Dear Friends,
It seems to me, critical infrastructure should exploit nature as much as possible, thereby reducing failure points in such systems, like Fukushima. Instead of relying on onsite diesel generators, given the sloped land, why not build a pond, then use gravity to pressurize the water if all else fails? That seems obvious to me. So much so that at the time I was flabbergasted they hadn’t done it. Perhaps part of the problem is that engineers have become so used to the efficiency and convenience of modern technology they forget about exploiting natural forces, gravity, for example. A gravity battery is made by lifting a very heavy weight. Given enough weight, titanic amounts of energy could be stored in a small lift. I think natural forces have yet to be cleverly exploited.
Infrastructure should be built to last, be efficient, and exploit natural forces whenever possible. This is the philosophy of an engineer. The philosophy of a bureaucrat, however, is different. They want something to spend money on in a few years… so they build for that purpose. Sadly, bureaucrats decide what gets built and how… not engineers. So we get bridges that have to be rebuilt every twenty years, infrastructure that’s abandoned, and why we so often find ourselves atop a house of cards. Sage people would instead build bridges that last hundreds of years, repurpose infrastructure, and create redundancy that relies on gravity working, not a diesel generator. This is plain old common sense, but to a bureaucrat common sense stands in the way of progress.
Wherever a nuclear plant is located with sufficient elevation nearby, there’s no reason a lake can’t be constructed and piped to the plant as a source of emergency water. A mere 240 feet of elevation supplies 100 PSI, couple that pressure with the capacity of a 24-inch pipe, and that’s more than enough to quench any runaway reactor. In the meantime the lake could be used for recreation. Camping, fishing, and kayaking would enhance the utility of the emergency water supply. I understand many regulators are requiring water towers onsite in case of emergency. A water tower is a good expedient but it’s not an ideal solution. In my mind, building lakes is the ideal solution. They are a classic win win… if you can get them past the bureaucrats.
Perhaps abandoned oil wells could be repurposed into geothermal energy producers? Use the heat from the ground to run our lights. Since geothermal heat is an unlimited natural force, we could exploit it forever. Simply use coaxial pipe to depth, run tap water through it, capture the heat and send the water back down. Then use an ORC generator to generate 100+ KW of energy. That could amount to over $2000.00 per well per month. Give the surface owner a cut and you’ve turned a liability into an asset. Moreover, they would be a clean energy asset… with all the political favor that comes with green anything. Converting a liability into an asset is the definition of a win win. Plus, it’s one that might get past the bureaucrats due to the clean environment aspect of it.
A wise people would consider cleverly exploiting natural forces to take the place of critical systems as much as possible. I think there are a myriad of clever ways to do what we need done without using complex mechanics. As Elon Musk is famous for saying, “The best part is no part.” (Which in a century will be denied by the experts). I think we as a culture should embrace this practice. Build to last, cleverly exploit natural forces, and repurpose abandoned infrastructure. Confucius said, “A fool takes a dangerous path when a safe one is available.” That safe path, however, often isn’t obvious. So we as a people should endeavor to be the clever and wise people who take the safe path. By building infrastructure that lasts, is self-powering, and efficiently uses what we have rotting away.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
