Practical Engineering
Practical Engineering
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Connecting Solar to the Grid is Harder Than You Think
A lot of the interesting challenges with renewables are happening behind the scenes.
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We’re in the growing pains stage right now, working out the bugs that these new types of energy generation create, but if you pay attention to what’s happening in the industry, it’s mostly good news. A lot of people from all sides of the industry are working really hard on these engineering challenges so that we’ll soon come out with a more reliable, sustainable, and resilient grid on the other end.
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Practical Engineering is a UA-cam channel about infrastructure and the human-made world around us. It is hosted, written, and produced by Grady Hillhouse. We have new videos posted regularly, so please subscribe for updates. If you enjoyed the video, hit that ‘like’ button, give us a comment, or watch another of our videos!
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DISCLAIMER
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This is not engineering advice. Everything here is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Contact an engineer licensed to practice in your area if you need professional advice or services. All non-licensed clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes.
SPECIAL THANKS
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This video is sponsored by Nebula.
Stock video and imagery provided by Getty Images, Shutterstock, Pond5, and Videoblocks.
Music by Epidemic Sound: epidemicsound.com/creator
Tonic and Energy by Elexive is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License
Source: ua-cam.com/video/U6fBPdu8w9U/v-deo.html
Video by Grady Hillhouse
Edited by Wesley Crump
Produced by Ralph Crewe
Graphics by Nebula Studios
Переглядів: 765 307

