81–90 of 169 posts
Since the article mentions the Kaliningrad exclave: what will actually happen with it once the Baltic states shut down the power lines to Russia? Then there will also be no way to transfer power from Russia to Kaliningrad - will they be forced to only rely on those power plants the article mentions?
This is why the common trope of "The grid can't function without the inertia from big heavy generators!!" detracting the rise of renewables is invalid. Synthetic grid strength has been available for a century. Today the research focuses on "Grid forming inverters". Taking the same principle as powering a home in island mode and stretching it to the entire grid allowing non-synchronous generators to provide the system…
this article is about using very high mass alternators to stabilize the grid's frequency
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I don't see how it implies that. In a DC power supply, for example, you can stick a regular capacitor (condenser) in parallel with the DC output and it will smooth out fluctuations in the voltage. The energy stored in that capacitor isn't available for you to use. You need the capacitor to stay charged so it can maintain the target voltage level. The only way to get a capacitor to be at a certain voltage is to charge…
The flywheel is directly connected to the synchronous condenser's rotor, and that rotor is locked to the grid's frequency. The grid's frequency must be maintained within a very narrow range (for a variety of reasons), so the actual speed difference of the flywheel between "full" and "the grid is shutting down" is very small and so most of the energy cannot be put into the grid. This is why flywheel storage uses varia…
You mean, "Though 97% of that energy isn’t available to the grid COMMA as the name synchronous condenser implies."
You don't mean (as I read it before), "Though 97% of that energy isn’t available to the grid, and the name synchronous condenser implies the energy is available."
HVDC facilities look like something out of a scifi movie: * https://new.abb.com/news/detail/19701/abb-wins-600-mw-hvdc-o...
... meanwhile, it's hard to believe that Japan still runs two separate grids at two separate frequencies. Seems like it'd be worth sorting out a transition plan instead of building that sort of facility, and (presumably) a bunch of others just like it.
It does seem a little weird though.
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I found this article from bloomberg on the event! > Europe’s grid, which is usually connected from Lisbon to Istanbul, split into two as the northwest and southeast regions struggled to keep the same frequency. The problem originated in Croatia and led to the equivalent of 200,000 households losing power across Europe. Supply to industrial sites was cut in France and Italy. > Transmission grids need to stay at a freq…
Apologise to pick nits, but if it is not Turkey it is Türkiye. The former is perfectly fine in English.
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https://amberkinetics.com Advantages over chemical batteries: >85% round trip efficiency (DC) >No daily cycling limitations >No degradation over time >Full power over full State-of-Charge range >No HVAC required >Operates in hot and cold environments (-20C to 50C) >Fast response time ( >Sustainable and recyclable all-steel design >Safe & reliable–no fire hazard >Lower O&M cost >30-year design life
Thanks -- what about disadvantages? Surely it's not all advantages.
1. Pumped hydro is currently best for long term-storage. The lack of other cost-competitive long-term storage options is currently one of the biggest issues with renewables and an active area of investigation.
2. Batteries are good for daily smoothing (i.e. when the sun goes down), but they have limited charge/discharge cycles, they lose charge over time, and they don't, as of yet, have storage capacities needed for long term storage.
3. As the article points out, flywheels are good at instantly changing output based on changes in the grid, so they're good for frequency regulation and onboarding/offboarding new energy sources. Their biggest downside is their limited capacity compared to other tech.
HVDC facilities look like something out of a scifi movie: * https://new.abb.com/news/detail/19701/abb-wins-600-mw-hvdc-o...
Indeed, they do. The Wikipedia page photos are some of my favorite photos of power tech. Another thing that made a really strong impression was visiting a power dam and realizing that it was almost dead quiet while an enormous amount of power was being generated. Just a slight hum and a vibration in the floor, that was all.
As an aside, one of the most stunning proofs of how successful the European Union is happened with the grid. On 8 January 2021, the synchronous area of Continental Europe split into two, the system separation resulted in a deficit of power (approx. -6.3 GW) in the North-West Area and a surplus of power (approx. +6.3 GW) in the South-East Area, The reaction speed was something to behold. The event happened at 14:05 CE…
>As an aside, one of the most stunning proofs of how successful the European Union is happened with the grid. On 8 January 2021, the synchronous area of Continental Europe split into two The European grid has nothing to do with the EU. The grid includes non-EU countries like Switzerland and Norway. The UK did not leave the grid after Brexit; its interconnections with Ireland and the continent still exist. The US and…
Since the article mentions the Kaliningrad exclave: what will actually happen with it once the Baltic states shut down the power lines to Russia? Then there will also be no way to transfer power from Russia to Kaliningrad - will they be forced to only rely on those power plants the article mentions?
The article explains this. Russia built 4 new gas fired power plants and an LNG import station at a port in Kaliningrad. The enclave is self sufficient now.
Flywheels are underrated tech for both stability and decentralized energy storage. They should receive environmental funding just like solar and wind do.