On generating energy through gravity and pressure
On generating energy through gravity and pressure What if we had a small balloon and connected to it, a stone, and a hose leading to a small turbine for generating electrical energy? And we filled the balloon with normal surface air, and have a stone that's heavy, and the hose is long, and we let down the balloon into the sea? We can have the hose open or closed with a valve. But what would happen is, since the balloon will sink because of the stone, the air will go up through the hose through the sea water's pressure on the balloon. We could open the hose at a certain depth to create more pressure. Then the air would go into the hose, and power the turbine. - Now, does it take less energy to get the balloon back to the surface? Or do we have to drop the weight (stone) and then get it back up, to refill it with air and try again? Is this the 'energy through gravity' idea I was thinking of, adding 'pressure' into the mix? Is this viable?