Re: Anyone Here Driving a Hybrid yet?

Dave Lyon wrote:

"J. Clarke" <jclarke.usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:e818142lu4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dave Lyon wrote:



The problem is that we _know_ how to make adequate electric drive
trains
and
controllers--been doing it for more than half a century. Where the
progress needs to be made is in the storage device and the
infrastructure
to support it. Battery electric doesn't do anything toward building an
infrastructure that can support fuel cells and little of the technology
of battery-making transfer to fuel cell, so it's resources wasted on a
dead end.

You're saying there is no redeaming quality to battery research? Better,
lighter, stronger, cheaper batteries will not help society?

There's no need for cars as a technology driver. Torpedoes and laptop
computers and many other products are already performing that task
adequately and with more than a century of research behind them batteries
still just plain aren't very good. Batteries will get researched with or
without electric cars.

Not gonna need nearly as much as we need gasoline. Remember, the
efficiency
is 2-3 times as high for the same power output.


I'm afraid I'm not up to date on using E100 in fuel cells. Are you
saying
that you can convert nearly 100% of the btu's in E100 to electric power?
Please point me to where I can learn more about it.

36% would be twice the efficiency of a typical internal combustion
automobile engine. Currently there are buses running with methanol cells
that are 35% efficient, while the theoretical limit is more like 97%.
Ethanol cells are new technology (like the first one was demonstrated in
2004) and I'm not sure what their current status is, but performance
should
be in the same ballpark as ethanol cells.

I'm surprised that you are unaware of the high efficiency of fuel cells.

I knew hydrogen fuel cells were effecient, but I wasn't even aware they were
working on ethanol cells.

I'm pretty sure someone has a working prototype gasoline fuel cell in
the lab. Not sure on efficiency, but I think all the byproduct was
contained so it was "zero emissions" and you could drain your by-product
tank at the same time you filled the gas tank at the gas station.



So you admit that your battery electric will be limited to the radius of
travel that is achievable on a single charge--that, to most people, is
simply unacceptable.

With the batteries that are economical to use right now, yes. Sure, you can
plug in while you're at work and add another 50-75% to your range, but it
still wont take you on vacation. With better batteries, who knows.
I've never said that an EV will replace an ICE in my lifetime. All I state
is that they are a viable option to many people that make a small commute.

The problem is that the EVs are most practical in urban areas, the same
place where public transit is practical. One electric trolley carrying
100 people is going to be more efficient than those same 100 people each
driving an EV.

Pete C.
.

Relevant Pages

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  • Re: Anyone Here Driving a Hybrid yet?
    ... Better, lighter, stronger, cheaper batteries will not help society? ... There's no need for cars as a technology driver. ... I'm afraid I'm not up to date on using E100 in fuel cells. ... 36% would be twice the efficiency of a typical internal combustion ...
    (rec.crafts.metalworking)
  • Re: Anyone Here Driving a Hybrid yet?
    ... There's no need for cars as a technology driver. ... adequately and with more than a century of research behind them batteries ... I'm afraid I'm not up to date on using E100 in fuel cells. ... 36% would be twice the efficiency of a typical internal combustion ...
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