Storing Solar Power on my ROOF!!!

[@QuintBUILDs]

Due to popular demand, there's now a Quint BUILDs Discord server! Details on accessing it can be found on my Patreon page. If you want to discuss projects with my input, that's the best place to go. Yes, you've gotta become a patron of the channel to use it but that's the best way I know to keep it clean and useful. Hope to see you there! If you liked this content and want to support more of it the best thing you can do is join my super awesome Patreon supporters who made this video possible. To become one of them visit: www.patreon.com/QuintBUILDs If instead you prefer a one-time donation option, here's a PayPal address you can use: [e-mail] Videos mentioned: BUILDing the Alternator kzbin.info/www/bejne/j33FZZikeMyhhpY Charging Station Electrical kzbin.info/www/bejne/l57YZn-AlqmIhrs 2nd Channel with engineering and coaching to help you learn: kzbin.info/door/OEy... Video from 2nd channel on Pumped Storage: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqWnkKOAd798jdk Quint's Background: kzbin.info/www/bejne/paKohGtsqp2YisU

[@cosmiccrunch8591]

Awesome project! I've been thinking about something like this for ages. Have you considered using capillary action to move the water up and then send it back down into the reservoir when generating power with it?

[@TheBowersj]

okay, so a typical smartphone battery holds 41,000 joules or 3 times the energy that you have here. Would you consider putting 4 more of these on your roof for science? We already know that the math checks out but perhaps this would demonstrate the efficiency superiority of water storage compared to batteries. A good science experiment would be to power a cell phone directly to this without a battery and time how long it lasts for. With your current setup you would expect it to run 3 times lessor in time with 14,000 joules then with the 41,000 joules the cell phone battery would allow. But perhaps this is enough time to power it up and make a phone call or send a text message and there is always the possibility that you can throttle down and the cell phone would still work at say 4 volts buying you more time.

[@QuintBUILDs]

@@TheBowersj I like where your head is at. I'd need to dramatically increase the efficiency of my generator first. I think I was only getting 40% from the rain gutter!

[@KeithOlson]

You know... if you replaced the water with mercury, you'd have the equivalent of *14* AA batteries! :grin:

[@mb-3faze]

Bit of an issue in earthquake country. Maybe add a quick release for all that water if a quake is detected? :)

[@kevinchallinor9116]

In Scotland UK, there is a hydro-electric dam,when there is excess wind production off the coast (too much for the grid to handle) water is pumped from the lake at the bottom to the top, to be released when extra power is needed, it is then released through dam.

[@MrGoodeats]

Something similar in Switzerland as well. Very cool. Very very very cool!

[@gregoireveron8342]

yeah pumped hydroelectricity is actually pretty common in Europe and there are GWh of storage in this type of device

[@augustoa]

What is the performance of these kind of thing? How much energy is used and how much it generates?

[@weir9996]

@@augustoaAbout 80% efficiency, sometimes higher, so pretty decent, but not perfect

[@augustoa]

@@weir9996 80% is decent, depending on how long you are storing it can be better than regular batteries. Thanks for replying!

[@Igbf]

Just to put into perspective, the 14.200 Joules you calculated at 2:27 are equal to 3.94 (lets round it to 4) Watts-hour of energy... That is roughly the energy stored on SINGLE alkaline AA battery (around 2.5Ah times 1.5V), or about a quarter of the energy stored on an average mobile phone li-ion battery (around 16Wh). For me is mind blowing just how SMALL is the energy stored in form of potential energy when compared to the methods we are used to every day.

[@StephanBuchin]

It's amazing that a single AA battery can power the pump long or hard enough to lift this amount of water 7 meters high.

[@neopermaculteur]

And you did not even count the *huge* amount of energy already needed to build this setup, or the one the owner will need to spend, for maintaining it.

[@Hephera]

And that's only calculating the amount of potential energy stored, not how much energy it's going to take to pump it up there, since no pump is 100% efficient, nor how much of that potential energy is going to be wasted when you try to covert it back to electricity, because no water turbine is 100% efficient. this project is an incredible waste of time.

[@normanmazlin6741]

Pumped hydro energy storage schemes are the last desperate ploys of the environmentalist politicians and their bureaucrats.

[@dima1353]

Also its near to muzzle energy of .50 cal bullet

[@AvgDan]

Years ago I calculated that I'd need to suspend a volume of concrete that had the same square footage as my home and 9ft tall, over 35 feet in the air to have enough potential energy to power my home for a day. That quickly destroyed all ambitions I had of using potential energy as a means of energy storage.

[@UserName-cb6jz]

Your expectations were low and your ambitions not strong enough. It is not doable by most people, but for those who have the space and slope to make a water reservoir for energy storage, it by no means destroys their dreams. The cost and space involved usually pay-off for those with more cash and land in their possession, especially for a government.

[@AvgDan]

@@UserName-cb6jz The vast majority of people with the land and cash who wish to have energy storage will still opt for $300/kW-hr batteries over potential energy storage and use their two ponds/reservoirs for fish, and not risk liability of hundreds of tons of solid material suspended or on a grade.

[@xXx_Regulus_xXx]

there's always the flywheel, have you looked into any of the commercial models that are already available?

[@Opal.Workshop]

use sand

[@krampus3814]

Thanks, apparently someone was needed to point out how terribly inefficient potential energy is, because people here simply choose to believe what they want.

[@MossCoveredBonez]

spending small amounts of excess energy for usable energy during down-time is the way we need to look at all infrastructure power-sources going forward. This is an incredible idea

[@Jason-iz6ob]

I can imagine the neighbors. “He’s up on the roof again!”

[@jolllyroger1]

Yeah Mrs Kravits

[@xtheunknown9351]

They already say that... I don't have solar yet...

[@javi8129]

Lol!

[@ThomasJScharmann]

He is a neighbor I want. I would be is humble apprentice.

[@goingoutotheparty1]

lol but its so cool, so much low hanging eco-fruit

[@JerryRigEverything]

That was really cool! Thank you!

[@QuintBUILDs]

Wow, thank YOU Zack! 👍

[@manashsaha2312]

2:58: Man says to his daughter how far she can squirt.

[@fakrul7483]

Lets zack rig it!! Hahaha

[@HopefulPessimist]

@@QuintBUILDs I love what you're doing and I have been following it for a while now and I must say that while you have done incredibly well I think you can actually get more power than you even realize out of your water system... Your pelton wheel setup has a fair amount of efficiency. Some say the Tesla turbine is more efficient or is it? Could you print up a Tesla turbine on your 3D printer and then hook it up to see if it could spin your little generator faster and produce more voltage?

