Converting More Heat To Useful Energy

An anonymous reader writes "New Scientist has an article about a technology proposed by Wow Energies which can nearly double the efficiency of power stations, utilise waste heat from many industrial processes, and reduce toxic pollution. The secret is to use propane vapour, which boils at much lower temperatures than steam, and so can convert more heat to useful energy. Even better, it uses existing pump and turbine technology. Could this be a big weapon in the fight against global warming?"

Comments

Logarithmic versus Exponential

[Michael.Forman]

This won't be a weapon in the fight against global warming, oil depletion, rising energy costs, and so on. The reason is that all improvements in efficiency are logarithmic whereas growth is exponential.

A logarithmic function will increase rapidly at first and then slow as it reaches an asymptotic limit at infinity. In the case of efficiency it starts low and as improvements are made efficiency approaches but never quite reaches 100%. It's logarithmic. Growth on the other hand is exponential. It starts small and then heads toward infinity.

Thus in the long run a logarithmic decrease cannot overcome an exponential increase.

Michael.

Re:Logarithmic versus Exponential

[Ugmo]

Thus in the long run a logarithmic decrease cannot overcome an exponential increase.

Michael.

Hey Mike, you miss-spelt your name. It is supposed to read M.A.L.T.H.U.S.

Re:Logarithmic versus Exponential

[barakn]

Anyone who has seeded a sterile medium with bacteria realizes that growth is only quasi-exponential. After a while the population hits carrying capacity, stalls out, then crashes.

safety?

[LWATCDR]

A leak of heated propane could be very exciting.

Big savings

[$exyNerdie]

Stinger estimates the US alone could add over 200 gigawatts of generating capacity - almost 20 per cent of its power needs

Now I don't know the figures but US consumes like a 4th or 5th of entire power consumption on the planet. This could definitely help increase the life of available non-renewable energy resources...

Solar Component

[Bob_Robertson]

Ok, how about using solar as the heat source for the propane-vapor turbine?

The problem remains one of thermal difference, in that there has to be a way to cool the propane back down for liquification, to complete the cycle. This might be a way for people near slow rivers to use the river water since they cannot use it for hydroelectric.

Bob-

Re:Solar Component

[Mr. Piddle]

This might be a way for people near slow rivers to use the river water since they cannot use it for hydroelectric.

There is a tree-hugger for every type of pollution...even thermal pollution in rivers. Sigh. Still, using solar heat to drive a turbine is a good idea, and I think there are steam-driven ones somewhere (I recall picture of a desert with many many mirrors).