wind turbine energy storage solved

That's brilliant, rubber storage. Have you sourced any Kilowatt rubber bands?

Now you're just nitpicking 'cos you didn't think of it. ;-)

Tim

Pure genius!

Almost as good as my helium balloon cable car idea.

ROFL!

:D There's an easier method, just store it all on disk until needed.

Excellent - except you've missed out the ratchet and pawl need to stop the elastic driving the windmill when the wind drops ...

But that is how you cope with the intermittent wind! you create wind!

That's the function of baked beans.

I wont ask, but nobody has mentioned the gyroscopic storage yet. I'm sure there must be many ways to store energy, sadly none as as efficient as it might appear at a glance.

Brian

Pardon me for asking this, but would it not be more efficient to simply wind up a huge clockwork motor as per the early wind up radios?

Brian

I note that your desire to save energy by winding things up is not confined to rubber bands.

Inspired. Did you apply for a patent before disclosing it all over the internet? There has been a run on industrial grade rubber bands.

The gear at the top of the mast has to be able to turn into the wind. They might start whirling around like a field of demented dervishes.

also needs a brake at the other end for when its fully wound-up and the wind drops

internet? There has been a run on industrial grade rubber bands.

might start whirling around like a field of demented dervishes. Not a problem, just collect all the rubber bands the postmen drop in the street and on your driveway.

Bob

Love it!

I saw a sensible answer the other day - wind turbine used to run a water condenser (AKA dehumidifier, but outdoors). Every desert town should have one.

Andy

now all we need is some techique for getting energy out of wind turbines when we *do* need it

Owain

Friction in the gears and spring, against hysteresis and sliding friction in the rubber? A hard one to call.

Easier would be to raise a big weight, so the load would not get greater towards the end, as a spring or rubber band would. Make the weight as big as possible, adjust the lifting gearing to suit, even dig a deep hole for extra capacity. The turbines are already tall tubes. Plenty of old mine shafts around.

Thought of that one already. Put every house in the country on jack-up platforms. Houses could then be jacked up on hydraulic rams in times of excess power production. The stored PE would then be used to generate electricity when needed. Stepping out of your front door in the morning could be problematic though... ;-)

Tim