[@rjbjr]

It's not cool, it's really hot!

[@allbopable]

This is brilliant! I love to see a father teaching his passion to his kids. Keep up the good work!

[@ouiroc]

This is a kind of teacher we need in schools not this woke bulk crap we got now that is completely useless and detrimental

[@videosdojairo]

I thought the same, that's fantastic!!

[@kdrapertrucker]

We already have this, it's called hydro energy. The green types are currently trying to get it destroyed because they say the same destroy ecology.

[@Jkisacky6]

@@ouiroc they are too busy trying to figure out which of the 50+ genders their students are

[@asoka7752]

yeah true. his son seems excited, but daughter seems bored. she probably ends up being a tiktoker in the future.

[@TediBare]

I cannot express to you how much I appreciate your fax paws.. trials and errors, troubleshooting... obstacles and learning from this!!! And involving your children in the education, I love it I love it💜💜💜💜 TY

[@ElectricFuture]

thanks you for sacrificing your own home for our education 🙏

[@sammyd7857]

Wtf! What sacrifice

[@StJohnsChurchWoking]

What a superb example of how to do an educational KZbin video. No messing about, straight into the build with no patronising despite explaining everything clearly. Best of all, you didn't use 10 words where 1 word would do! Makes for great watching, thank you!

[@jeffpkamp]

I think it'd be interesting to try and pump 55 gallons up to your roof using a single AA.

[@guyh3403]

Yikes hehe

[@ezrarichardson279]

I think it would work. But only for a little…maybe a fourth of the way? The solar panel may have the same amount of power as the battery but can last as long as the sun is out. So, still would be interesting though!

[@jeffpkamp]

@@ezrarichardson279 I agree, you would need a very efficient pump and something like a very efficient joule thief, and even then you'd still probably only get about halfway there due to things like friction in the hose and pump.

[@babelfishdude]

18650 would be able to do it. LiFePO4 battery would be able to do it for ten years every day.

[@TheDesertegal7]

its only efficient when using huge amount of water to turn on a 1000w motor

[@AttilioG]

Foi um dos melhores vídeos sobre este assunto que o KZbin pode fornecer. Obrigado pela postagem.

[@nikossarikoudis3779]

Mind you, storing your water in a semi-transparent tank may cause some plant growth in the tank from the sunlight, which in turn might cause blockages in your pipe system and overall power losses! You can just paint over this tank with a white paint instead of black to reduce the water's heating, which also helps plant growth.

[@BenState]

was not in anyway a permanent structure.

[@Mars-zgblbl]

Go to the dollar store and get a bunch of copper scrub pads. The copper will kill, or should at least discourage bacterial and fungal growth

[@theblukatlife]

@@Mars-zgblbl What do you mean? Can I put this on a cat water bowl? I give water to stray cats but the bowl is always getting green stuff in it, do you think putting those things will avoid that?

[@volundrfrey896]

@@theblukatlife Yeah, copper coins in the bowl can also reduce the algae growth. You should still replace the water every now and again though.

[@rootuser7206]

There's zero chance he is using this thing beyond making this video. Cool idea, but it's worthless.

[@michaelderosier3505]

Tip from an electrician/outdoor climber. Install climbing anchor so you can tie in to a harness! So any time you go up there you can tie in before working.

[@crackedemerald4930]

The wonderful thing about metric, is that you can easily calculate the necessary pump by taking how much water it needs to pump, (the joules), when you want it done (the time). Giving you around what you need.

[@jamess1787]

All without a ridiculous cheat-sheet for converting gallons per hour into horse power. 🥛 ⌚ 🐎

[@kingmasterlord]

and the bad thing about it is that it teaches you to think in multiples of 10 and nothing else, so you're at a disadvantage for anything but round numbers

[@crackedemerald4930]

@@kingmasterlord I've often thought about how imperial's weird fractional measurements might make you more math savvy. But that's only true if you use them a lot, if you're just wanting to do a quick calculation, you might just give up.

[@rhobson]

@@kingmasterlord with all due respect, but that was an almost worst defense of the imperial system than "it's been used for a very very long time"...

[@kingmasterlord]

@@rhobson I made no mention of the imperial system. your thinking is rigid and binary. case in point.

[@OptimBro]

This is what Internet was built for.

[@kennywills-v4e]

Exactly 💯

[@patriot9455]

Utah Power has a "battery" that serves the grid outside of Salt Lake City. When they need it, they open it up, when power demand is small, they reverse the pump and refill the lake that is the upper battery. The scale of the tech is huge, but the basis is functionally identical. Imagine a farm getting some of its power from solar, some from wind, and some from a gravity system. Build it inside a barn, or silo, and you would not see it. I guess you can tell this excites me. I hope your children are as excited to be part of this. By the time they are ready for college, they will have such a solid grounding in the physical sciences, they will advance quickly.

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

It's really more disappointing than anything. We haven't been able to make a shits worth of power without water for over a 100 years, and instead of investing in the next generation of power generating technology we waste our money on extremely inefficient, unreliable, expensive, solar and wind.

[@dherman0001]

Huge one exists in South Carolina. Has for decades.

[@sayyamzahid7312]

I live in Karachi Pakistan and I like your comment send 10 month ago

[@sayyamzahid7312]

@@bobbygetsbanned6049 I live in Karachi Pakistan and I like your comment

[@sayyamzahid7312]

@@dherman0001 I live in Karachi Pakistan and I like your comment

[@yt3141]

A fun and educational experiment! To help people make more comparisons, it might be useful to note that the 14,000 joules is about 4 watt hours, and that's about a third the capacity of an iPhone 13 battery.

[@pascaljean2333]

The tiny pipe is restricting flow and potential for pressure. Normally for microhydro we need to jet the water out to increase impact on the impeller. We also start with larger pipes and funnel down to smaller pipes. Also we will use up to 4 nozzles on the impeller, so a larger pipe splitting off to the 4 jets.

[@no-knot9567]

You could just use a venturi system with 1 pipe? Keep quiet

[@pascaljean2333]

@@no-knot9567 multiple nozzles help reduce wear on the equipment by dividing the velocity between more than one nozzle.

[@ImUpsetThatYouStoleMyUsername]

kind of where my mind was at. I was pretty sure you could get a lot more juice out of that barrel, with enough pressure. I saw a few old turbine systems which ran with PVC off a river that wasnt going that quickly and they generated enough power off that system and river for a small neighborhood.

