MagLev Wind Turbine update

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Pretty picture artist impression of what is still Science Fiction
and a newish take on the Maglev turbine

Update of sorts on the
“Massive Maglev Vertical Axis
Multi-gigawatt Wind-Turbine”
idea!

I first wrote about the notion of a massive vertical axis multi-gigawatt frictionless magnetic bearing wind turbine almost one and a half years ago. To date, AFAIK, there is no visible sign of such a machine on the planet. http://wood-pellet-ireland.blogspot.com/2007/11/maglev-wind-turbines.html

A different take on the Mega Maglev
that is a rail line in front - there is a play on "not missing the train"
and of course on the "real science" maglev train itself - Oh FGS give us a break guys!!


A helicopter about to land on the Helli-pad on top of the turbine - like Wow!!

There has been a gentle stir in the winds of the maglev turbine world, and a fair bit of You Tube video and other such hoo-ha associated with fishing for investors, but to date, no brick and mortar so-to-speak.

As "seen from above"
Looks like a Greek Temple!!

I have looked at some of the fancy video and include a few screen shots. The MagLev site invites contact but the doorways provided are interesting and tell a story, in as much as no provision for media or academic enquiries is provided.

One of the sites: http://magturbine.com/

Another site: http://www.maglevwindturbine.com/

A bit of a different twist on the subject on both sites. Heavy on the images, light on the science and solid facts.

Am I being way too cynical again here guys?? - I hope I will live to regret the cynical attitude and have to offer an apology. Somehow, I get the feeling that that day will be a while yet coming!





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LED lamp Comparison Addendum

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I have received a note from Liam Ellis of Vario Lighting regarding my last post. He wants to correct two points of information which I had incorrectly reported on their VX3 lamp.

1. The VX3 Lamp which I tested is NOT rated by Vario Lighting as being a 50 Watt equivalent. They prefer to rate it as a 35 watt replacement. But Liam points out that it is a fair compromise on light intensity in any case.

(That make the already large difference between the Ecopal and Vario Lighting lamps even greater!!!)

2. The transformer for the Vario Lighting lamps which I quoted, is good to supply up to 4 lamps, and not 6 lamps as I reported.

(I am happy to correct these and any other inaccuracies. If I have incorrectly reported the Ecopal bulb, I would also be happy to correct any inaccuracies)



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Led Light Comparison

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A Look at Two LED Bulbs
Both Claiming to be 50 watt Equivalent

Today I am posting a very simple comparison between two LED lamps both from Irish companies, both claim to be the equivalent of 50 watt tungsten lamps.

This is the Ecopal Multi-LED GU10 2 watt bulb

Ecopal 2 watt 5mm multi-LED bulb.

The first lamp is a multi LED GU10 from Ecopal Limerick. http://ecopal.ie/led-bulbs.asp The lamp gives a reasonably good account of itself. The bulb is constructed in a standard GU10 glass housing into the front of which is fitted a round piece of circuit board with holes punched for the 5mm LED bulbs. The rest of the bulb looks the same as any GU10 bulb. The lamp colour is very good indeed you could not fault it - slightly on the upper side of warm white, a pleasing colour of light to live with. However, the output on first impression, did not strike me as anywhere near that of a "50 equivalent" as stated on the packaging.

I spoke to a company representative and asked about the useful life of the lamp and the claim that the 2 watt lamp was the equivalent of a 50 watt tungsten bulb. Ecopal will guarantee that the bulb will not lose more than 20% of its light over its quoted life and that it will maintain its colour. As regards output, I did not hear the Ecopal representative actually say that the Lux output matched a 50watt equivalent type of GU10 bulb. What he did say was that the bulb is designed to replace a 50 watt bulb. So I decided to do a few basic tests on output. The Ecopal multi-LED bulb sells for €15.



Vario Lighting VX3 LED bulb.

