4 ms·
You can pipe steam for a few miles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_heating https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_heating Though for industrial purpose
by robonerd 4y ago
You can pipe steam for a few miles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_heating https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_heating
Though for industrial purposes (rather than just heating buildings) you'd probably have to be closer.
- ars 4y agoThe waste heat from a power plant (any kind), is not hot enough to make steam, unless you deliberately make it less efficient. You can make hot water though.
- ComputerGuru 4y agoJust a reminder that “steam” does not directly imply any specific temperature threshold as it is a function of relative pressure. Pumped into a (near) vacuum, warm water will turn to “steam.” (Cost of pulling a vacuum not considered.)
- robonerd 4y agoWhat's to say that demand needs to be met with waste heat? Couldn't a plant tap off and sell some of the steam that would otherwise be sent to the turbines?
- jamincan 4y agoYes, and that has been done in the past. It comes at the cost of lower power production, though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Nuclear_Generating_Station#Bruce_Bulk_Steam_System,_1972%E2%80%932006 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Nuclear_Generating_Stati...
- robonerd 4y ago> It comes at the cost of lower power production Lower electrical production, not lower power production.