[@philip5940]

There's not much point to any of it though. A tonne of water will only provide 100 watts for say 1½ minutes sitting on roof. More if it's hundred metres high of course.

[@bradleycooper5436]

​@@philip5940I guess it would be be best if near a water source and simply pumping up hill

[@leomonk974]

This is awesome, I love videos like this, no matter how little the energy result is it’s still amazing to learn about mechanical design and what not, thanks for the video!

[@MarcLaneAus]

One thing you will start noticing soon is the algae build-up in the recycled water system from the sunlight. You can go to a pet store and get some algicide or similar to add to the reservoirs. This will kill your pump in short order.

[@johannesmajamaki2626]

The algae or the algacide?

[@MarcLaneAus]

@@johannesmajamaki2626 Yes sorry, that is confusing, the algae will damage the pump by reducing flow and increasing friction.

[@simonmcguire1988]

Could always paint the barrel/tubes

[@keithosterkamp6207]

You could use a blue pond water dye to Help block the light from penetrating the water in the tubing and drum which slows down algae growth since it’s a closed system.

[@AlRoderick]

He'll probably want an antifreeze in there as well.

[@RobDucharme]

This is tech I've known about for a while, but it's cool to see someone actually make a working version as a demonstration. This earned the channel a sub.

[@GyroCannon]

Yep. They do this with hydroelectric dams and nearby wind/solar plants and this demonstration shows exactly how efficient it can be

[@fishhuntadventure]

I don’t know if this would work where I live in Vermont. A gallon of water here is only like eight pounds, and he has water that weighs in kilograms! I mean eight pounds is way more than a box of honey grams but it’s nowhere near a thousand of ‘em

[@jantschierschky3461]

@@fishhuntadventure well being sarcastic is great, however in 99% of the world 1L water is 1000g/1kg

[@rayh592]

Been using it for decades near me with conventional power sources. Excess grid power at non peak times pumps water to a reservoir on a hill, when power is needed it is used in a hydro generator.

[@e.t.preppin7084]

And another sub here 👍

[@ChrispyNut]

Blimey, fair play to that little pump, producing >5m head.

[@ifluro]

The narrow pipe inner diameter lowers the weight of the 5m 'water pillar' the pump needs to lift. May be wrong, but that's how I see it.

[@ChrispyNut]

@@ifluro That affects flow-rate, not pressure, IIRC. This would probably be helpful (I CBA to go through and check everything again currently). Practical Engineering channel - kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIKuoahjpMetorc

[@CryptoOfficial]

@@ChrispyNut @ifluro is right (but there’s a catch). The force is proportional to the area of the cross section of the tube. So at a 5m head you have about 0.5 atm of pressure, if you multiply it by the area (set’s say 25 mm2) you will have a 127 grams force at the end of the tube. But this doesn’t take account where the actual force is applied which is on the “blades” of the pump, where the same area theory applies. So you could have a super large tube it still wouldn’t matter since the force would be on the small pump, so again, small area = small force.

[@coder0xff]

@@ifluro The amount of force is strictly determined by the area of the pumping surface. The tube shape makes no difference.

[@alansilverio4467]

heyy fellow intp

[@Toby_Flenderson_1982]

Amazing video. Everyone saying it was a waste of material, cost, and time, apparently failed to watch the last minute where he explains the benefits of a hands-on learning experience- he’s fully aware of the benefits of batteries as orders of magnitude more efficient. Again, really cool video!

[@arsbadmojo]

100% well said. It's the journey, not the destination. He's done the work, so I don't have to!

[@josue1996jc]

my problem is not really that it was a waste of time and materials just by it self, my problem is that it was because of him not doing at least a minimum of research on how to get energy from water, i am doctor, i have nothing to do with energy producion, but even i know that estarting from bigger pipes to smaller at the end will encrease presure by a LOT and that if he splits it in 4 or even 6 he can power 6 turbines at the same time with more efeciency, even then it would'nt have been worth it but at least it would be ussefull and less . . . dissapointing(?

[@niladmirari4762]

​@@josue1996jcIm sure he knows these things and calculated the maximum theoretically power output and he knew that this will not be efficient enough for a real scenario. You can see that he simply likes to build things - its always a learning process, even if you think you know all - and it is fun.

[@rolandsharp]

@@josue1996jc stick to pushing drugs. you won't increase efficiency by changing the pipe diameter and neither will changing the amount of turbines. you're embarrassing yourself.

[@Appalling68]

You are an AMAZING Dad to involve your children in your science experiments. This is how you create little scientists which will change their lives (for the better) forever. Great job, dude.

[@princepcn6909]

That is the most interesting part for me. It is awesome

[@toddmarshall7573]

Somewhere he needs to teach his kids to think. He's gone to great trouble to solve a problem. If he did the math he could show them it's not worth solving. They say you can't fix stupid. I disagree. If you can create stupid (i.e. teach it), you can fix it.

[@Appalling68]

@@toddmarshall7573 Do yourself a favor and DON'T become a father, creep.

[@Evan-yi7in]

*little discerning thinkers

[@Dang_Near_Fed_Up]

The project would be worth doing if only to involve the kids in a learning / thinking experiment that they could enjoy with their dad. Too many so called parents don't spend time with their children, much less take time to teach their kids something useful. Which is why we see so many single parent (ignored or forgotten) kids turn into criminals, as opposed to kids with both parents in the home succeed in the very same neighborhoods.

[@womensintuition]

I like this guy! I’m thinking if I were his kid, growing up with him how much fun and interesting my life would be. He probably knows deep down the example he’s setting , but even moreso he’s a “doer” and the benefit for his kids is great! Imagine the stories his kids will tell about their Dad to their kids… lol.

[@evm6177]

I totally agree, but there is no such thing as a perfect dad. There will be a point when everyone at home starts wishing they had a normal dad who buys a regular water pump like everyone else, someone who can provide some good stock advice to the kids, sits around with the family and have casual conversations about regular stuff which makes the wife feel that he actually cares more for the family than his stupid science experiments all the time. 🍷🤷🏻‍♀️

[@dumitrupogolsa7769]

He can be both! My mother is like this! I don’t want her to be “normal”! And my gf is not “normal”, she is painting and also telling awesome jokes, and also working and blushing like a child. I really don’t know what you mean by getting a normal pump, well you can buy everything you want nowadays, even a tank or an airplane. It just does not make sense for me to renounce your hobby to make your kids feel like “normal” ones. Well, they can be normal - play videogames, go to gym, fart like elephants, eat pop-corn and listen to funk or whatever is popular, why can’t they do that because of my hobby??

