Field of Grass Power Generation

[njcu]

Was watching the show and considered Kevins idea for power generation from a field of grass. While i think spraying the grass with nanofilm capable of generating electricity is a little out there (mostly cause grass grows, moves gets wet and you'd have to reapply this over and over again). I have thought up an alternate idea that may be more feasible.

You make giant screen meshes, like the kind to keep the insects out of your house except the holes are a bit larger, but instead make it of that power generating fiber they were talking about. Seed a field with grass. Place the mesh above the ground about the center of the height the average grass blade would grow. The grass after a couple months or weeks (dont really know how fast grass grows) would grow through the mesh. As the wind hits and pushes the grass, the blades in turn push against the mesh below it generating electricity.

Kinda nuts but on a large scale I think it would work... Now... If only I was a billionaire with money to burn. lol

[taswizard]

I was listening to Kevin's idea and realized he must be a bit drunk. Let's muse for a moment.

Wouldn't the better idea to be to go to the source? After all, as the laws of thermodynamics imply, you're going to lose energy the more steps it takes to capture it.

For instance, you could capture all the energy created by the grass, but where is the energy coming from? The wind blowing it. What about the wind above the grass; that energy would be lost. Why not get it at the source with a windmill then?

Better yet - what is moving the wind in the first place? Temperature differences which create high and low pressure systems which moves the air. What heats the air in the first place - the sun? Solar panels would therefore be the most efficient in gathering energy - at least more so than the energy from shaking grass stalks in the wind.

Just a thought.

[njcu]

so then.... install windmills covered in solar panels in a large field of power generating grass?

interesting...

[patch]

I'm still for just getting us more hamsters. Or up grading to guinea pigs.