Comments on: Supercapacitors Could Solve Capacity Factor Problems of Renewable Energy

By: WrongCrisis

WrongCrisis — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:48:30 +0000

Mark Olliphant (eminent nuclear physicist)in an interview before his death in the early 90s stated that using current technology Australia could install solar panels in the deserts of Australia and convert the energy to hydrogen and supply the all the worlds current energy needs. ( 'Crisis what crisis', Supertramp )

By: cribcat

cribcat — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:34:32 +0000

The alternator(as on a car)Provides huge resistance when shorted ( as far as torque or angular velocity or twisting motion on the shaft attached to the armature) . The key is effectively turning that low voltage, high current efficiently into usable power. When coupled with super caps, which are called Li PO batteries, yes it is getting more feasible and storage is the main problem. Review the Ecklin, Brown, and Johnson patents on generators. And I believe Unclle B has a good point. Yes I use LED lights. 10 watts vs sixty

By: Unclle B

Unclle B — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:18:20 +0000

It is my sincere hope that in the 'New Utopia" you speak of, the inhuman and unnatural night shift will be virtually eliminated. If so, we would be sleeping, or otherwise putting modern miracles like Viagra to the test instead of slaving for a dollar at night.
This would reduce the demand on desert solar farms and wind farms enough to give super capacitors and the other means of energy storage a time to work. With LED lights, microwave cooking, properly constructed, well insulated, solar/earth bermed homes to make air conditioning and heating redundant, and small garden plots, the base population can be more self-reliant(not a new concept in America). Electric busing to factories and stores from collections of these habitats seems reasonable, and individual electric/battery and/or super capacitor cars seem a natural fit. But: not until the great depression softens the current mindset will this paradigm be vaguely possible.

By: E. Gamba

E. Gamba — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:45:36 +0000

Very interesting, another way to get around the interrupted supply of wind energy could be the setup of a supergrid like the one proposed by Airtricity in Europe were large areas are connected together with a high voltage direct current network.

By: James Jackson

James Jackson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:39:52 +0000

Great article on renewable energy and the storage of that energy. I noticed a website on supercapacitors (www.ultracapacitors.org) the other day and this is some amazing new technology that is coming to us. I hope it gets us off oil dependence.

By: Ken Farber

Ken Farber — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:53:29 +0000

Jim: Do you know with whom FAW entered into the two contracts you mention?