Відео

Why Fish Ladders (Mostly) Work
Переглядів 954 тис.21 день тому
🐟How fish get past a dam! 📰Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your subscription by going to ground.news/practicalengineering Everyone has a different perspective about what it means for humanity to live harmoniously with all the other life we share the planet with. I think it’s fascinating how those ideas and endeavors trickle down th...
How the Hawaiian Power Grid Works
Переглядів 1,1 млнМісяць тому
⚡A few of the complexities involved in managing a mini power grid. 📰Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your subscription by going to ground.news/practicalengineering Drawing the line between what’s worth the investment and what’s just gilding the electric lily is tough on such a small scale, multiplied by several islands, and with suc...
How Fish Survive Hydro Turbines
Переглядів 1,7 млнМісяць тому
An on-location primer on the science & engineering of getting fish around dams. 🌌Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/Practical-Engineering 🚆Watch Extremities: nebula.tv/extremities?ref=practical-engineering Special thanks to @PNNL and @WallaWallaUSACE for hosting us! All of our lives benefit in some way from this enormous control over Earth’s freshwater res...
How To Install a Pipeline Under a Railroad
Переглядів 672 тис.2 місяці тому
I'm on location to document the installation of a water transmission line below two railroad tracks. 💡 Go to brilliant.org/PracticalEngineering for a 30-day free trial & the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual subscription. Huge thanks to our project partners! Owner: Crystal Clear Special Utility District General Contractor: ACP Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/pr...
Why Locomotives Don't Have Tires
Переглядів 996 тис.2 місяці тому
Friction is the final frontier of vehicle/rail interaction! Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/practical-engineering Watch the latest Practical Construction episode now! nebula.tv/videos/practicalconstruction-installing-a-water-main-below-railroad-tracks?ref=practical-engineering A single modern diesel freight locomotive can deliver upwards of 50 tons of f...
How The Channel Tunnel Works
Переглядів 1,2 млн3 місяці тому
Let's dive into the engineering and construction of the Channel Tunnel on its 30th anniversary. 💡 Go to brilliant.org/PracticalEngineering for a 30-day free trial & the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual subscription. It is a challenging endeavor to put any tunnel below the sea, and this monumental project faced some monumental hurdles. From complex cretaceous geology, to managing a...
How Railroad Crossings Work
Переглядів 1,3 млн3 місяці тому
How do they know when a train is on the way? 🌌Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/Practical-Engineering 🚆Watch Jet Lag: nebula.tv/jetlag?ref=practical-engineering Despite the hazard they pose, trains have to coexist with our other forms of transportation. Next time you pull up to a crossbuck, take a moment to appreciate the sometimes simple, sometimes high-...
How Engineers Straightened the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Переглядів 1,8 млн4 місяці тому
One of my favorite civil engineering projects! 🌌Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/Practical-Engineering 🚆Watch "The Logistics of X": nebula.tv/thelogisticsofx?ref=practical-engineering The lean isn’t just a fascinating oddity; it is integral to the historical character of the tower. It’s a big part of why we care. Unlike the millions of photos of tourists...
Why Railroads Don't Need Expansion Joints
Переглядів 2,9 млн4 місяці тому
A friendly overview of thermal effects on railways. 💡 Go to brilliant.org/PracticalEngineering for a 30-day free trial & the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual subscription. 🚆 Watch the entire railway series here: ua-cam.com/play/PLTZM4MrZKfW-DUovVfoD_EfOwXTY1Zog5.html&si=Wc3am9N14wuNou16 Errata: At 9:00, the left column of calculations is incorrectly labeled "SI." It should be impe...
Engineering The Largest Nuclear Fusion Reactor
Переглядів 1,1 млн5 місяців тому
A civil engineer's tour of the ITER megaproject 📰 Ground News Black Friday Sale: Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Join Ground News today to get 40% off unlimited access: ground.news/practicalengineering. Sale ends November 30. Watch Jade's @upandatom video here: ua-cam.com/video/A5RxUW7VC-A/v-deo.html I don’t know much about superconducting coils or cyclotron resonance heating or breeder...
Which Is Easier To Pull? (Railcars vs. Road Cars)
Переглядів 1,3 млн5 місяців тому
A lot of the engineering decisions that get made in railroading have to do with energy. 🪒 Shave with a precision tool by Henson and get 100 blades free: bit.ly/3CWiWJP How does the rolling resistance of a 20-ton freight railcar compare to my little grocery hauler? 1977 Resistance Report: railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/fra_net/15925/1977_RESISTANCE OF A FREIGHT TRAIN TO FORWARD MOTION...
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION of a Sewage Pump Station - Ep 5
Переглядів 411 тис.6 місяців тому
The series finale of the new wastewater lift station. Hope you've enjoyed the ride! 🚧Watch this episode ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/practicalconstruction-heavy-construction-of-a-sewage-pump-station-ep-5 🌌Not subscribed? Get 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/practicalconstruction Practical Construction Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLTZM4MrZKfW92oUPMnzgn 3yttXvWnEY.html This is th...
How Much Is a Human Worth? (according to engineers)
Переглядів 545 тис.6 місяців тому
A large part of engineering involves a tug-of-war between cost and safety. Comparing costs and safety is an enormous challenge. On one side, you have dollars, and on the other, you have people. Sometimes you need a conversion factor. It sounds morbid, but it’s necessary for good decision-making to put a dollar price on the value of a human life. Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/vid...
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION of a Sewage Pump Station - Ep 4
Переглядів 478 тис.6 місяців тому
I'm on location to document the construction of a new wastewater lift station! 🚧Watch the next episode on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/practicalconstruction-heavy-construction-of-a-sewage-pump-station-ep-5 🌌Not subscribed? Get 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/practicalconstruction Practical Construction Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLTZM4MrZKfW92oUPMnzgn 3yttXvWnEY.html This is the fourth ...
Why Are Rails Shaped Like That?
Переглядів 2,4 млн6 місяців тому
Why Are Rails Shaped Like That?
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION of a Sewage Pump Station - Ep 3
Переглядів 459 тис.7 місяців тому
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION of a Sewage Pump Station - Ep 3
Every Type of Railcar Explained in 15 Minutes
Переглядів 1,5 млн7 місяців тому
Every Type of Railcar Explained in 15 Minutes
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION of a Sewage Pump Station - Ep 2
Переглядів 531 тис.7 місяців тому
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION of a Sewage Pump Station - Ep 2
Do Droughts Make Floods Worse?
Переглядів 1,3 млн7 місяців тому
Do Droughts Make Floods Worse?
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION of a Sewage Pump Station - Ep 1
Переглядів 655 тис.7 місяців тому
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION of a Sewage Pump Station - Ep 1
Every Construction Machine Explained in 15 Minutes
Переглядів 3,3 млн8 місяців тому
Every Construction Machine Explained in 15 Minutes
Where Does Grounded Electricity Actually Go?
Переглядів 4,7 млн8 місяців тому
Where Does Grounded Electricity Actually Go?
Philadelphia I-95 Bridge Collapse Explained
Переглядів 809 тис.9 місяців тому
Philadelphia I-95 Bridge Collapse Explained
Why Is Desalination So Difficult?
Переглядів 2,8 млн9 місяців тому
Why Is Desalination So Difficult?
Was Starship’s Stage Zero a Bad Pad?
Переглядів 673 тис.10 місяців тому
Was Starship’s Stage Zero a Bad Pad?
How Flood Tunnels Work
Переглядів 1,9 млн10 місяців тому
How Flood Tunnels Work
What Really Happened During the Gas Explosions in the Merrimack Valley?
Переглядів 1 млн11 місяців тому
What Really Happened During the Gas Explosions in the Merrimack Valley?
How Sensors Keep Bridges From Collapsing (and other structures too)
Переглядів 616 тис.11 місяців тому
How Sensors Keep Bridges From Collapsing (and other structures too)
East Palestine Train Derailment Explained
Переглядів 862 тис.Рік тому
East Palestine Train Derailment Explained

