Science news of the day thread.

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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by macdoc » Wed Mar 09, 2022 8:07 am

Very good read on the varied outcomes of covid and other infectious diseases..
Why Do Some People Never Get Covid?
March 8, 2022
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/08/opin ... ource=digg
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by macdoc » Wed Mar 09, 2022 10:01 am

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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by macdoc » Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:42 am

Well out of the blue
ENERGY
Fusion tech is set to unlock near-limitless ultra-deep geothermal energy
Image
By Loz Blain
February 25, 2022
https://newatlas.com/energy/quaise-deep ... ave-drill/
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by Brian Peacock » Mon Mar 14, 2022 10:27 pm

This image is a little misleading. The Earth's crust is about 40km deep on average - so locating geothermal is a significant factor in its end-point efficiency. However, effective heat exchange tech can work from 50m - though you'd need to massively scale-out to reap energy in the gigawatt ranges needed for a national grid. Current debates focuses around smaller, local plants vs larger plants that might feed into a wider grid.
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Clinton Huxley » 21 Jun 2012 » 14:10:36 GMT
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by macdoc » Mon Mar 14, 2022 11:12 pm

I think the article covers off that their range of drilling is sufficient to reach power generating heat anywhere there is an existing fossil power station which is brilliant ....every coal fired facility becomes a candidate.

All depends on the gyrotron which exists for a different use.
Image
Quaise plans to drill holes up to 20 km (12.4 miles) deep, significantly deeper than the Kola Superdeep Borehole – but where the Kola team took nearly 20 years to reach their limit, Quaise expects its gyrotron-enhanced process to take just 100 days. And that's assuming a 1-MW gyrotron.
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by laklak » Mon Mar 14, 2022 11:25 pm

That is very fucking cool. LFG!

(My nephew tells me that means "Let's Fucking Go!")
Yeah well that's just, like, your opinion, man.

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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by laklak » Mon Mar 14, 2022 11:27 pm

Brian Peacock wrote:
Mon Mar 14, 2022 10:27 pm
Current debates focuses around smaller, local plants vs larger plants that might feed into a wider grid.
This is where we need to be going, smaller, localized generation.
Yeah well that's just, like, your opinion, man.

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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by macdoc » Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:10 am

Batteries are coming along with small footprints.


But the planet still needs baseload that means big hydro-electric or nukes ( including small nukes ) or geothermal.

The tech above adds an essential source. I think it's brilliant.
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by Brian Peacock » Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:29 am

I wonder to extent people have had their minds refocused around energy production and security in light of Ukraine? Depending on potentates and gangsters for our energy needs is only appealing as long as everybody honours and adheres to rules-based international trade. Even nuclear doesn't look like a safe bet at the moment. At least you can rebuild a wind-farm without your skin peeling off.
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by JimC » Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:45 am

If it could be done next to existing (and relatively new) coal-fired power plants, it would be rather clever. Using the existing turbines, generators and connections to the grid would certainly be a cost reduction, and it would automatically mean that for every geothermal plant that comes on line, a coal-fired one bites the dust...
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by macdoc » Tue Mar 15, 2022 1:07 am

Exactly except it does not need newer plants...any old plant run on steam will do.

In theory it could supplant a nuke.
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by JimC » Tue Mar 15, 2022 2:49 am

macdoc wrote:
Tue Mar 15, 2022 1:07 am
Exactly except it does not need newer plants...any old plant run on steam will do.

In theory it could supplant a nuke.
My reason for saying "newer" was simply that the really old coal-fired plants may have turbines and generators that are older tech and/or towards the end of their useful life...
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by macdoc » Tue Mar 15, 2022 4:27 am

I suppose but really it's the powergrid connections that are important...turbines can be installed for relative peanuts and most coal plants have cooling towers and a water source.

From a quick glance it appears the high costs of new plants are related to the combustion aspect/environment controls rather than the generators.

Image

mature tech even for geothermal

https://sciencing.com/steam-generators- ... 95506.html

https://www.steamforum.com/pictures/SST ... _sheet.pdf

https://www.siemens-energy.com/global/e ... bines.html

It's the drill head that's the unknown....
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by macdoc » Tue Mar 15, 2022 7:20 am

Just a reminder of MITs heritage and penchant for disruption

https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/0 ... ilestones/
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Re: Science news of the day thread.

Post by Brian Peacock » Sun Mar 20, 2022 11:16 pm

Rationalia relies on voluntary donations. There is no obligation of course, but if you value this place and want to see it continue please consider making a small donation towards the forum's running costs.
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There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."

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Clinton Huxley » 21 Jun 2012 » 14:10:36 GMT
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