Gravity As Energy Source: Land Ideas

[Pal]

[Ein~+ein]

While on the one hand, our armchair ideas appear far closer to tapping actual unused 'free energy' sources than all the Meyer, Tesla, Bedini, and Don Smith devotees' with their replication attempts ... such ideas even if successfully implemented, are not going to amount to much in the grander scheme of things, that is, if reducing carbon emissions is your prime concern. To save the planet, we need gigawatts of green power, and NOW!!!

However, for personal gain, it's worth pursuing such modest efficiency increases because:
a) long-term cost savings will motivate the switch;
b) switching stimulates modest economic growth;
c) gov'ts will support such environmental initiatives.

As an example, look at plans to once again (in my lifetime) replace N.A's streetlamps. Here's another opportunity: gym treadmills and weight machines, if re-engineered (from using to generating electricity), could turn a health club green while significantly reducing or even eliminating their energy costs.

But if you're looking for untapped sources of energy, why not look at what we OVERPRODUCE, particularly at night when demand drops? With your interest in gravity, you may want to look at ways, not of producing, but of storing off-peak electricity using. I think I saw something to this effect in National Geographic a few years back. Maybe you can find it online.

It was storage of this nighttime excess capacity that compelled me to follow the Stan Meyer (water 'fuel cell') replication thread. I was trying to get a sense of whether Jon Abel or others on that thread including this website's co-founder and moderator had increased the efficiency of electrolysis, but surprisingly, no one's making any FE claims. Currently the energy input (of electrolysis) is greater than the energy output (from the resulting hydroxy) suggesting there may be more efficient and safer methods of storing excess capacity, although Meyers claimed to run his car entirely from water. Conspiracy theorists claim he was 'killed' to cover up his secret formula, despite the fact everything he wrote is freely available online. Go figure.

You may want to watch/listen to eco-pioneer Stewart Brand (Whole Earth Catalog) discussing facts and figures on renewables. For example 10% of electrical power in the US comes from recycled soviet warheads. I didn't know that the sun provides 240 watts/sq meter.

[Pal]

Certainly it will not produce huge volumes of energy, but as I mentioned earlier
in tidal energy idea, https://www.energeticforum.com/renew...ergy-idea.html, many countries in North Africa and the Near East have no rivers or hydro capacity at all, these countries would show more interest in land ideas.

[Ein~+ein]

... many countries in North Africa and the Near East have no rivers or hydro capacity at all, these countries would show more interest in land ideas.

...and you're thinking gravity?!? Those places are ideal for solar!!! Spain, for example generates 250 Megawatts of power from just 2 solar stations. You can't get that from elevator efficiency increases. If the entire Sahara desert were one big solar farm, it would generate... [why not research that to get an idea?]

You've got to be realistic. While your creative brainstorming approach to our pressing energy vs environmental sustainability problem is highly commendable, it's unfortunate that there aren't others on this forum doing the same. What's needed is a public think tank to generate the wealth of ideas needed to come up with novel and practical approached from an engineering perspective. You may wish to search around for such a forum and report back if you find one.

[Pal]

[Ein~+ein]

Solar energy is intermittent. At nights and cloudy days it does not work; desert storms could cover the panels and sand abrasion could harm them.

You didn't get my point about the Sahara--can you forget the pragmatics for just a minute and do the math? Furthermore, isn't demand greatest during daylight hours? Of course, there's need for nighttime electricity but that's why I encouraged you to look into what are called energy 'currencies'

[Ein~+ein]

Solar energy is intermittent. At nights and cloudy days it does not work; desert storms could cover the panels and sand abrasion could harm them.

You didn't get my point about the Sahara--can you forget the pragmatics for just a minute and do the math? Furthermore, isn't demand greatest during daylight hours? Of course, there's need for nighttime electricity but that's why I encouraged you to look into what are called energy 'currencies'

[Pal]