Comments on: Dumb Question

Question: Dumb Question

furiousxgeorge — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 19:56:49 -0800

Electric Eel powerplant, why not?

I understand not is the correct answer, but humor me on why.

By: cillit bang

cillit bang — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 20:23:10 -0800

Using the number from here and Wikipedia's claim the voltage measurement is at 1 ampere we get:

8 * 3ms * 150/hour * 1 amp * 650 volts = 0.65 watts.

So that's 100 eels per light bulb, if you can harness all the power and keep them all shocking 24/7.

By: cillit bang

cillit bang — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 20:25:14 -0800

(and the reason that number is so small is the 3ms length of each pulse. They can only be producing power for 1/1000th of each hour)

By: Iron Rat

Iron Rat — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 20:29:18 -0800

Humor you? cheney won't allow us to use it. I think the amount of energy you would have to expend raising and keeping alive these eels would not equal the energy they would give off but please do not demand that I cite source on that.
I did once see a pic of an eel lighting up a lot of lightbulbs so I know they pack a lot of juice but I don't think it is ac/dc.
Keep in mind I know nothing about electricity

By: geoff.

geoff. — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 20:46:21 -0800

Even through selective breeding/genetic engineering and assuming you could triple the output of electricity per eel -- it would still be incredibly infeasible. Both economically and pragmatically.

By: effugas

effugas — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 21:15:34 -0800

You'd probably generate more energy burning the eels.

I'm not joking -- thermal depolymerization is apparently progressing remarkably well.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 21:26:19 -0800

Well look. In order to do something it needs to be practical, and it needs to be more practical then something else you could do for the same amount of money. An electric eel power plant would be a huge waste of electric eel food, and you could get more energy just by burning that stuff.

By: frogan

frogan — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 22:56:24 -0800

In order to do something it needs to be practical, and it needs to be more practical then something else you could do for the same amount of money.

Which is why we'll never stop burning oil if a gallon of gas is about $2, before taxes. That gallon of gas provides 124,000 BTUs of energy, or 36 kilowatt hours.

In other words, 1 gallon of gas = the theoretical, continuous maximum output of 55,384 eels for an hour. Somebody check my math.

Now, let's talk about the food the eels need, and the filtered water systems, and the ...

By: gauchodaspampas

gauchodaspampas — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 00:26:43 -0800

The eels need energy to produce their electricity, so you must feed them, which will at least take a big chunk out of your profits, if not exceed them.

By: flashboy

flashboy — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 06:18:28 -0800

Because no matter how detailed you made the virtual reality world you kept the eels in to convince them that they weren't slaves and still had free will, one eel would emerge who had the power to manipulate that world, and would rise against you.

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 07:16:22 -0800

Giant Mutant Eels, 500-600 lbs worth might be big enough to start cranking out some serious power. But I imagine that if you could grow them that big, they'ld be super-intelligent, and able to fly. What you are proposing could destroy civilization as we know it.

By: b1tr0t

b1tr0t — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 07:45:12 -0800

Why not just use humans as batteries?

By: furtive

furtive — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 07:53:17 -0800

Maybe you could use those eels as ecological engine starters in warmer climates.