The US power grid is vulnerability to both natural and manmade disruption. The cost, vulnerability, and environmental impact of the distribution system would far outweigh any advantage in the efficiency of scaled electrical power production if small, efficient, and cost effective systems could be made available. Because of the centralize nature of our electrical power production and distribution systems; disruptions tend to affect hundreds, thousands, and sometimes millions of customers. The inherent nature of these centralized systems leaves us vulnerable to catastrophic failures and unneccessary infrastructure costs.
Natural Gas is relatively clean, readily available, and comes with an ever expanding, safe, and relatively secure distribution system; yet we fail to utilize it to even a small part of its potential.
Because of the existing and ever expanding distribution system; Natural Gas could provide a means of making our electrical power supply much less vulnerable to the natural disasters that occur on a regular basis as well as the potential man-made disasters that have catastrophic potential.
Natural Gas Fueled Micro-Turbine, Reciprocating, and Sterling cycle technology when combined with Power Averaging Processes would allow us to decentralize our power distribution system and thus secure our electrical energy supply and distribution systems. Such technology would also allow for greatly reduced supply infrastructure cost, complexity and greatly reducing future electrical distribution infrastructure growth.
Millions of US homes are served by underground Natural Gas pipelines. These pipelines are much less vulnerable to natural, accidental, or intentional disruption. These pipelines could serve as supply lines for internal combustion powered generation systems that power individual or co-operative residences where costs are shared based on metered power use. Widespread use of such decentralized systems would make our electrical power systems nearly invulnerable to widespread disruption do to natural and man made events.
What are the technological challenges of introducing such systems?
What kind of start up costs could be expected given wide scale application?
What kind of combustion energy to end use efficiencies could be expected?
Decentralization of Electrical Power Production
Re: Decentralization of Electrical Power Production
