GE proposes to use artificial sink to generate 500 MW of power inSouthern AZ

On Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:01:44 -0800, Steve Leonard wrote:

So many answers in the latest link Bill Palmer provided. And so many
flaws continuing. And, getting worse.

Yes, an interesting read, so I dug up an air density calculator and had a
play because, as water vapour is lighter than dry air, just how will the
rig would work. It looks as though that that air in the tower will always
sink for reasonable values of the amount of cooling and achievable
percentages of humidity.

I wonder, too, if it will actually run all night: they are talking about
40F cooling in the tower, but one thing I do remember about hot, dry
deserts is that there aren't many clouds at night and the temp drops
pretty rapidly after dark and its damn cold by morning. And, as the temp
drops so will the cooling effect of the water spray. Cold air won't cool
as fast or as far because:
(1) the available temp delta will be less and
(2) cold air can't hold as much water vapor, reducing the cooling effect
of evaporation
(3) one of the reasons the sprayed water evaporates is due to solar
energy input, which isn't there at night.

In answer to your question, Martin, "No, the project sponsors are NOT
putting their money where their mouth is." To quote the article,
"Pickett said the company wouldn’t need to generate much of its own
capital because it would license the technology to a project developer.

So I noticed when I read the follow-up!

Hey, I have this great idea for turning your money into my money...

:-))

It looks like they'd really be better going with a solar updraft tower
(much cheaper - no desalination or pipeline needed) but I guess thats Not
Invented Here and so of no interest.

--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

I have to look at it from a conservation-of-energy standpoint. Where is the energy that is converted to electricity coming from?
The only answer I see is from the heat of the ambient air that transfers to the water droplets to evaporate the water, thus cooling the air, making it more dense. etc.
I'd be amazed if that is more energy than it takes to pump if up 2200 feet,(much less desalinate and pump from 50 miles away)!
Also, when the air passes through those turbines at the bottom, that's going extract energy from the air, and probably re-condense a lot of that water.. Are they going to collect and pump that water back to the top? The more they can, the less water they have to desalinate and pump from the ocean.

On Monday, October 28, 2013 2:24:27 PM UTC-7, son_of_flubber wrote:
http://www.industrytap.com/massive-e...tric-grid/3811



2250 foot high evaporative cooling towers to be used to generate power.

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