Ok, first we find a bunch of small asteroids, or small comets. Redirect them so they will slam into a specific area of the earth. Maybe we use cold fusion, or zero point energy to do this

At the spot where they are going to hit the earth we create an hourglass shaped lake, with one end higher than the other. In the waist of the hourglass we place a reversable turbine hydroelectric generator.

When the asteroids crash/splash into the lower half of the lake, which has really high walls, the splash drives water through the turbines into the upper half of the lake, generating power. Then as the water drains back into the lower lake, it generates yet more power. While the water is draining dredge ships scoop out the bits of asteroid for metals processing. When all the water has drained back to the lower half, the next asteriod spashes down, starting the cycle over again.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Apr 03 2006

//Maybe we use cold fusion, or zero point energy to do this//

Um, if we had workable cold fusion or zero point energy, would we need to capture asteroids for their kinetic energy?

This is one of the most half-baked ideas I've seen here in a while. But since that's the name of the game here, [+]
-- Freefall, Apr 03 2006


Really it would be better to direct the asteroids onto a giant waterwheel (except it would be turned by asteroids, not water). It would be really big, so only the power of incoming asteroids could turn it. This would capture the kinetic energy and slow the asteroids down. They would then descend into the aforementioned lake, gentle raising the water lever to capture additional power via another smaller waterwheel that really works with water.
-- bungston, Apr 03 2006


what's a smugly mile?
-- methinksnot, Apr 03 2006


Power and expense used to redirect comets versus power and revenue reaped from turbine? That's a hard sell.

This sounds a bit like bad science to me, but sometimes I get in trouble for MFDing things, so I'll shut up.
-- Texticle, Apr 03 2006


nutty[+]
-- BunsenHoneydew, Apr 06 2006


[+] I'm with Freefall, definitely a half baked idea. Although the water would probably boil off as steam.
-- Livingfishguy, Sep 08 2007


I think a hydro power plant works just fine such as Hoover Damn.
-- travbm, Oct 29 2015



random, halfbakery