Nice idea but but no donut - the physical height required is prohibitive. There's possibly one or maybe 2 places on the planet where this idea will work. Aqaba and somewhere else ! (but I leave this posted as a reminder - it sounded like a good idea at the time:-) ShepHydro DESALINATION STATION is a Seawater Pumped-storage Power Desalinator, an idea brought about by the need to solve a particular problem - desalinate water for Sydney without generating greenhouse gas. I like to call that the biggest green "battery" in the world. ShepHydro pumps seawater (SPS) into an "upper" tank and desalinates using pressure gained for Reverse Osmosis (RO) and dropped to make hydro-electricity on the way down - and/or drops unprocessed seawater to make Steam Hydro to Distill. Having one machine doing the job of two is probably a more efficient use of energy... but that's just the beginning. The KEY to ShepHydro DESALINATION is to replace water with seawater in pumped-storage - it then becomes seawater pumped-storage requiring only ONE tank (because the sea is the "lower") and conventional pumped-storage requires TWO. An important consideration for Sydney when choosing a desalination plant - apart from a green choice to make water - when the drought is over Shep can revert to an on-demand green power station.

ENERGY FIGURES UPDATE Some of you may have noticed there are no actual figures anywhere on this site - this is because I had none - but now I do. Further research has revealed that basically the same idea has already been published by the United Nations Press with all the facts and figures in detail around 10 years ago known as the "The Aqaba hybrid scheme". The following text is published in the United Nations Press. The Aqaba hybrid scheme http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu18ce/uu18ce0d.htm Construction of any new thermal or nuclear power station in the region would benefit from a pumped-storage scheme for efficient off-peak energy use. Hybrid water-energy co-generation is the application of sea-water pumped-storage with reverse osmosis desalination 1993; Murakami and Musiake, 1994). The Aqaba scheme (see fig. 11.6) would pump sea water during off-peak periods to store it in an upper reservoir at the top of an escarpment 600 m above sealevel. The stored sea water would be discharged into a penstock shaft to yield an effective water pressure of 60 kg/cm2 at the end of the pressure pipe system, simultaneously generating 600 MW of peak electricity and producing 100 MCM of fresh potable water (see fig. 11.7). Off-peak electricity to lift the sea water to 600 m above sealevel would be supplied not only from a steam power plant at Aqaba but also from steam power plants in either Egypt or Israel, or from other regional electricity grids. The Aqaba research indicates: "If we are to rely upon gravity alone, a 600 meter hill is required to supply the high pressure required for reverse osmosis desalination to take place." The study reveals a basic flaw in the ShepHydro idea. It is now known this was not taken into account and would need to be solved before the lovely but outragious claims could be fulfilled. It is simple enough to apply pressure with hydraulic action but that would alter the energy figures and cost more. Some estimates include 30%. Hence there is no point in following through until we break through this limitation with a cost effective solution. We must pay for this energy loss somehow. And there are other global solutions appearing on the horizon that may already be more efficient and cost effective. Energetech is one of them. Having now understood the weak link - there are a number of creative solutions that come to mind - although the beauty of the ShepHydro idea falls down until this is rectified. Please Note: the web site text shall remain unchanged but the outrageous "ecologically sustainable and renewable" claims were dependant upon this assumption: "elevating seawater in pumped-storage would achieve sufficient "pressure" to desalinate"... but the lack of pressure was never in question - in all our meetings no-one had questioned or checked our source. Collectively we never contemplated an enormous height like 600 meters was required - and as much as he was always confident - we wasted many years working with the wrong assumption which was unnecessary. It's been a lesson and a steep learning curve and now we can all move on. The persistence of a flaw in the invention is now known - the energy efficiency was underestimated. That one fact makes all the difference - because it NOW would require a substantial hill - and that limits practicality... unless you have "many" 600 meter hills. My apologies to those who have assisted me on this journey who have been led astray by the assumption or omission of this pivital information that came to light several months later and after extensive meetings assisted by Sydney Water. Bottomline, getting 2 products - electricity and water - for the price of one falls short, some 30% "energy" short. There are many roads to China, and I am encouraged by the hundreds of ideas and inventions that are appearing on the internet - that are also being tested in the real world. It matters not who finds the way first - it matters that we find a way out of the Climate Change soup. Many thanks to all at Sydney Water, TUPL and Oceana for their kind and helpful assistance.

This ShepHydro DESALINATION configuration in comparison to conventional desalination reduces greenhouse emissions by some 75% - because Shep produces 100% green power.

.

According to SMH Nov 1 2004, Carr's desalinator is expected to produce 255,500 tonnes of greenhouse gasses per year. ShepHydro on Day 1 would equal this amount when using the same fossil fuel - but on Day 2, and every day after, Shep benefits from feeding its' own clean hydro power back into itself - and would only require an external 25% to re-fill to capacity.

.

Because Shep produces its' own power and it's 100% green - everyday after represents a quantifiable saving of 75% greenhouse - reducing the total greenhouse gas emissions to 66,000 tonnes per year.

