for what its worth i thought of an idea to combine power transmission and transport a few days ago

you use liquid nitrogen to cool a long length of copper/ other that normally runs a linear motor set up

as the resistance goes down at low temps and some work is done by the copper line to move a train upon it the rest of the time and most of the power is used to simply transmit power from one place to another

by using this combo of power transmission and transportation you might save money

thus a train line also becomes the power transmission line – sure, you might have a problem cooling the line but this isn’t my problem as a concept

He an ideas man alright..

NFI

> thus a train line also becomes the power transmission line

I always like the idea of duplication of function.

I’m also very much in favour of running road, rail, water supply, stormwater/greywater, electricity, gas oil and internet all intercity at the same time in the same set of road-works. That would greatly cut down on capital costs of distribution. I find it very annoying that each is controlled by a different authority and that the authorities don’t work in parallel.

> you use liquid nitrogen to cool a long length of copper

Not sure why you want to cool copper with liquid nitrogen. It’d waste a lot of heat and you still wouldn’t get superconductivity out of it. I’d be inclined to go for passively cooled copper or, if the technology is up to it, high temperature superconductor cooled by liquid nitrogen. Linear motor is fine by me.

mollwollfumble said:

> you use liquid nitrogen to cool a long length of copper

Not sure why you want to cool copper with liquid nitrogen. It’d waste a lot of heat and you still wouldn’t get superconductivity out of it. I’d be inclined to go for passively cooled copper or, if the technology is up to it, high temperature superconductor cooled by liquid nitrogen. Linear motor is fine by me.

Yep. What I just said. (sh)

mollwollfumble said:

> thus a train line also becomes the power transmission line

I always like the idea of duplication of function.

I’m also very much in favour of running road, rail, water supply, stormwater/greywater, electricity, gas oil and internet all intercity at the same time in the same set of road-works. That would greatly cut down on capital costs of distribution. I find it very annoying that each is controlled by a different authority and that the authorities don’t work in parallel.

> you use liquid nitrogen to cool a long length of copper

Not sure why you want to cool copper with liquid nitrogen. It’d waste a lot of heat and you still wouldn’t get superconductivity out of it. I’d be inclined to go for passively cooled copper or, if the technology is up to it, high temperature superconductor cooled by liquid nitrogen. Linear motor is fine by me.

i thought they cooled conductors using liquid nitrogen?

anyway the thought was someone mentioning something that they had seen on TED about a disc cooled down to a temp where a magnetic field flowed mostly around it and somehow any other flux that made its way through was not distorted and passed through in a straight line.

i simply joined up the superconductivity thing with transport

wookiemeister said:

mollwollfumble said:

> thus a train line also becomes the power transmission line

I always like the idea of duplication of function.

I’m also very much in favour of running road, rail, water supply, stormwater/greywater, electricity, gas oil and internet all intercity at the same time in the same set of road-works. That would greatly cut down on capital costs of distribution. I find it very annoying that each is controlled by a different authority and that the authorities don’t work in parallel.

> you use liquid nitrogen to cool a long length of copper

Not sure why you want to cool copper with liquid nitrogen. It’d waste a lot of heat and you still wouldn’t get superconductivity out of it. I’d be inclined to go for passively cooled copper or, if the technology is up to it, high temperature superconductor cooled by liquid nitrogen. Linear motor is fine by me.

i thought they cooled conductors using liquid nitrogen?

anyway the thought was someone mentioning something that they had seen on TED about a disc cooled down to a temp where a magnetic field flowed mostly around it and somehow any other flux that made its way through was not distorted and passed through in a straight line.

i simply joined up the superconductivity thing with transport

Like this?

Kingy said:

wookiemeister said:

mollwollfumble said:

> thus a train line also becomes the power transmission line

I always like the idea of duplication of function.

I’m also very much in favour of running road, rail, water supply, stormwater/greywater, electricity, gas oil and internet all intercity at the same time in the same set of road-works. That would greatly cut down on capital costs of distribution. I find it very annoying that each is controlled by a different authority and that the authorities don’t work in parallel.

> you use liquid nitrogen to cool a long length of copper

Not sure why you want to cool copper with liquid nitrogen. It’d waste a lot of heat and you still wouldn’t get superconductivity out of it. I’d be inclined to go for passively cooled copper or, if the technology is up to it, high temperature superconductor cooled by liquid nitrogen. Linear motor is fine by me.

i thought they cooled conductors using liquid nitrogen?

anyway the thought was someone mentioning something that they had seen on TED about a disc cooled down to a temp where a magnetic field flowed mostly around it and somehow any other flux that made its way through was not distorted and passed through in a straight line.

i simply joined up the superconductivity thing with transport

Like this?

superman’s pants are normally bright red

i call shenannigans