Early Risers.

[jamie92208]

18 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

With all due respect to Mr Tesla it might make a lot of sense to revert to high-voltage DC for a lot of power transmission, even to homes. AC did make sense but electronics have rendered it slightly redundant.

I can recall a coversation with my brother's future father in law in the early 70's. He was a high voltage switchgear engineer and academic. He mentioned a link being built into London at that time and that it was DC. He did say that there were technical advantages to using DC over AC for such links but I can't remember  why.

 

Jamie

Edited January 12, 2020 by jamie92208

[tigerburnie]

Busy day tomorrow, so an early night.

G'night all

[pH]

5 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

In my opinion, the biggest thing that needs to flip is the centralized generation model to a distributed generation model. 

 

Small (relatively) unobtrusive cylinder wind turbines are readily available for widespread, distributed power generation where solar power might not be the best choice.

 

But what happens when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow? You still (IMO) have to have a large, centralised backup system for occasions like that.

 

5 hours ago, BoD said:

It has long been known that fossil fuels were a finite resource (I even featured on radio in the 70’s regarding this topic) and will soon be, for this and eco-reasons, a thing of the past. 

 

Expand that beyond "fossil fuels" to "hydrocarbons". While a lot of the hydrocarbons extracted are burned, a lot also go as feedstock for synthetic processes, mainly of plastics. Try to imagine a modern world without plastics! I found this book:

 

"The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century" by James Howard Kunstler

 

raised a lot of points I had not considered before. I certainly don't agree with all he says, but it was definitely thought-provoking.

 

4 hours ago, AndyID said:

I think the railroads could use it as a means to reduce fuel consumption to cross mountain ranges like The Rockies. They could make a lot of liquid nitrogen on the way back down!

 

They certainly waste a lot of energy burning off generated electricity in dynamic brakes. I've often wondered why no railroad has thought about capturing that wasted energy in some way. Or maybe they have, and decided it wasn't (yet?) cost-effective.

 

Edited January 13, 2020 by pH
Grammar

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

I can recall a coversation with my brother's future father in law in the early 70's. He was a high voltage switchgear engineer and academic. He mentioned a link being built into London at that time and that it was DC. He did say that there were technical advantages to using DC over AC for such links but I can't remember  why.

 

DC does make sense for long distance lines. They lose a lot less energy in the form of heat and you only need two wires instead of four. It also means you don't need to synchronize the generating systems at both ends. That would be a PITA between France and the UK. Presumably the IOM now runs synchronous with the UK. (Which also means the UK is synchronized to the IOM.)

 

Another reason is that for very long lines (Russia for example) the wavelength at 50Hz becomes a significant percentage of the actual distance. I think it's a bit unlikely but conceivably you could get into a situation where there is a standing wave in the line in which case there will be places that don't receive any power at all, at all

 

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by AndyID
!

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

It seems that half the UK coast now has a forest of offshore windmills visible.  Or at night a mass of red lights.  I'm not sure whether I like the view but compared with the prospect of ongoing coal or oil generation of the power which allows me to type this then I suppose it's a price worth paying.  

 

There are the huge reservoirs just west of us here which could have solar panels fitted.  And there is the alleged huge waste of money which is the Hayle wave hub connected to a land base in my adopted home town in west Cornwall and which has yet, apparently, to generate any power whatsoever.  

The Hayle wave Hub is exactly what it says on the tin - a hub which has connections to various sites around the hub plus a connection to the shore.  The sites are there purely for wave power generation experiments and trials and for no other reason at all, it is not there to generate power as such but purely to allow assessment and testing of ideas and experiments for generation by wave power.  I don't know if things have changed but the last time we were there, in 2015 on the ship servicing the marker buoys, there were no active experiments taking place and it would seem to have been little used up to that date.

https://www.wavehub.co.uk/wave-hub-site

 

I do wonder incidentally about the offshore wind farms.  Over the past half a dozen or so years I think I have seen almost all of those around the English and Welsh coasts and in that time its been a toss up as to whether I've seen more working or more not working.  Even on the windfarms which have been working I have never seen all the generators working at any one time - they need maintenance (which increasingly involves some extremely sophisticated and expensive ships using such things as synchronised motion gangways and cranes so although the ship moves the gangway connection to the pylon stays in the same place in the pylon).  And they can't generate if the wind is not strong enough and equally they automatically feather the blades if the wind is too strong so they will only generate power if wind speed is in a certain range

[newbryford]

On 11/01/2020 at 10:38, Happy Hippo said:

(Tact and diplomacy being my middle names.)

 

And you had your fingers crossed when you typed that................