[@srmendoza]

Please don't stop this series, it's just so awesome. You are making must of my ideas come back to life but giving a proof and awesome explanation that I could've never done

[@discoverkenya]

This video was so bloody wholesome, feeding your kids knowledge and getting them excited about physics and experimental sciences is absolutely awesome. Definitely just subscribed and liked

[@soundslight7754]

It's great that you involve your children and evoke their imaginations/interest in science and practical skills 😀

[@stivi739]

Kids would be loving it

[@danno1800]

You have a real gift for explaining complicated things in a manner that we can all understand! Thanks - much appreciated…

[@reeree6036]

I haven't studied this kind of material since high school, (45 or 50 years ago) and I understood just about every concept demonstrated! Bravo to you!!!! Yay for me!!!

[@davidprietogomez7254]

It is really informative that you were able to give us a clear figure: "( 1 barrell of stored water in the roof = 1 AA Battery. ) I always wondered what the DIY equivalent was to hydropower reservoirs. Hydropower is only usefull for home owners when they have a big land plot with streaming water. Pumping up to store energy and then release it, it's only efficient enough when talking about huge water reservoirs. Thanks for helping my curiosity.

[@nothingtoseehere5760]

Also, you can use the pressure as a feedback mechanism to cut off the pump when full (no need to run wires), the float switch can just close the hose and a pressure switch at the bottom can turn it off electrically 🙂

[@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse]

A ball cock system as used in a flush toilet would close off the tank feed.

[@gregbio]

Science rite up in heer!

[@tafsirnahian669]

Maybe you are using a 19v solar panel, and the motor is rated for 12v. That's why it's getting hot.

[@MrVelociraptor75]

hmm, higher voltage should lower the amperage required to run the motor (for the same power usage). A "12v solar panel" invariably has an open-circuit voltage around the 19v mark anyway, that's normal. The excess heat is from (over) loading the pump up so much, asking it to run at maximum power for an extended period of time. For longevity, you'd usually select a pump that's over-spec for the required job. But that's not really necessary here in this vid, for demonstration purposes

[@evergladescreations9641]

It looks like a small pump , it's having to overcome the hydrostatic head of water so over working it

[@louismdeschenes]

@@MrVelociraptor75 running a pump with higher voltage will result in an higher current also. Resulting in more power consumed by the pump than what it is built to.

[@mrbmp09]

@@MrVelociraptor75 um....no.

[@Kurogane1990]

If I had you as my physics teacher, I would have gotten into engineering way earlier. The way you structure you videos is amazing.

[@Pyrochemik007]

That, or you may have fallen off the roof.

[@blablup1214]

Yeah very nice physics explanation. Sad that this construction is very inefficient. So expensive compared to what it does :D

[@alanwong9280]

Hahaha!

[@cakemaster10]

1:18 The reason why the full jug was destroyed so much more was also because water is near incompressible, unlike air. That makes the jug more rigid on impact and thus the energy is dissipated on a much smaller area. Of course the increased mass is also a huge factor in the grade of destruction of the jug.

[@MineDrac]

I love how you bring your family into your experiments and builds! Your kids are going to remember this for a lifetime :)

[@user-rn6hz8pb9s]

They will and their children's children will be able to experience this aswell because the battery should last a very very long time!

[@bonifacio419]

Basically made a mechanical "battery" that stores gravitational potential energy instead of chemical energy, very cool.

[@BenState]

super old news

[@mikeandnike123]

@@BenState doesn't make it any less cool tho

[@charlesfkonkle6179]

Reverse the tank from vertical to horizontal with an open water trough mounted above the tank same length as the existing bbl. (1/2 of the same size bbl would work and be able to collect rain water serving like a full length funnel). When it rains and no solar available use the higher elevation head pressure from the bbl in conjunction with the exiting roof rainwater for the Pelton wheel. The addition of high with the existing low pressure nozzle should theoretically increase the rain water power generation. Additional bonus of horizontal mounting could result in 40% more storage capacity, less wind resistance, less static and dynamic roof loads as well as aesthetically being less obtrusive. I can see the high level indicator (rubber duck) now floating across the open roof top trough ...the envy of all neighbors

[@fitybux4664]

So weird to make an "open water trough" when most people already have access to a rain collector. The roof of their house. (And rain gutters.) Caution: collecting rain water this way may violate your local city or state ordinances. (Not even joking. Crazy, right? 😆) Probably not going to matter for any type of apocalyptic scenario, I'm sure people would have bigger worries on their mind.

[@gtstyle66]

Don't talk, do it!

[@budisutanto5987]

It's clear that your real motivation is . . to make all neighbor squint with envy 😄

[@fitybux4664]

@@budisutanto5987 if you have post apocalyptic things that make neighbors squint with envy, you may find them missing/stolen in an apocalypse.

[@budisutanto5987]

@@fitybux4664 For sure. That's why, must have security. Alarm / warning & guns. People who didn't include guns in preparation, have smaller chance. Ammo, must choose 1 size fit all. Either handgun rounds or rifle rounds. For example - 7.62 rifle rounds. Must use handgun with magazine Infront or revolver. - 7.62 handgun rounds. Must have bullpup rifle with 1.5m barrel to achieve rifle performance at 300m.

[@arsbadmojo]

I enjoyed this immensely; thank you for putting the time in to educate on this topic in such an entertaining way, I love how you tied this to future and existing grid storage! The cloaking device was really neat too!

[@tomkelly8827]

That is a really fun project that you filmed for us! Thanks for sharing. It has me wondering why not use a solar thermal siphon rather then an electric panel to lift the water with an overflow that could return the water to the lower barrel. No pump or electricity needed to do the pumping, just heat from the sun. Also more energy can be stored if the lower barrel was buried in the ground and as noted below a tesla turbine would be ideal for making electricity

[@p.b.2903]

Please do more of these solar projects. They are amazing!

[@SchwittShow]

I love your videos and the fact that you use them to engage your kids in practical applications of science and engineering. You seem like you would have been the coolest Dad to have growing up.

[@jkeltonga]

That was a fun and fascinating way to learn a little something I never thought of. Perfect for young, curious minds (and old ones like mine). Keep up the great work!