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @maskogorzakmaskogorzak5052
    @maskogorzakmaskogorzak5052 23 години тому

    All good and interesting stuff!

  • @KaranSingh-qy1xi
    @KaranSingh-qy1xi День тому

    I am a train lover from India over here we use Caboose at the end of the freight car plus we do not see mixed train often.

  • @platinumgnome3887
    @platinumgnome3887 День тому

    Well if there is a complete grid collapse all those nuclear power plants will start melting down within a week and nothing won't really matter for too long lol

  • @multiversejc
    @multiversejc День тому

    I really needed this video for my studies thank you a lot. This information is important & hopefully motivates many more individuals to work together on these fields of energy production.

  • @gabrielsenecal382
    @gabrielsenecal382 День тому

    Always thoroughly explains, and enjoyable to watch

  • @BanterMaestro2-bw9vr
    @BanterMaestro2-bw9vr День тому

    Soldering those tiny SMD components is not unlike gardening with a backhoe.

  • @donwald3436
    @donwald3436 День тому

    You only need three nines? lol

  • @andraslibal
    @andraslibal День тому

    Hire some beavers, they do a better job than engineers in managing rivers :)))

  • @josephoconnor6985
    @josephoconnor6985 День тому

    Thank you for making me aware of “ground news” :-)

  • @SuperGeert123
    @SuperGeert123 День тому

    I saw a building where they had not fixed the noisy water pipe for 30 years or so. The whole building had become unsafe to live in , cracked wall and floors are damaged , holes in floors , stairs out of shape and holes. Seriously everything out of shape , building ruined

  • @wagonpilotyt
    @wagonpilotyt День тому

    Anybody ever thought of pumping the sea water over the mountains, flooding the dry lakebeds and making giant solar stills out of them? Let the sun do the work.

  • @nightyk6
    @nightyk6 День тому

    Critical infrastructure should not be privately owned. Companies has one job - earn more money. Never ending "more money". Whenever possible they'll skip steps, they'll push things, they'll lower the quality. Water infrastructure should not be private. Americans, man..

  • @ktown325
    @ktown325 День тому

    Big Island opinion: They block out renewable sources like Honua'ula, won't take net metering from new solar customers, charge me $0.58/kwh, make a quarter of a billion dollars in profit yearly, but they can't afford any redundancy or maintenance so they turn off my electricity randomly while providing no discounts for lack of service. I wish I could not do my job and still get paid for it.

