The Phantom Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 5 minutes ago, TheTeapot said: We had loads of millraces once, look at an old map. Interesting suggestion. Loads of them all around Laxey to supply the wheel (and other mineworks) some of them are still in reasonable condition and wouldn't require much to bring them back online. Known as 'lades' but not sure if that's a local term. I'm suprised no one has suggested putting a generator on the wheel itself to be honest. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellanvannin2010 Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Douglas, as it has the greatest population should get the wind turbines. I think they would look great all the way along the promenade replacing the current lamp posts, could even fit lights to the tips of the blades. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Just now, ellanvannin2010 said: could even fit lights to the tips of the blades. Actual weatherproof lights.... 1 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellanvannin2010 Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 (edited) 5 minutes ago, The Phantom said: Interesting suggestion. Loads of them all around Laxey to supply the wheel (and other mineworks) some of them are still in reasonable condition and wouldn't require much to bring them back online. Known as 'lades' but not sure if that's a local term. I'm suprised no one has suggested putting a generator on the wheel itself to be honest. Not sure @Roxanne would want the weir reinstated for the old power station. I think most of the original water supply network for Laxey Wheel is well and truly knackered or no longer even there. Edited February 15, 2023 by ellanvannin2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happier diner Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 51 minutes ago, hissingsid said: Happier Diner the person speaking on this subject was very factual there is always a downside to every idea whether it is good or bad and careful consideration needs to be given before euphoria takes over and huge amounts of money is spent on experts and specialist consultants get involved. Where would these turbines be placed ? in every body’s backyard as long as they are not near you is the general response on the Island whenever this discussion comes up for anything that is controversial. How much would the initial outlay be ? Will electricity be cheaper ? Not if the countries who have gone down this road are anything to go by. Instead of dismissing other peoples ideas as bollocks perhaps look up some facts. How many windy days we had this week ? think about it !!! Its a fair point. Its not been windy this week and a week like that will yield less power. The wind on the uplands is rarely non-existent though and at Snaefell its pretty much always windy. We have to accept that the yield from wind turbines is variable and alternatives have to be readily available. What I am saying though is that its generally windy enough to generate a lot of power in a year. So much so that it makes it a no brainer (IMO) for an Island in the middle of the sea where still days are the exception. I didn't dismiss anyone's ideas as bollocks did I? I said it was bollocks that a wind turbine would only generate power 1 day in 7. That's because that is bollocks. Maybe they meant only generate its maximum output 1 day in 7. That sounds more like it to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-in-man Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 (edited) 4 minutes ago, The Phantom said: Actual weatherproof lights.... Well, the bloke on EBay says they are weatherproof and he has 92.5% +ve feedback so that's the due diligence box ticked. Edited February 15, 2023 by x-in-man 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTeapot Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 5 minutes ago, The Phantom said: I'm suprised no one has suggested putting a generator on the wheel itself to be honest. Imagine it. It would get press, "Worlds largest water wheel gets new lease of life". I don't even know if it would work there, but it would be cool as fuck. Imagination. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 1 minute ago, ellanvannin2010 said: Not sure @Roxanne would want the weir reinstated for the old power station. Not just the one down by the river. They are all over the valleys and much higher up. The main visible one is in the Glen Gardens it feeds off the Glen Roy river a couple of kms up the valley a the bottom of Axnfell plantation. There are some higher up in Glen Roy and Agneash too, but these are mostly covered. We used to have one going through my garden when I was a kid in Da Ville. It might actually help alleviate some of the water levels in the main river. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellanvannin2010 Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 The old cafe/petrol station up towards Glen Helen had its own water turbine for electric I remember, Not sure if todays electronics would work well with that sort of power supply. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 3 hours ago, The Phantom said: Great press release. I'll withhold any further comment until it can be actually seen they are doing something, other than just saying something. you'll never have anything else to say on the matter then. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellanvannin2010 Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 2 minutes ago, The Phantom said: Not just the one down by the river. They are all over the valleys and much higher up. The main visible one is in the Glen Gardens it feeds off the Glen Roy river a couple of kms up the valley a the bottom of Axnfell plantation. There are some higher up in Glen Roy and Agneash too, but these are mostly covered. We used to have one going through my garden when I was a kid in Da Ville. It might actually help alleviate some of the water levels in the main river. There is an excellent book by Jesperson on the Laxey Wheel and that has all the water catchment areas shown on maps for the area 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTeapot Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Scale this up retaining the power station https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170329-the-extraordinary-electricity-of-the-scottish-island-of-eigg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 5 minutes ago, TheTeapot said: Imagine it. It would get press, "Worlds largest water wheel gets new lease of life". I don't even know if it would work there, but it would be cool as fuck. Imagination. They've just refurbished the bloody thing too. It's been covered in scaffolding for ages. It would indeed be awesome and wouldn't be that difficult surely? You've got the big spinny thing already, you just need a generator at the hub. Plus batteries etc. It's a good job we thought of it, do you want to submit a joint eye watering consultancy fee? Are you any good with crayons? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happier diner Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 16 minutes ago, TheTeapot said: They're such backward assholes, all of them. There's been a decades long reluctance to even consider wind from the MEA, no drive from any politicians, no imagination shown by anyone, anywhere. We had loads of millraces once, look at an old map. If I were involved in decision making I'd have reached out to the right people, said look, we want to reopen 20 or so of these and stick turbines on them, move part of your firm here, set up a little factory here's some nice space at a decent rate, use this really cool and clever project to sell your stuff around the world. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_hydro) Bet no one has ever even considered it. It's also obviously always windy, so it pisses me off no end to see thousands of them east and none here. Businesses are all going on about carbon footprints and green shit, they'd all be loving a nice mix of renewable sources. It all should have started happening years ago. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news and I don't want to be accused of saying anyone is talking bollocks. You aren't talking bollocks. It would been a reasonable thing to suggest as an idea. However I reckon if you took all the millraces on the Island and put a turbine in them, sorry, you would get hardly any power. Well not worth harvesting anyway. You would be surprised how little power a waterwheel produces because of the lack of head (pressure) https://www.british-hydro.org/waterwheels/#:~:text=It is 8m diameter and can produce up to 20kW. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 3 minutes ago, Happier diner said: I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news and I don't want to be accused of saying anyone is talking bollocks. You aren't talking bollocks. It would been a reasonable thing to suggest as an idea. However I reckon if you took all the millraces on the Island and put a turbine in them, sorry, you would get hardly any power. Well not worth harvesting anyway. You would be surprised how little power a waterwheel produces because of the lack of head (pressure) https://www.british-hydro.org/waterwheels/#:~:text=It is 8m diameter and can produce up to 20kW. Interesting. Laxey wheel is an overshot wheel and 22m in diameter. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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