News, Offshore Wind Farms Could Knock Down Hurricanes. (Chicago, storm, city)

[JD59]

Hurricanes are unstoppable, right? Apparently not. An intriguing new computer simulation shows that 78,000 large wind turbines spread across 35,000 square kilometers of ocean outside of New Orleans would have cut Hurricane Katrina’s category 3 winds at landfall by 129 to 158 kilometers per hour (80 to 98 miles per hour) and reduced the storm surge by 79 percent. The same collection of turbines offshore of New York City would have dropped Hurricane Sandy’s winds by 125 to 140 kph and the surge by up to 34 percent.

Offshore Wind Farms Could Knock Down Hurricanes - Scientific American

[chicagogeorge]

highly doubtful....

[Opin_Yunated]

Not doubtful at all.

It is a great idea, but we have too many crooks in government to ever consider something like this. It is just more cost efficient to destroy the earth.

[ca_north]

Originally Posted by John1960

Hurricanes are unstoppable, right? Apparently not. An intriguing new computer simulation shows that 78,000 large wind turbines spread across 35,000 square kilometers of ocean outside of New Orleans would have cut Hurricane Katrina’s category 3 winds at landfall by 129 to 158 kilometers per hour (80 to 98 miles per hour) and reduced the storm surge by 79 percent. The same collection of turbines offshore of New York City would have dropped Hurricane Sandy’s winds by 125 to 140 kph and the surge by up to 34 percent.

Offshore Wind Farms Could Knock Down Hurricanes - Scientific American

Some context: Mark Jacobson was part of a 2009 Stanford study to see how many wind turbines (and other sources) would be needed to offset fossil fuels. He and Mark Delucchi arrived at a figure of 3.8 million large turbines installed around the globe. That's an obscene number of very tall, spinning structures. It seems they don't care about the effect of all those towers on natural landscapes and seascapes. 1% of the world's land could be affected, and that figure would be concentrated near where power is needed. Its visual impact will be impossible to ignore.

As more wind turbines are built, complaints will mount. The UK is already getting sick of watching its vistas ruined and many Germans aren't happy (big wind presence there). The entire planet could have a NIMBY problem because there is only so much "careful siting" possible.

The storm scheme has the feel of impractical geo-engineering, like the 19 year old who thinks he has a way to filter plastic out of the oceans in 5 to 10 years. Are a hurricane's strongest winds limited to the height of wind turbines? I can see the wind simply overshooting a turbine array. Most turbines need to automatically shut down above a certain wind speed or face generator burn-out. It doesn't seem pragmatic.

Maybe it's worth trying if we're willing to turn the oceans into a huge eyesore and deal with repairing all those turbines if they actually survive a big storm. I'd rather see wind turbines out at sea than tainting rural lands, but they can't be too far out or transmission lines become impractical. Overall I find them a boondoggle and a huge acreage hog.

I'd rather see emphasis on solar power for existing roofs, and the safest possible nuclear reactors. And zero net growth birth-control to ease demand at the source.

https://www.wind-watch.org/quotes.php

[LINative]

Originally Posted by John1960

Hurricanes are unstoppable, right? Apparently not. An intriguing new computer simulation shows that 78,000 large wind turbines spread across 35,000 square kilometers of ocean outside of New Orleans would have cut Hurricane Katrina’s category 3 winds at landfall by 129 to 158 kilometers per hour (80 to 98 miles per hour) and reduced the storm surge by 79 percent. The same collection of turbines offshore of New York City would have dropped Hurricane Sandy’s winds by 125 to 140 kph and the surge by up to 34 percent.

Offshore Wind Farms Could Knock Down Hurricanes - Scientific American

Originally Posted by chicagogeorge

highly doubtful....

Interesting idea but I am skeptical and I agree with Chicagogeorge.

And what will happen to the windmills in a storm? Or just constant wear and tear? Sounds like a unaffordable maintenance nightmare to me. And what will be the effect of all these windmills and power cables on marine and bird life?

And SEVENTY EIGHT THOUSAND windmills!!!

[chuckmann]

Gee whiz, folks, think outside the box. These offshore windmills could double as deep water oil drilling platforms, killing two million birds with one stone, so to speak.

Remember, oil is important for production of fertilizer and pesticides and plastics, all of which are important to the world economy.

In looking at the source article, I found myself encountering studies
'proving
' that windmills kill fewer birds per kilowatt than do coal and natural gas plants. That conclusion I believe is shortsighted at best. Today's windfarms have relatively small footprints. What happens to migratory birds who are faced with walls of these contraptions blocking their flyways?

I am always skeptical of these kinds of magical solutions that promise to cure all ills. Thjere is a long history of these kinds of good Ideas, all well intentioned, that have led to disastrous consequences.

Computer models? Havent we learned yet?