The random thought thread

[slimslob]

Re: The random thought thread

It may take the next 100 years, but time and tide will eventually force the remaining depleted oil reserves to be only used for the plastics/insulation industry.

No oil to produce plastics, no electrical insulation, along with many other wet insulation problems. How many electrical appliances will be lost from the average home, along with the jobs that create or repair them? Recycled plastics can also be used to produce polymer logs for the building and construction industry, which I believe is already in use, the product is called Notwood.

The petrol chemical CEO's have be on record for stating that they make 10 times
more money out of plastics than burning fuel in motor vehicles.
Why then are those major industries still investing in petrol/gas burning production? It's doesn't make economical sense, even from their own perspective.

Why do we have to wait year-by-year until the environment becomes totally irreversibly polluted with carbon based burnt waste? IMHO the sooner the world switches over to 99% electrical energy the better all round.

There are some amazing electrical products coming out in the future.
I hope we have enough crude oil to produce the polymers an electrical insulation of those new products.



(my 5 cents worth...)

A couple of things to consider about electric cars. It actually takes more fossil fuel to generate the electricity for an electric car to travel a given distance that a similar size gasoline vehicle would use. Until the US get over its fear of Nuclear energy, this will continue.

[TheBlueOrleans]

Re: The random thought thread

[invisible rant]



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[SwisSeV]

Re: The random thought thread

A couple of things to consider about electric cars. It actually takes more fossil fuel to generate the electricity for an electric car to travel a given distance that a similar size gasoline vehicle would use. Until the US get over its fear of Nuclear energy, this will continue.

True if you compare an ICE car with a Electric car that runs completely on gas powered electric generators.
The fact of the matter is electric motors are over 50% more efficient than ICE motors. They also have the massive advantage of running off of ANY electrical source including 100% solar/wind/nuclear power. The next generation electric cars will be better in every way. Better safety, reliability, maintenance cost, efficiency, tailpipe emissions, performance, design opportunity, range and "refueling" and much more.
It's going to be very clear soon.

[TheBlueOrleans]

Re: The random thought thread

[visible rant]
If the (expletive) U.S. government had not mandated that all vehicles produced in or imported into the country* be manufactured so that the roof of the vehicle could support its own weight (thus increasing the overall weight of the vehicle) we wouldn't have the same MPG as we had 30 years ago. Improvements in fuel efficiency would have dramatically increased MPG for an average vehicle. But considering rollovers occur in only a tiny fraction of all vehicle collisions in this country, and rollover-induced fatalities account for a tinier fraction of all vehicle collision fatalities, it's all "Safety First"!

*convertible option negates rollover safety. I guess they think if you want to drive topless you can drive headless.

Yes I just said "drive topless".

If the company were willing (because they certainly are able) to purchase/lease electric vehicles for company use (including field technicians) I would be in favor of it. Just not a Priuth. I don't want to drive a Priuth.



Yes, that's "Prius" with an affected lisp.
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[qbert69]

Re: The random thought thread

HHO Baby!!!...We've got PLENTY 'O WATER!!!

[Coptech]

Re: The random thought thread

HHO Baby!!!...We've got PLENTY 'O WATER!!!

and just like the old days, it comes in leaded and unleaded.

[Iowatech]

Re: The random thought thread

As someone who may carry a DD2R, I find this troubling:
As vets died, VA spent millions on art | Washington Examiner
But here's why there isn't any cell phone reception here:

[SwisSeV]

Re: The random thought thread

HHO Baby!!!...We've got PLENTY 'O WATER!!!

There is a reason HCV's haven't caught on, and no it's not the oil industry. It's just physics. It's WAY more efficient to use energy to charge a battery than it is split water molecules. HCV's will never be competitive until there is a better source of hydrogen. Good for spaceflight and other interplanetary fuels , terrible for cars on earth.

