Is it something in the air ? (Page 10/20)
Cheeper2keeper OCT 17, 10:18 PM



Wichita OCT 17, 10:49 PM
That explains it.

rinselberg OCT 18, 12:27 AM

Forum member Wichita's latest socio-political cartoon.


From Wichita's lips to Joe Biden's ears

Dr. Kathryn Huff is the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, commonly known as "DOE".

Dr. Huff's credentials are manifest, starting with a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, awarded to her in 2013.
https://www.energy.gov/ne/person/dr-kathryn-huff

When Dr. Huff considers the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act, approved by the Senate without a single Republican vote, she sees "Joe-mentum" for a revitalization of the U.S. nuclear energy industry.


quote
President Joe Biden recently signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law marking a historic victory for American families across the country.

The new law promises to lower energy bills for U.S. consumers, provide more access to affordable healthcare, and create thousands of good-paying U.S. jobs in the clean energy sector.

With approximately $369 billion in climate provisions, IRA is the most significant piece of climate legislation in U.S. history. Multiple incentives pave the way for our nuclear energy sector to help ensure energy security and cut U.S. emissions by 40% before the end of the decade.

There is a lot to be excited about in this landmark legislation and the Office of Nuclear Energy can’t wait to support IRA’s implementation.

Momentum is building for U.S. nuclear energy and the investments and tax incentives included in IRA guarantee a commitment to nuclear energy that will continue well throughout the nation’s journey to net-zero.

PRODUCTION TAX CREDITS FOR EXISTING REACTORS
One real IRA game changer for nuclear energy is a production tax credit to help preserve the existing fleet of nuclear plants.

This is a huge priority for our office.

The zero-emission nuclear power production credit provides up to $15 per megawatt-hour for the electricity produced by the plants assuming that labor and wage requirements are met.

This is available for facilities in service in 2024 and would last through 2032, keeping existing reactors competitive with other power generators.

The production tax credit along with the Civil Nuclear Credit (CNC) program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), will support our existing fleet and make sure America maintains its largest source of clean power as well as the high-paying jobs that accompany it!

INCENTIVIZING ADVANCED NUCLEAR DEPLOYMENT
IRA also includes several tax incentives for clean energy technologies, including advanced reactors.

Taxpayers will be able to choose from a technology-neutral production tax credit of $25 per megawatt-hour for the first ten years of plant operation or a 30% investment tax credit on new zero-carbon power plants placed into operation in 2025 or after.

Only one of these credits can be applied to a single facility but both do include a 10% bonus if the power plant is built at a brown field site or a fossil energy community—ensuring social and energy justice for all Americans.

Above and beyond these credits, new and existing reactors can also leverage new production tax credits for up to ten years to generate clean hydrogen, which could expand market opportunities for current and future reactor technologies.

[INVESTING IN A NUCLEAR FUEL SUPPLY CHAIN]
Finally, IRA invests $700 million to support the development of a domestic supply chain for high-assay low-enriched uranium, commonly referred to as HALEU.

This higher enriched fuel is urgently needed to support the deployment of advanced reactors, including DOE’s two demonstration projects with TerraPower and X-energy.

Establishing a U.S. HALEU supply can also play a role in eliminating our current dependence on Russia for 20% of the enrichment and conversion services needed for our nuclear fuel supply.

This money must be applied by 2026 and we plan to use these funds quickly and efficiently to address the industry’s most pressing needs.

IRA also allocates $150 million to our office to improve the overall R&D infrastructure at our national labs that could also support these and other nuclear energy research capabilities!

MAINTAINING MOMENTUM
With the recent passage of the BIL, IRA, and CHIPS and Science Act, the U.S. is putting its money where its mouth is to deliver a brighter, cleaner, and more prosperous economic future for our country.

Recent DOE analysis estimates that the clean energy provisions from IRA and BIL alone could reduce carbon emissions by 1 million metric tons as we drive technology innovation to enable longer-term emissions reductions across our industrial, transportation and power sectors.

This is a truly a transformative time for our country and I can’t wait to see the impact nuclear energy will make toward our clean energy future as a result of this IRA legislation.

"Inflation Reduction Act Keeps Momentum Building for Nuclear Power"
Dr. Kathryn Huff for the Office of Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy; September 8, 2022.
https://www.energy.gov/ne/a...ilding-nuclear-power


Harmless water vapor rises as clouds of steam from the cooling towers at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station near Tonopah, Arizona.


"Nuclear Joe"

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 10-18-2022).]