[@nickperspective]

The UK produces 43% of it's electricity using renewables by using a giant version of what you did here. Two reservoirs with a hydroelectric power station between them. Wind and solar power is used to pump the water into the top reservoir and when it is needed it is run through the hyroelectric power station, refilling the lower reservoir.

[@mark5282]

Actually 43% of renewable power not total power which is about 2.2% of our total capacity which is shocking really.

[@kesakhan]

I'm absolutely amazed that the tiny pump can actually move water to that height.

[@iron4321]

I concur. Pond and fountain pumps can barely do 8 feet

[@ignasanchezl]

It's probably a diaphram pump. Low flow high pressure. Tipically pond pump use an open rotor centrifugal impeller. Centrifugal pumps require lots of power and lots of flow to have a decent amount of pressure.

[@carpediemarts705]

The pumps I bought last summer to build swamp coolers only lifted 22 inches-non returnable. Yes U would love to know what his pump was.

[@jlk259]

A Sequoia can do the same up to 100 m. A FUCKING TREE!

[@ignasanchezl]

The magic of airless capilarity

[@DiscoverGeniusTV]

Thank you! Great job of doing science with your kids! Engaging their natural curiosity,experience and questions. So much better than just teacher/ authority demonstrating! Good thinking family man scientist

[@extraincomesuz]

I love that your kids get to learn this firsthand. They probably love it that they get to work with their Dad on projects, which will stay with them always. They will, undoubtedly, pass it on to their kids. Great legacy, great channel.🎉

[@lynn5655]

Sooo much educational info in this video! Now I know why we get a power bill. Paying for what we use. The fun facts were cool, when you were using items from past videos. The varying brightness of the porch lights were a great way to show the measurement of the different levels of a watt. Thanks for all of the man hours you must have put into this video. Great job! Fun to see the kids included in it, too!

[@percivalgooglyeyes6178]

I really like how you get your children involved, and also talking in the metric system instead the archaic 'Murican system.

[@bwakel310]

Might want to learn where the imperial system started.

[@Alkatross]

I measure temperature in bald eagles and distance in meters

[@hg2.]

I'm glad you're so "cool" with your government-imposed metric system.

[@Alkatross]

@@hg2. Imperial measurement systems were taught to me in school, but I choose to use metric for woodworking. Using lookup tables to convert 16ths and 32nds into decimal reduces the accuracy of the original measurements. But meters are already in base 10 numbering system, so you can plug the exact distance right into any formula. If I need to calculate a circle or triangle, I always use metric.

[@hg2.]

@@Alkatross Good for you. Your social expression about it is obnoxious.

[@DarthInquirus]

I have been watching the Swan Lake project with bated breath. As another Oregonian, I've always appreciated the work they've put into renewable energy. We have a long way to go, but I'm happy to see the progress

[@TheRoyalBavarian]

My late brother Richard would be so into this stuff he would be up on the roof right now. Thank you sir.

[@rllr1117]

Thanks for the video. I've been thinking of building off grid but I don't like batteries so I was thinking of setting up a water tower. This helped me understand how it would work and also pointed out that it's likely to be very under powered for what I need. The only major difference to my plan was that I was going to use a tesla turbine.

[@Skilliard]

I'd be interested in a video testing the efficiency of your contraption and showing the math used to calculate it. On a clear day, calculate the power of the sun over the surface area of your panels to estimate the efficiency of the panels, then calculate energy required to fill barrel with solar panels, then calculate the energy generated by the pumped hydro. It shouldn't be too difficult, but could be a really informative educational video that shows how math can be applied.

[@mattthomson3134]

Wouldn't be difficult at all, it looked like he pumped around 20g/hr up the top, using a 50w pump. I assume they are 44g drums, which means it took just over 100w/hrs to generate approx 4w/hrs in storage. So you have an efficiency loss of around 96%. One of the few renewable scenarios that works far better on large scale designs using natural and man made terrain to your advantage.

[@bananian]

Just point the hose up and see how high the water shoots up lol.

[@triffid0hunter]

> calculate the power of the sun over the surface area of your panels to estimate the efficiency of the panels He said it's a 50W panel - and solar panels are specified by the electrical output in full sun at 90° angle (ie sun position along the normal of the panel's plane) > calculate energy required to fill barrel He said 14200J (about 4Wh), or as he stated, approximately the energy stored by a AA battery. 14200J / 50W is about 5 minutes, so given his 5.5 hour fill time he's already down to 1.5% storage efficiency for just the charge cycle. > calculate the energy generated by the pumped hydro He didn't offer any energy specs from the output of the generator during discharge, but the numbers are _already_ extremely sad even without that. Pumped hydro only makes sense on _massive_ scales, and only in specific areas where it's possible to find or build two huge dams with a large height difference between them. The Crooked Creek and Winter Ridge proposals are apparently aiming for an energy storage capacity of about 4GWh (output, estimated storage efficiency of 80% so 5GWh to fill) and a power level of 500MW, which would (each) be enough to power 8% of the state of Oregon (46.7TWh/y = 5.3GW average) for 10 hours - and that's with a pair of 2.5GL reservoirs with a height difference of 600m

[@theworldinoneclick]

produrre energia solare di giorno e idroelettrica di notte ( l'acqua come batteria ed accumulo di energia).

[@gillesdelbreil5414]

Thank you for this educational video which has the merit of showing a concrete example of the use of potential energy. Thank you also for stating that the stored energy is derisory for domestic use and for not encouraging everyone to hoist a cistern on the roof of their house to finally have less energy available than in the battery of their smartphone. Large-scale storage in a mountain lake is of course a different story....

[@sssssnake222]

I had an idea similar to this a long time ago, put a glass tank on the ground full of water, connected to a tank on the roof, let the sunshine heat up the water and evaporate, and then condense on the roof.

[@stark_energy]

It is not plausible. First the heat from sun (without focusing it) will be too low to boil it, so at best you will get miniscule amount of water. Second, adding solar panel or focal lenses to heat up the water will be plausible but this will become distillation and the water you obtain from it will be much more precious as it is very pure and can be drinkable. So, people will use this to obtain precious drinking water than to generate tiny amount of electricity (like what this video described).

[@fangthewarrior]

Awesome as always! This works exactly how a water tower does, using a pump to store potential energy in the form of water to meet peak demand- except in power instead of water

[@GadgetAddict]

There are power companies that do this with huge lakes. So I guess it's a proven idea. I just don't know how practical it is on a small scale like this. I'd probably stick with batteries. But it's a fun experiment.

