A German experiment proved that simple concrete spheres make fantastic batteries. Now, California plans to submerge a 9-meter diameter sphere in the ocean and is already planning versions of 30 meters.
farmingdale-observer.com
Storing renewable energy sustainably and efficiently is one of the major challenges of our time. A team of German researchers is proposing a revolutionary solution: concrete spheres immersed in the ocean floor. Their potential is such that California is preparing to test a large-scale prototype. A simple, ingenious concept The…
  • pelyaEnglish
    4•1 day ago

    Silt did not magically disappear because your dam is spherical, and there is a lot of it on the sea floor. They need to install some kind of filtering system anyway.

    Also, the lifetime of a sphere is estimated to be 60 years, while the traditional dam is engineered for 100+ years of service.

    The main advantage is that the sea floor is unused and unregulated like the dry land , but then you could as well build an actual scuba diving underwater base with a hydro dam instead of a sphere, it will also be easier to clean and repair, but I guess that would be too much evil moustache twirling to get funded.

    • @AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2•1 day ago

      Did they say it was intended to be on the seafloor? I didn’t see that but assumed it would be moored deep enough for water pressure to turbo boost the turbines, but well clear of silt from the sea floor. That would also be a key benefit if you can moor it at the most useful depth but in any depth of water

      • gian English
        2•18 hours ago

        The article say about 500/600 meters deep. No mention if on the sea floor or not.