[NeoMatrix]

Re: The random thought thread

HHO Baby!!!...We've got PLENTY 'O WATER!!!

And 10 times (some say 20 times) more powerful than fuel/gas energy transfer exchange used at present.

An HHO powered engine can be 1/10 the size of current engines with the same kinetic energy for the drive train. HHO engines are far simpler cleaner and recycles the HHO back into the system for a 100,000km continuous cycle.

An it only gets better for HHO from there on, it can be used directly for powered flight.

[NeoMatrix]

Re: The random thought thread

True if you compare an ICE car with a Electric car that runs completely on gas powered electric generators.
The fact of the matter is electric motors are over 50% more efficient than ICE motors. They also have the massive advantage of running off of ANY electrical source including 100% solar/wind/nuclear power. The next generation electric cars will be better in every way. Better safety, reliability, maintenance cost, efficiency, tailpipe emissions, performance, design opportunity, range and "refueling" and much more.
It's going to be very clear soon.

We have lots an lots of sunshine here in Australia.
Close to half of the residential an industry buildings in Australia have solar panels covering their roof space. We now have Tesla solar battery backup systems to plug directly into the solar panels to move any home off the grid entirely. The problem at present is the Telsa battery system are far to expensive for the average home. I have been in talks with these local solar battery suppliers to convert the Tesla car battery for use to power the home of a night time to take the residency off the grid. The car can then be driven to work an powered up from solar panels at work the following day.

At present the wisdom of the solar system invertor technology prevents the solar panel invertor from working if it does not see a 50/60 hz mains/grid signal. The 50/60hz signal shuts off the power invertor if there is a power grid failure. The above fact was absolutely poo pooed during the last cyclone/hurricane that pass through our location. The entire city was with out power for 3-4 days and over 2 weeks for others. The solar system was absolutely useless when it was required the most. I'm almost certain the invertors can be modified with a simple firmware update to allow off the grid systems to work without the 50/60hz mains signal.

[slimslob]

Re: The random thought thread

I'm almost certain the invertors can be modified with a simple firmware update to allow off the grid systems to work without the 50/60hz mains signal.

Uninterruptible Power Supplies have been doing it for years.

[SwisSeV]

Re: The random thought thread

Tesla batteries are not designed for vehicle to home power. They tried in the past with the early roadsters, the batteries degrade at a frightening rate due to some complicated math. Also, think about how dangerous it is to run your house through your cars charging line. It's definitely not rated for that.

Don't worry though, batteries are about to become A LOT cheaper.

[NeoMatrix]

Re: The random thought thread

Tesla batteries are not designed for vehicle to home power. They tried in the past with the early roadsters, the batteries degrade at a frightening rate due to some complicated math. Also, think about how dangerous it is to run your house through your cars charging line. It's definitely not rated for that.

Don't worry though, batteries are about to become A LOT cheaper.

Why would the battery derate for residential use when compared to use in the vehicle?
If memory serves I believe the early Tesla roaster vehicles had a problem with the battery system.
Was it over heating of the battery?


Cheaper Solar batteries sounds like a better option.

[SwisSeV]

Re: The random thought thread

oh, I didn't want to get into too much detail, but since you asked......
Cycling the batteries by plugging it into your "dumb" home will take a toll on the batteries, and may not allow the batteries to achieve it's rated life-cycle under the vehicles warranty.
The power will need to be transferred through the cars inverter 2X which is very inefficient.
The inverter cant produce the power the batteries can and if you pull it's capacity you will fry something.
The sine wave created will be synthetic and as with the UPS, that does't play nice with some appliances.

It's not impossible, but the home battery backup is a better option for now.

[ZOOTECH]

Re: The random thought thread

Tesla is building a hugh manufacturing plant just east of Reno, NV to make those lithium batteries for household backup, and electric-only cars. Solar panels to charge batteries during the day and batteries to run house at night.
Expensive now, but when production cranks up, they expect a 40% reduction in cost.