Fuel Cells

[derivative 0]

I'm right there with ya, brother!

I'm working on switching careers from IT to renewable/alternate energy. There's a lot of very creative stuff out there. Like this:

http://www.solarmissiontechnologies.com

...the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible.
- T.E. Lawrence

[dorbie 0]

Negligible, but it depends how you burn it of course, you are allowed to use catalysts and lower temperatures.

[billvon 3,120]

>No more oil I say!

IEA to call for an emergency oil plan
Published: March 31 2005

Oil importing countries should implement emergency oil saving policies if supplies fall by as little as 1m-2m barrels a day, the International Energy Agency will warn next month.

The figure is much lower than the official trigger of 7 per cent of global oil supply equivalent to 6m b/d agreed in the treaty that founded the energy watchdog for industrialised countries after the oil crisis of the 1970s. A fall in supply of just 1m-2m b/d would be equivalent to the disruptions during the 2003 Iraq war or the 2002 oil industry strike in Venezuela.

. . .In a draft of the report circulated to governments and seen by Expansión, the Financial Times' Spanish partner, it suggests dramatic measures, such as reducing motorway speed limits by 25 per cent, shortening the working week, imposing driving bans on certain days, providing free public transport and promoting car pooling schemes.

Such measures are being adopted in the Philippines, where civil servants will today start a compressed work week of four days, in a desperate attempt by the Manila government to cut its oil bill in the next two months.

Investment in such schemes will be needed before any crisis occurs, the IEA says. “A rapid [demand] response can send a strong market signal,” says the report, entitled “Saving Oil in a Hurry”. “A reduction in IEA transport fuel demand of even a few per cent could have a substantial damping effect on surging world oil prices.”

Energy prices rose on Thursday, with US petrol and heating oil hitting all-time highs. US crude oil rose above $55.15, up $1.16 in mid-afternoon trade. The rise was propelled by a Goldman Sachs report that said oil prices “may have entered the early stages of a super-spike period”, which could lead to prices of $105.

Claude Mandil, IEA executive director, says in the foreword of the study: “There appear to be opportunities to achieve substantial reductions in transportation oil demand quickly and cheaply if countries are prepared.” The Paris-based body told governments recently that “if supply continues to struggle to keep up, more policy attention may come to be directed at oil demand intensity in our economies and alternatives”.

The IEA says the proposals in its study could save up to 1m b/d, but acknowledge that some of them, like car-pooling or driving bans according to number plates, are difficult or costly. The IEA plans to publish another study on the matter, titled “Saving Electricity in a Hurry”, in July.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/d5213f46-a21a-11d9-8483-00000e2511c8.html

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Here it comes people!

[Andrewwhyte 1]

As long as price controls are avoided, the market will provide the necessary rationing. The problem is the polititions will get involved.

[JohnnyD 0]

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>Doesn't the prius come with bluetooth stuff too?

Bluetooth, voice recognition, GPS mapping with a dead reckoner and voice prompts, a true keyless system . . . it's eerie to have a car give you recommendations on mexican food.

>Is there a list becuase of high demand or limited production? I'm not sure which one...

Both. The big problem now is battery availability. They're ramping up as fast as they can; Toyota is opening a new US plant soon to meet the demand.

Bill,
Living in SoCal, how fast does the car go 0-65? Thats pretty important there. Also, is it a front wheel drive? Can a full sized person sit in the back if a full sized person is sitting in front of them? How viable is this car in colder climates (lets say Denver perhaps)?
Reason I ask is that I'm intrigued by this car, but there just aren't any here to actually look at.

[Remster 30]

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colder climates (lets say Denver perhaps)?

Thats why I still lurk Speaker's....Bawaaahaaa! You guys are funny!

Remster

[JohnnyD 0]

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colder climates (lets say Denver perhaps)?

Thats why I still lurk Speaker's....Bawaaahaaa! You guys are funny!

D'oh!
Actually, thats a good point. I meant to say that Denver (where I live) is a lot colder than SoCal. If a hybrid has decreased performance in Denver, how bad would it be in Canada or Alaska?

[Remster 30]

I'll only guess... The worse that can happen I think is that the batteries dont hold up as much charge, and therefore, your millage and performance gets worse in winter. But thats only my guess...


We dont see many hybrids in Montreal. There are some, but I think they are still a little too new to see the impact in the real world here.

Remster

[billvon 3,120]

>The worse that can happen I think is that the batteries dont hold up as
> much charge, and therefore, your millage and performance gets worse in
> winter. But thats only my guess...

