Posted on 02/22/2010 8:17:57 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
investment on a Bloom Box would appear to take 30 years to recoup. EBay says the five boxes generate more clean energy than the company's 3,000 solar panels (assuming a bulk cost of $200/panel, and additional expense that system would run around $1M USD, at a minimum). Given those numbers the Bloom Box certainly doesn't appear to be cheaper than solar power, though it claims to be.
Obviously the above math illustrates some of the inconsistencies of the Bloom Box hype. However, the equation could soon change. Mr. Sridhar hopes the funding that's being virtually thrown at him and his enigmatic box will help drive down costs to below $3,000 for a residential unit within 5 to 10 years. Such costs could certainly make the technology competitive with solar systems which cost anywhere from $20,000-$70,000 USD for home installations.
Mr. Sridhar originally invented a similar device when he was working for NASA designing infrastructure for a prospective Mars colony. Now he's market the device right here on Earth.
He says the upside is incredible, especially for the energy hungry American consumer. He describes, "The way we make it is in two blocks. This is a European home. The two put together is a U.S. home."
Inquires
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According to the comments.....installations are all in California and benefitting from BOTH Cal state subsidies and Fed subsidies....
Looks like the steam train could make a comeback.
Does the box have to be heated to 1KC, or is that a result of it’s operation? How much of it’s own power is required to cool the surrounding area?
But it qualifies as a Green source so big subsidies...like 50%...
Does not use platinum...
operating temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius.
Do you have to somehow supply this heat or does it generate it itself?
BIG SCAM:
30 years to pay for itself but it only has an expected lifespan of 5 YEARS.
the comments at Daily Tech have some discussion on technicals...
You supplied the 5 years life cycle?
Thanks, I’ll look it up.
Bloom Energy Unveils Its Ultra-Secretive Bloom Box Fuel Cell
Video clip of the segment on 60 minutes at the link.
follow the links in the original article and you will find that the MANUFACTURER claims 5 years life for the FUEL CELL USED.
So what is a Bloom Box exactly? Well, $700,000 to $800,000 will buy you a “corporate sized” unit. Inside the box are a unique kind of fuel cell consisting of ceramic disks coated with green and black “inks”. The inks somehow transform a stream of methane (or other hydrocarbons) and oxygen into power, when the box heats up to its operating temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius.
>——— Whoa. 1,000 degrees ? Isn’t a good rule of thumb that producing heat as a side-effect, unless it’s a HEATER is a sign of major inefficiencies ? What chemical “green and black” reaction can possibly make a box 1000 degrees ? Or do we have to warm it up to 1000 to make it work (Another freeper already identified this problem)
Given those numbers the Bloom Box certainly doesn’t appear to be cheaper than solar power, though it claims to be.
>——— More green-speak here. Push “Solar, Solar Solar !”
Mr. Sridhar hopes the funding that’s being virtually thrown at him and his enigmatic box will help drive down costs
>——— Loan-Speak. “Send me money, EVERYONE is sending me money. Be quick to get on the bandwagon of sending me money.”
Mr. Sridhar originally invented a similar device when he was working for NASA designing infrastructure for a prospective Mars colony. Now he’s market the device right here on Earth.
>——— Richard Hoagland also worked for NASA. Don’t try to lend credibility by stating your involvement with a high-end company, unless you are the CEO of said company.
He says the upside is incredible, especially for the energy hungry American consumer. He describes, “The way we make it is in two blocks. This is a European home. The two put together is a U.S. home.”
>——— And NOW we have it. It’s a hoax. This is typical liberal upper-cut jabs to the ultra-hated, ultra repulsive American pig-dogs. Phooey on him.
Inquires 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl, “Cause we use twice as much energy, is that what you’re saying?”
>——— That’s what YOU’RE saying... Lez.
Mr. Sridhar replies, “Yeah, and this’ll power four Asian homes...Four to six homes in our country.”
>——— Wait.. what ?
Inside the box, one disc can produce energy to “power a lightbulb” (60 W, assuming a full power lightbulb). The discs are produced from baked sand and then painted on each side with the special ink. In between the discs an inexpensive metal (not platinum) is placed. According to Mr. Sridhar, 64 discs could power a Starbucks.
>——— 60x64 = 3840 = 110v x 34a . Really ?
The Bloom Box has some additional downsides; for one, it produces carbon dioxide emissions, an alternative energy no-no. However, there’s also numerous upsides — the boxes have a tiny footprint versus alternatives (eBay’s solar installation takes “acres and acres” versus the five Bloom Boxes that can fit inside a large room).
>——— Will the room also be 1000 degrees ? Or will the A/C be cranked ? How about on the roof, where just 20 of these 1000 degree monsters could actually warm the atmosphere more than any global warming causes have ever done ?
The device could also be carbon neutral if it used carbon from plant sources, such as algae or switchgrass ethanol.
>——— Ignorant media statement: It’s 100% efficient ? If it’s not, It would be carbon neutral if it ran on Diesel too.
My vote, and the Celerity Think Tank agrees: HOAX.
>>>BIG SCAM: 30 years to pay for itself but it only has an expected lifespan of 5 YEARS.
Prototype inefficiencies for any invention do not necessarily negate the principle being demonstrated. See the difference between the Wright Flyer vs a F22.
The questions to focus on are does it or does it not work. Then worry about the rest. I’ll be very interested in seeing which direction this goes.
Also, on the “64 of them can run a starbucks” thing... Which is great if starbucks were big empty, unheated and unplumbed rooms that held 64 powered lightbulbs..
1 can power a lightbulb. Let’s assume the plates are about an inch thick (Which is quite thick)
In a 6x6x6 foot cube there are what.. 24,500 of these things ? And that can power “4 asian homes, or 4 or 6 homes in our country”
I’m sure the math isn’t really “off” .. But it certainly seems that everything is phrased to make the sale.
“According to Mr. Sridhar, 64 discs could power a Starbucks.”
This is one thing I didn’t understand. Maybe I wasn’t listening closely enough. When he showed the first disc, I thought he or the SeeBS person said 1 could generate enough energy to run a light bulb. Does a Starbucks run on the equivalent of 64 light bulbs?
If a house-sized unit sold for $3K, that would be extraordinary, as heat pumps cost about that amount, but you nevertheless have an annual power bill to run them in addition to the capital cost. But I didn’t hear the part about their expected life-time being only 5 years (or was someone just throwing that out as a joke?). But even if they had to be replaced every 5 years, that’s only $50 per month. Anyone have electric/power bills that low? Not in my neck of the woods! So if he could mass-produce something at that price point, that would be revolutionary.
And Finally, I would like to propose : and you saw it HERE FIRST :
An official unit of measurement called “The Starbuck”. This is a unit of measurement to be applied to volume, consumption or displacement. Other uses are financial markers, probability factors and “How much the speaker really hates yuppies”
Examples:
I own a Prius. You own a Maybach. There are 2 starbucks differences between our purchases, laterally, financially and pompously.
Your TV consumes a standard Starbuck’s worth of electricity.
“You fool. ‘Sicko’ was an advanced *film that taught us all about the evils of George Bush, a puppet for Dracula. I saw the *film on the way to the *cinema after stopping at *my Starbucks.” (*In this example, the Starbuck has been used in multiple ways)
It’s a working theory... :D
from what i have read the big break through is now instead of a life expectancy of 2 years they are now at 4-5 years for the fuel cell.
Can Bountiful Natural Gas Supplies Make U.S. Self-Sufficient In Energy?
There is another thread....will look for it.
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