Personally, I believe that capacitors will be the power storage medium of the future. Electrochemical storage has excellent uses and is the most productive source that we have now, but if the development of a near perfect insulator is found and can be created for exceptional cost vs impact, the higher voltages needed and higher current stored to store more power for slow bleed off, we will have a vastly better storage device with hopefully better impact without rare earth elements. The life span of capacitors can far exceed electrochemical batteries and can be charged nearly instantaneously. Yes, we will still need methods of generating electricity. At this point, hydroelectric, geothermal and nuclear are the most productive for investment. Nuclear carries the highest investment, but 3rd gen thorium reactors may be the safest evolution with minimization of the negative aspects. We still need to figure out a better solution for used ion exchanger resin beads, but solving this will be a huge step forward.
Helium reactors [a type of High Temperature Gas Reactor or (HTGR)] use helium as the nuclear fuel coolant and energy transfer to a steam generator used to spin a turbine couple to an electric generator. Helium is not used as an energy storage medium, but for energy transfer in lieu of water currently used in most commercial operating reactors. That said Terrapower and GE Hitachi are teaming to develop a molten salt cooled fast reactor with the capability of temporarily storing a significant amount of energy during periods of low electrical loads for subsequent use during peak power demands.
No, I haven't. The one thing to note about helium is there is a shortage. We may exhaust helium from the earth, unless we find a large supply that is yet undiscovered. We have unfortunately wasted a lot of helium because it was never valued very highly. I will read up on helium reactors though. Thank you for the tip.
It is certainly possible, but only if civilization holds together. I'm not sure about helium pockets within the moon. I have heard mention of it, but haven't looked into it. Lets hope a mini dark age isn't just around the corner.
Personally, I believe that capacitors will be the power storage medium of the future. Electrochemical storage has excellent uses and is the most productive source that we have now, but if the development of a near perfect insulator is found and can be created for exceptional cost vs impact, the higher voltages needed and higher current stored to store more power for slow bleed off, we will have a vastly better storage device with hopefully better impact without rare earth elements. The life span of capacitors can far exceed electrochemical batteries and can be charged nearly instantaneously. Yes, we will still need methods of generating electricity. At this point, hydroelectric, geothermal and nuclear are the most productive for investment. Nuclear carries the highest investment, but 3rd gen thorium reactors may be the safest evolution with minimization of the negative aspects. We still need to figure out a better solution for used ion exchanger resin beads, but solving this will be a huge step forward.
In your first line is the key, storage. We don't need storage. This is the scam.
Helium reactors [a type of High Temperature Gas Reactor or (HTGR)] use helium as the nuclear fuel coolant and energy transfer to a steam generator used to spin a turbine couple to an electric generator. Helium is not used as an energy storage medium, but for energy transfer in lieu of water currently used in most commercial operating reactors. That said Terrapower and GE Hitachi are teaming to develop a molten salt cooled fast reactor with the capability of temporarily storing a significant amount of energy during periods of low electrical loads for subsequent use during peak power demands.
No, I haven't. The one thing to note about helium is there is a shortage. We may exhaust helium from the earth, unless we find a large supply that is yet undiscovered. We have unfortunately wasted a lot of helium because it was never valued very highly. I will read up on helium reactors though. Thank you for the tip.
It is certainly possible, but only if civilization holds together. I'm not sure about helium pockets within the moon. I have heard mention of it, but haven't looked into it. Lets hope a mini dark age isn't just around the corner.