|
145 results found
|
displaying 97-99 |
|
|
| Green Energy from the rise and fall of tides 
Background: Every object that floats in tidal areas (harbours, the sea, etc.) moves up and down with the tides. The energy that is required to lift the object and the energy disipated as the object descends is all wasted. (Imagine the energy required to lift a relatively small 2000 tonne barge.)Practical Application 1: This energy can be harvested by connecting the object to a harbour wall or seabed. The relative movement between the fixed harbour wall etc. and moving object can be made to pressurise hydraulic fluid, this can operate an hydraulic 'wobble pump' which turns a generator.Practical Application 2: In its simplest form this electrical energy would be cyclical, in line with 'still' high and low tides. In this simple form the energy could be sold to a national grid.Practical Application 3: There are approx. 1500 harbours around UK. Most of them have underutilised harbour walls (built prior to the shrinking of our fishing industry). The oil industry alone discards many barges as 'unseaworthy' and sells them for scrap. A 'nodding donkey(s)' based on a harbour wall, one arm attached to a rising and falling barge and the other to a hydraulic piston(s) would produce the pressurised fluid necessary.Practical Notes:
- Most forms of 'green' energy are complex and expensive. This one is DIY in its basic form and should provide money from selling power to the grid (in UK).
- The floating body should be relatively wide and long (not deep draught). Hence the 'barge' suggestion.
- To stabalise the electrical output - generator output could be passed to the windings of a bank of alternator/flywheels. Ideally, these would be rotating in a vacuum and suspended by magnetism (giving zero mechanical friction).Reward: That if this idea is put to use and developed, that process in no way limits other users from using and developing this idea. 
Post a reply to this idea
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Name Tags
If everyone wore name tags when they went out of their house, then maybe we would be more friendly to each other. Then there would be no reason not to say "hi Bob" when walking down the street. Or "hey Sara" how's it going, while you are in the elevator.Reward: world peace
There are 11 replies to this idea
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Have cops/lawyers do political interviews
I think it's terrible to see a presidential debate where one candidate claims that the sky is green while the other says it is yellow, and then the interviewer nods solemly and moves on to the next question. This stuff is poison for any democracy - yet this strange type of political interview seems to be spreading like the plague!Let the viewers reach their own opinions? What a bunch of hogwash! The viewers (including myself) simply don't have the facts, they have jobs and a family and lead their own lives, they can't spend hours every day just to stay up-to-date. In a modern society we need to be able to delegate the critical questions/contradictions to journalists who know what they're doing. Sure, there are after-show debates where some of this is analyzed, but honestly, who watches them?I propose that political interviews either be conducted by cops or lawyers. By profession, if someone tells an obvious lie or contradicts himself, they will not just move on to the next question, but nail the guy to the wall. That would make interviews and discussions much more fruitful.In addition, it would be necessary to install an instant fact-checking system. If two politicians claim different things, it should only take minutes to come up with an insert clarifying which one is actually saying the truth. Politicians these days rely on the fact that whatever they say can't be researched within 60 minutes, which is why they believe they can say *anything* in a TV show and get away with it (because most people switch channels directly after the debate, so it'll stick for most).
There are 2 replies to this idea
|
|
|
|
|
