Russell,

On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 07:05:58 +1200, Russell McMahon wrote:

>...
> English (and no doubt other) stately homes at one stage used a wind up 
> weight system to generate power, powered  usually no doubt by servant 
> input. Food to electricity!

Where did you get this?  I've been to loads of stately homes and castles, but I've never seen any sign of weight-storage of energy except for things 
like portculis and drawbridges (and clocks!), and water-wheel power, but nothing like you mention.  I've seen hydro-electric and hydraulic power at 
Cragside, Armstrong's former place, but there are lakes at the top and bottom of the hill, so it's an ideal location for that.

> Such a system may be rendered practical by 
> modern means - electric motor energy mass storage. One Watt second =~ 
> 0.1 kg.m. So to store 1 kWh = 360,000 kg.m. eg 10m x 36 tonne. An 
> annoyingly large amount for about $0.20 worth of electricity. More 
> with inefficiencies. This could be water pumped to a reservoir - 
> entirely practical and actually done on large scale. Only attractive 
> if you have a lake and a hill to hand.

Quite!
 
> "Larnoch Castle" in Dunedin NZ has an interesting structure out-back 
> which is not mentioned except in most peripheral passing in guidebooks 
> etc. On inspection it is clear that they made Methane gas from their 
> own sewage. Don't know if they had a Stirling engine though :-).

(That's "Larnach", isn't it?)  I've been there but didn't spot the thing you mention - what does it look like?

Cheers,


Howard Winter
St.Albans, England


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