Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat

[ScienceRocks]

Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat


Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat : TreeHugger

A patent application from the computing giant Apple claims to be able to store wind power as heat, and then release it on demand to generate electricity.

Apple doesn't just confine itself to innovation in computer and mobile technology, but also pursues ideas in other areas, such as renewable energy. A patent for a design for "On-Demand Generation of Electricity from Stored Wind Energy" was filed by the company in June 2011, and if it pans out, the new technology could help to even out the supply and demand disparities in wind power.

Because wind speeds aren't constant throughout the day and throughout the year, one of the big hurdles for wind power has been developing efficient and cost-effective storage for the energy being generated by the turbines.

Instead of converting the kinetic energy from the rotation of the blades on the turbine directly into electricity, this design calls for converting the rotational energy into heat, which can then be stored and used to generate electricity on demand.

 

[jodylee]

I prefer the pumping of water to high ground as a storage, its hard to keep heat contained, a lot of wastage, but its nice to see apple trying.

 

[bripat9643]

Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat


Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat : TreeHugger

A patent application from the computing giant Apple claims to be able to store wind power as heat, and then release it on demand to generate electricity.

Apple doesn't just confine itself to innovation in computer and mobile technology, but also pursues ideas in other areas, such as renewable energy. A patent for a design for "On-Demand Generation of Electricity from Stored Wind Energy" was filed by the company in June 2011, and if it pans out, the new technology could help to even out the supply and demand disparities in wind power.

Because wind speeds aren't constant throughout the day and throughout the year, one of the big hurdles for wind power has been developing efficient and cost-effective storage for the energy being generated by the turbines.

Instead of converting the kinetic energy from the rotation of the blades on the turbine directly into electricity, this design calls for converting the rotational energy into heat, which can then be stored and used to generate electricity on demand.

The inefficiencies for such a process would be enormous.

 

[Old Rocks]

As inefficient as shutting the mill down when we have too much generation?

 

[ScienceRocks]

Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat


Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat : TreeHugger

A patent application from the computing giant Apple claims to be able to store wind power as heat, and then release it on demand to generate electricity.

Apple doesn't just confine itself to innovation in computer and mobile technology, but also pursues ideas in other areas, such as renewable energy. A patent for a design for "On-Demand Generation of Electricity from Stored Wind Energy" was filed by the company in June 2011, and if it pans out, the new technology could help to even out the supply and demand disparities in wind power.

Because wind speeds aren't constant throughout the day and throughout the year, one of the big hurdles for wind power has been developing efficient and cost-effective storage for the energy being generated by the turbines.

Instead of converting the kinetic energy from the rotation of the blades on the turbine directly into electricity, this design calls for converting the rotational energy into heat, which can then be stored and used to generate electricity on demand.

The inefficiencies for such a process would be enormous.

It's already inefficent as most of the heat doesn't go to energy. This is just taking that "waste" heat and directly turning it to electricy.

 

[bripat9643]

Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat


Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat : TreeHugger

The inefficiencies for such a process would be enormous.

It's already inefficent as most of the heat doesn't go to energy. This is just taking that "waste" heat and directly turning it to electricy.

There is no "waste heat" from wind power generation. what they are talking about is converting the electric power to heat and storing that heat instead of storing the electric power in batteries. there would be in inevitable loss of at least 60% of the power generated when the heat is converted back to electricity again. The most efficient coal fired plants convert less than 40% of the energy from coal into electricity.

 

[truman]

While there is a large push for alternative energy programs in the states, most would not think that those on the frontlines are also participating in this effort by converting everyday waste into energy. The Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery II prototype (TGER) is a trailer-towed machine that uses everyday waste and garbage to generate both electricity and fuel for a generator.

 

[zonly1]

As inefficient as shutting the mill down when we have too much generation?

Shut the FUCK UP....you're post are irrelevants at this time so why bother with center of attention crap.

 

[zonly1]

Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat


Apple's New Wind Tech Design Generates and Stores Heat : TreeHugger

A patent application from the computing giant Apple claims to be able to store wind power as heat, and then release it on demand to generate electricity.

Apple doesn't just confine itself to innovation in computer and mobile technology, but also pursues ideas in other areas, such as renewable energy. A patent for a design for "On-Demand Generation of Electricity from Stored Wind Energy" was filed by the company in June 2011, and if it pans out, the new technology could help to even out the supply and demand disparities in wind power.

Because wind speeds aren't constant throughout the day and throughout the year, one of the big hurdles for wind power has been developing efficient and cost-effective storage for the energy being generated by the turbines.

Instead of converting the kinetic energy from the rotation of the blades on the turbine directly into electricity, this design calls for converting the rotational energy into heat, which can then be stored and used to generate electricity on demand.

Here's a link 4-5years ago:
Flexible Nanoantenna Arrays Capture Abundant Solar Energy

1) nanoantennas also have the potential to act as cooling devices that draw waste heat from buildings or electronics without using electricity.

While methods to convert the energy into usable electricity still need to be developed, the sheets could one day be manufactured as lightweight "skins" that power everything from hybrid cars to iPods with higher efficiency than traditional solar cells

The nanoantennas target mid-infrared rays, which the Earth continuously radiates as heat after absorbing energy from the sun during the day.

[C] nfrared radiation is an especially rich energy source because it also is generated by industrial processes such as coal-fired plants.

[D] Every process in our industrial world creates waste heat," says INL physicist Steven Novack. "It's energy that we just throw away."

[E] The nanoantennas are tiny gold squares or spirals set in a specially treated form of polyethylene, a material used in plastic bags. While others have successfully invented antennas that collect energy from lower-frequency regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as microwaves, infrared rays have proven more elusive. Part of the reason is that materials' properties change drastically at high-frequency wavelengths, Kotter says.

 

[whitehall]

So-called "concept" or theoretical patents are issued all the time. Sometimes the stuff is actually built but most of the time it isn't.