  • @ooltimu
    @ooltimu День тому

    Why isn't the leftover brine left to evaporate and produce seasalt?

  • @dm9860
    @dm9860 День тому

    Good video 👍 Now if everyone would just drive the proper speed, we'd all be safe.

  • @cameron00148
    @cameron00148 День тому

    If anyone of Y'all want to see this video in the form of a movie and/or you believe in Predictive Programming, I would suggest and encourage you to watch "American Blackout - National Geographic"' (2013) 🤙

  • @jdickson242
    @jdickson242 День тому

    My son wants that toy crane, as do I.

  • @allergicdodo7269
    @allergicdodo7269 День тому

    I didnt expect this to be so interesting

  • @haroldwestrich3312
    @haroldwestrich3312 День тому

    TODAY; I can reduce the cost of Reverse Osmosis by more than 50% - the problem is - I have no money to do it. Anyone have a suggestion on how an independent inventor can overcome the blockades of capitalism? The world needs this - I have the knowledge - the money is the blockade - Hmmmm What to do???

  • @chrisroode
    @chrisroode День тому

    I’ve decided that when I go to the tower of pizza, instead of getting a picture of me holding it up, I’m going to make a picture of me standing on the other side holding a power drill tipped 10 degrees downward at its foundation.

  • @robertpeters9438
    @robertpeters9438 День тому

    Underwater cables are fixed. Why not undergroung? I remember when above ground phone cables were charged with co2 tanks or nitrogen to prevent intrusion and alert upon intrusion.

  • @philipbuckley759
    @philipbuckley759 День тому

    very interesting...

  • @user-ep2cn9jg4v
    @user-ep2cn9jg4v День тому

    WHAT THE HELL

  • @theamazingagnostic2819
    @theamazingagnostic2819 День тому

    The blackest state in the country

  • @SurvivalMeAndYou
    @SurvivalMeAndYou День тому

    im confused what makes it hard all of this is on the person who buys the panels them self its not on the power compony ? this is just a lie the power componys them self tells you bc they want to sell there own power

  • @treborobotacon
    @treborobotacon День тому

    It would be a lot easier to run the grid on 75% nuclear and 25% solar wind with backup diesel or natural gas. The electrical grid is going to need to grow exponentially and solar wind will just keep us tiee to fossil fuels forever. Don't believe the hype. Solar isn't sustainable and nuclear is the safest power source.

  • @kenichiishirahama215
    @kenichiishirahama215 День тому

    This sounds so exhausting 😭 the problems lead to more problems

  • @Barnaclebeard
    @Barnaclebeard День тому

    Actually, we don't "depend" on these fish for food, culture, or recreation. We can obtain those things perfectly well without abusing animals. We depend on migratory fish because they are keystone species in the ecosystem -- the entire ecosystem depends on them, and when we interrupt their migration, huge parts of the local ecosystem fall apart. The experiences of animals are real and matter. Their suffering is identical in nature to your own. It harms us when we take pleasure in cruelty and violence.

  • @danmilroy2624
    @danmilroy2624 День тому

    Most ppl aren't prepared for ANY kind of disaster so.most ppl would start panicking within 7 days. Society would collapse unless you live in the country your not safe.

  • @Fatpumpumlovah2
    @Fatpumpumlovah2 День тому

    Something only fools do. Connect to the grid

  • @tsanov86
    @tsanov86 День тому

    This must be an american video. Houses in EU are grounded for decades

  • @PAULLONDEN
    @PAULLONDEN День тому

    While the two allowed political parties allow the Pentagon unconditional unlimited access to the people's treasury. Which usually is the privilege of one party states.

  • @DannysMyNanny
    @DannysMyNanny День тому

    I was on Oahu visiting my grandma for Christmas/New Years when this storm came through. Think power was out for like 12 hours or something.

  • @TheRealZombieWizard
    @TheRealZombieWizard День тому

    Why do we need to build tall buildings, make skyscrapers but in reverse going down into the ground, then make underground roads or subways and walkways between the buildings. This way we could eventually over hundreds of years preserve the surface world as a giant park and have a planet spanning city underground.

