The future of energy generation and storage

[IFocus]

Nuclear power a dumb idea for Australia?

Here's why.

Always nice to hear from an engineer

LNP (Dutton) would surely know of all this and more.... surely.

She didn't even get to waste disposal and where is the fuel coming from.

 

[qldfrog]

Nuclear power a dumb idea for Australia?

Here's why.

you know I do NOT favour nuclear power due to cost overall but some of these arguments are really just crap:
One: there is no need cause we produce so much with renewable
seriously?
As for the supposedly constant production,...somewhere arrrrggg
Similarily: we have plenty of space for solar...sure unless we want to eat, or put the farms so far away that we lose heaps on newly built, $ , transmission lines..yes..she does not want Nuclear..sure, neither do I, but put proper argument..I have to say the start of attaching Dutton to the idea is a clear signature of the usual left greenie..sad, and can be discarded so easily.
There area lot of arguments against nuclear, but few of hers..I would agree on expensive and slow to ramp up, I could add absence of brainpower to manage and drive, no post processing, security and safety when we have such a condensed urban population etc as for the expensive, seriously, when I see what is spent on 10y life solar farms, maybe nuclear could end up cheap... as opposed

 

[Smurf1976]

The basic problem with nuclear in Australia is that the only real argument for it is that we're being run by fools and can't get our act together on technical matters to make other means of generation work.

Being run by fools is, to state the obvious, not a good idea when it comes to nuclear.

To be clear, there are certainly companies and individuals in Australia who could get nuclear up and running safely and reliably but the same applies to non-nuclear means. We've got companies and people who can do that too. Trouble is, said companies are heavily constrained by a political system that stifles the technical side.

 

[SirRumpole]

Storing heat in sand to power cities.

 

[qldfrog]

The basic problem with nuclear in Australia is that the only real argument for it is that we're being run by fools and can't get our act together on technical matters to make other means of generation work.

Being run by fools is, to state the obvious, not a good idea when it comes to nuclear.

To be clear, there are certainly companies and individuals in Australia who could get nuclear up and running safely and reliably but the same applies to non-nuclear means. We've got companies and people who can do that too. Trouble is, said companies are heavily constrained by a political system that stifles the technical side.

You need more than a delivered nuclear reactor, you need contingency and emergency plans, I dare say that creating a 50sqr km no man zone anywhere on the eastern coastal side would paralyse the whole country for months on end..we can not even build more than 2 key roads out of any capital cities.
As for water, power etc etc.
A plant need access to water..a lot.. 24/7..so makes it nearly mandatory to be a seaside one
Stop pretending playing in the adult room when in childcare playground to summarise.
And where will you get the physicists required: Russia or China.
Nuclear here will be a nightmare, already nuclear submarines rol...
And all this when we have plentiful coal and gas..never forget that

 

[qldfrog]

Storing heat in sand to power cities.

Great for heating buildings during artic winter in Australia, otherwise, horrendous loss as a battery ...finding solutiond to non existing problems in my opinion

 

[qldfrog]

Great for heating buildings during artic winter in Australia, otherwise, horrendous loss as a battery ...finding solutiond to non existing problems in my opinion

Note:
Would be a very different view in Norway or places cold in winter where the heat could be used directly for central heating etc even collective one in public housing..yes..public housing...
30y ago, France had too much power as nuclear plant work 24/7 and take a long time to flow down ramp up...
A lot of households there were provided with huge electric heaters, similar idea of very low thermic inertia and these were heated overnight on controlled tariff, when power a plenty and slowly released their heat during the day when power was used for industry.
In many countries where industry still exists and does not consist of coffee machines and desktops for NDIS spreadsheets, power usage is higher during the 8am to 6pm , not when people switch on tv and cook dinner .LOL
Same concept but simpler as heat was used directly, in its wasted energy form .
So a great solution but not here, so far from Australia needs....

