EXERCISE: Old Faithful?
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writercises Original Posting April 22, 2019
Here's something to think about. First, go over to https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2019/4/235626-fighting-for-lava/fulltext if you want more details.Basically, they posit a possible set of tunnel-boring energy extraction companies who compete to (a) cool the lava fields in the US (b) make money, and (c) provide carbon-free energy! They tunnel from a power plant close to the lava fields, then run cool water into the tunnels where it is heated by the lava into steam, and the steam powers turbines. The steam is then recycled back into the tunnels. Now, they use this futuristic scenario as a setting for doing some fun mathematical puzzling over how to acquire segments for tunneling.But for our purposes, let's consider that the companies are doing their thing, tunneling away around the lava fields, then running water through the tunnels to drive turbines, feeding power to the electric grid of America! Wow, sounds almost like free energy, doesn't it? But...WHAT COULD GO WRONG?I mean, let's consider. The system is pretty simple, right? Digging tunnels (whoops, we got too close to the lava?). Running water through established tunnels (What do you mean, the tunnel stopped up? The steam blew a hole through the side of the tunnel? It's not supposed to do that!). Running turbines off the steam. (The turbines ran hot, and melted? Can that happen?) Or what happens when a terrorist reveals that they have mined the tunnels, and are prepared to blow a hole into the lava fields? Or maybe...Go ahead, what's your catastrophic prediction for this system? I mean, lava, superheated steam, high speed turbine, high voltage electricity... what could go wrong?ZAP!Tell us about it. And maybe tell us about the poor engineers, maintenance people, or whoever is trying to deal with your nightmare in the lava fields?
Here's something to think about. First, go over to https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2019/4/235626-fighting-for-lava/fulltext if you want more details.Basically, they posit a possible set of tunnel-boring energy extraction companies who compete to (a) cool the lava fields in the US (b) make money, and (c) provide carbon-free energy! They tunnel from a power plant close to the lava fields, then run cool water into the tunnels where it is heated by the lava into steam, and the steam powers turbines. The steam is then recycled back into the tunnels. Now, they use this futuristic scenario as a setting for doing some fun mathematical puzzling over how to acquire segments for tunneling.But for our purposes, let's consider that the companies are doing their thing, tunneling away around the lava fields, then running water through the tunnels to drive turbines, feeding power to the electric grid of America! Wow, sounds almost like free energy, doesn't it? But...WHAT COULD GO WRONG?I mean, let's consider. The system is pretty simple, right? Digging tunnels (whoops, we got too close to the lava?). Running water through established tunnels (What do you mean, the tunnel stopped up? The steam blew a hole through the side of the tunnel? It's not supposed to do that!). Running turbines off the steam. (The turbines ran hot, and melted? Can that happen?) Or what happens when a terrorist reveals that they have mined the tunnels, and are prepared to blow a hole into the lava fields? Or maybe...Go ahead, what's your catastrophic prediction for this system? I mean, lava, superheated steam, high speed turbine, high voltage electricity... what could go wrong?ZAP!Tell us about it. And maybe tell us about the poor engineers, maintenance people, or whoever is trying to deal with your nightmare in the lava fields?