Underwater Wind Turbines

[Raiden256]

Originally posted by: iroast
What about highway turbines that harness the wind generated by passing cars?

No fair. You stole my idea. I've been saying this for years...

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Raiden256

Originally posted by: iroast
What about highway turbines that harness the wind generated by passing cars?

No fair. You stole my idea. I've been saying this for years...

I believe they already have something like that some underpasses in downtown Atlanta. I assume that's what those fans on the ceilings are for...

 

[Greenman]

My guess is the environmentalists will kill the whole idea.

 

[Mucho]

Thats an old idea I remember reading many years ago in Popular Mechanics ( I think ) about wave powered generators.

 

[RossGr]

Originally posted by: BrownTown
Also, doesn't seem like much of an energy solution, said that even ideally if placed in every available location it could only provide half what hydro does which means it would be like 5% of our power needs.

Every little bit helps. If we were to use all of the small local energy sources, wind where it is reliable, solar in the hot regions, water turbines where effetive. We would be reducing the need for fossil fuels AND perhaps even better we would be decentralizing the power sources, making them a harder target for terrorist activity. It is a win win situation.

 

[GreenGhost]

That's even cooler:

http://www.oceanpd.com/Pelamis/default.html

 

[GreenGhost]

More choices

http://peswiki.com/energy/Directorycean_Wave_Energy

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Nice to see people now freaking out and searching for alternative energy sources that do not use fossil fuels. Good job people, wait until the very end and then start freaking out.

 

[BillyBatson]

HA that is ture why did i never think about that
sounds cool

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: TuxDave
Anyone want to refresh my memory? If you increase tidal drag wouldn't you accelerate the rate that the moon is receding from the earth?

By just envisioning it quick, if seems that if allowing the tides normally also allows the Moon to move away from Earth (Earth's rotation slows as a result, conservation of angular momentum), then restricting the motion of the tides would also act against this momentum transfer, preventing the Moon from receding as quickly.

I imagined that the drag of tidal water across the surface of the early slows down its rotation which will allow the moon to move across from the earth. The turbines are an added source of friction causing the drag to increase (by an amount greater than zero) and causing the rotation of the earth to slow even faster (by an amount greater than zero)... hence... the moon moves away faster.

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: illusion88

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
I hope they spin slow enough that they don't interfere with wildlife. By the way, won't they move the moon closer to the earth by dampening tidal activity?

hahaha
The tides don't control the moon, the moon controls the tides!

The moon is in orbits the earth. Because of the moons gravity, the water is pulled towards it causing the tides. If we were to artifically change the tides, it would have no effect on the moons orbit whatsoever.

If the gravity caused by the water has any effect on the moon, it's mathmatically insignificant compared the gravity caused by the earth

1) I agree it's insignificant
2) I disagree that tides have no effect on the orbit of the moon.

Stolen from Wikipedia

This tidal lag gives rise to a gravitational torque on the Moon that results in the gradual transfer of angular momentum to its orbit, and a gradual increase in the Earth-Moon separation. As a result of the principle of conservation of angular momentum, the rotational velocity of the Earth is correspondingly slowed. Thus, over geologic time, the Moon recedes from the Earth and the length of the terrestrial day increases.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal

 

[Eeezee]

Tidal generators have been around for a very long time...

As for the moon comments... theoretically running your car would accelerate or decelerate the Earth's spin. You can't use cars anymore.

You can't walk anymore either, that can cause the same thing. Oh no!