 

[Dona Ferentes]

energy mix ... nothing for nix

A contract win for Baltec IES for the engineering, design, supply and installation of a two stage Gas Turbine Silencer and Exhaust Gas System to Engie Group in Australia. Baltec IES will undertake this work over the next 12 months with installation expected to be completed in April 2025. The project is exciting in that it is taking an existing base load power plant and adding bypass stack equipment to enable operation in peaking mode, giving the client more operating flexibility. Our unique silencer design has been able to meet latest applicable EPA noise requirements whilst optimising turbine performance.
Gas Turbines are widely used to support the Renewable-Energy Sector by supplementing peak load energy requirements. This requires the turbine to be able to deal with the thermal dynamics of heating and cooling into the thousands of cycles.

 

[Smurf1976]

A lot of households there were provided with huge electric heaters, similar idea of very low thermic inertia and these were heated overnight on controlled tariff, when power a plenty and slowly released their heat during the day when power was used for industry.

Used to be plenty of those around in Tasmania indeed there was a factory making them in Hobart. Brand name was Derby which from a Google search still exists but needless to say it's now just a name put on an imported product.

Virtually indestructible, nice and toasty warm, but oh wow they're heavy. Takes a few people of reasonable strength to pick one up.

The freestanding ones in practice often doubled as seats. I've seen more than a few people sit on one over the years - most only manage a few minutes before they get up realising their backside's being cooked and getting painful.

Also good for drying out leather work boots. Going back some years now but there was one in the workshop routinely used for that. At a guess it's probably still there today.

In a home use situation cats like them since they're constantly warm.

I'm assured they did exist in SA but I haven't sighted any thus far.

 

[qldfrog]

Used to be plenty of those around in Tasmania indeed there was a factory making them in Hobart. Brand name was Derby which from a Google search still exists but needless to say it's now just a name put on an imported product.

Virtually indestructible, nice and toasty warm, but oh wow they're heavy. Takes a few people of reasonable strength to pick one up.

The freestanding ones in practice often doubled as seats. I've seen more than a few people sit on one over the years - most only manage a few minutes before they get up realising their backside's being cooked and getting painful.

Also good for drying out leather work boots. Going back some years now but there was one in the workshop routinely used for that. At a guess it's probably still there today.

In a home use situation cats like them since they're constantly warm.

I'm assured they did exist in SA but I haven't sighted any thus far.

Like water heater on tariff 33..good idea for cold climate and free night power
I have not needed heating but for a couple of comfort fireplace wood fires a year or early morning 5 min of reverse cycle on early wake up.
Not needed in qld

 

[SirRumpole]

Snowy Hydro boss doubles down on project timeline despite slow progress and budget blow-out​

• In short: Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes says the project is on track to being operational by December 2028 despite "challenging" conditions.
• A tunnel-boring machine has worked through 850 metres of sediment since March 2022 in difficult and challenging geological conditions.
• What's next? It still has about 15 kilometres of tunnels to bore, which are expected to be completed by late 2027.

Snowy Hydro boss doubles down on 2028 project timeline despite Florence the machine struggles

Chief executive Dennis Barnes says Snowy 2.0 will be complete on time despite one of three tunnel-boring machines moving slower than expected.

www.abc.net.au

Sounds like pretty slow progress to me.

 

[basilio]

There will be a spectacular light show across the Northern Hemisphere this weekend. Very big solar storms coming.
How big and possibly dangerous ? We'll see soon enough.

Warning over solar storm that could give US rare view of northern lights​

Noaa issues warning for extreme G5 geomagnetic storm, with effects due to last through weekend and possibly into next week

Richard Luscombe and agencies
Sat 11 May 2024 11.44 AESTFirst published on Sat 11 May 2024 02.21 AEST


A ferocious solar storm powerful enough to knock out or disrupt satellite and communications systems, the power grid and radio signals was raging on Friday, space weather researchers warned.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) issued a rare warning for extreme G5 geomagnetic storm conditions when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, hours sooner than anticipated. The effects were due to last through the weekend and possibly into next week. The last extreme G5 event was in 2003.

... “A series of CMEs are directed right towards us, some are catching up with others. These severe levels are pretty extraordinary, and critical infrastructure operators have been notified.”

The solar storm is classified as G4, the equivalent of a category four hurricane, and emanates from a large and magnetically complex sunspot cluster 16 times the diameter of Earth, located in an area of the sun called Noaa region 3664.

“The worst situation would be, historically, from 1859 and the Carrington event, when a CME arrived at Earth and extraordinary things happened,” Dall said. “We are not anticipating that, but we cannot discount a G5.”

