[ExI] LinkedIn weirdness

[Keith Henson]

I posted this on LinkedIn.

The biggest problem with renewable energy is large scale, long term storage.

"A Victorian gas-making technology might solve this problem. About
1860, they made gas by burning coke till it got white hot, then
shutting off the air and blowing steam through the mass of coke. This
made CO and hydrogen, which was distributed as town gas.

"For carbon, we can use municipal waste, which is 40% carbon. For
heat, renewable electricity from wind or solar. 4 MWh will vaporize a
ton of carbon in steam, making about 11 MWh of syngas. The syngas can
be stored and then burned in a combined cycle turbine, giving over 6
MWh of electricity.

"This scales to a rather large size. LA makes 100,000 tons per day, of
which 40% is carbon. Run 1/3rd of the day, the gasifiers could absorb
20 GW, producing 240 GWh of syngas. This sounds like a lot until you
realize California is putting in 13 GW over the canals."

According to LinkedIn, almost 1000 people read it, including people in
the utility industry.  There were no comments except my comment,
giving my email.  No emails.

Is the idea so strange that people can't understand?  75 years ago,
the US made town gas from coke at a similar scale.  Is invoking
chemical reactions from the Victorian era simply rejected?

Any thoughts on the results?  I am mystified.

Keith

PS March 24, I am giving a talk on this topic to the local IEEE
chapter.  If it is not closed, I will let you know.