Dumb Question

September 2, 2006 7:56 PM

Electric Eel powerplant, why not?

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

posted by furiousxgeorge to Science & Nature (11 answers total)

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.
posted by cillit bang at 8:23 PM on September 2, 2006

(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)
posted by cillit bang at 8:25 PM on September 2, 2006

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
posted by Iron Rat at 8:29 PM on September 2, 2006

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.
posted by geoff. at 8:46 PM on September 2, 2006

You'd probably generate more energy burning the eels.

I'm not joking -- thermal depolymerization is apparently progressing remarkably well.
posted by effugas at 9:15 PM on September 2, 2006

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.
posted by delmoi at 9:26 PM on September 2, 2006

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 ...
posted by frogan at 10:56 PM on September 2, 2006 [2 favorites]

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.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 12:26 AM on September 3, 2006

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.
posted by flashboy at 6:18 AM on September 3, 2006

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.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:16 AM on September 3, 2006 [2 favorites]

Maybe you could use those eels as ecological engine starters in warmer climates.
posted by furtive at 7:53 AM on September 3, 2006