IdeaSpies
Jeremy Ungar
Arjun Kumar
Circular Economy Pioneers Australia - Chelsea McLean
Comments
Toby Marshall @ 2022.01.14 9:42 AM
Love it!
Could they also be used as a substitute for using concrete in building weirs to slow down water flow in eroded creeks? Reused concrete blocks, maybe 10+ years ago, was opposed by misguided greenies not looking at the bigger picture that slowing the creek erosion was a WAY bigger problem and there was no other low cost way for farmers to solve it.
Is it still? Would the blades last long enough to have the desired affect?
Kylie Hargreaves @ 2022.01.18 9:48 AM
@Toby Marshall - Interesting question, I'm not a hydrology expert or and engineer, but I understand their life-span is 15 - 20 years as a turbine (in some pretty rough conditions if you think about off-shore wind!). And then they need to be re-purposed. Part of the challenge in recycling them has been their robustness making disassembly a challenge. So that alone would bode well, but also in the trial above core strength, safety and durability testing had to be done on the turbines for their re-use as pedestrian crossings, so I'm guessing they are pretty durable and could be repurposed, at least in part, in weir construction! An application Re-Wind Network might wish to look at!
@Toby Marshall - Interesting question, I'm not a hydrology expert or and engineer, but I understand their life-span is 15 - 20 years as a turbine (in some pretty rough conditions if you think about off-shore wind!). And then they need to be re-purposed. Part of the challenge in recycling them has been their robustness making disassembly a challenge. So that alone would bode well, but also in the trial above core strength, safety and durability testing had to be done on the turbines for their re-use as pedestrian crossings, so I'm guessing they are pretty durable and could be repurposed, at least in part, in weir construction! An application Re-Wind Network might wish to look at!
Toby Marshall @ 2022.01.18 11:54 AM
Sounds like they would work in building weirs. And as most are located in the country, many will be near where they are needed.
Most creeks on farms could benefit from at least some flow calming and the restoration of the banks that follows..
Anthony Passe-de Silva @ 2022.02.18 11:54 AM
This sounds like how parts of the Monorail infrastructure got recycled in the construction of elements of Metro in Sydney. I think repurposing like this is a great idea given that scrapping & recycling metals introduces a lot of energy intensity into the equation. I am wondering, though, like Toby, about longevity though foundational uses would work if embedded into the ground while and other use would be decorative. However, for the creatives around, I'm sure it could be used for other urban infrastructure like light poles.
This sounds like how parts of the Monorail infrastructure got recycled in the construction of elements of Metro in Sydney. I think repurposing like this is a great idea given that scrapping & recycling metals introduces a lot of energy intensity into the equation. I am wondering, though, like Toby, about longevity though foundational uses would work if embedded into the ground while and other use would be decorative. However, for the creatives around, I'm sure it could be used for other urban infrastructure like light poles.
Kylie Hargreaves @ 2022.02.18 11:54 AM
Hi Anthony - there is actually work being done as we speak on the ability to utilise the blades for electrical transmission poles, as well as other more aesthetic or creative structures like bike sheds. So light poles is certainly within the realm of possibility I'd say!
Hi Anthony - there is actually work being done as we speak on the ability to utilise the blades for electrical transmission poles, as well as other more aesthetic or creative structures like bike sheds. So light poles is certainly within the realm of possibility I'd say!
Jonathan Chrimes
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