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Australia Enviromission - could be the largest/tallest structure ever built at 3000'

Concidering the amount of people who concider themselves green then complain if they live near wind farms because it ruins the landscape of whatever farmland is nearby. I can see the large expanse of un used land in australia as being the perfect place for these structures. Also the technology can only improve with time.

I remember when I was a kid I used buy quest magazine, a science monthly and it had an article once on using solar panels on huge satelite that would beam the energy back to earth in the form of extremely powerful microwaves.

If they could somehow combine both technologies (assuming they're both past theory stage) it could pretty much solve a hell of lot of worlds energy needs.

Also, is it just me or does the structure in the animation remind you of that weapon off the first episode of the most recent series of stargate ?
 
Originally posted by barkmonster

I remember when I was a kid I used buy quest magazine, a science monthly and it had an article once on using solar panels on huge satelite that would beam the energy back to earth in the form of extremely powerful microwaves.

If they could somehow combine both technologies (assuming they're both past theory stage) it could pretty much solve a hell of lot of worlds energy needs.
Click to expand...

Ha, the company I work for has several patents in microwave power beaming. There won't be space to earth powerbeaming any time soon. The problem is that you don't want to get between the transmitter and receivers ;) Too much liability there. We have a prototype system in our lab, kind of cool actually, but it will remain short range for a while. There are plans of having satellite to satellite power transfer, especially in probes. NASA has plans for doing this with a mother ship lander on Mars and mini rovers that explore away from it, getting powerups from the 'Base'.

D
 
Yeah read about that a while back. I used to live right near where they're building it :)
 
Cool Solor Energy Project...

Very interesting ... I've never seen anything like that, but anything that will bankrupt the Bush Oil family is ok with me.

Do you mean 3000 feet Dukestreet? Communications towers go above 5000 all the time. Doubtful its freestanding either, guywires are normal, and the prototype there is loaded with guywires, but definitely 3000 would make my jaw drop open... Ninth wonder of the world anybody?

:cool:
 
Re: Cool Solor Energy Project...

Originally posted by BenderBot1138
Very interesting ... I've never seen anything like that, but anything that will bankrupt the Bush Oil family is ok with me.

Do you mean 3000 feet Dukestreet? Communications towers go above 5000 all the time. Doubtful its freestanding either, guywires are normal, and the prototype there is loaded with guywires, but definitely 3000 would make my jaw drop open... Ninth wonder of the world anybody?
Click to expand...

Ah, really, 5000' - I found no reference to this at all, and I don't think it going to have guywires, its going to be made out of concrete, and the base seems to indicate that it will be stable.

the tallest freestanding building -
Petronas Tower 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1,483 Feet tall.

the tallest tower -
Canadian National Tower, Toronto, Canada, 1,815 Feet tall.

the tallest radio/tv tower -
KTHI TV-tower, Fargo ND, 2063 Feet tall

If you have links to something taller, please let me know.
 
Five Hundred Feet...

Maybe 500 feet using Saskquatch feet ;) I'm just going from memory. I had a relative who built communications towers for a living. The big uns were 5000 plus as I recall (going from memory), but nearly all Communications Towers are guy-wired. Used to hear stories about workers sliding down the guywires using clips or kids cutting the guywires to watch them fall.

I'll see if there's any of his construction pictures left around and get back to you dukestreet. You said "no guywires" :eek: wow :eek: I definitely wanna see that... a 3000 foot structure like that would have to attract the tourists for sure.

Forget about beaming Microwaves into space... with that kind of construction knowhow, how long can it be before we build railgun like devices to launch into space?

:cool:
 
Re: Five Hundred Feet...

Originally posted by BenderBot1138

Forget about beaming Microwaves into space... with that kind of construction knowhow, how long can it be before we build railgun like devices to launch into space?
Click to expand...

Well, it would be being microwaves from space mostly, but either way, there are issues with getting in the way of the beam....not good.

And railguns are being built and tested now, saw an article somewhere about a company doing work in a mountain in the western US - can't find it now. Pretty damn cool stuff.

D
 
Thread seems dead now, but I was thinking about starting one about this. Glad I looked first.

dukestreet is right about the tower height thing.. Probably the coolest thing about Canada. So, twice the height of the tallest structure in the world, as wide as a football field, made of concrete. I hope they can build it. It says in the link they hope to start this year and have power by summer '05. That would be very impressive. Maybe a good impression on the US, if we had viable locations.

My math says the state of Idaho (roughly 1 million people I believe) could build 5 towers (1 tower/200,000 people) and provide clean energy for 100 years for around 5 billion dollars (one billion per tower is a high estimate I believe).

As for the huge satelite that would beam microwave energy back to Earth? How's about the MOON?

On another note.. an eventual shuttle replacement from Highlift Systems ?
 
Re: Five Hundred Feet...

Originally posted by BenderBot1138
Maybe 500 feet using Saskquatch feet ;) I'm just going from memory. I had a relative who built communications towers for a living. The big uns were 5000 plus as I recall (going from memory), but nearly all Communications Towers are guy-wired. Used to hear stories about workers sliding down the guywires using clips or kids cutting the guywires to watch them fall.
Click to expand...

It is 500' you meant. There are no structures, no matter if towers, buildings or whatever, being that tall.

Just to give you an impression how high 5000' would be... It is about 1500 meters or 1.5 kms or 1 mile.

It would equal a building with 375 floors...

But wait, I was going 400 on the Autobahn last weekend while it was heavy rain... :rolleyes:

groovebuster

P.S.: You know how thick those steel-wires are, right? You don't just cut them with a kitchen knife...
 
Originally posted by onetime

As for the huge satelite that would beam microwave energy back to Earth? How's about the MOON?
Click to expand...

Even using the moon, you have a non-geostationary object that is very far away. The precision required to get the beams to hit the Earth at a designated location is not going to be simple. And it would have to track, if you're off by a bit you could really do some damage.

Something like this could happen, but it won't happen any time soon. Besides, we have to get back to the moon in the first place. When a permanent settlement is on the Lunar surface, then it might be more realistic. I think the Australian towers will be around first.

D
 
I guess I have to agree with fact that it would be rather diffucult to beam microwave energy some 250,000 miles. Today it is very unrealistic now that I think about it. Solar farms will definatly become crucuial for moon exploration, though.

I love the solar towers though. Can you imagine BASE jumping off that thing from 3000'?
 
Originally posted by onetime
I guess I have to agree with fact that it would be rather diffucult to beam microwave energy some 250,000 miles.
Click to expand...

Well, its not all that difficult physically and technologically - the problem you have with it (aside from getting to the moon and setting it all up) is making sure it doesn't stray off target. A small deflection on the moon and it could be 100s of miles on Earth. One swipe over a population center, well, you know what happens in a microwave oven? ;)

Imagine going to Safeway and seeing all the popcorn popping for no apparent reason?

D
 
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