The Vario Lighting VX3 LED Bulb and Transformer

The second bulb is from Vario Lighting http://www.variolighting.com/. It also claims to replace a 50 watt halogen. The Vario Lighting VX3 is a very high quality piece of engineering, very nice to look at. It is not a standard GU10 or MR16 type of bulb but will fit nicely into most downlighter fittings. It comes with its own little transformer to regulate the current.

Close-up of VX3 showing the Nicely Engineered Heatsink

The first thing to notice about this bulb is the massive aluminium lathe turned heatsink. The purpose of this heatsink is to take the heat away from the light emitters. It is a build-up of heat that, over time, damages the elements in LED lights. The VX3 bulb has 3 emitters and a lens to focus the light.

The Secret of LED Bulbs is Keeping things COOL

The secret of LED bulbs lies in keeping them cool. When they heat up the LEDs lose their power and change colour over time, keep them cool and they last much longer and maintain the original colour of light. That is why I think, of the two bulbs in discussion, the Vario Lighting bulb is more likely to maintain its output and colour over time.

The VX3 bulbs costs €25 plus a transformer to operate up to six bulbs costs €17. That would make a unit cost of €28.

The Ecopal bulb gave a reading of 7 on the Lux Meter

So I have two LED bulbs each claiming to have a light output equivalent to a 50 watt halogen. So I rig up both lamps and measure the Lux output from a given distance. The readings speak for themselves. Vario Lighting bulb has many times more light output than the Ecopal bulb.

The Vario Lighting Bulb gave a reading of 27 on the Lux Meter

At first I thought that the reading was influenced by the fact that the Vario Lighting bulb has a narrower beam of focus.

At 50% increased distance to target to compensate for light spread
The Vario Bulb still gives a reading of 27!!

I then move the bulb back 50% further from the target and so as to achieve a pool of light of a similar size as the Ecopal bulb. Still the Vario Lighting bulb showed the much higher reading.

The light meter does not lie. The Ecopal bulb output gives a reading of 7. The Vario Lighting bulb gives a reading of 27. That is a big difference to say the least, so it is quite clear that both bulbs cannot be giving the equivalent of a 50 watts tungsten bulb. No competition on light output here, the Vario Lighting bulb wins the game hands down.








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Gov. Departments Studying my Blog

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Irish Government Departments
"Studying" My Blog?

While checking my stats recently, I have noticed a trend where Irish Government Departments have been spending quite a bit of time reading my blog.

Now that might be simply some employee wasting time surfing the Internet, but I like to think it may be someone acting on behalf of a Minister or Department keeping an ear to the ground.


Focus of Attention?
One post that has got a good old looking at is my post on Fireplace Doors:

http://wood-pellet-ireland.blogspot.com/2008/10/hearth-and-home.html

This is a pet hobbyhorse of mine. I really believe that the fitting of fireplace doors to all open fires in the country would achieve a greater energy saving than most other efforts and for a very small investment.





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Minister Ryan's Electric Car

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230,000 electric cars in Ireland by 2020
says Minister Ryan

According to a news report in the Irish Times “More than 200,000 Irish motorists will be driving electric cars in just over a decade” Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan said that his department plans to have 10% of all the vehicles on the roads electrically powered by 2020.

Minister Ryan announced an agreement between the ESB, the Irish Government and the car makers Nissan and Renault. The “idea” is to “promote the introduction” of electric cars in Ireland. “This historic agreement is proof of the Government’s firm intention to act on the electrification of transport”

[It might unfortunately also be proof of the Governments lack of research into electric cars and their current severe limitations.]

Nissan and Renault bigwigs were in Dublin for signing of the agreement. Thierry Koskas of Renault, said the cars would cost about a tenth to run as compared with petrol and diesel cars, and that they can reach about 130km per hour, or about 100mph.

[ What Mt Koskas did not clarify was how much time it takes to charge the battery when it runs down, 8 to 10 hours currently. Nor did he say how much a replacement battery costs when you have to replace it at regular intervals every couple of years – currently almost 25% of the cost of the car. And - how will Ireland deal with 230,000 dud electric car batteries in a few years time??] [correction: some batteries could cost as much as 40% of the cars total cost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow!!!!!!!!]