[@MrHavoc313]

well hydro power is a proven technology we have been using for a long time. This set up is similar but you are using solar to move water to a higher spot. Helpful for places that don't have a geographic advantage of mountains or even a waterfall.

[@czarcastthick7146]

I miss your technology stuff videos.

[@Finnspin_unicycles]

The math says it's not worth it, since you can't store any significant amount of energy without needing a very strong roof. Unfortunately. But it's still fun that someone has build it.

[@Karjis]

@@Finnspin_unicycles yeah, 4 Watt hours (14200 Joules, which is 14200 watts for second, 3,94watts for an hour) per each barrel. So you would need simply 250 barrels to store ONE kilowatt hour. In practical applications for real usable power you need at least few kilowatt hours to run efficient house over night.

[@terenceiutzi4003]

They have been doing it since the 60s and it is less the 30 percent efficient! But it is something! And the saving will pay for the investment in about 300 years!

[@chrisbarron5861]

If you needed heat I think it would be better to store the solar recovered electricity as heat in the water barrel, because water has one of the best heat capacities of most everyday liquids. Then in the evening after the solar panels have heated an element in the water to raise it's temp you can pump the heated liquid around radiators for a boost

[@alexey1075]

More efficient to warm up this amount of water. We get then around 230 Wh per just 1 degree of temperature, that is 50 AA batteries. A huge difference.

[@benzandmoney420]

Same kind of idea i have had. Like having a water tower. Or look at what they are doing in switzerland. They are using solar and wind to pull concrete barrels high in the air then at night they slowly go down turning a generator. Really awesome form of mechanically stored energy

[@JamesSmith-dn8lb]

Or dig a hole for it to drop into for added capacity.

[@actschp1]

That aluminum tab on the top of the barrel also makes a nice little lightning rod.

[@usa-ev]

Meh, it's not well grounded, so not as great at attracting lightning as it could be.

[@mike289homebuilt5]

I first saw metal on the barrel, I thought he was making a 55 gallon liquid rechargable battery. Even better if it could attract Static charge from a ground.

[@dillongurel1178]

Wow, thank you for taking the time to do this show, it's absolutely fantastic.

[@Jason-wm5qe]

Massive energy storage is needed for on demand power. If only there were a way to store energy in liquid or gas naturally. Then imagine if we could pump it out of the ground and use it. We’re a long way off such a simple solution, but it’s exciting to picture that future.

[@00Krohnos]

I like to imagine the reaction of Mrs. BUILDs when you told her you were going to put a 50-gallon jug on the roof.

[@donovan2913]

wonder what the neighbors thought as well when they saw that little addition.

[@TheRealMr080guy]

no doubt she made him remove it after the video was recorded

[@frenchfryfarmer436]

Or the local code enforcement folks...if you don't fit into their "mold" you are WRONG!

[@QuintBUILDs]

@@donovan2913 my neighbor recorded his reaction. 😂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2nTXpWFa5aLY7M

[@Salty4eva]

I’m blown away with how much I’ve learned from this lesson!

[@menace7147]

Considering the long time use of this construction, the lower vat needs to be underground so you wont hear the stream noise.

[@spiceytradeboat8893]

Great project! Future thinking for sure. Canary Islands tried something like this at scale years ago. Continuous power with renewable is so practical

[@td5850]

Lol I love how you said “look at all this energy” that is such a nerd thing to say. I’m right with you too Love your vids

[@jmanxoom]

Nerds Unite! 💪🏽😎👍🏽

[@spaceminers]

Two things you can do to increase energy output: 1. Turn water wheel sideways and mount it inside the funnel. Use the whirlpool vortex to spin your motor. The bigger the funnel the more powerful the vortex is. This means you can add bigger blades and a bigger motor/generator to create more energy given the same amount of water pressure and flow. Think of the whirlpool Vortx as a fly wheel. Fly wheels are awesome for storing/producing energy. 2. Paint the barrel black! Seal the barrel! Let that water heat up from the sun and build up pressure. Leave a few inches of air at the top of barrel. You can also run the hot water through a second magnifying solar collector in small amounts to create steam.

[@lucaseaston]

There are definitely ways of making it more efficient, but the amount of energy stored even without calculating the energy loss is terrible. I had an idea to use my dam and a 10,000L water tank at 10m elevation for storage. The maximum potential energy would be 1,000,000 joules, roughly 1/4 of the energy contained in your average 12v lead acid car battery. 0.27kw/h

[@spaceminers]

@@lucaseaston It’s only as efficient as the quality of the design. One of my best skills is streamlining systems. Never assume you’re working with the best most efficient equipment. especially when it’s the first time you’ve ever built a particular device lol it takes years of tinkering and experimenting and reworking devices to make them super efficient. Rarely does inventor/designer stumble across and or accidentally build hi efficient devices on the first try. Take rockets for example! Lol

[@lucaseaston]

@@spaceminers it’s all well and good to optimise performance, but the fact remains that even at 100% efficiency the output is terrible. If you can break the laws of thermodynamics and create power from nothing, then it might be worth while.

[@spaceminers]

@@lucaseaston you can! That’s what I’m trying to tell you! With the right design you can achieve overunity and get more out than what you put in. It occurs in nature all the time. Haven’t you ever heard of the pistol shrimp? He can conjure a powerful shockwave with the snap of his tiny little claw. The shockwave is so intense that it atomizes the water into hydrogen and oxygen and uses it to create an explosion with temperatures hotter than the sun. So don’t think that just because you are at 100% efficiency of a system that it’s as far as you can go. There’s always room for improvement. Another example is the ancient Egyptians using gravity to pull large amounts of water down to the bottom level of the pyramids and redirecting this massive amount of Hydro/gravitational energy straight up to the ceiling of the Lowest chamber, causing massive shockwaves to propagate throughout the entire pyramid structure resonating hundreds of tons of trace exotic materials within the stone blocks A.k.a. Piezoelectric crystals resulting in such a massive amount of high frequency electromagnetic energy formation that an aura of highly energetic plasma forms around the entire structure level by level and is collimated at the top and blasts into space in the form of a huge super buoyant nitrogen gas fed plasma beam. Notice how many things are at play to make this happen. The pyramids are an immaculate awesome physical structure which defies the laws of physics just standing there.

[@AakashaVani369]

Loved it. Wish we had you as our professor in Engineering school.

[@leomonk974]

9:12 your desk looks exactly as it should, if your desk ain’t a mess you ain’t the best.

