Changing times |
Post Reply | Page <12345 12> |
Author | |
David and Danette
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1215 |
Post Options
Quote Reply
Topic: Changing times Posted: 14 Jan 2022 at 9:50am |
They came up with LED's that use a lot less electricity than previous light bulbs maybe a new electric motor that uses a lot less electricity than the current electric motors that would help extend the range of a electric vehicle.
|
|
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019) 2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014) Middle Tn 2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab |
|
lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Jan 2022 at 10:56am |
I just talked to a nuclear engineer with whom I work at our local Habitat project and he mentioned that iron pellet batteries are making surprising progress. Though it will certainly take some time to develop that may be a technology that could supplement lithium and the attendant environmental damages associated with it.
As for magical thinking, I still like the idea of perpetual motion.
|
|
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
|
StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6289 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Jan 2022 at 12:59pm |
Unfortunately, that is an apples to elephants comparison. Lights generate light. They don't have to contend with things like inertia, rolling resistance, aerodynamic drag, and a whole host of other things. There are more efficient electric motors. However, the motor is only one part of a vehicle that impacts the amount of energy needed to move people and items down the road safely. Years ago I read an article in one of the motor magazines. The author was comparing cost of transportation between him in his vehicle and him on a bicycle. His contention was that it was a lot more economical to run a car on gas than to power him on his bicycle. He said the cost of the meal he had was more than the cost of the gasoline. However, he failed to state that he would have eaten the same meal anyway even when he was driving. His cost comparison was meaningless. Unless one also comes up with better ways to transmit the power of the engine through the transmission, drivetrain, wheels, and tires to the ground, better engines will help, but won't fix the problem.
|
|
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
|
offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Jan 2022 at 5:53pm |
Electric motors are already in the high 90s in percent efficiency, so expect no dramatic increases there Ditto drivetrain efficiency.
ICEs and alternative heat engines have an upper limit in efficiency of (t hot - t cold)/ t hot, where t hot is the temp of the ignited gasses in the cylinder, and t cold is the exhaust gas temp. Temps above absolute zero. This is called the Carnot limit, basic thermodynamics, you can't get around it. Put another way it is the expansion and cooling of the gasses during the power stroke that provides the horsepower. That might be something like (3000-1500)/3000 for an ICE, so it's best theoretical efficiency might be around 50%. Some very large stationary diesel engines are in that range, most advanced automotive engines are around 30-40%. So there is some room for improvement in ICE engine efficiency, but not like 2x. |
|
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
|
offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 15 Jan 2022 at 6:18am |
For those who feel they must keep their ICEs a bit longer but don't want to continue to spew additional carbon into the air, consider getting a diesel and modding it to run on straight veggie oil (SVO). Vegetable oil production unlike corn ethanol has a very low fossil fuel input. heck, you can get an oil press and make it at home. So it can be quite close to carbon neutral.
Depending on the vehicle and the climate you live in the conversion can be pretty simple. There are two issues, first, the viscosity of SVO is higher than dino diesel so you need to heat it before running it through your injectors. Typically this is done by having a dual fuel setup so the vehicle starts and warms up on dinodiesel, with the SVO tank getting heated by the engine coolant before switching over. Second, because it is less volatile and doesnt boil off as easily as dino diesel,some of it winds up in your engine oil. Solution is more frequent oil changes. The engine itself will run just fine, Rundolf Diesel's first engines ran on peanut oil, that's the fuel he designed them for back then. You can also use waste veggie oil from your local fried food place. |
|
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
|
StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6289 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 15 Jan 2022 at 8:24am |
It isn't as simple as making vegetable oil and dumping it in the tank. Biodiesel is made by a process of transesterification by using methanol and sodium or potassium hydroxide. This separates the glycerin from the oil, making it less thick.
|
|
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
|
offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 15 Jan 2022 at 3:16pm |
Biodiesel is not vegetable oil. It has been chemical converted. But that conversion is not necessary. You can just run the straight vegetable oil, as Rudolf Diesel originally intended. You need a dual tank system because you have to heat the SVO to reduce it's viscosity. The SVO can be raw or used veggie oil waste that has been filtered.
|
|
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
|
furpod
Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 15 Jan 2022 at 4:17pm |
Or.. drive something that gets good mileage, or even a hybrid or EV, when appropriate (my parents both drive hybrids, at my house it's a VW as a "daily driver").. And then Drive the ICE TRUCK when you need.. say.. a truck to haul something. Exactly what my family does.. That's the reason our Super Duty has under 30K at 5 years old.. and dad's eX only has 90K at 17 years.. 20K of which were put on since Sept, delivering old cars to his sons.. (an MGTD, a Jag, a Duster 340 6-pack, a 53 Chevy one ton PU, and the big buick I brought home)LOL. Mine was the last delivery, and he saw no need to keep the eX after that was done.. so we drove it here, he flew home. BTW.. 5 days of driving cross country with your 84 year old, stage 4 cancer having dad, is a trip of a lifetime.
|
|
lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 15 Jan 2022 at 6:37pm |
I ran biodiesel in the engine of my sail boat 40 years ago. It worked great, but stunk like rancid french fries.
|
|
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
|
GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2630 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 16 Jan 2022 at 11:45am |
We drove through Saratoga (CA) yesterday for an errand, and I would estimate at least 10% of the cars we saw were some kind of Tesla. Seems to work for a noticeable percentage of those people. I happen to have about 6 (or more maybe?) friends and/or relatives who have Teslas and they are without exception quite happy with them. One relative drives theirs to the cabin in the Sierra and back (~~ 250 mile trip). They charge it while they're there (on 110 no less), and cruise on home (where they charge it on solar after they get home).
|
|
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
|
Post Reply | Page <12345 12> |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |