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Are you interested in becoming an organizer in your area?: No

Tell us about your experience with alternative energy:: I am a retired nuclear engineer, familiar with all types of nuclear reactors, wind power, solar power, wave power, and geothermal power

What excites you about this campaign?: The US dependence on fossil energy has reached a critical stage. We need to become energy independent, and the
only way to achieve this is through nuclear power, fission and fusion.

What do you want to do to help?: Provide engineering analysis of alternative energy proposals.

Comment Wall (7 comments)

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At 7:51pm on March 14, 2009, Armando Telles said…: For the Pickens Plan Team,
On April 22th at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA we will be hosting an Earth Day event which is open to the public. As a 2-yr college to 33,000+ students, as well as being a Hispanic Learning Institution (HSI), this is an opportunity to take advantage of the exposure for our Pickens Plan efforts. Tables, chairs and location will be provided and secured for us. I do recommend bringing canopies for shade, but they're not required. For further information, don't hesitate to contact me.

Enthusiastically,
Armando Telles
CA-49 District Leader
tellesaj2@yahoo.com
916) 230-1513

At 6:42am on August 8, 2008, Richard Bibb said…: Did you mean to say our leaders are putting our Country first in your comment on my page?

At 9:11pm on July 23, 2008, Gregory L. Smith said…: No Gerry, they seem to be somewhat nefarious about that issue. I was going to contact a salesman, but decided not to do that after seeing your reply and comments and checking out the situation.
I suppose the idea is that if you have to ask the price,maybe you aren't "right" for us...Anyway, your answer is, "no" I do not know or know how to get the answer, short of calling them at their web site's number. I also expect it to be higher than average, since they believe their technology provides a 20% savings over other panels made of Poly silicone. But savings means they cost less, yet they cost more but generate more...The logic escapes me...Gregor S. PM Wednesday.

At 5:43pm on July 23, 2008, Gregory L. Smith said…: Gerry thanks for the information on Emcore's financial s, however, the fact is, that the system, the Emcore people make, is verifiable as to its efficiency rating that is determined not by the entity offering it, but by an independent lab, that tests it, for example the South Central Florida Solar Labs. Next, the idea I was trying to show was even better clarified by the article about the version of chemical bonding the Emcore people use to create their Gallium-Arsenide version. Now that Berkeley has proven that cells can be latticed and stacked to gain total efficiencies, the concentration portion of the Emcore cell then becomes significant, By testing a pro to-type for output and also to determine absorption rates and total efficiency, the California lab could significantly increase the output of their efficient cell and also create a safe material to use for the entire industry.
OK, that was my reply about the two articles I sent you...Now for your super capacitor information... I have a few questions. The first is, Which side of the capacitor is the 3500 volts and at what amperage? And also, if it is the input side, what is the output rate?
Would you need a step-down transformer to reduce the voltage and if so, what loss of total work are you losing in KWh/A?
Next, about the Solar Fence, Bruce was discussing...
If the servos are only working a short time each day for corrections, then how will that be a major drain for the system? I suspect you will find the servos will only use a small portion that would equate to a controllers total usage in any one day's operation. Also, since the servos reset, normally, the major expenditures will be after the system has gone to quiet mode.
Also since I brought up controllers, would it not be cool to see it on the Internet as it reports grid production? SMA has such a controller called a Sunny Boy and it is very user friendly and is useful if you need to calibrate your systems. Here the technical talk could go on for days, but my point is that unless you are talking tons of equipment per servo arm, the smaller units might work better than one large one simply because the work required per KWh would be less. Test it. I have seen it in California on 10 MWp systems. The smaller servos are more efficient. And if you prove me wrong, well, hey, I can deal with more knowledge acquired! Thanks guys, This is good stuff! Gregor S.

At 3:51pm on July 23, 2008, Gerry Miller said…: A company called EEStor Inc has made a breaktrhough in super capacitors, resulting in a ceramic capacitor which can store twice as much energy as a lithium ion, per kilogram, around 460 watt-hr / kg.

So far as I can see, all their specs are phenominal, except for the capacitor terminal voltage, which is 3500 volts. A DC to DC inverter would be needed to charge the capacitors from the low voltage output from the solar panels.

Perhaps you would only need one which could charge an array of capacitors in parallel.
I am trying to figure out how much such an inverter would cost.

As for how to servo the panels, it seems to me that one large servo would lower the purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance costs. A common structure to hold the panels, reinforced to withstand the strongest credible winds in the area, should be cheaper than individual structures.

I wonder how the cost of transporting electricity by batteries or capacitors compares to transporting through the grid? From the EEStor specs, the capacitors would be much better than batteries. It does not matter how many times you charge and discharge them, and they would be half the weight.

EEStor is quoting about $3000 for a unit that can hold 15 kw-hr and weighs less than 100 pounds. They have practically no self discharge.

At 11:32pm on July 22, 2008, Gregory L. Smith said…: Hi Gerry, I saw your discussion with Bruce about the sun Border solar project he was discussing. You recommended a solar panel that is second generation, while the Emcore.com panel is 40% efficient right now. Also the Berkeley, CA labs have been working with Gallium, Nitrites, and Indium in a two wafer matrix that is 70% efficient for all light sources! They just have not combined their research with the Emcore concentrated light system, which could produce 80-90% efficiencies of all light! Now that is cool! Right?
OK, if you are skeptical like me, check out the Solar cells ground designs and then check out the Berkeley site and see if this doesn't blow the lid off solar!! Emcore.com then...
http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/MSD-full-spectrum-solar-cell.html

At 7:02am on July 19, 2008, Richard Bibb said…: Thank you for providing your expertise - we need to here more from engineers and scientists lest we get caught up in euphoria for concepts with no practical application to the problem. Scientists and engineers, in general, are reticent to become engaged as much in the political process because of its, well to be polite, BS content, in my opinion. Maybe pure scientists more so than engineers as they are used to fighting for funding sources - again my opinion. But we need you so keep informing, educating, prodding - just get ready for the attacks based on ignorance and fear.

I have an engineering degree - BSEE - but I have not been a practicing engineer - more sales and marketing background in computer networking and such - but the education at least allows me to ask reasonable questions and to recgnize reasonable answers when I see them.

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