Re: Remember "Bit-Slice" Chips ?

On Sat, 7 Dec 2024 21:10:03 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

That is essentially the physics behind pumped (hydroelectric) storage,
which achieves about 75% turn round efficiency. If you consider the size
of the the lakes involved and the amount of energy that may be
stored...you sigh and realise its better to build a nuclear power
station that doesn't need the storage in the first place.
 
It works, but without suitable geography the build cost is phenomenal.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2016/12/02/northfield-mountain-hydroelectric-
station

The company I worked for at the time also was a distributor for Trabon
lubrication systems. I didn't have much involvement in that part of the
business but I did a tag-along with the crew installing the system prior
to the station going operational. It was impressive but it was also eerie
knowing you were in a cavern under a lake. I was jealous. They had mult
plants.  iple workstations with every Rigid tool known to man, all shiny
and new.

It was designed to load balance the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. Vermont
Yankee was up for license renewal but the state opposed it. The power
company won the suit against the state but decommissioned it in 2014 since
it couldn't compete with gas fired plants.

It sounded like a good idea 50 years ago. Damn, that means I was wandering
around the plant 50 years ago. How time goes by.