Edited January 12, 2020 by newbryford

[Coombe Barton]

11 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

And they can't generate if the wind is not strong enough and equally they automatically feather the blades if the wind is too strong so they will only generate power if wind speed is in a certain range

Like this

 

25m/s is just on the boundary of severe gale force 9/storm force 10 on the Beaufort scale, and 14 m/s is the boundary between near gale force 7 and Gale force 8. 3.5m/s is the boundary between force 2, light breeze, and force 3, gentle breeze

 

I use this in my Climate Change teaching, from here

http://www.wind-power-program.com/turbine_characteristics.htm

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by Coombe Barton

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, pH said:

 

They certainly waste a lot of energy burning off generated electricity in dynamic brakes. I've often wondered why no railroad has thought about capturing that wasted energy in some way. Or maybe they have, and decided it wasn't (yet?) cost-effective.

 

 

Probably not cost effective yet. The potential for increased fuel efficiency is significant but I don't think it's enough to offset the additional equipment cost. It would probably need at least one additional N2 generator/brake and plumbing to capture the waste heat from the diesel locos.

 

The great thing about nitrogen is it's hard to avoid. We can use it as an energy "sink" then vent it back into the atmosphere.

[newbryford]

On 11/01/2020 at 19:02, jamie92208 said:

We had fun with that. Ebay won't alliw deliveries to 3rd party addresses so I get postage to France added automatically.  Barclaycard didn't like us having an address in France, they gave me a list of countries that were allowed, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey and IOM.  I said, "It's OK to live in a tax haven (apologies to NHN) But not in a country with a tax treaty with the UK.  The girl obviously didn't understand  irony.  They just cancelled the card.

 

Jamie

 

I have 5 ebay/paypal delivery addresses................. If only to avoid the prying eyes of Mrs NB.

No problems with any of them - even though one of them is her work address!

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Today some more progress has been made in the cellar. I was lucky with the weather this morning, it held off long enough for me to set up my workmate outside the shed and cut the 5 drawer fronts. I think I’d only been back in the cellar about 20 minutes when it started to rain again! Once cut they were rubbed down and holes were marked and drilled for the handles and the fixing brackets. By the end of the afternoon, they were all done and fitted to the drawers, see photo below.

 

 

Tomorrow I will take the drawer fronts off and remove the handles ready for the application of some primer, undercoat and finally top coat. I’m hoping that they will all be done before Sheila’s next cataract operation, which is on Friday, but I think I may be pushing it a wee bit. 

 

Tonight’s tea was real winter food, Sheila had liver, however, as I don’t like liver, I had a couple of sausages instead, they were served with some boiled potatoes, winter greens (spinach, cabbage, kale etc) and onion gravy! This was followed by a small portion of bread and butter pudding and custard. 

 

Goodnight all 

Edited January 12, 2020 by BSW01

[newbryford]

On 11/01/2020 at 15:33, The Stationmaster said:

Except the ones which were 1P, or the ones which were 2P, or the ones which were 1F, or the ones which were 2F, or even the ones which were 3F.  (for the sake of historical accuracy you will understand)

 

 

 

So panniers aren't all the same?

 

*faints*...............

Edited January 13, 2020 by newbryford

[AndyID]

14 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

I do wonder incidentally about the offshore wind farms.  Over the past half a dozen or so years I think I have seen almost all of those around the English and Welsh coasts and in that time its been a toss up as to whether I've seen more working or more not working.  Even on the windfarms which have been working I have never seen all the generators working at any one time - they need maintenance (which increasingly involves some extremely sophisticated and expensive ships using such things as synchronised motion gangways and cranes so although the ship moves the gangway connection to the pylon stays in the same place in the pylon).  And they can't generate if the wind is not strong enough and equally they automatically feather the blades if the wind is too strong so they will only generate power if wind speed is in a certain range

 

I'm not a big fan of them either (see what I did there?) but they do work and they won't be very difficult to get rid of if/when we come up with something better. Anything that keeps fossil carbon fossilized works for me.

[newbryford]

Work has been worked for a couple of days. One more to work, then two days off as my rota has to cover my colleague being absent for 5 days from Thursday.

 

Hockey was watched - a game of three halves.............................

 

Whitley Warriors were in town for the first time this season - usually a good game with plenty of action. 

P1 was a close encounter, ending 2-3. Last week's penalty shot hero  made up for it tonight by missing one.

P2 - a quick start by the Warriors and it's 3-5 before 5 minutes have elapsed - ending 2-6 at the end of P2, with all the play going to the opponents - the shots on goal stats were 9-29 to confirm the visiting team dominance,

P3 and the final score is 3-6 with a much better performance form the Hawks.

