Louis Somlai’s Post

The Power of Wind Wind engineering is a fascinating and vital field that plays an important role in our society. But what exactly does it entail, and why is it so important? What is Wind Engineering? Wind engineering is the study and application of the effects of wind on the built environment and natural structures. It involves understanding how wind interacts with buildings, bridges, and even entire urban areas to ensure their stability and safety. This field combines principles from meteorology, fluid dynamics, and structural engineering to design structures that can withstand the forces of wind. Why is Wind Engineering Important? - Safety and Resilience - Sustainable Design. - Urban Planning - Climate Adaptation Wind engineering is not just about confronting challenges; it’s about leveraging the power of wind to create safer, more resilient, and sustainable communities. #ETCC #DSDC #AinShamsUni #WindEngineering #SustainableDesign #ClimateAdaptation #StructuralEngineering #RenewableEnergy #UrbanPlanning

Gravity To the Rescue By Branko Terzic https://lnkd.in/eApGmZhp How does it work? Energy is stored when a weight is lifted by an electric motor. As the weight is released it pulls a cord around an electric generator producing electricity. The round-trip efficiency can be 80%. The change of energy from lifting a weight directly correlates to the vertical rise (the higher a mass is lifted, the more gravitational potential energy) and to the mass of an object (the heavier the mass, the bigger the change in energy.) So, we want heavier weights moved over greater vertical distances. My understanding is that Energy Vault uses local composite materials for weights, existing lifting technology and standard building construction. They estimate a 35 life for the system which exceeds the life of the wind and solar energy resources supplying the power. That seems like a simple elegant solution to the energy (from electricity) problem. But why is it necessary to build a structure to provide the height. The vertical distances can be manmade or natural: A. Manmade height differences Existing construction Buildings Mining shafts Wells Railroad inclines Bridges Elevator shafts Excavated open pit mine 2. Special purpose structures B. Natural height differences Deep water Cliffs Hills Elevated lakes The sites can use natural height differences saving on construction costs and the weights can come from any dense and cheap material such as concrete, water, scrap metal, rocks etc. Ideally the Gravity batteries to be economic should not require new transmission lines either to receive energy for storage or to deliver energy to the grid. This means that locations with natural height differences will be usable only if the location is suitable with respect to additional costs of transmission construction. Special built structures such as those used by Energy Vault can be located at sites with the most economic characteristics including use of existing transmission assets. As gravity battery technologies attract more investors and inventors the new companies will most likely start looking at locations with unused natural height differentials suitable for development. Stay tuned. #BrankoTerzic #energy #regulations #experience #research #future #opportunity #strategy #management #people #electricity #power #utilities #renewables #RenewableEnergy #energysector #powergeneration #energyindustry #sustainability #Gravity #batteries

Finally got some detailed info on Energy Vault's only US construction site for their gravitational energy storage systems. Apparently they currently have five variants under their master "GESS" category... EVy™, EVx™, EVc™, and EVo™ EVu™ EVy™ = Hanging giant blocks on diagonal cables (on what looks like a monstrous ski lift) and hauling the blocks uphill EVx™ = Lifting many tons of blocks straight up in the air using a giant steel and cement grid as a lifting gantry. EVc™ = A monstrously large and very tall "GW scale" cylindrical structure covered with concentric rings of solar panels and with the interior of that giant cylinder containing what amounts to a super scale water tower. The EVc™ system purports to pumped hydro for LDES "anywhere." EVu™ = One of the world's largest tallest buildings is supposed to have a water tank near the top of it and the EVu™ system is just running standard pumped hydro up and down from that water tank. I think they are supposed to build this thing in Oklahoma City, OK of all places! EVo™ = This is a new one! For this system they have come up with the idea of giant scale flexible bags of water supported by a central steel and cement tower. It's kind of tough to describe it adequately so please just look for yourself. There is one common bit of human anatomy it kind of reminds me of, but I digress... Oh yes, the EVo™ is intended to be sited near an existing mine suitable for flooding and then running standard pumped hydro between their upper fluid reservoir and allow it to gush into the cavity below. I know many of my readers will have read a whole litany of criticisms about this company so perhaps it's not worth my mentioning something new I saw watching the construction video of that little demonstration site in Snyder? But I am going to mention it anyhow because I don't want anyone to get hurt! I know enough about structural engineering to know that the sort of rectangular grid structure they are building in Snyder Texas isn't a safe design (well it certainly isn't safe that way without tensile or compressive bracing) and I didn't see any in the video! To make matters worse they plan to place a great amount of mass at the top of that structure and hang it from elevator cables! Even worse (if you read the news) you will know that the Permian Basin is becoming quite the active seismic zone and yes! Snyder is in the Permian Basin. You might want to know why I am so obsessed with Energy Vault? Well it's just my humble opinion, but ultimately I don't think they are going to make it as a company and currently (because of their stock value, unbelievable advertising budget, and serious political connections) they are carrying the banner for a lot of different gravitational energy storage technologies. So if (WHEN) they come crashing down it is going to needlessly tarnish the underlying technologies. Set up to fail? https://lnkd.in/gT9QScrh

