Hypothetical free energy?

When I say free energy I mean never ending cost free and energy free usable energy.

I say hypothetical because I would be interested in hearing others ideas (however outlandish) for free energy with as much or as little scientific knowledge as to its feasibility as you have.

Those like me with not enough solid scientific knowledge can be happily shot down by those that do who can tell us why our ideas will not work.

This thread has been inspired by seeing various internet forums with people trying to build perpetual energy machines and also an off the wall documentary in the UK that was talking about how to deal with natural disasters (space lazers for asteroids etc.) and I thought there must be loads of us on here with crazy theories for free energy.

My free energy theory is this:

Could the suns rays not be used to heat water to turn turbines to provide power?

On a MASSIVE scale. I am talking about having a sequence of enormous focussed mirrors that magnify the effect of the sun to heat a very significant amount of water in a closed system creating steam which turns huge turbines and then in turn condenses and returns through the system to the point of origin to be heated up all over again. Just plug them into the grid.

This would be free eternal energy - why wouldn't it work? and what are your crazy free energy ideas?

reply to post by spacedonk

Could the suns rays not be used to heat water to turn turbines to provide power?

Solar thermal

reply to post by spacedonk


Dear spacedonk

My dear fellow that is a brilliant idea use the sun to make steam that will drive turbines and produce electrical power.

Sorry already in operation in Spain. Possibly elsewhere but defiantly in Spain.

Originally posted by MAC269
reply to post by spacedonk

 

Dear spacedonk

My dear fellow that is a brilliant idea use the sun to make steam that will drive turbines and produce electrical power.

Sorry already in operation in Spain. Possibly elsewhere but defiantly in Spain.

See I knew I couldn't have been the first to think of it.

Do you know how much power it provides for the Spanish national grid?

Is it widespread, could it solve power needs in third world countries?

How efficient is it?

Is it excessively expensive to set up?

Tell me more tell me more!

reply to post by spacedonk


Dear spacedonk

This idea was first thought of by Archimedes I think, or if not him one of the boffins of ancient Greeks. He set some boats of an invading force of fire using sun light.

Good job they did not come at night or we may never have got the idea.

Sorry you are going to have to look up details yourself, but it is a big plant and works well. The biggest cost is keeping the mirrors clean.

However the one I like is a power plant in Geo sink orbit that powers the electricity down to the ground without wires. Apparently PV cells work 4 times better in orbit.

Originally posted by MAC269
reply to post by spacedonk

 

However the one I like is a power plant in Geo sink orbit that powers the electricity down to the ground without wires. Apparently PV cells work 4 times better in orbit.

Aside from the supercilious nature to a lighthearted thread.

Isn't this power transmission without wires attributed to Tesla and said to be a potential cause of his latter years instability owing to effects of his experiments in such?

Although if they build the space elevator then there is a ready made wire for safe transmission of power back to Earth from the orbital power plants

reply to post by spacedonk


Dear spacedonk

Yes wireless transmition of power is said to be a Tesla invention that was ignored at the time. However modern day tests have been done on earth over a sixty mile distance which will make going through the earth’s atmosphere no problem today. All we have to do is get the PV cells in orbit. Not so much trouble to keep them clean up there either.

The space elevator is down the Arthur C Clark.

We have a perfectly untapped never ending source of energy in our planet.

Gravity, all that is needed is a kind of transformer.

I dont see a problem with using these setups (salt boilers) in all the deserts of America, totally natural. No real chemicals involved, and if it blows up, just get make some margaritas and build another one. Unlike nuclear which kills everything for 50+ years.

PS: Also this, its called geo-thermal, basically used earths core to boil water, then turn a steam turbine, all you need is a really deep hole to pour water into... en.wikipedia.org...


I do want to convey one major point : We already have unlimited energy, the fact is, we dont use it and probably never will because of politics and greed for green. Ill bet if someone comes out with hypothetical dilithium crystals or something, the epa would ban it or the person would conveniently fall off a cliff, while on a boat (hope you get my drift)

[edit on 15-6-2010 by R3KR]

I have been reading about the salt towers quite a bit more overnight and one question that I cannot find an answer to is why it costs 13 cents per kilowat hour to produce against 7 cents a kilowat hour the current cost of coal based electricity.

It is referenced in the link and also here.

Anybody with any input on this?

Also a comment at the end of the last link has piqued my interest:

I think the solar panel connected to water pump to produce electricity was already outdated. Have anyone see a Japanese version of solar power eledtricity? The solar panels was conected to rechargeable battery cell, then connected to the transformer, then to the meter then to the switch panel, strong enough to power the electricity for the house, a commercial complex. The same sesign can be use to power electric cars.

I cannot find any references to what this person is talking about but effectively he is suggesting individualised versions of solar power. My last question is whether the salt technology could be scaled down to make individual versions for houses.

But the last two questions are asides really. The main point is why are the KW's for salt technology so damn expensive?!?