We just seem to be going through a typical mid-season lull as injuries and absences mount up to put pressure on the already small squad of players.

 

Next Saturday is the home leg of the Midlands cup semi-final against Sutton Swing. For whatever reason, Sutton always seem to play a better game against the Hawks than their league form promises.

 

Have a good week folks.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Been busy this afternoon/evening, knocked over another pile of old and not so old magazines. I piled them temporarilly on my bed so I've had to sort them out or sleep in the armchair tonight. They are now sorted and I have a bulging pink sack for the recycling. The lurgi hasn't troubled me much today, the coughing seems to be over, just the odd sniffle, but still taking the Lem-sip/whisky tonight.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Coombe Barton]

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

25m/s is just on the boundary of severe gale force 9/storm force 10 on the Beaufort scale, and 14 m/s is the boundary between near gale force 7 and Gale force 8. 3.5m/s is the boundary between force 2, light breeze, and force 3, gentle breeze

And it varies by where you are in the UK. Just found this and speed map. For conversion 1 knot is about 1/2 m/s.

 

Edited January 13, 2020 by Coombe Barton

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[J. S. Bach]

Hmmm, The City has little wind and Eire is green? The things that I learn here!

[J. S. Bach]

Night Awl from a sometimes wet Piedmont.

[AndyID]

I see the Scotland/Ireland bridge is currently in vogue. An "expert" is even proposing it should support rail traffic. Will it be dual gauge?

 

Answers in an unmarked brown envelope enclosing a five-pound note to;

 

Horace A Batchelor

PO BOX 1234

CDA, ID 83814

[AndyID]

2 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

And it varies by where you are in the UK. Just found this and speed map. For conversion 1 knot is about 1/2 m/s.

 

 

With some efficient power transmission (and a bit of storage technology) the Outer Hebrides could become a significant energy producer. But would that result in a political inconvenience?

 

[jamie92208]

Morning all.  Here there has just been a public enquiry into builing a wind form on the other side of the village to us. 8 turbines, 2 in our commune and 6 in our neighbouring one. The initial pkan would have givven the vilkage about €5K per annum. A new formula will now give us approx €13K with €40K going to Romaziers. If approval is given construction should start this year. I will watch with interest.

 

Anyway, it's still dark here but the house is quiet, morning orders have not yet been posted and the log burner is going well.  Hopefully some more painting will take place but first there is the ironing.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie.

PS

6 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

I have 5 ebay/paypal delivery addresses................. If only to avoid the prying eyes of Mrs NB.

No problems with any of them - even though one of them is her work address!

Thanks for that I must investigate. However the last time I bought something off Ebay the seller told me he could only post to my registered address.

 

 

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Watching the whirlygigs off Walney when I worked in Barrow (and despite the map Barrow is a very, very windy place) the blades could be feathered for days at a time. The maintenance ships were employed a lot to keep them in operation. I do know the gearboxes on some were susceptible to stripping..i am sure my German engineering colleagues will have fixed that problem now?

 

Time to grab a mugatea and get the day working for me. I will have a long (but hopefully enjoyable) day. Time to go walkabout as they say in some places on the planet 

Baz

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

I made the trek to Stevenage yesterday, taking breakfast in the "other" 'Spoons, ie the Standing Order in the High Street where parking was much less problematic than it can be at 6 pm on a weekday evening.  In the show I was pleased and relieved that there was an adquate supply of chairs at the demo stands and had many cordial conversations.  Eventually fatigue set in and I was on my way home by soon after 3pm.  The lurgi appears to be nocturnal, having once again made its presence felt in the wee small hours with a debilitating and explosive coughing fit.  I am now thoroughly fed up with it and will seek an audience with the minor illness nurse as it seems unlikely that it will cure itself.  It is not my way to use chemical warfare to treat illness but even I have to bow to conventional wisdom at times.

 

What will happen to my diary engagements this week remains to be seen.  Tomorrow I am with Poorly Pal during the day - oh, the irony - to enable some m*d*ll*ng.  On Wednesday there is the quarterly Area Group lunch in Harpenden, usually a convivial occasion, and on Friday a concert at The Stables called "Field and Dyke".  The album of that title features songs with an accompaniment of agricultural machinery which could be difficult to replicate in the confines of Stage 2.  The crunch will come on Saturday.  Clearly I cannot be in Whittlesey and Cardiff at the same time.  The way I feel at the moment suggests that I will attend neither event.  This is at least even handed, though frustrating.

 

Oh yes, there is a pile of ironing awaiting attention.   Just another manic Monday.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris