Re: battery pulsing gizmo


"John Johnson" <null@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:null-947C13.21144609042007@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In article <lkh1t61h.fsf@xxxxxxxxxx>,
Gene Cash <gcash@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

John Johnson <null@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

If it's the sort of device that I'm thinking of (a radio-isotope
thermal
generator, RTG), they still see modest use in spacecraft (unmanned).
They are a reliable source of power for probes that will travel far
from
the sun, where solar panels wouldn't provide sufficient energy.

Exactly, except small, with a hot middle and cold outside for the
thermocouples.

I don't really know much about the boundaries of the technology (e.g.
size limits, power output, output versus size, etc.) but I'm sure some
research online would turn up at least the basic parameters,
controversies, etc.

Probably not, considering this stuff was in my '70 World Book
encyclopaedia Year Book and I haven't heard anything about it since.

I meant RTG's in general, sorry.

It's essentially a AA battery that lasts 8 months demonstrated, with the
possiblity of many years with more research.

Yeah, piling up a bunch of ceramic radio-isotopes with thermocouples
buried in them doesn't seem like a really good thing, unless you've got
a way of dealing with the waste stream (and burial isn't a particularly
good option). Provided that the waste _could_ be dealt with, then the
concept has its interest, anyway.

Still, fuel cells are rather less politically-charged, potentially
(depending on the particular technology used) less problematic in case
of accidental destruction, and potentially a better use of resources (if
you can source fuel locally, if the cell body and mechanism are durable,
etc.).

I just read about a sugar-solution fuel cell technology that's being
developed. Efficiency is low (surprise), and applications are in that
"five to seven" year (which really means something like "a long time or
maybe never") horizon. Still, the methanol solution cells are quite
promising already, so maybe we'll see some consumer fuel-cell stuff
hitting the market soon.

--
Later,
John

johajohn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'indiana' is a 'nolnn' and 'hoosier' is a 'solkk'. Indiana doesn't solkk.

Was that a typo... Methanol ? :o) The buzz these days seems to be about
ethanol.

Ahh.. ethanol.

I read an article recently where they estimated the petroleum cost of
fertilizers, transport, distillation etc to make 10 gal of ethanol from corn
was I think about 8 gal.

Aside from that, you can eat corn or feed it to cattle or something.... why
would you swap 8 gal of petroleum for 10 gal of ethanol...and petroleum
probably has a significantly higher energy density. Seems the pain in the
ass factor alone would make it not worth the effort, aside from
wasting.....an awful lot of hard earned corn.

The bottom line seemed to be that if we could make ethanol from corn STALKs
instead of corn, we could be ahead.

I've wondered, whats wrong with putting Methanol in gas? I tried this once,
to blend gas with methanol to make a cheap Coleman fuel for camping...
seemed it will mix in some proportions one way but not the other way
'round... didn't wind up with cheap Coleman fuel but killed an afternoon and
got a feeling I'd learned somethun.... ie didn't seem to work.

(I tried this out of principle, a $4.50 gallon of Coleman fuel turned into
$7.50 by the time I'd paid all the taxes and an environmental "paints and
solvents levy", despite the fact that it was being used as a fuel and I had
argued the point...)

Another reason I've wondered why they insist on mixing ethanol instead of
methanol with gas is... I heard someplace you can make methanol (wood
alcohol) by heating wood in the absence of oxygen, like in a partial vacuum.
Corn stalks, sawdust, slash... all kinds of things come to mind.

P.


.

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