Eric Nicholas of Nissan, said Ireland was ideal as a country in which to develop the introduction of electric cars because of its size and the “political will” here.

[Oh -Yes – because Ireland is desperate and gullible right now, and we are willing to take long shots – but what he did not say is that electric cars still have some very major failings mainly in the batteries and in the charging times and that the cost of batteries is sky high.]

He said a fully charged battery would enable a car to travel about 210 km, the equivalent of Dublin to Galway – and in Ireland 80 per cent of journeys were under 50km. Batteries can be charged in six to seven hours.

[ What he didn’t say was how were you going to get around in the Galway area with a flat battery? And that while charging the battery you probably would need to stay the night in Galway before making your return journey to Dublin – how useful is that?????]

Mr Ryan said he thought electric cars would be “very popular here” and were the “perfect transport solution” to the energy crisis. He said there were already tax allowances in place for companies that would choose to buy electric vehicles over petrol or diesel ones.

[ Maybe as popular as WoodPellet boilers are now after 3 years of massive grants??? Will the Minister provide free accommodation overnight for electric car travellers – while their electric cars are being re-charged??]

ESB chief executive Pádraig McManus said this was a chance for Ireland to demonstrate its leadership in the green revolution.

[Unless a fast, inexpensive, and efficient battery swap facility is provided every 50Km in Ireland, or alternatively, a much more efficient type of battery than currently available is invented, this is going to be just another hair-brained, money wasting, and doomed to failure, but well meaning project.]






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Airtricity Double Savings

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Save Money
and
Save the Planet

It is not too often that one gets the chance to gain two major benefits from a very simple act. The opportunity to do just that presents itself right now - at this very time. In the form of the Airtricity offer, it is possible to make a 13% guaranteed saving over ESB energy prices, while at the same time supporting a company which primarily promotes sustainable energy.

It is true that Bord Gais (the Irish Gas Board) has a similar offer, however, a gas supply company isn’t exactly clued-in in electricity generation, nor is it in the Eco friendly business.

That is why I personally am opting to go with Airtricity and save myself a bundle of money. The other factor driving my decision is that by doing so it would additionally give me the smug feeling that I am doing something for the environment by supporting an Eco friendly company.

The Company

I have been speaking to Peter Lord who is the media officer at Airtricity Ireland. I asked him about the company and how they generate electricity. Irishman Mr Eddie O’Connor founded Airtricity. He later sold the company to Scottish and Southern Energy and made a cool €45 million on the deal!!

Scottish and Southern Energy are bigger by far than ESB and Bord Gais put together. The company is very active in investing in renewable sources. Just do a search on Google news and you will get the picture!

Airtricity derive 79% of their energy from renewable, planet friendly, sources like wind and wave energy. That is in stark contrast to ESB with only a disgraceful 9%, and Bord Gais not a lot better at 16%. Shame on ESB!!!

The Price

“Vive la Concurrence” (hope I got it right) - I asked Peter Lord about the price guarantee. The 13% discount on ESB prices will hold good until January of next year. What about after that? Airtricity will always be competitive and offer a discounted price; the level of discount for next year will be decided at a later stage. The way I look at it, it is easy enough to make a change, and if you are unhappy with the price or anything else, it does not take much effort to change over again.

A Worry

As ESB will still be responsible for the maintenance of the supply system, I asked Peter if Airtricity had any direct strategy for handling ESB maintenance or supply issues should they arise.

My question was prompted because I am aware of some telephone customers who switched their accounts to providers other than Eircom have experienced difficulties and delays when having line faults dealt with.

Essentially, I was enquiring if Airtricity was prepared to take direct action if maintenance or supply delays or disputes arose between ESB and domestic customers of Airtricity.

