintenance and monitoring instead of end of year rebates for consumers.

Or it could be, and probably should be, blamed on the need to make a profit. Yes, I have seen the same basic mistakes made in privately owned companies as well and for the same reason – profit.

By: insider

insider — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:34:29 +0000

Auckland blackout in 98 was nothing to do with an electricity market failure – it was purely a management failure, ironically by a community owned company.

They ignored proper maintenance procedures and they ignored the operating procedures for their equipment. It’s all in the crisis report done after the event.

If anything the crisis could be blamed on prices that were too low to encourage investment in training, maintenance and monitoring instead of end of year rebates for consumers.

If the market is such a mess, how can it deliver energy to your home at a fraction of the cost it would be for you to generate your own power with a microturbine?

Two way meters are a trendy idea but there is a really good reason they are not being installed – there needs to be a cross subsidy from other power users to incentivise their introduction, because the cost of power is so low compared to the cost of fitting a microgenerator and meter.

So grannies and poor families with neither the money nor the inclination to install micro generation will end up subsidising rich people who can afford to install them on their lifestyle blocks and apartment rooves. What genius would support that outcome?

By: gomango

gomango — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:28:42 +0000

Tom thats interesting. Do you have any links for my info? Just trying to work thru why a (presumably) diesel powered stirling engine would be more efficient than a diesel/electric system?

By: Tom Semmens

Tom Semmens — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:25:59 +0000

Stirling engines have been around since the 19th century and the principle is widely understood. Because they are closed cycle they are now routinely deployed in non-nuclear submarines.

By: Dimmocrazy

Dimmocrazy — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:04:38 +0000

Good point Patrick, that’s precisely what we should do.
Also, as we have a few engineering types here by the look of it, I remember from science class that CO2 is readily absorbed into sea water, where it eventually turns into limestone. (Don’t shoot me if I’m wrong). I would imagine that a bunch of smarties should be able to come with a way of combining the facts that we have plenty of easy accessible coal, plenty of easy accessible sea water, plenty of labour, and plenty of spare land all on the West cost of the South Island, plus the infrastructure already in place to get all that electricity to where it’s needed. Looks like a no-brainer to me to get very cheap electricity to all NZ’ers and boost the economy to boot!

By: Patrick A

Patrick A — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:50:49 +0000

I have a way of solving NZ’s power woes – build five gigantic coal-powered power stations on the west coast of the South Island.

The fact that disabled people have been being charged upwards of $500.00 a month just to keep warm is a national disgrace. Labour have essentially done nothing to remedy this during their time in office.

Bugger this ‘Sign On’ nonsense – cheap power to the people. The USA use coal for 70% of their power needs. The New Zealand poor pay the price for NZ’s clean green corporate image as they are being held hostage by robber baron power companies.