somersetminer
12 years ago
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/may/01/uk-largest-coal-producer-voluntary-liquidation 
been a long time coming! nice to see the chief execs comment about trying to preserve the miners jobs though
Cuban Bloodhound
12 years ago
Unhappy times with Scottish Coal going into administration last month as well.
Ty Gwyn
12 years ago
The excuse of Daw Mill is laughable,it was due to close early next year anyway,and the so called 100 million of equipment would have been left there anyway.

If the surpluses of the pension fund had`nt been syphoned off by the last few governments,there would`nt be a short fall.
miner1985
12 years ago
Totally agree, these are the people Maggie and her clowns wanted to run the coal industry, couldn't run a coal shed!
Coggy
  • Coggy
  • 50.2% (Neutral)
  • Newbie
12 years ago
With the fossil fuel tax imposed by the EU (and the UK Govt. by proxy) its not possible to use coal for anything except carving into cute models of steam trains, so its no surprise that any UK coal mining is going out of business.
if eight out of ten cats all prefer Whiskas
Do the other two prefer Lesley Judd ?
Ty Gwyn
12 years ago
"Coggy" wrote:

With the fossil fuel tax imposed by the EU (and the UK Govt. by proxy) its not possible to use coal for anything except carving into cute models of steam trains, so its no surprise that any UK coal mining is going out of business.



Strange one that,is Germany exempt from this carbon tax?
As they are going the other way,scraping Nuclear and going into Lignite in an even bigger way than before,utilising their vast reserves of the product.
stuey
  • stuey
  • 50.2% (Neutral)
  • Newbie
12 years ago
The whole EU phenomena is unsustainable. Either we will drift into a full scale EUSSR, or get out. There is no "continue as we are" option. With the lack of sustainable and effective energy and the likely devalue policy of the govt (debt driven, not growth driven....but they will advertise the latter) we shall be running back to mother carbon ASAP. Although I think windmills are a proven load of bollocks, it appears that renewables have been hijacked by promoters and beneficiaries, rather than for the benefit of the public. Nuclear takes a long time to implement.

Interesting times ahead. I have 4 tilley lamps and expect to use them in due course due to the likely projection of current things.....
Ty Gwyn
12 years ago
The whole shebang is bollocks,we are led to believe that burning coal to make electricity is bad,yet its OK to burn coal to make steel and cement,2 products beneficial in producing anything renewable,madness.
exspelio
12 years ago
Tilley lamps need paraffin, where you goin to get it??, I got two streams, 200ft drop in 880yards (unmeasured flow rate) Advice please??
(Talking what they call "micro-hydro")

P.S. Heard a proper government spokesman say today (radio 4) that we should keep paying South Africa aid because "we are a nation of traders and have no natural resources", Good old Tories.!!!!!
Always remember, nature is in charge, get it wrong and it is you who suffers!.
Ty Gwyn
12 years ago
Unless things have changed,they will charge you for the use of the water that travels over your water wheel/turbine to the extent,it would not be a viable exercise.

Unless with the race for renewables,the regulations have changed.
NewStuff
12 years ago
"Ty Gwyn" wrote:

Unless things have changed,they will charge you for the use of the water that travels over your water wheel/turbine to the extent,it would not be a viable exercise.

Unless with the race for renewables,the regulations have changed.



There is still an abstraction charge last time I looked into it for a friend, the water source being a mine funnily enough.
Searching for the ever elusive Underground Titty Bar.

DDDWH CC
Boy Engineer
12 years ago
Quote:

Tilley lamps need paraffin, where you goin to get it??


We get ours from a caravan shop across town. 🙂
Trewillan
12 years ago
"exspelio" wrote:


P.S. Heard a proper government spokesman say today (radio 4)...."we....have no natural resources"



Thank you for that, I was listening and thought I had misheard it.

Did hear someone on the programme about the proposed Potash mine say, "we don't need it, we've already got a mine ten miles away".
Morlock
12 years ago
"Boy Engineer" wrote:

Quote:

Tilley lamps need paraffin, where you goin to get it??


