Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Gold/Mining/Energy : Big Dog's Boom Boom Room -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Claude who wrote (70804)	9/11/2006 12:55:22 PM
From: cyesp	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 206089

Edit, I have heard that almost half the electricity generated is lost in transmition, the remainder is lost in generation. Wikipedia says that line losses are only 7%. en.wikipedia.org Combined cycle plants are 60% efficient, so 47% of the energy used to generate electricity is lost, most due to thermodynamics.

To: Claude who wrote (70804)	9/11/2006 1:16:00 PM
From: ChanceIs	Respond to of 206089

As I recall, given the best available materials, the thermal efficiency of a typical Rankine cycle power plant is about 33% (67% of the BTU content of the fuel goes up the stack). By comparison, the other day, I was Googling for small diesel engines, and I stumbled upon the world's largest diesel engine. That puppy develops 50% efficiency. Aside from the thermal efficiency, there is the question of transforming the mechanical work represented by a spinning turbine shaft into electricity. I can't speak to that. Line losses (transmission) can add up. Someone else on this thread said 7%. That is more than I knew at the start of the day. So from the coal pile to your washing machine, yes the losses could be 70%, slightly more than the 2/3 you were told. They used to build coal fired plants in the middle of the cities, and use the waste heat (steam) for heating. It keeps the transmission losses down, and the waste heat is used, instead of raising river temperatures. I could go with small nukes downtown - they have them in submarines after all. Don't hold your breath for that to happen - at least not until the lights go out.