Rosa Rotko brilliantly outlines the challenges and opportunities in transforming energy use across businesses. Her insights in the latest New Civil Engineer article are invaluable for fostering innovation. #EnergyTransition #NetZero #Sustainability

Rosa Rotko brilliantly outlines the challenges and opportunities in transforming energy use across businesses. Her insights in the latest New Civil Engineer article are invaluable for fostering innovation. #EnergyTransition #NetZero #Sustainability

Why do you need to have a Thermal Energy Model for your project? Essentially a Thermal Energy Model shows where heat energy is lost from a building and is normally updated as the design process moves on. It is the basis for all heating, cooling and overheating calculations. The model contains the thermal properties of all the construction elements, including floors, roofs and lintels, from which it can calculate the energy lost through them (using past or future weather forecasts). This is essential so that the size (in Kilowatts) of the heating equipment can be found, it also provides data on future running costs and carbon footprints. Without this, your project could be over-engineered and far more costly. A small investment in a Thermal Energy Model could be a game changer. Found out more at our website https://lnkd.in/e8MwrvYj #thermal #energy #modelling #energysaving #construction

Are your #infrastructure projects still on budget? #Mobility and #energy have become the top issues in our society in recent years. The successful transition in these areas is important for achieving the climate targets. In order to come closer to climate neutrality, numerous fields of action need to be successfully shaped. One of these is the transformation of infrastructure at various levels. We turned our attention to construction issues relating to the conversion of infrastructure at a very early stage and now plan and build, for example, pylon sites for high-voltage lines, the development of wind farms for construction and operation as well as transformer stations and cable routes. Infrastructure projects are usually also extensive earthworks projects, which are becoming increasingly important in the project budget for the development of wind farms, for example. Wind farms in hilly or mountainous areas are technically more difficult to realize in relation to the development of wind farms on flat land and are therefore also more cost-intensive. We plan these projects with precision thanks to the use of state-of-the-art technology. We carry out the planning in #CAD on the 3D model and load current topographical data as a basis for this. For exposed and cost-intensive junctions, we check the digital model on site using the latest surveying technology. The information is superimposed and realistically depicted in the 3D model. Once the model has been captured and the first draft is on the table, it must be discussed with the project participants in a goal-oriented manner. It is helpful here that we have captured the local conditions for you using 360° camera technology, so that you can “drive” the route at any time on your own PC in comparison with the CAD planning. As soon as the planning has matured, all data and in particular the dimensions are available digitally via CAD/ #BIM. Depending on the status of the project, this can also be compared with the soil expertise and the soil classes or homogeneous areas. At the end of each planning phase, we carry out a mass check, mass optimization (excavation and removal) and a cost calculation based on this. With solid, fact-based planning, you enter the execution phase with us, which we monitor for you in terms of construction and costs. We use drone and measurement #technology to fully document the construction quality and dimensions. We therefore offer you a modern planning and construction monitoring process that allows you to keep an eye on the #budget and the success of your project at all times. #epcmanagement #agilesprojektmanagement #engineering #energiewende #renewableenergy #groundworks

🏗️ Elevate Your Solar Projects with the R112 Pile Ground Mount! 🌞 When stability and durability are paramount, Lumax Energy’s R112 Pile Ground Mount structures deliver. Engineered for challenging conditions, this robust solution ensures your solar installations remain steadfast and efficient, no matter the terrain. What Sets the R112 Pile Apart? 🔹Heavy-Duty Construction: Designed to support large-scale solar projects with exceptional load-bearing capacity. 🔹Versatile Compatibility: Adaptable to various soil types and site conditions, providing a reliable foundation across different environments. 🔹Long-Term Durability: Built to last with corrosion-resistant materials, ensuring your investment stands the test of time. 🔹Precision Engineering: Meets stringent structural standards to guarantee safety and performance. Choose the R112 Pile Ground Mount for a foundation that keeps your solar project secure and efficient, from installation to operation. #R112Pile #GroundMount #SolarStructures #LumaxEnergy #RenewableEnergy #SustainableConstruction

It was great to speak to Thomas Johnson at New Civil Engineer about our fully columnless CycloneCC C1 series. Replacing columns with rotating packed beds (RPBs) reduces steel requirements by 35% compared to conventional #carboncapture solutions. CycloneCC is ideal for industrial sites with space constraints with a footprint up to 50% smaller – and our modular, replicable units are more cost-effective and simpler to install because of their ‘plug and play’ design. Repeatability is key to mass adoption, as we’ve seen with solar panels and EV batteries. I’m proud of how our teams have pushed technological boundaries to achieve this breakthrough. Read more here. ⬇️ https://hubs.la/Q02ZvXgG0

Rosa Rotko brilliantly outlines the challenges and opportunities in transforming energy use across businesses. Her insights in the latest New Civil Engineer article are invaluable for fostering innovation. #EnergyTransition #NetZero #Sustainability