Tim Streater wrote:
On 08 Feb 2021 at 16:32:11 GMT, Andrew
wrote:

They could mount the land-based windmills on giant concrete 'sleds'
running on rails. When it is windy the sled moves itself up the incline
and then has the capability to generate power as it runs back down
again ? :-)

Didn't I see a report about a US scheme that involved storing energy by having
a railway line going up a long slope (few miles IIRC) and allowing trucks with
20 ton blocks of concrete on to roll down the hill to generate volts as they
went?


There's this one

https://www.ien.com/product-developm...y-than-it-uses

Might be the same one.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/09...ctric-vehicle/

It's a transportation job, with net energy output.

The truck never needs to be charged, and in fact
at night, it needs to empty the battery out so
there is room for charging it via regeneration,
the next day. The truck drives uphill empty, and
that takes less energy than is regeneratively
generated by driving downhill with a full load
in the back. All thanks to electric motors that
function as motors or as generators.

Paul