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A Californian company proposes using weighted electrically-driven rail vehicles on inclines to store energy. At times when the capacity of electricity supply exceeds demand the vehicles would be driven up inclined tracks, and when demand exceeds generation they are allowed to run down, generating electricity as they fall.
This link includes a video that shows a prototype vehicle (which appears to be built on a conventional locomotive chassis), an interview with a promoter, and an animation of a "farm" of these devices. There is a shortage of hard data, such as how much energy could be stored, for how long, and how steep the tracks are, etc., but a quick calculation shows that some thousands of these vehicles would be required for them to be useful. The control panel for this prototype has a power dial that appears to go up to only 20 kW. The promoter in the interview focuses instead on how the construction material can be recycled at end of life.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday July 04 2018, @12:15AM
Hmm I know there were geared cog steam engines but Shay engines were not cogged, only geared... pretty much, I think ... I'm so over the high tech imagery of this probably scam "invention" but I like the image of implementing it all with steam locomotives and commercial instant electric hot water heaters as boilers for the sheer spectacle of it. Imagine a thundering herd of 4-8-8-4 Big Boy locos brought back to life hauling Sisyphus sized car loads of granite up a hill only to spin gears on an alternator on the way down. I mean, if its not going to make sense and not going to work as a system, at least look cool as heck while not working.
Some kind of sci fi book plot steam punk fever dream.