Recent Road Trip to the Snowy & Cooma

Cobba I hate nuclear.
The talking heads tell us we only have to solve the problem of waste, but that’s a massive word.
Waste is everything from gloves and protective gear to the actual containment building.
So far we’ve seen the way Russia deals with waste, takes their nuc.subs for a one way trip and holds Europe to ransom by invading Ukraine.
The Japanese experiment continues to irradiate with no end in sight.
It seems the standard response to waste is dig a hole and bury it, preferably in some one else’s backyard.
If you’ve ever had experience with asbestos, you’d know how difficult disposing of waste is.
Plastic bags and bury doesn’t work for nuclear.
There’s a limit to how much you can squeeze into a yacht’s keel or turn into armour piercing projectiles.

Very true about the nuclear waste and how to handle it. I am not pushing the barrow for it either but it is one part of the energy supply chain around the world that is not talked about here in Oz. The fushion side initially sounds ok but what amount of waste does it produce, who knows, not me. Tidal generators are another and Lang mentioned Thermal which I was not aware Australia was using but that is a green option that works.

Lang wrote:

I really don't know what you are pushing Paul but for some reason I seem to be the bad guy if I suggest anything other than all's well.

Lang

Not pushing at anything Lang, you suggested pumped hydro was inefficient, I was curious to learn what is more efficient

I apologize if my question came across as anything else but that

Not matter what we end up with there is going to be pros and cons for everything

Paul

Cobba

When I included thermal it was everything we are doing now using external heat - coal, gas, diesel, jet turbines and maybe in the future a deep hole to tap the earths core. Of course there are several places in Australia eg Birdsville that have been using thermal in the shape of hot bore water, some going back almost 100 years, in chemical heat conversion systems (like reverse cycle aircon) to produce the town electricity.

Here is the Birdsville system
www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC7QYWJ_watt...ab-98d5-42d6fe6eb0ba


Lang

Pumping water in the off peak time may be inefficient, but as power stations can't stop, start or in between, like a road vehicle; inefficient use of power in low demand times is more efficient than throwing the excess power away.
The alternative is to have greater capacity generators and waste more power in the low demand times.

V8Ian wrote:

The alternative is to have greater capacity generators and waste more power in the low demand times.

This is what has been happening pretty much up until the present time, thats why we have so much street lighting, off peak electric hot water systems, the old heat banks in houses and the like

Our current power generation is estimated daily hourly etc and bids put in every 5 minutes from generators for the supply or perhaps I should say over supply of electricity

Excess power goes to things like street lighting and off peak hot water and airconditioning when hooked up to a tariff

A ripple wave is sent thru different parts of the supply grid
This ripple in the sine wave is what switches your hot water and aircon on and off when hooked to a tariff

The Snowy scheme had the feature from its completion that excess power was used to pump water up stream when there was a excess of power



Paul

Mrsmackpaul wrote:

A ripple wave is sent thru different parts of the supply grid
This ripple in the sine wave is what switches your hot water and aircon on and off when hooked to a tariff

Paul

Our Off peak is Controlled by a Clock...
They even put a new Fancy "Smart Meter" in when the Solar was installed. Off peak is now called Controlled Load but is still Timer controlled. Though We have Solar Hot Water & the Of peak backup is really only used in Winter Time...

Here's an Article in Todays Sydney Morning Herald that May Interest you Blokes..

www.smh.com.au/national/five-years-on-sn...20220310-p5a3ge.html

Edit; The Author may have a vested interest in bagging it out though...!!

Cut his criticism in half and it still looks a dismal operation.

hayseed wrote:

Mrsmackpaul wrote:

A ripple wave is sent thru different parts of the supply grid
This ripple in the sine wave is what switches your hot water and aircon on and off when hooked to a tariff

Paul

Our Off peak is Controlled by a Clock...
They even put a new Fancy "Smart Meter" in when the Solar was installed. Off peak is now called Controlled Load but is still Timer controlled. Though We have Solar Hot Water & the Of peak backup is really only used in Winter Time...

This correct for some areas, the tariff or tariffs can be controlled by a time clock still, large parts of the eastern sea board are swung over to ripple switching now

I believe it is were load shedding can be needed and the supply company can switch loads off were there is little to no effect on the customer

The times are different than the old time clock and are no longer between say 11.00 pm to 7.00am.for the hot water

Depending the tariff some are 12 hours of guaranteed power some 18 and some 24 hours

These are switched as needed and not at any particular time

Paul