[@RedXcz]

Some time ago I actually calculated this, hoping I would be able to build meaningful storage at home. It was a harsh reality check. Making one goddamn cup of coffee takes around 50 000 Joules!!

[@sornsawanutthakrue6322]

I have been imaging about this for a longtime but I didn't know how to start it. You are the best experimental man. Thanks for shared it.

[@Jobobn1998]

Dude, love the cut-in of you chilling on the roof platform.

[@jameslevermore5194]

This is incredible. You are a fantastic teacher, really inspiring stuff. Thank you. Now to watch some more.

[@mrj.skunkwerx7634]

Love how you get the kiddos involved when you can. They are going to be great assets to the human race with all the out of the box ideas and simple effective solutions you come up with ! Keep it up

[@michaeldavison9808]

Very clear demonstration of the basic concept, thanks. I also went through this thought process: I have a few solar panels that I can't store the excess power from - I considered this approach but I'd need about a 10m tower with about 5 tonnes of water to achieve the capacity of one car battery. Like one of those water towers you see at railway stations in old Westerns. So now I have half a dozen car batteries. If someone would buy me a lake I'd be more than happy to set up some pumped storage.

[@paullawley-walker1440]

Let's hope he doesn't live in an area where they have any high winds or hurricanes, as if that lot comes down not only is his house going to get an unexpected massive hole in his roof, it could end up killing someone. The support doesn't look that secure considering the weight up there.

[@Tumbleweed5150]

Car batteries are the most inefficient batteries for off-grid power storage. Even RV/boat batteries are better, but I have found the LiFePO4 batteries to be the best choice for me, once I was able to save up enough for them. I've tried several different battery types, including golf cart batteries, and lead-acid batteries only lasted a few years in my system, where my new BattleBorn batteries should last about 20 years before degrading to about 80% of origional capacity. To me, that was well worth the high up-front cost. I have recently found that even the "cheaper" server rack batteries are a better set-up than lead-acid ones.

[@kjjosker]

These systems are already in use on a large scale at hydro power plants, during periods of low demand they use the extra power to pump water to a reservoir that is at a higher elevation.

[@cwclifford]

Hmm, that's exactly what he mentions at the end of the video.

[@rvdb1863]

This video perfectly shows Why it is so important to do the calculations first. That doesnt mean it is not an interesting expertiment. Bravo!

[@Aroundthehouse.]

Imagine... if our schools had teachers like this

[@DespaceMan]

Don't need teachers what's stopping you for doing your own research or going public libraries which are free? Information is out there you just have to motivate yourself to get it.

[@gsleazy1975]

If there were public school educators with this kind of passion for projects and exemplary lay for foundations in relative relationships. With "objects achieving action by ordinary efforts" (OAABOE); studying this use of ratios/conversion, formula building, ect, makes math more living along with you instead of living in a text book. I'd have taken [€×π√5(¶×∆^Nth)] shits off a rats ass what any of pathagos and his Greco/ Aramaic cohorts we're calculating. This is the kind of example that kids should build out of shop class for their final graduating exam because it's about as real to the world from the class as it gets here. P.s. my formula for basic bs is idk 😶 I just threw something that looked like multiplicative af downtown 👇 for the free throw.

[@Caleb123456ification]

all the academic mandates and restrictions put on teachers constrain their ability to teach what they are passionate about and are forced into teaching the way the school board has deemed 'most efficient' for their curriculum.

[@jeffw8218]

Our country would be in even worse shape, lmao A system like this isn't very efficient at all. Having a solar-water heater is a better use of resources.

[@malibudolphin3109]

@@DespaceMan since teachers drain a massive amount of taxpayers money, we deserve the best yet they are lazy idiots who are draining our pockets while making most students hate learning because 'teachers' aren't about teaching but about the most expensive child imprisonment, sit still and be silent, under the guise of education

[@computerjantje]

As a European always amazed how light structured American houses are build, I think you took some risks :) I love how you put this idea ( I had also) into reality.

[@mnomadvfx]

"As a European always amazed how light structured American houses are build" That's a roundabout way of saying cheap 😅 It shouldn't surprise anyone - even with slaves they couldn't build out the country this fast without cutting a lot of corners.

[@acaroMan]

@@mnomadvfx *cheap to build not to buy

[@MarcABrown-tt1fp]

@@mnomadvfx Are you assuming EVERYONE in the U.S.A had their houses built by slaves back then? How snobbish of you... It was mostly the southern states that used slaves on agriculture... Your not going to have slaves build your house... Also I'm aware of the use of slaves to build infrastructure like railways, but of course this was only in specific cases.

[@asoka7752]

@@MarcABrown-tt1fp northern states use slavery indirectly. on top of that the liberals who pretend to be saints exploit poor countries, for instance nestle from Switzerland where they preach about human rights to other countries.

[@deutscherprotestant6047]

Try to get an EU conform permission for such roof structure. 🤣

[@arctic_angel7408]

this makes my mind explode in amazement. this is the type of stuff i want to do in my life. alternate battery solutions like this is really cool

[@jupitercyclops6521]

Right on! Fyi Another way they store energy is with compressed air.

[@stuk1918]

This is absolutely incredible! Well done.

[@Vel0cir]

Seems like the ideal output (low volume, high-velocity fluid stream) for a tesla turbine?

[@mikebampton2657]

That sounds like a good "upgrade" project!

[@jumpieva]

tesla turbine right above the generator ? need to run some numbers of various types/size comparisons and output.

[@vinquinn]

Where does the high velocity come from?

[@MoritzBiester]

Just to get a better understanding of how much energy that is. Whould you please drop that barrel of the roof. That would help my understanding a little more.

[@lynn5655]

Ha ha!

[@lamontkeith3329]

I agree

[@RohitBanerjee]

This is the first video I watched from this channel, and I'm immediately hooked. Complex concepts and problems explained in simplest terms and demonstrated practically. Wonderful teaching method, love the BUILD philosophy ...

[@AORD72]

The problem is there is hardly any energy stored. He said 12000 joules stored. That is only 4Wh, not enough to charge a phone to 50%.

[@OnizukaGTO]

a fun build! For version 2, i suggest a simple way to increase the energy density, just pressurise the water above atmosphere with excess solar energy.

[@brianthegreat4807]

I'm off grid.. I often run out of power at night, with 8 dc27 batteries.. And they are fully charged by 10am on a sunny morning. A cheap battery solution, even with horrible efficiency would be welcome, lots of sunlight goes to waste!

