Solving the UK's energy problems.

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Putting stuff on the sea bed is a pain, why not have them on pontoons? Where's the current depth wise?
I've never dived in UK but in some places you can really notice a different current when you go from one side of thermocline layer to other.

How many turbines depends how big you make them... You could make them massive, the power potential is huge

Your thinking about sea snake.
The theory on that is brilliant it was in the 1970's and 80's when it was trialled and the costs is not too major.

With regards to the Nuclear argument France is the leader in that but its the decommissioning that is the T***.
We're the first to consider full decommissioning and were spending all the cash so everyone can do it cheaper

No, Not The Sea Snake, as thats wave generation. More like a load of these but sub surface...

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Berlin

How much does a neuclear power plant cost? I'm sure you could buy a few dozen generators for that. The generators could be lowered to the sea bed and winched up for serviceing when required.

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

And these turbine jobbies just grow magically from the seabed do they?

Won't annoy the hippies as much as nuclear, which is a shame, but no fuel to have to launch expensively at brown people when it's spent.

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

Your thinking about sea snake.
The theory on that is brilliant it was in the 1970's and 80's when it was trialled and the costs is not too major.

Sea snake?

I'm sure I read somewhere that as global warming melts the ice caps, the cold water will stall the gulf stream.

It does seem crazy that with all the tech we have available, that we haven't cracked this BIG problem yet.

[Teejayexc]

Why not excavate two large channels/pipelines across the middle of the country, say from Grimsby to Liverpool ?

Now taking the fact that high and low tides are at different times on the separate coasts, flow would run one way than back the other way, providing a constant flow for generating turbines etc, and because the water would be flowing in a 'managed' enviroment, t'would be easier to regulate.

Pie in the sky, I dunno, red wine helps with these thoughts.

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Sea snake?

Its wave farms to give them their correct name, geordie bumpkin error

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6410839.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...nda-wave-power

See above.

It seems the only argument for the use of these turbines is that they only produce power when the tide is running, but as its alwasy running at opposite sides of the country, then link them.


C

[yorkie_chris]

Well if they're both linked to the national grid.

Problem I have with it is when the tide isn't favourable you've got your expensive genset sat there scratching it's mechanical nuts.

I like the gulf stream idea. How fast is it going?

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by Berlin

See above.

It seems the only argument for the use of these turbines is that they only produce power when the tide is running, but as its alwasy running at opposite sides of the country, then link them.


C

There is always some sort of tide if theres winds. If there is no winds, were f***ed.

The one that the green batallion have in there bonnets is wind turbines.
The most pointless idea, as for example in the Alnwick area wind turbine on a building average winds speed 0.3 m/s it uses more that it generates

[yorkie_chris]

Tide isn't caused by the wind