I first asked Peter this question several weeks ago but he was not then able to give me any direct or definitive answer. It was the one area of niggling worry that delayed my switch over to Airtricity.

This morning I received the following statement from Peter:

‘Customer Service is a huge focus of the Airtricity business and we will ensure a seamless customer experience when changing over and right throughout your time as an Airtricity customer.’

The Airtricity statement has a very business-speak sound to it, and, as many of you know, I don’t like corporate jargon too much. However, attempting to translate it into English, it does seem to say, that Airtricity will take an active part in making sure that the customer is well served and kept happy.

I put a straight question to Peter on the phone, if I sign-up to Airtricity then next week my electricity supply fails and ESB drag their feet in sorting the problem – will Airtricity handle the situation and make the calls if necessary? The answer was a definitive YES.

I am happy with that answer. If I got it wrong I would expect a correction from Airtricity.

How Does One Connect?

It took only 20 seconds to get connected to the Airtricity call centre at 1850 258 158. I was pleasantly handled by a young lady who told me that all I need to have in order to make the switch over was,

1. My ESB bill,
2. My bank details in order to set up a standing order, and
3. A current meter reading that I can get from the meter myself.

They will do the rest, and in three weeks my account will be with Airtricity and I will be saving 13% over ESB prices.

My Decision

So I collected my ESB bill, my bank statement, and my meter reading, rang 1850 –258-158 and had the job done in about 4 minutes. In three weeks I will be saving 13% on my electricity and supporting an Eco friendly company. I am suggesting to family and friends that they do the same.




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FireBird has New Wood Boiler

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New Lump-Wood Gasification Boiler
from FireBird

FireBird Boilers in Ballymakeera Co Cork has just announced their new lump wood gasification boiler. I saw the prototype of this boiler when I visited the factory last year but promised not to disclose details until it was announced.

It is a fairly large boiler both in physical size and rating. It is rated at 35Kw about twice what the average modern insulated house now needs. The physical size of the boiler is 1300mm High x 1235mm deep, and having a width of 685mm.

While the boiler is itself quite large, it does require an insulated heat accumulation tank of some 1700 Litres, and that is a monster of a tank.

The boiler will not be really suitable for retro fitting in the average house as a replacement for an oil boiler. It would suit a house that has a large garage space or a very large boiler room.

I see the market for this boiler with farmers. Anyone who has a ready supply of timber would do well to consider this boiler provided that they can accommodate the very large size of the installation.

The boiler can handle large half metre long logs. It has a super high efficiency of 91% when properly installed and tuned!!! In most cases it requires very little tending. Cleaning of ash at most every 3 to 4 days and in many cases less than weekly.

A full load of logs burning at the very maximum output will last for 5 hours. In realistic settings this could be 2 to 3 time longer. The boiler can maintain the fire on glow for 12 hours.

The boiler is SEI approved - don't know yet what grants it might qualify for. I will get back with prices and further details in due course.

FireBird contact details:

www.firebird.ie
Tel: 026-45253




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Dr Know on Plurion

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A Report on Plurion et al
from
Doctor Know

Dear Tony,

Your blog has, at various times, featured news about Plurion Systems Ltd. So here, should you be interested, is some sort of update.

At the end of 2007, ITI Scotland disposed of its interest in Plurion, which was bought back by AIC (Applied Intellectual Capital), the company (more or less) which sold it to ITI back in 2005. ITI's judgement, one must assume, is that it saw no viable future for this technology. AIC itself, an AIM stockmarket quoted company, issued fresh shares in July 2008.

These lost some 90% of their value within weeks. AIC then suffered a calamitous fall in share price. At the end, shares which had peaked around £3 were trading at 0.5 pence. At this point (Feb. 2009), AIC de-listed from the AIM stockmarket. It was also at this time that we learned that although AIC had bought Plurion back from ITI, they hadn't in fact paid for it. ITI allowed first one, then a second deferral of payment. The latest due date is understood to be 1 July 2009.