Warning over solar storm that could give US rare view of northern lights

Noaa issues warning for extreme G5 geomagnetic storm, with effects due to last through weekend and possibly into next week

www.theguardian.com

 

[sptrawler]

Snowy Hydro boss doubles down on project timeline despite slow progress and budget blow-out​

• In short: Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes says the project is on track to being operational by December 2028 despite "challenging" conditions.
• A tunnel-boring machine has worked through 850 metres of sediment since March 2022 in difficult and challenging geological conditions.
• What's next? It still has about 15 kilometres of tunnels to bore, which are expected to be completed by late 2027.

Snowy Hydro boss doubles down on 2028 project timeline despite Florence the machine struggles

Chief executive Dennis Barnes says Snowy 2.0 will be complete on time despite one of three tunnel-boring machines moving slower than expected.

www.abc.net.au

Sounds like pretty slow progress to me.

It really doesn't bode well for the transition, when you consider they need a lot more Snowy 2 size long term storage facilities, one would hope some new ones are announced soon as time frame and costs keep blowing out on major projects.
But I do keep forgetting it is ordained, by the political cult, so it will happen. Lol
Hopefully they will be aroind to see it eventuate, but. I doubt it

 

[basilio]

A bit more detail on the solar storm that is happening and possible effects.
It turns out the earth missed a huge solar storm by only 9 days in 2012.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4656344-solar-storm-hits-us-questions/

 

[qldfrog]

It really doesn't bode well for the transition, when you consider they need a lot more Snowy 2 size long term storage facilities, one would hope some new ones are announced soon as time frame and costs keep blowing out on major projects.
But I do keep forgetting it is ordained, by the political cult, so it will happen. Lol
Hopefully they will be aroind to see it eventuate, but. I doubt it

Not sure we will either...

 

[qldfrog]

Queensland in secret bid to buy stricken coal-fired power plant

It’s three years since Queensland power station Callide C blew up, and the fallout hasn’t stopped. Now, a secret deal for the government to buy a 50 per cent stake is in doubt.

www.afr.com

Ahh the irony

 

[sptrawler]

This is an interesting article, it sounds like Ausgrid is going to charge people with solar panels, who export in the middle of the day.
I wonder if the home owner, will ask for the option to fit an export control device, so that they don't export during the middle of the day?
Then that leads to, who supplies the excess power to charge the grid storage, another mess in the making?

New tariff will punish solar panel owners who produce too much power

New 1.2 cent kilowatt hour penalty between 10am and 3pm.

www.newcastleherald.com.au

 

[qldfrog]

This is an interesting article, it sounds like Ausgrid is going to charge people with solar panels, who export in the middle of the day.
I wonder if the home owner, will ask for the option to fit an export control device, so that they don't export during the middle of the day?
Then that leads to, who supplies the excess power to charge the grid storage, another mess in the making?

New tariff will punish solar panel owners who produce too much power

New 1.2 cent kilowatt hour penalty between 10am and 3pm.

www.newcastleherald.com.au

If so, obviously power must be free for anyone between 10am and 3pm, we are doing ausgrid a favour..
Bands of corrupt crooks

 

[Smurf1976]

If so, obviously power must be free for anyone between 10am and 3pm, we are doing ausgrid a favour..
Bands of corrupt crooks

How did I guess that this would be being discussed when I saw someone had posted in this thread.

It's a timely reminder that whilst anything can happen in the short term, fundamentals always win out in the end. That's especially so when it comes to physics - unlike politicians who use words, physics works the exact same way each and every time. That being so, the outcome of doing something is 100% predictable.

 

[SirRumpole]

This is an interesting article, it sounds like Ausgrid is going to charge people with solar panels, who export in the middle of the day.
I wonder if the home owner, will ask for the option to fit an export control device, so that they don't export during the middle of the day?
Then that leads to, who supplies the excess power to charge the grid storage, another mess in the making?

New tariff will punish solar panel owners who produce too much power

New 1.2 cent kilowatt hour penalty between 10am and 3pm.

www.newcastleherald.com.au

How absurd. Wasn't there a requirement on (someone) to provide storage ? Power going to waste and the producers being charged for it. Ridiculous.