• itchy_lizard@feddit.it
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    1 year ago

    We definitely need to be investing in power-to-gas for better storage and transport of all this renewable energy

    • VarykOP
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      1 year ago

      I don’t know about power-to-gas, can you break it down for me real quick and then I’ll look up specifics later once I know what you’re talking about?

      Always interested in learning something new.

      • itchy_lizard@feddit.it
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        1 year ago

        You take renewable energy and make a high density gas. Typically you make hydrogen (easy) then methane. Methane, unlike hydrogen, is highly dense and can be sent with existing gas pipelines.

        It’s a way to store and trsnsport enormous excess energy usage thats far better than electrical butteries.

        It’s already in use, but further research would only make it more efficient.

        • eleitl@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          All natgas infra can deal with hydrogen blends and some with pure hydrogen. All new infrastructure should be made hydrogen-proof.

          Another great option is synfuels like methanol which are also an universal chemistry feedstock.

          • itchy_lizard@feddit.it
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            1 year ago

            Hydrogen is the least dense fuel possible. And it fucks up tanks (with pitting) so it has to be replaced often.

            • sugar_in_your_tea
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              1 year ago

              Yup, “hydrogen-proof infrastructure” doesn’t exist. I like the idea of hydrogen, but it’s just not a nice gas to work with and transport.

        • VarykOP
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          1 year ago

          That’s awesome, I don’t think I have heard of that. I’m going to look into that for sure, thanks for the quick explanation.

          That reminds me of that idea of a solar panel farm that uses its excess energy to lift a boulder during the day and then during the night the boulder falls and turns alternators that create electricity from the weight of the boulder slowly falling back down overnight

            • VarykOP
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              1 year ago

              Ah, I have. Yes, I see what you mean. That is a useful technology.

              Is that specific field still very prototypical? I can’t find any real-world applications yet.

              Can it scale or has it only been experimented within laboratory settings so far?

              Oh wait, Japan of course, what’s going through with trials. Cool