3 ms·
I’ve always wanted to ask someone who knew something about this stuff if this idea is feasible: Imagine a giant empty bucket held high in the air. As it rains,
by kamranjon 3y ago
I’ve always wanted to ask someone who knew something about this stuff if this idea is feasible:
Imagine a giant empty bucket held high in the air. As it rains, the bucket fills and using a counter-weight it slowly lowers down to ground level. Now the bucket is covered and the water is slowly drained causing the counter-weight to lower to the ground and the bucket to rise in the air again.
If this were geared properly, could energy be generated in any meaningful amount?
- ben_w 3y agoNowhere rains enough for that; hydro dams only manage it by having a huge catchment area nobody needs to build. Highest rainfall in a year: > 26,470 mm (1,042 in); Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India, 1860–1861 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_weather_records https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_weather_records 26.4 tons * 1km * 9.8m/s/s / 1 year = 7.4 watts
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- noam_k 3y agoRandall Monroe made some calculations here: https://what-if.xkcd.com/91/ https://what-if.xkcd.com/91/
- magicalhippo 3y agoYou just described hydroelectric power but with more steps and a much smaller area to catch rain.