Before we get too, too, smug about this if you view the Manhattan skyline, particularly downtown (e.g., SOHO/Tribeca) you'll see house-sized water tanks on many, many buildings, particularly 3-10 story older buildings. I assume due to inadequate water pressure but I honestly don't know why they're there, but they're all over. I don't know if they're quite large enough for the proposed use, but their existence would seem to defy most of the objections asserted below. On November 19, 2002 at 13:43 blitz@macronet.net (blitz) wrote:
One last addition to this idiotic water idea.. since the water doesn't get up there to the reservoir on the roof by itself, add your costs of huge pumps, plus the cost of pumping it up there, and a less than 100% efficiency in converting falling water to electricity. Also, add heating it in the winter to keep it liquid instead of solid, decontamination chemicals (cant have any Leigonella bacillus growing in there in the summer) Its all moot, as the weight factor makes this a non-starter.
Next:
You cant store large amounts of propane inside an occupied building, I cant imagine any FD allowing it. We had an example in a nearby city some years ago, a 500 gallon propane tank leaked and exploded inside a brick building, leveled a city block and killed 12 firefighters. Nahh...
Fuel cells, run on natural gas are the best idea I've heard to date, and the safest if you're confined to upper floors, but youre talking BIG $$$ here...whats wrong with batteries, a natural gas genny and a converter system, telco style? If this is all about diesel storage, why not put the tanks/gennys in the basement or lower more secure floors? (Im assuming burial is out of the question in NYC) That way a small day tank would suffice at the upper floors.
Marc
Now, figure out how many kw you need to run a telecom hotel, and you'll know just how large your tank needs to be (and how much weight the building structure is going to have to support). Even if you assume 100% efficiency, the tank is still going to me, um, rather largish.
-- Brett
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