[@rick92rr]

How many hours do the batteries provide before running out of power??

[@brianthegreat4807]

@@rick92rr 24 hours pretty easily, but some things will shut off our inverter if the batteries get to low. Microwave gets sketchy at night, and the water pump is pretty well guaranteed to kill it

[@cupbowlspoonforkknif]

Instead of using a roof, maybe you could use an incline on your property. With a couple of large ibs totes as the reservoirs. I don't know how much height you'd have to have but perhaps a higher volume of water could produce the same power with less height.

[@brianthegreat4807]

@@cupbowlspoonforkknif I have a mountain.. Plenty of opportunity for that!

[@JoshBoisTV]

Love this experiment and the custom elegant fixes you made along the way!!! Awesome way to explain science and propose energy storage improvements. You rock!

[@artstationideas6479]

What an amazing human being. I feel so proud and hopeful after seeing these kind of people.

[@ampedandvolted]

A tip for the pump @4:10 You can just seal off the contacts and leave it in water. It solves 2 problems, noise and over heating. No heatsing needed.

[@HarukiYamamoto]

But then you won't be able to show off you cool design and machining skills. 💁‍♂️

[@W00PIE]

Always amazing to see how little energy really is available when using potential energy, especially when you think about the energy of 200 liters of water the Einstein way. The drum contains almost 5 Petawatthours (or 17,9 Exajoule).

[@portnuefflyer]

It really makes one appreciate the easy to access power in a good old gallon of gasoline! A dark secret of being off grid is winter time genset use, and it's really amazing the amount of mechanical energy to be had in a gallon of gas when used to charge a battery.

[@erikvindfjall3335]

Nice video! If you want even more power you might consider making/buying a turbine instead of the water wheel. That could increase the efficiency a lot. All that water splashing is energy getting lost. 🙂

[@StuartChignell]

the trouble is finding the turbines. do you have a source of turbines for a range of duty points? I've got a ~30 to 40m head and several dams that can store heaps of water both top and bottom.

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

@@StuartChignell Could he make one with his printer?

[@ChestnutnagsToolsFromJapan]

@@TheGramophoneGirl Unlikely. 3d printers could provide a prototype but not something for sustained use.

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

@@ChestnutnagsToolsFromJapan But wasn't all this a prototype? It would be just to test the theory on the efficiency gain. Can hardly see him leaving that carbuncle on his roof for good.

[@ajhubbell3754]

I’ve been looking for a way to do something similar and practical for years. Hint: I still haven’t figured it out. A local power company is planning the reservoir trick in Wyoming. When I asked about the water freezing in the winter they couldn’t answer that. I think a system using a thin oil that doesn’t solidify would work in cold climates on a smaller level.

[@wilburosgoodwormsley]

Depending on how cold it gets adding anti freeze to the water might do the trick

[@GSAW66]

@@wilburosgoodwormsley Im sure they must have aerators and pumps or something to keep the water circulating the water so it cant freeze? Antifreeze ! Wow thats alot of antifreeze. Lol but its alot of water, hmmmm foot in mouth i think on this one.

[@wilburosgoodwormsley]

@@GSAW66 didnt say it would be inexpensive

[@preonmodel9906]

This is like a mini system that lots of people use with modified washing machines to create 24 volts from stream power and then through a converter to 120 220 or whatever you need. There’s lots of vids on KZbin

[@KangasAri]

Thank you for the most important part - the comparison of that barrel to a battery. I've watched a few of your videos and liked them all, but it's even more important to make sure people understand you CAN build stuff like that but can't really expect something like that to be of any practical use. I wish it was - at the moment I have no good way to store solar energy so I've no reason to buy the panels. I've done the math a few times and based on my location it just doesn't make any sense if you can't store all of it. And any energy storage solution I've found is so expensive the system would never pay itself back. That's the reason I watched this video, too.. and was happy that you spelled that important part out. =)

[@cupbowlspoonforkknif]

I'd like to find a way to make this work on a small scale. People don't like the idea of using less electricity but it's half of the equation. Why do we feel entitled to use as much electricity as we want, whenever we want? Is it the end of the world if you have to read a book instead of watching a movie because there wasn't enough sun to charge the batteries today? What if we just needed enough pumped hydro or batteries to run a few lights or watch a movie after dark. Then it sounds do-able. The real payback comes when you can eliminate a utility bill. Half the cost is transmission fees so reducing usage isn't very effective. Cut one whole bill and the payoff would be significant.

[@H2Dwoat]

Hi, cool demonstration. I’d love to see some calculations on efficiency and what it would take to be a practical way of generating nighttime requirements for a single household.

[@redandgoldfan3869]

you'd have to live by the river? =P

[@dandeangelis7087]

You’d need a river stored on your roof

[@customtoyrevolution]

No need to calculate. Extremely inefficient.

[@МихайлоСєльський]

Well, let's see. Storage capacity is 14+kJ. Meaningless amount. To make a cup of tea, for instance, you'll need at least 75kJ. Or you'll be able to light 4W LED lamp for whole hour!

[@H2Dwoat]

@@МихайлоСєльський Hi, thanks for the response it certainly puts it into perspective.

[@KindredNetwork]

Nicely done. How about more efficient kinetic storage options like flywheels or weights on pulleys.

[@coder0xff]

Are they more efficient? I guess water has turbulent losses, but the complexity (and danger) is a lot lower.

[@kreempa.i.8349]

@@coder0xff flywheels can be 95% efficient including the alternator, but it would need to be suspended with magnets and in a vacuum. They exist but are very difficult to make

[@johnfrian]

Flywheels sound more practical since the energy density of liquids rely on storage height and volume. A flywheel can just spin faster to store more energy. Then again, I guess there's more mechanical stress because the moving parts handle bigger loads.. But how much difference is there? Hey, it's like we need someone to do the math and perhaps a practical small scale experiment on this, perhaps present it all in a well made youtube video. Does somebody know anyone like that?

[@johnnyboy2459]

@@johnfrian Cars with petrol/diesel engines have flywheels to produce more torque, without them they have not much torque and wont go uphill efficiently.... food for thought

[@johnnyboy2459]

@@vencdee but a geared flywheel that weighs 1 tonne would store a lot of energy, I've seen steam engines stopping a 1 tonne flywheel and reversing it in less than 2 seconds! Some insane amount of power generated by steam, would be good to use steam engines if we could boil water efficiently, maybe use the sun to direct light onto a steel drum to boil water? Who's knows