The entire point of hydraulic hydro is that energy capacity scales by r^4 (dimen... | Hacker News

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imtringued on Jan 9, 2020 | parent | context | favorite | on: To Store Renewable Energy, Try Freezing Air

The entire point of hydraulic hydro is that energy capacity scales by r^4 (dimensions of the piston + height within the hole). It is possible to just carve out the piston head from existing rock with wire saws. Systems with 1.6TWh storage capacity are not impossible.

eliaspro on Jan 10, 2020 | [–]

There's a local company which has developed exactly this concept: https://heindl-energy.com/technical-concept

Efficiency of around 80% (comparable to pumped hydro), capacity of 8GWh for a 250m diameter piston.

Gracana on Jan 9, 2020 | [–]

How do you keep water from leaking past the piston?

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