.

The pumped-storage role of supplying on-demand instant power has served faithfully for 100 years. Tomorrow seawater pumped-storage will double in efficiency to supply water as-well for around the same cost, but a whole lot cleaner.

.

That leaves a balance of 25% excess energy required from the grid and Shep reciprocates as an intrinsic part of the circuit delivering on-demand power to balance the load and produces water as-well.

.

When green technology like the Aquanator or Solar or Wind pick up the balance, Shep could go 100% green producing on-demand power and water... and this demands your attention because it could be a major breakthrough in global warming.

CRUISE CONTROL

You know you use up more gas in your car speeding around instead of cruising - and all that stopping and starting just adds up costing you extra, well, it's the same for the big boys - they just have bigger toys.

KEEP ON RUNNING

The amount of energy you would lose by switching off a power station at night and re-starting in the morning is just not worth it... it would cost too much, so they just keep them running. It's a loss but it's a practical decision. The excess energy that isn't used is lost. I guess the losses are calculated into my electricity bill. The user ends up paying, that's me and you.

YOU USE IT OR YOU LOSE IT

As you know, unless you store electricity somewhere, like in a battery, you use it or you lose it. The same goes for power stations. To store excess energy, overnight they use "pumped-storage". Pump water from the "lower" tank into the "upper" tank to store. Pumped-storage provides "on-demand" clean electricity at a moments notice. In the morning when you wake up a put the kettle on - you demand electricity - the "pumped-storage" gate opens and the water falls from the "upper" to the second "lower" tank and makes the hydro-electricity that boils your kettle.

It's significant to note that pumped-storage has upper and lower tanks.

PUMPED-STORAGE ON-DEMAND

Because you can boil the kettle at any hour of the day or night you need on-demand power, and you have it - at your switch. If everyone decides to have a t-break at the same time, electricity is rushed towards you to fill your need. If the electricity cannot be delivered in that moment, you experience a blackout. All your computers shut down - you're left in the dark and can't make a cup of tea - leaving you frustrated with no idea of what when or how long.

The role of pumped-storage is to supply on-demand electricity. That's it's job. And it's been that way for 100 years although conventional pumped-storage has it limitations. Due to the enormity of the claim "clean green ecologically sustainable and renewable power and water forever" I wish to note, "seemingly small changes make big differences". Later, I will outline pumped-storage's limitations and how to improve it's efficiency, which may appear to be a small change but is the key to unlocking enormous resource.

GREEN RE-CHARGEABLE BATTERY

If the power stations could ramp up quickly and efficiently to handle peaks - they would - but it's not practical or cost effective. The alternative practise of using excess energy to pump water into an "upper" tank - storing - and dropping to the "lower" tank later - is the most efficient and cost effective use of energy - as you know "you use it or lose it". One could liken filling the "upper" tank to re-charging a battery... and for simplicity sake is easiest described as a "battery" although there is always a cry, "but it's not!". Yes it's not but get over it. It is important to note: the power available from pumped-storage is the largest clean "battery" on the planet.

Having more of these clean "battery" devices would combat blackouts, something that is very worthwhile addition to any power grid system.

The "battery" for the grid is called a pumped-storage power station and it's GREEN

Nuclear Power Stations especially like to run at a consistent level and SHEP is the perfect companion to store all that overnight energy because SHEP along with electricity ALSO delivers fresh water... because it can. You can't make fresh water from fresh water -- but you can make fresh water from seawater... and electricity can't taste the difference.

Pumped-storage power stations provide on-demand peak power and are already embeded in the grid - and we already pay for the service. The cost is calculated in your bill. It sounds like a simple enough change - to pump seawater instead of fresh water in a pumped-storage power station - but there needs to be years of research and testing. Well to shave 20 years and make it a real no-brainer, all we need is a seawater power station... like this one.

THE WORLD'S FIRST SEAWATER PUMPED-STORAGE POWER STATION IS IN OKINAWA JAPAN.

Finding JCOLD seawater power station last week on the net just blew me off my seat. Where have I been? Under a rock? But the internet does this everday and never ceases to amaze.

This brings SHEP INTO REALITY and one giant step closer - to use seawater for producing hydro-electricity and simultaneously desalinating water - towards a clean green ecologically sustainable and renewable almost unlimited energy and clean water future. But not only that, the seawater pumped-storage version is cheaper to produce than regular fresh water pumped-storage because it requires only one "upper" tank built (see pic.) since the sea is the "lower" tank... so it's cheaper? but wait there's more.

Having one machine doing the job of two is probably a more efficient use of energy. Having to build one storage tank and not two has got to be cheaper. Changing from a limited fresh water resource to unlimited renewable and to then realize source and resource are one opens the door to a clean green ecologically sustainable renewable triple bottom-line ethical business practise.

* 255,500 tonnes front page Sydney Morning Herald Nov 1 2004