Goofy Google?

[JohnP]

... just caught this bit about google pursuing / funding renewable energy, but even though the good Dr B gave his famous talk there, no mention of polywell:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20 ... nergy.html

[aa2]

Solar, wind and biofuels have no chance of displacing coal ever imo. While solar might have some cool uses like built into clothing or roof tops 20 years from now, thats a big difference from providing baseload power.

[scareduck]

... just caught this bit about google pursuing / funding renewable energy, but even though the good Dr B gave his famous talk there, no mention of polywell:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20 ... nergy.html

Until somebody gets to energy positive, p-B fusion is a big longshot. The Rostoker paper took some of that risk out by suggesting that brehmsstrahlung losses depend on the design rather than being a categorical and fatal flaw of IEC reactors (as Rider wrote), but until somebody shows polywell can be energy positive, it's vaporware. Promising vaporware, to be sure, but... Bussard spent a lot of Larry Flynt's money and we still don't have a working device. I wonder what Flynt would have to say about his relations with Bussard.

Solar, wind and biofuels have no chance of displacing coal ever imo. While solar might have some cool uses like built into clothing or roof tops 20 years from now, thats a big difference from providing baseload power.

Once we run out of coal, that becomes sort of mandatory.

[JohnP]

Bussard spent a lot of Larry Flynt's money

Bob Guccione? Whatever. Yes, strange bedfellows to say the least....

[Keegan]

^^Would have to agree

The polywell has many great things going for it. Im sure many people even those at google sill believe in it. Its just that its only produced a few neutrons so far and that a lot of work needs to be done before its producing mass amounts of power.

I don't think google is snubbing the polywell off completely, they are just just wanting to invest in cheaper technology that is closer to commercial reality. Some of the next gen thin film solar is pretty impressive in $/kw.

Off on another tangent i would love to find any articles/stories on the relationship between Bussard and Flint. Of course your gonna screw up some stellarator fusion calculations if your up all night partying with Flint and company...... lol

[Roger]

While solar might have some cool uses

Wind has some baseload potential, but your capacity has to be 4 or 5 times what the actual output is. And w/o a grid to move it around easily.....

Yeah Solar & Wind Etc will help ease the transition to ....
polywell, (crosses fingers) and will be very helpful in the next 20 yrs.

With solar Air conditioning hrs are the same hrs that on a clear day will be peak PV generating hrs. Being able to ease peak demand with an aging grid can be very valuable.

[Nanos]

They also mention geothermal, thats got baseload potentional.

Though, speaking with a recently educated green about geothermal, he assures me that it cannot possibly work in the UK...

I don't know enough yet to check his sums, but I'm encouraged by

Geothermal electricity generation with GEOHIL technology;

http://www.bassfeld.ch

And the recent 400 page (16Mb) MIT report here;

http://geothermal.inel.gov/publications ... energy.pdf


In the UK we have one working geothermal plant producing electric, and I'd like to make it two..

[aa2]

Good point about solar and airconditioning, I've read of some of that for cars. I think solar has the most promise out of those options. I just don't see it as the big baseload required for a civilization. If you have to build backup coal or nuclear plant incase the sun isn't shining.. then you might as well just run those plants.

The other thing is our energy demand is growing at 2.7% a year in the united states. That means in 2038 or so our demand is going to be double what it is today. Even if one of those technologies can theoretically scale up to today's demand in 30 years.. in reality it will have to scale up to twice today's demand.

For example I was reading about the cheaper solar cells that are lower solar absorption. But a much higher bang for buck. You'd have to cover the enite state of Iowa with them to provide enough power for all of America. I'm assuming they are factoring that in with pumped hydro so you can store it. If not its really painful.

[MSimon]

While solar might have some cool uses

Wind has some baseload potential, but your capacity has to be 4 or 5 times what the actual output is. And w/o a grid to move it around easily.....

Actually you get 20% of rated capacity as baseload. (Is that what you said?)

Most plants are funded based on 33% of rated capacity average generating capability.

So the numbers are pretty good.