Hydrogen infrastructure

[Hay Dude]

Always worth watching what Bosch is up to, and I'd expect things to likely progress faster in Western Europe than here.

They are talking about 20% Hydrogen in the Natgas lines. I'm hoping extensive testing has been done re. the material-science issues that have been pointed out in this thread.

Entire new networks would be the best clean-sheet approach, but I understand the cost pressure to re-use existing networks.

Mention hydrogen, and a lot of people think "Hindenburg", even though many today weren't alive then, and don't realize, or care, that it was originally designed to use helium.....

While minor gasoline, propane, or even natgas explosions don't get much News coverage, it would only take ONE explosion of a hydrogen pipeline to create another legendary story.

Do it right, or don't do it.... please.

Rgds, D.

“Progress” is many times related to regulation. When you say things progress faster over in Western Europe, it’s because they usually also deploy more burdensome safety and emissions regulations.
I wonder if this is really always “progress”?

 

[Grumpycat]

Just announced today was article on SMR's or Small Modular Reactors for future energy power. What's so encouraging about Nuclear Power and safety, is today we are light years ahead of the early 1970 command, sensory and control systems, allowing multiple SMR plants to be built in a given area, depending on the power line transmission grids.

These do not need to be sited near rivers or oceans for water supply. But require pre-mixed gelled water as the dominate cooling fluid, which can be stored on site in tankage. The SMR's can be sized between 30 to 300 MW depending on specific area needs, and make tremendous sense from the power diversity point of view.

Sadly, this is one area the US is way behind the curve due to politics. Apparently China and India are both active in planning and design of these modular nuclear power plants. In fact China has already built several such "suit case" neuclear power plants, using the small reactors typical placed inside a navel aircraft carrier for propulsion, and modified for electrical generation only.

Small modular reactors: The dawn of a new nuclear era

The SMRs are nuclear reactors capable of producing power output between 10 to 300 MWe only. Their modular design and small size allow them to have multiple units on the same site as per the demand.

www.financialexpress.com

Nobody is "behind the curve" on this. The article is hype by a never-done-anything associate professor. All happy words no data, very little fact. "(The author is Associate Professor, School of Liberal Studies (SLS), Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), Gujarat..."

Decades ago American engineers were trying to get funding to build stand-alone small nuclear power generators that would fit on a semi trailer. The design claimed to be inherently safe, mechanically self-regulating. Produced steam to drive an external turbine. Was designed to run 20-30 years without refueling.

We are 8-10 design generations past the ancient reactors used at Fukushima. We really should be replacing the old with new.

 

[3930dave]

The libertarian in me would say that it's faster to make changes with little/no oversight in place.

While I'm no fanboy of Musk (I do respect much of what he's accomplished), he's spoken publicly along the same lines.

That said, I don't think many people would want to see hydrogen rollouts w/o appropriate regulations in place - for the same reasons that propane, natgas, gasoline, diesel etc all have regulations in place.

Given the population densities in Western Europe and their transport systems and social environment, my personal opinion is that their willingness to launch and run with newer energy solutions is higher than in the USA and Canada. But, that's just one guy's take on it, and only time will tell.

I was attending technical training in Vegas years back, and the corporation's lawyer presenting the legal session used an example from his own family's quest for an item. He grew up on a farm, and all the rest of his family farmed in the USA - they needed a really simple water pump of moderate capacity for a remote ranch. The pump had to be really reliable, and easily repaired when needed. Searching the world, they sourced what they needed from a company that designed and built it for the African market - for exactly the main things this lawyer's family were concerned about.

I like to see what's going on in other countries..... sometimes I like, sometimes not. Other times, I just get a bit depressed - I posted my friend's comments in another thread a few years back, about his thoughts on driving a Ford C-Max diesel while visiting Germany. Sometimes it's better not to know .....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Turns out, the plumbers were ahead of the curve.....

Is Hydrogen Water Actually Good For You?

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Just announced today was article on SMR's or Small Modular Reactors for future energy power. What's so encouraging about Nuclear Power and safety, is today we are light years ahead of the early 1970 command, sensory and control systems, allowing multiple SMR plants to be built in a given area, depending on the power line transmission grids.

I noted some time back, Stewart Brands comments on nuke.

When one of the founders of The Whole Earth Catalog is now pro-nuclear, people should take note. SMR does seem like a logical move today.

NIH syndrome doesn't just apply to engineers; also countries.... so that also is a barrier unfortunately.

I think nuclear is an important energy option, and do like the CANDU track record for safety.

Regards, D.

 

[Frankenkubota]

Wind turbine rotors are replaced for the same reason as helicopter rotors. There is a maximum cycle life for the core structure. If they would build the blades out of steel there wouldn't be a limit.

the guy who invented the Ovation guitar, the one with the black plastic rounded back, Cat Stevens, Glen Campbell, Pete Townsend etc, got-his start in the helicopter blade business. I guess he researched vibration issues related to the materials used in the blades.

Richard Kaman?

He ended up owning a number of companies in the aerospace industries. I represented one of them, kaman industries, real high tech stuff for airborne radar.

I met his son at a trade show once and told him i'd had an ovation guitar for years and would always own one....and i still do!

 

[Hay Dude]

Hey! Maybe we can put little turbines in our 3” & 4” PVC pipes and harness the energy of every flush of the toilet!
Dont laugh! I bet toilets get flushed 1/2 billion times a day in the USA

 

[wolc123]

Maybe they could utilize and combine issues with wind turbines and hydrogen production and storage. Hydrogen production takes lots of energy which could be provided by the wind turbine. The storage tank could be incorporated into the turbine support tower.

This would eliminate a problem of high amperage transmission lines over long distances to the remote located wind turbines. When the tanks fill up, the hydrogen could be transferred to trucks or rail cars and moved to distribution centers.

 

[MossRoad]

Hey! Maybe we can put little turbines in our 3” & 4” PVC pipes and harness the energy of every flush of the toilet!
Dont laugh! I bet toilets get flushed 1/2 billion times a day in the USA

Toilets with purpose

Delivering safe sanitation and generating energy from waste for sustainable business growth.

www.loowatt.com

 

[Whidbey]

Hey! Maybe we can put little turbines in our 3” & 4” PVC pipes and harness the energy of every flush of the toilet!
Dont laugh! I bet toilets get flushed 1/2 billion times a day in the USA

I am not laughing, I am crying!. I am afraid someone will see this post and run with it.