We get ours from a caravan shop across town. :)



I get mine from youngest sons central heating tank. 😉 :offtopic:
Morlock
12 years ago
"exspelio" wrote:

Tilley lamps need paraffin, where you goin to get it??, I got two streams, 200ft drop in 880yards (unmeasured flow rate) Advice please??
(Talking what they call "micro-hydro")



The place in Machynlleth used to sell an interesting book in the early 80s,
(ISBN 0-86619-014-7) with calculations/surveying info, loads on the web now.

🔗Personal-Album-1695-Image-86008[linkphoto]Personal-Album-1695-Image-86008[/linkphoto][/link]

I also believe the regulations have changed considerably over the years and you may even be able to get a grant for certain projects, (odd hoop to leap through etc).

Edit: measure the 'low flow' rate first to establish if Pelton or Francis type turbine is most suitable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_turbine 

Cheapest option is probably a modified ex scrapyard centrifugal pump.


lozz
  • lozz
  • 50.2% (Neutral)
  • Newbie
12 years ago
""I got two streams, 200ft drop in 880yards (unmeasured flow rate) Advice please??
(Talking what they call "micro-hydro")""

Sounds good, check the flow rate, go for turbine if you can, much more efficient, easier to regulate and match to UK 50Hz.

Lozz.
Morlock
12 years ago
"lozz" wrote:

""I got two streams, 200ft drop in 880yards (unmeasured flow rate) Advice please??
(Talking what they call "micro-hydro")""

Sounds good, check the flow rate, go for turbine if you can, much more efficient, easier to regulate and match to UK 50Hz.

Lozz.



When I looked into a project for a mate the available power was only about 1/2 HP(continuous), due to low flow/high head configuration of site, turned out the easiest cheap option was a Pelton wheel driving a suitable 12 volt vehicle alternator.
No real control issues as generator output fed to battery bank and out to 240 volt inverter sized for max house demand.

As you say, available prime motive force needs to be calculated.
exspelio
12 years ago
Thats the sort of thing I had in mind Morlock, any clues on battery bank / high power handling inverters?, Thats were I hit a blank spot in my web trawling.
Can't give any figures on power requirements yet, got the numbers, got to convert them into figures! 😢
Always remember, nature is in charge, get it wrong and it is you who suffers!.
Morlock
12 years ago
"exspelio" wrote:

Thats the sort of thing I had in mind Morlock, any clues on battery bank / high power handling inverters?, Thats were I hit a blank spot in my web trawling.
Can't give any figures on power requirements yet, got the numbers, got to convert them into figures! ;(



Everyting (just about) here, scroll down to Hydro but read all the bumph on batteries.

http://www.reuk.co.uk/Diodes-and-Solar-Panels.htm 

Inverter/battery bank size will depend on maximum load and it's expected duration, various (in)efficiencies also need to be calculated.

Edit:
Inverters to 2.5 Kw here, but bear in mind low energy light bulbs and various other options can reduce an apparently high initial calculation.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Transformer_Index/Inverters/index.html 

Suspect a separate topic may be in order if alternative energy is of wider general interest?

lozz
  • lozz
  • 50.2% (Neutral)
  • Newbie
12 years ago
If you have a permanent flow to the turbine and you want mains AC from the system then going via batteries and an inverter is going to waste power and increase the unreliabilty of the system.

If you have a permanent flow then an alternator designed to chuck out 250 V ac at the designed run speed (eg 50 Hz) is more efficient.

Having said that it depends on what the end use is, if you have low flow but need high intermittant current draw then it will have to be batts. + suitably rated inverter.

If you have low flow but a maximum current draw matched to the alternator then the straight ac route would be best.

For most modern appliancies approx 50Hz is fine ie: it does not have to be spot on, if you want the frequency spot on then closed loop feedback systems are available so far as I know

(Edit: If you want to feed back into the grid then frequency etc will have to be spot on)

Lozz.
Similar Topics
Users browsing this topic

Disclaimer: Mine exploring can be quite dangerous, but then again it can be alright, it all depends on the weather. Please read the proper disclaimer.
© 2005 to 2023 AditNow.co.uk

Dedicated to the memory of Freda Lowe, who believed this was worth saving...