Partially right! But battery charge really doesn't affect gas mileage that much, since they warm up quickly with usage (and the pack is oversized anyway.) What does affect it is pumping losses, and pumping losses are worse in wintertime. (True of all cars, not just the Prius.)

>Living in SoCal, how fast does the car go 0-65?

About 10 sec. That _does_ depend on temperature. Best performace comes from a garaged car (warm batteries) on a cold day (cold air = more power from ICE.)

>Also, is it a front wheel drive?

Yes

>Can a full sized person sit in the back if a full sized person is sitting in front of them?

I don't know. Amy (6') has no problem in the front seat; my friend Jan (6'4") was a little tight. It's suprisingly big inside; it qualifies as a midsize rather than a compact in the listings.

[EricTheRed 0]

My inlaws recently completed a trip from Eugene, OR to York NE in a Prius. Say they averaged 45mpg for the trip.

They had 4 adults (some of 'em pretty big) and a 6 month baby in the car.

My personal idea of hell but they said the drive was fine. Even with the FULL load they claimed to have excellent power going over the mountain passes. Cruise control set at 80 and the car held this speed no problem.

Only stopped for gas 3x each way

illegible usually

[Remster 30]

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Partially right! But battery charge really doesn't affect gas mileage that much,

I googled it and it looks like in really cold weather, the engine has to keep on going all the time to avoid freezing of various systems, so millage would be affected.

Remster

[billvon 3,120]

>I googled it and it looks like in really cold weather, the engine has to
>keep on going all the time to avoid freezing of various systems, so
>millage would be affected.

Yep. The odd part is that when you're driving on the highway the engine is running anyway, but mileage still goes down. I finally discovered what causes it - pumping losses. The throttle has to be kept more closed at colder temps (because cold air = more power) and thus the engine has to pump against a greater vacuum to suck air in.

[sundevil777 102]

I get 40 on the highway with 4 people and a full trunk in my old 1.5 liter Civic, and it has lousy aerodynamics. It also has lousy acceleration.

For those wishing hybrids looked more normal, look no further than the Honda Civic and Accord. For those wanting to look like Woody Allen driving the future car in Sleeper, look no further than the Prius.

Honda bought a company that makes an adapter gizmo that allows you to refuel a CNG car from your house gas line? Does anyone know how the economics of running the CNG powered Civic?

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[EBSB52 0]

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Gee Bill, even George Bush knows that the oceans are just full of hydrogen.

Safe too! Quite a few people escaped from the Hindenberg.

Wasn't it the aluminum oxide paint they used on the Hindenburg that made it so volatile when it went up? Not merely just the hydrogen itself?

It was aluminum powder, not aluminum oxide, in the paint. But yes, it seems the paint burned first. And, of course, aluminum powder is a component of solid rocket fuel! But the hydrogen did ignite too.

Mixtures of hydrogen and air are explosive between 4.1 to 71.5% hydrogen. This is, I believe, the widest explosive range of any known mixture of gases.

The physics PHD guythinks he knows it all .

On a gloom and doom note, I think the lack of energy will be the front-runner for anarchy in the world, especially the more energy-dependant countries. It won't be the lack of food or nukular (written for Bush fans) war that ends it, it will be energy shortages, especially so-called fossil fuels.

[EBSB52 0]

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We _would_ have enough if we switched to _efficient_ electric vehicles, rather than just replacing the mammoth cars we have now.

Unfortunately, I don't see cars getting smaller anytime soon, at least until people choose a vehicle based on its intended use rather than its aesthetic value.


Don't you have a hybrid bill?

What's a hybrid bill? Is it a cross between bill and ??????

[kallend 2,150]

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Gee Bill, even George Bush knows that the oceans are just full of hydrogen.

Safe too! Quite a few people escaped from the Hindenberg.

Wasn't it the aluminum oxide paint they used on the Hindenburg that made it so volatile when it went up? Not merely just the hydrogen itself?

It was aluminum powder, not aluminum oxide, in the paint. But yes, it seems the paint burned first. And, of course, aluminum powder is a component of solid rocket fuel! But the hydrogen did ignite too.

Mixtures of hydrogen and air are explosive between 4.1 to 71.5% hydrogen. This is, I believe, the widest explosive range of any known mixture of gases.

The physics PHD guythinks he knows it all .

Do you wish to debate some specific topic with me, or are you just being rude?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.