Valkrie9 OCT 20, 05:10 AM


Windmills simulation over actual footage, a 240 meter container ship rendering scale to the proposed project.
The island is not really there either, an added feature.
You will note that is a diesel container ship, because there are few electric engines available to power ships, or cities, yet.
So far, the only viable non-petroleum vessels are naval nukes, driving silent service u-boats, aircraft carriers, far too expensive for commercial applications.
Experimental generators, in a supplemental role is an admirable endeavor, and if the results are positive, a larger scale deployment should be undertaken.
A financial boondoggle, on the other hand, should be recognized as a burden not worthy of further investment, and far too expensive.
A floating generator in the Bay of Fundy, now, that should be built asap, because the lunar tides of 53', 16 meters.
The Highest Tides

Think of a design, a floating generator set, up and down all day long, for all time, simple and cheap.
: T. Edison Lightbulb ! :
rinselberg OCT 20, 09:46 AM



quote
On October 18, 2022, the Department of the Interior announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold an offshore wind energy lease sale on [December 6, 2022] for areas on the Outer Continental Shelf off central and northern California. . . .


There are tracts within the two green "dots" on the map that are being offered to qualified bidders. These tracts are 20 or more miles offshore, and are envisioned as areas where floating wind turbine platform designs are likely to be favored, because of the greater depth of the seabed this far out from the coastline.

"Floating Offshore Wind Shot"

Wind Energy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
https://www.energy.gov/eere...g-offshore-wind-shot

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 10-20-2022).]

randye OCT 20, 10:31 PM

quote



"Floating Offshore Wind Shot"



randye OCT 20, 10:34 PM

quote



"Floating Offshore Wind Shot"




rinselberg OCT 20, 10:40 PM
randye OCT 21, 08:34 PM

quote



"Floating Offshore Wind Shot"




rinselberg OCT 21, 09:13 PM
Florida is one of several states in the Southeast where wind energy is virtually nonexistent, which is one reason wind farms have not been an economically viable energy source in the region. But a new study from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering shows how upcoming technological advances could make wind energy a hot commodity in the Sunshine State.

Sean Martin, a researcher in civil and environmental engineering, is working with an interdisciplinary team of scientists to examine wind resource characteristics at nine different locations in Florida. Their analysis will help the wind industry and policymakers know how viable wind energy production using developing technologies could be.

Their work was published in the journal Applied Energy.

“With advances in turbine technology, taller towers, larger rotor diameter and new control systems, we will be able to provide low-cost wind power to low-wind regions, such as Florida and the Southeast,” Martin said. “The increased hub heights and taller turbines can take advantage of greater wind speeds that occur higher up to harvest more wind power.”

Compared to states like Texas or Iowa, the wind in Florida is not something wind farms can profitably capture at the moment. Wind speeds are slower because of increased surface friction and turbulence caused by buildings, trees and other obstructions. Most utility-scale turbines installed in the United States are west of the Mississippi River, where more favorable wind speeds, greater than 13 miles per hour, are prevalent.

But using new tools that can capture wind energy at higher elevations, where wind speeds are faster, might make wind energy feasible.

So how tall are these turbines? The average height of most existing on-shore turbines from the ground to the top of the blades is more than 380 feet, similar to a 32-story building. The new, taller turbines are almost twice the height at 660 feet, close to the height of a 55-story building, and are the kind of wind turbines that will be most useful in Florida.

Martin is collaborating with Arda Vanli, an associate professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, and Sungmoon Jung, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering.

“I don't think anybody can predict the timing for wind energy,” Jung said. “We almost had it a few years ago. There was a private company that proposed a wind farm in Florida, but the company withdrew the plan because the technology at the time was not economical enough. I hope we will see wind energy in the future as technology improves.”

One of the things the researchers are looking at is the capacity of wind turbines to operate at different sites. Wind speed varies, so turbines must be able to spin at different velocities. Researchers want to know what percentage of time in a year that the turbine can operate at full capacity. In general, turbines that generate at least 30 percent of their total capacity are more economical for utility-scale wind power. The data will be able to predict the best areas in Florida to place the new turbines based on their ability to produce wind energy at specific sites.

“The key is finding and identifying characteristic patterns in the wind data,” Martin said. “Once we establish the patterns, the data can assist in site selection and can improve energy estimation measures to help industry and policymakers make decisions on where wind farms are most profitable.”

There are other factors the researchers must consider when choosing a site for a wind farm. Safety for birds, noise from rotors and the fact that some people may find wind turbines unsightly are all considerations.

When including some of these elements with wind speed data, the scientists found that the best locations for wind farms appear to be in rural areas of northwest, central and southern Florida.

“Site selection is an important decision, especially in low-wind power areas,” Vanli said. “Transporting huge wind turbines to these locations is a significant investment and having good data can eventually determine whether the investment will be successful or not.”

Wind energy is gaining significant attention both from academia and industry. New, affordable methods for generating renewable energy are on the horizon. Wind farms could be viable in Florida within this decade, and turbines even taller than the ones used for this research could be more prevalent in the future.

“The real question is whether factors such as public perception, acceptance and environmental factors will prevent this resource from being developed,” Martin said. “We hope the research will add additional renewables to the U.S. energy portfolio and can offset our reliance on a single fuel source, adding energy security to meet a growing need.”


A "Copy and Paste" from the online footprint of the Florida A&M University and Florida Statue University College of Engineering; dated July 31, 2020.

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 10-21-2022).]