A senior Plurion executive who posted on your blog, promised that major hardware would be delivered to customer "in Q4/08 or Q1/09". There is no indication that this promise was met. AIC continue to issue warm words to the effect that the problems (whatever they were) are being solved, and state that they will be "pursuing new investors".

No actual technical information on Plurion technology appears to have been released since 2002. As far as we know, everyone who invested in Plurion or AIC has made very substantial losses. These facts, as well as a copy of the company's latest accounts, are available in various Reuters News Service announcements, on behalf of the London Stock Exchange

http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail?code=cotn:AINC.L&display=news&it=le

The AIC Redox Biofuels project (electrochemical oxidation of biomass) hasn't done much better. Much was made of their forming a partnership with Mitsubishi. In recent months, it was quietly announced that Mitsubishi have pulled out - presumably because, like ITI Scotland, they formed their own unfavourable assessment.

The third "energy" project in the AIC portfolio is BLAB - Bipolar Lead Acid Battery, now apparently being configured in 42V form for electric bicycles with a possible Chinese partner. No technical information has been released on this project either, but patent lawyers are known to be studying the AIC patents closely. It is hard to see how these can be reconciled with the earlier Atraverda patents in the same field - the two are very similar but the Atraverda ones have priority.

One doesn't enjoy taking a negative stance and you and your excellent blog have taken a fair amount of flak for your honest approach. Sadly, the pessimistic predictions regarding Plurion, including those by myself, have pretty much been fulfilled. One can only hope that not too many fresh investors will be induced to part with their money to these most ambitious but notably unsuccessful entrepreneurs.

With kind regards

"Dr Know"




(Many thanks to Dr. Know for this update. Dr. Know, who's full details are known to me, has contributed to this blog several times. He wishes to remain anonymous and I fully respect this wish.)



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The Good the LED and the Ugly comment

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LED v/s Halogen
A Comment

I just received a timely, interesting and informative comment on an earlier post about LEDs v/s Halogen from "Dong" who does not identify him/herself. (I wonder if that by any chance is Ding's brother) - (sorry about that - I just couldn't resist it)

I decided that the comment is worthy of a full posting so here it is:


Comment:

Well, judging from the way it is, I must confess I was once also mislead into believing that a 3 or 5 or 7 Watt LED MR16 can replace a 50Watt Halogen. There is no way possible!

However, it strikes an interest to me, as I go on deeper into the technical world of LED lighting. First, we must understand that manufacturer’s claims on their LED products are totally not 100% accurate, and some are in fact way too misleading. From my understanding, the higher Wattage does not make the LED any brighter nor efficiency.

In LED, we must refer to the lumens per watt (lm/W), and currently CREE has the commercially highest rated lm in the market, 100lm/Watt. Thus a one Watt CREE LED can be brighter compared to the 5Watt Taiwan made or china made LED, which most probably managed 50-70lm/W. I have therefore bought some 3Watt CREE LED MR16, and true enough, they are bright enough to really replace a 20Watt Halogen, and it will be a matter of time before they can replace a 35Watt halogen.

With regards to replacing a 50Watt Halogen MR16 with LED, as far as I understand, there is only one company that have actually produce a LED in the form of dichloric MR16, and REALLY pumping in lumens that matched the 50Watt Halogen! I personally tested it, and I was really amazed by it. The unique design, with their proprietary optic lens that equals the beam angle of 3 most common angle of the MR16 (20 Degree, 35 Degree and 60 Degree) definitely deserve my thumbs up.

This is by far, the brightest LED product I have ever lay my hands on, that can replace a 50Watt Halogen MR16. The simple features that allows us to do a one to one replacement without changing our existing fixtures, or doing any modification works to our ceiling, terming it simplicity at its best!



Dong did not say who the company are - I wonder???



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Earth Hour - VOTE for EARTH

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VOTE EARTH

Use you Light Switch
to Vote YES for the Planet

A timely reminder that this year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming.

WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.
Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm.

Just Do It!!!!

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