  • @douglasengle2704
    @douglasengle2704 День тому

    Steam locomotives use tires on their driving wheels. Those tires are metal rings with special metal properties for high traction. The grip producing softer metal wears quickly requiring replacement. Railroad driven wheels use sand to increase interlocking traction for starting. A Washington DC Metro Rail employee at the N.VA model railroaders in Vienna VA said that Metro can go up a 7% grade and has them, but they'd never do it again because in the rain with full sand the trains spin their wheels all the way up that grade.

  • @peterkavanagh64
    @peterkavanagh64 2 дні тому

    In life many all.himmaty will.gwt ll.again or.libe life in a error i.say asjold.yes.but to.say.life will be as that js not semsible.say.to.follow..it is.to.recall.repair.amd.see.how.a.person js on tje relaosed.realoty of.tje peace . So this latest ks to.make this be maany wonder why ot.is.ok.say.for.4.weeks.5jen.the.diet.of.wealth or victory sets.in.amd the hiute toiuty begin to.do.wjat we all faught agaianst then this.sets.thw rd.tosay.apease due.tp.etc.. ise.thjs.sjilds.no.words.tjen see.if they continue.to be ..tjen.use the.fine desceibe any emergy in a.repairs team.acces sypur food.frpm.tje.repairs.tesm.if.still.alove

  • @brentlionakaboldchamp
    @brentlionakaboldchamp 2 дні тому

    Even though you didnt get the train car moving at a steady pace, i would still count that, anyways. It moved, lol.

  • @eggsaladsamich7396
    @eggsaladsamich7396 2 дні тому

    When I visited Hawaii they told me they stopped growing sugar cane and started growing corn . We went right past the diesel generator plant and I'm like... why not ethanol

  • @ashishbhardwaj9300
    @ashishbhardwaj9300 2 дні тому

    Facts

  • @Ahlrrose
    @Ahlrrose 2 дні тому

    This is my life as a laboratory operator for a sewage plant. Too bad nobody shares the same interests with me. I love seeing these videos!

  • @Woodpecker_82
    @Woodpecker_82 2 дні тому

    click bait 🐂 💩

  • @MrStevos
    @MrStevos 2 дні тому

    TELL US ABOUT THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION LINE ! How did it solve all the problems ??

  • @LinearGiraffe
    @LinearGiraffe 2 дні тому

    8:43 shoutout Buc-cee's <3

  • @Enbyvalent
    @Enbyvalent 2 дні тому

    I don’t understand how increased demand/decreased supply lead to a frequency decrease. Can someone explain or point to resources to help understand this behaviour?

  • @h7opolo
    @h7opolo 2 дні тому

    pretty good video

  • @pablorages1241
    @pablorages1241 2 дні тому

    OH PLEASE ... solar makes up a TINY proportion of the worlds energy generation ... and it introduces risk into the grid making it more variable and less reliable

  • @natalyakeane
    @natalyakeane 2 дні тому

    the reason why people take the ferries so much is cos they are often considerably cheaper than the chunnel. especially for large families. eurostar is definitely the most comfortable and nicest way to get to france, but if you have a large car full of kids, driving onto a ferry then getting out and exploring can be both economically more viable, and less of a stress than taking the chunnel. especially as you generally have to stay inside the vehicle if you take one via the chunnel.

  • @DetricBelectrical
    @DetricBelectrical 2 дні тому

    Sounds like a highly engineered, well articulated future disaster. For example, internet technologies. It’s as if we are looking for a problem to fix and creating a problem at the the same time. Could the same considerations not be taken with traditional power?

  • @PatrickBaptist
    @PatrickBaptist 2 дні тому

    I built a dam in the creek that runs behind my place. Hoping one day to rig up a turbine to make electricity from it, but for now it's just fun having a huge pond with all the fish and critters and just a nice water hole to play in.