("Sylvain" wrote)
then could it still have a practical use as a means of storing
energy instead? I mean, producing ethanol using the output of
say nuclear plants (ok, replace that with wind mills or whatever
takes your fancy if 'nuclear' is against your religion); it was
my (probably mistaken) understanding that the output of a nuclear
plant could not easily be throttled up or down...


100% my idea also.

About NP being throttled up or down:
First: STOP trying to replace the Hoover Dam with each Nuclear Power plant
built! (Had to say that)

Each ethanol plant would have two small (tiny tiny tiny) McNuke Plants.
Tiny! If one is down, the other one chugs along.

Second: Chugging along - Store the surplus energy like an old lighthouse -
wind up the weight, release the weight. If each McNuke plant had a number of
large, in ground, weight tubes to 'work on' when the ethanol plant was down,
that would solve that problem. It would smooth out the spikes and allow the
McNuke plant to be CS -- constant speed. Sell to the grid if you have too
much stored capacity at the end of the month, quarter, whatever.

Third: Have an ethanol generator (for back up) to the Atomic Lighthouse
design - in case you get in a bind some afternoon. "Accounting sold too much
power at 'peak' prices again today, so we're short on 2nd shift ...again!"

Is there a way to make a buck from these fantastic ideas? A MacArthur
Fellows Program "genius grant?" Anything? g

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4051423

http://www.macfound.org/programs/fel/fel_overview.htm


Montblack