Quote:
Originally Posted by Mathgod
Not sure if I understand the question but I'll try to answer as best I can. The closed loop system can be a baseload energy source if need be, meaning it can produce energy 24/7 if that's whats required (albeit the heat source would be depleted more quickly that way, presumably in a matter of 2-3 decades instead of several). But during times when you don't need energy from it (ie: the sun is shining or the wind is blowing), you can simply shut the valve to stop the flow of liquid. When you need energy again you just open the valve and the flow resumes immediately.
The "reservoir" of energy is simply the heat within the Earth's crust that comes in contact with the loop.
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I get that. What I was getting at though is they were touting how when they effectively "shut the valve", the process fluid is able to sit down there and get even hotter (obviously), so when they turn the valve back on they've got even more "oomf" and can generate well above the facilities steady state capacity.
I'm wondering how much that extra "oomf" is, and for how long it lasts.
Pardon the layperson terms in quotes...