One of Google's Project X moonshots, Malta, uses an idea similar to SunAmps to store heat energy which can be then used to generate power. It takes excess PV or wind energy and converts to heat storage. This stored heat energy is then converted back to electricity when required. As Google is behind this and it has a lot of funding it could really help develop the heat battery storage market. I know they're concentrating on large scale at high and low temperatures but the research and development will help with smaller domestic scale uses.

 

https://venturebeat.com/2018/12/19/alphabets-x-lab-spins-out-molten-salt-energy-storage-project-malta-as-an-independent-company/

 

https://x.company/projects/malta/

 

I saw a different way which looked far more appealing .uses old mine shafts 

basically a crane which lifts huge barrels up from bottom of shaft and then puts them on a ledge -this is powered by excess power for wind turbine .etc

when they need the power it hooks on the barrel and then drops it back to bottom of shaft ,but this time its generating electric from weight of barrel lowering down .

Imagine a big mine shaft full of barrels and cranes --simple way to store energy with without new technology    

Mine shaft...isn't that @recoveringacademic's pet name for...

 

40 minutes ago, scottishjohn said:

I saw a different way which looked far more appealing .uses old mine shafts 

basically a crane which lifts huge barrels up from bottom of shaft and then puts them on a ledge -this is powered by excess power for wind turbine .etc

when they need the power it hooks on the barrel and then drops it back to bottom of shaft ,but this time its generating electric from weight of barrel lowering down .

Imagine a big mine shaft full of barrels and cranes --simple way to store energy with without new technology    

 

Energy Vault have got that in a pre production form now. Uses remote cranes and concrete blocks. 

 

https://qz.com/1355672/stacking-concrete-blocks-is-a-surprisingly-efficient-way-to-store-energy/

 

Aren't the Spanish already storing heat in molten salt heated by focused solar? Continues to produce at night too albeit at a lower level.

10 hours ago, Onoff said:

Mine shaft...isn't that @recoveringacademic's pet name for...

 

 

Naaahhh, that's Mein Kampf ya twit.

On 20/12/2018 at 19:33, scottishjohn said:

I saw a different way which looked far more appealing .uses old mine shafts 

basically a crane which lifts huge barrels up from bottom of shaft and then puts them on a ledge -this is powered by excess power for wind turbine .etc

when they need the power it hooks on the barrel and then drops it back to bottom of shaft ,but this time its generating electric from weight of barrel lowering down .

Imagine a big mine shaft full of barrels and cranes --simple way to store energy with without new technology    

https://www.gravitricity.com

 

Was it the above?

58 minutes ago, Mackers said:

https://www.gravitricity.com

 

Was it the above?

yep and i saw the other type which was  barrels lifted by cranes.

been spending far too much time trolling web for building and energy ideas that may be practical 

Edited December 21, 20187 yr by scottishjohn

There is another about pumping water to lift a weight, similar to Gravitricity but using water.

 

Flow batteries seem good too but I need to do more research. They should use materials that are abundant, I see Vanadium costs are now through the roof.

Problem is gravity is quite a weak force so you need to raise quite a lot of mass to store lots of energy. 

 

This lot are proposing to use loaded trains on sloping tracks...

 

https://www.aresnorthamerica.com/grid-scale-energy-storage

 

but there is a lot of gravity around to make use of, anywhere in the world.

same goes for tidal power --trouble is the "money men " want returns quickly which is why the wind farms with government subsides was so popular and pushed through by the bent pocket lining political machines of most countries, that will change when money from governments stop 

same goes  for EV cars instead of hydrogen engines  or lpg conversions for all diesel vehicles in cities -all buses _taxis have space under vehicle for tanks .

they know how much energy required for a day  --could have had clean air in cites 30 years ago

we have been able to convert std engines both diesel +petrol to lpg for last 40 years -

south African diamond mines have been running lpg cat D8 for 4o+ years -only solution then to get the power and not kill all the workers with exhaust fumes

so its not technology that is missing --just some way for the banks +investors to make huge amounts money out of it .

nuclear power is dead ,cos of cost  of recycling + clean up 

now if someone can make a BIG gun and shoot barrels of waste into the sun economically .LOL