Virgin Power – How virgin power eliminates the need for energy storage. Zero-Amp Technology produces virgin power so DARPA can stop looking for it.

What is virgin power – this is energy made right there for you, for your use at the moment. Some might call it “boutique power.” Virgin power is available at any time, at any place set up with the applicable technology. The power comes directly from the individual power production unit – unlimited electricity created without fuel, and no pollution.

The public in general knows little about virgin power, and believes that energy comes only from a power plant, and must be transmitted to them. For some time, the search has been on for a way to make power, then store it for later use, but if you have access to virgin power, energy does not need to be stored.

Various companies have developed super batteries for energy storage – we know that. But batteries are old school, really old (thousands of years). This is like looking for an address in the wrong part of town. People want a new address, but all they’re given are variations of the same old answers.

This replica of a battery, was discovered in Baghdad, and believe to be 2,060 years old, some say the oldest battery in existence * (see more about this artifact in a footnote at the end of this article).

Old Technology - Baghdad Battery 2,060 years old

Let this be a reminder incentive to look for more advanced answers to our technology needs. 

From the article, “Energy storage surprises,” August 4, 2011, SmartGrid News.com. Managing editor, Liz Enbysk talks about the vagaries of intermittency with solar and wind power, factored into cost, reliability and scalability. She quickly reviews (a paragraph for each) 6 new variations on an old theme – batteries. For details, refer to the SmartGrid News article.

The “surprises” in the article’s title refer to the various operating chemicals used as battery components: salt; liquid metal (with funding from ARPA-e which is DARPA without the D & an “e” for DOE); zinc; nanaphosphate; semi-solid electrolytes; and  vanadium (note how huge this battery is in the link).

Above picture of vanadium storage

In a quote from the first few words of the SmartGrid article, “Few would argue that energy storage is going to play a role in our energy future.”

I will be one of those sacred “few.” Yes, and bold to say…energy storage is simply not necessary and should not play a prominent role in the present and future of generating power.

Then there is the $1.7 million DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Agency) award for the first phase (up to $8M later) to Maxwell Technologies to produce an ultracapacitor battery pack powering portable electronics for the military – for smaller scale storage.

Whatever you do, take time to read: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/04/13/darpa_des/print.html  This article describes DARPA’s plans for energy storage on a large scale, a project called Deployed Energy Storage or DES. The article shows DARPA’s “plan isn’t viable.”

In this case, thinking big doesn’t work – One solution for powering a battle zone was portable nuclear reactors – let’s not go into that one. Another project from DARPA was the building of large lithium ion batteries that can hold 500kW hours and fit into a truck trailer. They contrast that to a single truck carrying a 150kW diesel generator, powered by 20,000 liters of diesel, “suffice to run that genny for more than 20 days” (demonstrating how much diesel fuel is needed for a generator), but still more efficient than batteries,

In several ways, the research and development for DES was an unnecessary use of energy and funding.

In 2006, inventor Pete Sumaruck had just completed the adaptation of his Zero-Amp Tech designs to the needs of the US Army. The concept was to power the ground operations for the war in Iraq with virgin power. 

This power was never intended for weapons, but power for the electrical needs of battle, as well as powering the city of Baghdad – even now there are daily power outages in Baghdad.

Above are typical fuel-powered generators in Iraq.

Pete’s challenge was to power 50kW mobile gensets without diesel, thereby eliminating costly and potentially dangerous fuel. From each master generator, there could be 200 or more slave generators, making it a simple task to power vast areas with virgin power, everything from offices to medic facilities, housing - virtually everything.

The prototype was Army-beautiful, worked perfectly, ready for manufacturing. Then without warning, the project was shelved by two Texas politicians, saying they favored more nuclear power plants in Texas.

Pete Sumaruck with his Army prototype built battle-strong.

All those many mobile generators would have dispersed energy produced on the spot, anywhere. Virgin power is not transported from anywhere else, but where it’s needed – right there, right here, right now.

Liz Enbysk, editor of SmartGrid News, wasn’t wrong; she was just not informed about the actual possibilities and realities of virgin power making energy storage unnecessary.

Instead of mobile generators for a war effort, Pete is now concentrating on powering individual homes with virgin electricity.

Mr. Sumaruck does not manufacture these power production units but he does offer seminars for individuals who want to build their own power production units. Pete says, “I make it as easy as changing a tire (not an Army tire).

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* The “Baghdad Battery” is believed to be from the Parthian period, perhaps 2,060 years old. It was found in Khujut Rabu near Baghdad and is “composed of a clay jar with a stopper made of asphalt. Sticking through the asphalt is an iron rod surrounded by a copper cylinder.” The jar would be filled with vinegar, or any other electrolytic solution – the jar produces about 1.1 volts.

Scientists and archaeologists believe the batteries were used to electroplate one metal surface like silver, bonding a layer of gold on top. This method is still practiced in Iraq today.

How ironic that the Parthians developed this technology but couldn’t go any further – limited creative foresight. This is also a comment on how Baghdad still experiences constant power outages – and how difficult it is for many people to break with traditions.

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